Social sciences

This division comprises research and experimental development in social sciences. Social sciences refer to disciplines concerned with the study of human actions and conditions and the social, economic and institutional mechanisms affecting humans, in the fields of social sciences, which include psychology and cognitive sciences; economics and business administration; education; sociology and related studies; law and legal practices; political sciences and policy administration; social and economic geography; media and communications; and other social sciences. Research consists of systematic investigation carried by means of experiment or analysis to achieve a scientific or technological advance such as acquiring new knowledge of the underlying foundation of phenomena and observable facts. Experimental development consists of new or substantially improved goods, services, systems, methods or processes.

Sub-Categories

Psychology and cognitive sciences

Economics and business administration

Education

Sociology and related studies

Law and legal practice

Political science and policy administration

Social and economic geography

Media and communications

Other social sciences

Graduate Degree Programs

Master of Education in Music Education (MEd)

UBC graduate programs in Music Education are designed to meet a variety of needs and interests, including those of the busy professional teacher, the researcher, the administrator, the curriculum developer, and the future university professor. Specializations include conducting, music pedagogy,…

Master of Education in School and Applied Child Psychology (MEd)

The School and Applied Child Psychology program prepares graduate students to become psychologists who work in schools, academic, research, community and private practice settings. The primary goal of the program is to develop professional psychologists whose research, training and practice…

Master of Education in Science Education (MEd)

The Master of Education - Science Education degree offers students opportunities to pursue a wide range of research and professional interests in the field of STEM Education with the emphasis on science education. The program is ideal for those seeking to make a difference in teacher education;…

Master of Education in Social Studies Education (MEd)

Social Studies prides itself in offering a rich environment with unparalleled opportunities for graduate students desiring a wide range of backgrounds and interests including visual culture, anti-oppressive education, gender studies, historical consciousness, moral education, and the history and…

Master of Education in Society, Culture and Politics in Education (MEd)

The MA and MEd degree concentration in Society, Culture and Politics in Education (SCPE) addresses the history of education, sociology of education, politics of education, philosophy of education, and cultural aspects of education. We define education very broadly to include formal school contexts…

Master of Education in Special Education (MEd)

The Special Education program at UBC concerns the education of students with exceptionalities, such as students with visual impairments, developmental disabilities, emotional or behavioural disorders, learning disabilities, gifts and talents, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Faculty are…

Master of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language (MEd)

The MEd degree is designed as a practitioner's degree, for students who wish to acquire the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to work in a professional field. As a professional degree, the MEd is intended for students who wish, upon graduation, to assume positions of leadership in a…

Master of Educational Technology (MET)

The Master of Educational Technology (MET) program offers a fully online graduate degree that explores the potential use and impact of learning technologies in a variety of contexts. UBC is an internationally-recognized leader in distributed education, and the Faculty members work on the leading…

Master of Engineering Leadership in Sustainable Process Engineering (MEL)

The Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Sustainable Process Engineering is currently undergoing a period of reflection and evaluation. As of January 2025, the program is paused and not accepting applications. This pause aims to ensure the program’s ongoing relevance and impact within the…

Master of Engineering Leadership in Urban Systems (MEL)

TRANSFORM THE FUTURE IN A RAPIDLY EVOLVING INDUSTRY Elevate your career to new heights with the Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Urban Systems, an advanced degree crafted for visionary system thinkers eager to tackle complex challenges in infrastructure. This unique interdisciplinary…

Master of Fine Arts in Film Production (MFA)

Please note that applications for the MFA in Film Production are accepted on a biennial basis. Applications for Fall 2026 will open in late September 2025. Film Production is a major component of Vancouver’s economy, as well as in cities across the globe. UBC has an over 45-year history of…

Master of Fine Arts in Film Production and Creative Writing (MFA)

Please note that the applications for the MFA in Film Production and Creative Writing are accepted on a biennial basis. Applications for Fall 2026 will open in late September 2025. Film Production is a major component of Vancouver’s economy, as well as in cities across the globe. UBC has an over…

Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)

The Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE) program is a unique, one-year, course-based masters degree which integrates Economics, Policy, and Business concepts to provide data-driven solutions that meet the challenges and opportunities in the food, agriculture, and environmental sector. This…

Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM)

The Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) is a new 9-month, course-based master’s program that provides the geospatial skills and landscape ecology context required to tackle pressing environmental issues. It is a 9-month program which begins in August with a 3-week intensive and…

Master of Health Leadership and Policy in Clinical Education (MHLP)

TRANSFORM THE FUTURE OF HEALTH CARE LEADERSHIP Transform your career with the Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) in Clinical Education. This prestigious professional degree is designed for clinicians aiming to expand their expertise in the dynamic fields of practice trend analysis and…

UBC Researchers

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Winstanley, Catharine

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Addiction; Behavioural neuroscience; decision making; Gambling disorder; Impulsivity; Mental Health and Society; Neuronal Systems; Neuropharmacology; Computational neuroscience; Traumatic Brain Injury; Addiction, Behavioural neuroscience, Decision making, Gambling disorder, Impulsivity, Mental Health and Society, Neuronal Systems, Neuropharmacology, Computational Neuroscience, Traumatic brain injury

Wittman, Hannah

Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

food sovereignty; Sustainable agriculture; socio-ecological systems; Agroecology; food sovereignty, sustainable agriculture, socio-ecological systems, agroecology

Wittman, Hannah

Applied Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

food sovereignty; Sustainable agriculture; socio-ecological systems; Agroecology; food sovereignty, sustainable agriculture, socio-ecological systems, agroecology

Wong, Melanie

Faculty of Education

Faculty (non-G+PS member)

ESL, TESOL, LOTE and sign language curriculum, pedagogy and didactics; Technology-Enhanced Classrooms; English Language Learners; K-12; Emerging Technologies

Woody, Sheila

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Mental Health and Society; Anxiety; cognition; Community Health / Public Health; Specific Social Services (Clientele); Hoarding; Mental Health and Society, Anxiety, Cognition, Community Health / Public Health, Specific Social Services (Clientele), Hoarding

Wright, Handel

Department of Educational Studies, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

(post)multiculturalism and multicultural education; Africana studies; Critical Race Theory; Cultural Studies; Educational Approaches; identity, citizenship and belonging; postcolonialism and decolonization; Transcultural Studies; Youth Studies; anti-racism; (post)multiculturalism and multicultural education, Africana studies, Critical Race Theory, Cultural studies, Educational Approaches, Identity, citizenship and belonging, Postcolonialism and decolonization, Transcultural Studies, Youth studies, anti-racism

Wright, Matthew

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

American politics; Comparitive politics; immigration; Immigration Policy; migration; National identity; Political behaviour; Political psychology; public opinion; American politics, Comparitive politics, Immigration, Immigration policy, Migration, National identity, Political behaviour, Political psychology, Public opinion

Wu, Joy

Division of Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Behavioral experiments; Data privacy; Information markets; Fairness Views; Platform strategy; Behavioral experiments, Data privacy, Information markets, Fairness Views, Platform strategy

Wyly, Elvin

Department of Geography, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Urban Spaces and Urbanity; Specialized Services (Housing, Transportation); gentrification; housing; the politics of data and quantitative methods; U.S. politics; Urban Spaces and Urbanity, Specialized Services (Housing, Transportation), Gentrification, Housing, The politics of data and quantitative methods, U.S. politics

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Xiao, Bowen

Faculty of Education

Postdoctoral Fellow

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Yan, Han

Division of Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Banking; Climate Finance; Voluntary Disclosure; Earnings Quality; Reduced Form and Structural Estimation; Banking, Climate Finance, Voluntary Disclosure, Earnings Quality, Reduced Form and Structural Estimation

Yoon, Liv

School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

climate change; Social inequities; health; Climate and Environmental justice; Climate change, Social inequities, Health, Climate and Environmental justice

Young, Margot

Peter A. Allard School of Law

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Constitutional law; women’s right; Housing rights; Equality law; Social welfare law; International rights; Environmental rights; Constitutional law, Women’s right, Housing rights, Equality law, Social welfare law, International rights, Environmental rights

Yu, Lingtao

Division of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

abusive supervision; Emotions; leadership and ethics; Management; mindfulness; workplace deviance; Abusive supervision, Emotions, Leadership and ethics, Management, Mindfulness, Workplace deviance

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Zappa-Hollman, Sandra

Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

English for academic purposes; content and language integrated learning (CLIL) / content-based instruction (CBI); multilingual student experiences in higher education; inclusive teaching and learning in higher education; (interdisciplinary) collaboration between subject area and language area instructors; EAP pedagogies; genre-based pedagogies; Systemic Functional Linguistics for EAP; second language socialization theory; social network theory / individual networks of practice; qualitative research design; critical perspectives in language teaching and learning; English for academic purposes, content and language integrated learning (CLIL) / content-based instruction (CBI), multilingual student experiences in higher education, inclusive teaching and learning in higher education, (interdisciplinary) collaboration between subject area and language area instructors, EAP pedagogies, genre-based pedagogies, Systemic Functional Linguistics for EAP, second language socialization theory, social network theory / individual networks of practice, qualitative research design , critical perspectives in language teaching and learning

Zerriffi, Hisham

Department of Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Biomass (Energy); Energy Transformation and Energy Using; International development; Environment and Society; Ideological, Political, Economical and Social Environments of Social Transformations; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; energy poverty; Biomass (Energy), Energy Transformation and Energy Using, International Development, Environment and Society, Ideological, Political, Economical and Social Environments of Social Transformations, Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection, Energy poverty

Zeweri, Helena

Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Mobility; migration; Critical refugee studies; settler colonialism; Anthropology of care, policy, social movements, empire; Mobility, Migration, Critical Refugee Studies, Settler Colonialism, Anthropology of care, policy, social movements, empire

Zhang, Gaoheng

Department of French, Hispanic & Italian Studies, Faculty of Arts

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Migration Studies; Mobility Studies ; Cultural Studies; Food Studies; Fashion Studies ; Film and Media Studies; Gender and Masculinity Studies; Rhetoric and Communication Studies ; China-Italy Cultural Relations ; China-Africa-Europe Cultural Relations; Italy's Global Networks ; Modern and contemporary Italian literature and culture; Migration Studies, Mobility Studies , Cultural Studies, Food Studies, Fashion Studies , Film and Media Studies, Gender and Masculinity Studies, Rhetoric and Communication Studies , China-Italy Cultural Relations , China-Africa-Europe Cultural Relations, Italy's Global Networks , Modern and Contemporary Italian Literature and Culture

Zhang, Jenny Li

Division of Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Finance and Accounting; Financial reporting, corporate disclosure, restatements, pension; Finance and Accounting, Financial reporting, corporate disclosure, restatements, pension

Zhao, Jiaying

Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Poverty, sustainability, psychology, cognition, decision making, judgment, perception, attention, learning

Zhao, Jiaying

Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Poverty, sustainability, psychology, cognition, decision making, judgment, perception, attention, learning

Zhou, Mi

Division of Accounting and Information Systems, Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Economics of Digitization; Digital Media Products; Digital Marketing; Omnichannel Customer Behavior; Economics of Digitization, Digital Media Products, Digital Marketing, Omnichannel Customer Behavior

Zieff, Gabriel

Faculty of Education

Postdoctoral Fellow

Stress physiology; Exercise Physiology; Cardiometabolic Health; mental health; Lifestyle factors;

Zumbo, Bruno

Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, Faculty of Education

Faculty (G+PS eligible/member)

Psychometrics and Test Theory; Mathematical sciences of measurement; Latent Variable and Mixed Models, Item Response Theory, Factor Analysis; Validity Theory and Validation; Multivariate Analysis; Psychometrics and Test Theory; Mathematical sciences of measurement, Latent Variable and Mixed Models, Item Response Theory, Factor Analysis, Validity Theory and Validation, Multivariate Analysis

Student & Alumni Stories