The interdisciplinary master’s degree in power, conflict, and ideas gives graduate students access to the expertise of diverse, nationally and internationally recognized researchers from a variety of faculties and disciplines in a coherent, thematic framework.

Graduates of the program will come away with a nuanced understanding of:

• Power, social change, and the history of ideas
• Governance, participation, and policymaking
• Historical context and framework
• Inequality, conflict, and social justice

Program milestones

• Establishing a faculty supervisory committee
• Completing coursework
• Preparing, presenting, and defending a thesis research proposal
• Completing thesis research and writing, and defending the work

Coursework requirements

18 credits of coursework are required, including:

• Proseminar in Interdisciplinary Studies (IGS 524)
• Theme Seminar in Governance (IGS 589)
• Theme Seminar in Power and Ideas (IGS 590)
• Theme Seminar in Society and Conflict (IGS 591)
• Theme Seminar in History Theory and Method (IGS 592)
• One additional course to be selected by the student, in consultation with his or her supervisor

The PhD degree is centred on conducting original, cutting-edge research in areas related to governance, social change, policymaking, inequality, and conflict. Graduates of the PhD program are prepared for careers requiring advanced independent research and teaching in academia, government, and industry.

Program milestones

• Establishing a faculty supervisory committee
• Selecting and completing coursework
• Preparing, presenting, and defending a thesis research proposal
• Passing an oral candidacy exam
• Completing thesis research and writing, and defending the work

Coursework requirements

Nine credits of coursework are required. These will be selected in collaboration with the student’s supervisory committee.

Cassidy acheson

MA Student 

Cassidy Acheson is a settler scholar whose research integrates Indigenous Studies and History in order to understand patterns of settler colonialism alongside Indigenous and settler women’s histories. She uses collaborative and place-based methodologies to examine settler acts of claiming land and memory at Nk’maplqs (the Head of the Lake, near Vernon, BC), while highlighting Sqilxw women’s histories of resistance. She is interested in processes of erasure that attempt to eliminate Indigenous women from historical memory and from the land as a tool of settler power, and how Indigenous women refuse this erasure.

Stephanie Awotwi-Pratt

MA Student

Stephanie Awotwi-Pratt is a Black Canadian researcher and student in the Power, Conflict and Ideas stream. With previous degrees in Microbiology, English, and Gender and Women’s Studies at UBC Okanagan, her master’s research merges a range of disciplines and fields. Stephanie focuses on reproductive health care and racism in Obstetrics and Gynecology in British Columbia. Stephanie’s SSHRC CGSM-funded master’s research seeks to understand how Black Canadian women living in B.C. resist racism and medical violence in reproductive healthcare settings. Stephanie’s research interacts with multiple fields, including Black feminist theory, reproductive justice, the effects of historically rooted legacies of medical violence, and contemporary examples of discrimination in patient interactions with medical care providers.

Morgan Marshall

MA Student 

Morgan Marshall is a master’s student in the Power, Conflict, and Ideas stream, working under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Stites Mor. Morgan has previously completed an undergraduate degree from UBC Okanagan with a major in History & a minor in Art History and Visual Culture. She is currently researching South Asian women working as ayahs within the British Empire from 1759 to 1947. More specifically, Morgan is investigating the convergence of colonialism, domestic relations, and the construction of family in the colonial household through the perspective of the subaltern. She strives to reconstruct the exclusionary nature of British colonial history that perpetuates an idealized white colonizer narrative, by bringing to light ayahs’ meaningful impact on the British family. Morgan’s research is quite interdisciplinary, as she blends social history research theories and methodologies with an art historical analysis.

Ange-Aimee Quesnel

MA Student 

Ange-Aimee’s research interests include gender, reproduction politics and discourse. More specifically, the central purpose of her study is investigating the socio-political and historical landscapes that created an environment that promoted and justified sexual sterilization legislation in British Columbia during the early twentieth-century.

To examine the work of previous UBC Okanagan graduate students, search on cIRcle, the University’s digital repository for research and teaching materials.

As a domain of scholarship, creative activity, and teaching, Power, Conflict & Ideas is wide-ranging and interdisciplinary in nature. Power, Conflict & Ideas encourages graduate students to become well-rounded scholars, educators, and public intellectuals. During their degree, students will have the opportunity to conduct original research, learn to become effective educators, and work as Teaching Assistants, as well as acquire knowledge in the professional practices of writing for publication, academic CV development, grant writing, networking, and community-engaged research skills.

MASTER OF ARTS (MA) APPLICANTS 

Applicants to the master’s program are expected to hold:

• the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC, with a B+ (76%) average or better in their third- or fourth-year classes, or
• at least 12 credits in third- and fourth-year classes in their intended field of study, with an A (80%) or better average.

Applicant background training must be sufficient for advanced work in their chosen field.

DOCTORAL (PHD) APPLICANTS 

PhD applicants will normally have a master’s degree in a related field, with a B+ (76%) average or better, and clear evidence of research ability or potential. Applicant background training must be sufficient for advanced work in their chosen field.

MORE INFORMATION

Visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar* for full admission and program requirements information. The calendar is a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services, and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.

* In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct. 

MASTER OF ARTS (MA) APPLICANTS 

Applicants to the master’s program are expected to:

• hold the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC
• demonstrate superior academic standing

Applicant background training must be sufficient for advanced work in their chosen field.

Applicants from a university outside Canada at which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are listed in the Academic Calendar.

DOCTORAL (PHD) APPLICANTS 

PhD applicants are expected to hold the academic equivalent of a two-year master’s degree from UBC in a related field and to demonstrate superior academic standing. Applicant background training must be sufficient for advanced work in their chosen field.

Applicants from a university outside Canada at which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of competency to pursue studies in the English language prior to being extended an offer of admission. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to graduate studies are listed in the Academic Calendar.

MORE INFORMATION

Visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar* for full admission and program requirements information. The calendar is a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services, and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.

* In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.

Required Grades and Credential Guide

Grades and degree credentials required by UBC vary by country. Search the Required Grades and Credential Guide—a guide to assist international students in estimating their eligibility.

International Advisors

An international student advisor can answer questions about immigration, medical insurance and the transition to UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC. Visit the Global Engagement Office’s website to meet the team.

DYNAMIC CITY

UBC’s Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of about 150,000 people—the fourth fastest growing population in Canada. In fact, the Okanagan Valley is rated one of the best communities in Canada to grow your business.

More than 160 buses travel daily from campus to key locations such as Kelowna’s cultural district and thriving downtown waterfront. The campus is two minutes from the Kelowna International Airport, one of the top 10 busiest airports in Canada.

UBC Okanagan is situated within the First Nations territory of the Okanagan Nation, whose spirit of stewardship for the land is reflected in the university’s respect for sustainability.

NATURAL BEAUTY

A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards and orchards, and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan Valley features sweeping stretches of lakeside and endless mountain trails for biking and hiking.

Check out this 360-degree video: Kelowna From Above (best viewed using desktop Chrome or Firefox or YouTube’s mobile app).

CAMPUS HOUSING

Full-time UBC Okanagan students can live in residence, which offers modern living with easy access to academic and personal support. Residences are surrounded by hiking and biking trails, plus panoramic views of the campus and valley.

• Student Residence
• Important Housing Dates

OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING

• Living Off Campus Resources
• Kelowna Off Campus Student Housing Facebook group*

* UBC does not verify or endorse information shared on this third-party website, which is offered here as a public resource only.

College of Graduate Studies: CoGS offers orientation events to support you in your first steps as a graduate student at UBC’s Okanagan campus.

Stay active: Take advantage of the many opportunities to get involved and play—from workout space in the new Hangar Fitness and Wellness Centre and our 1,561 square-metre gymnasium, to athletic courts, intramurals, fitness classes, and nationally ranked varsity athletics. Have a ball in Sports and Recreation.

Relax: The Graduate Collegium is a gathering place where grad students can hang out, eat lunch, spend time with their fellow students, and attend or host special events. The lounge-style room is open seven days and week and is outfitted with comfortable furniture, kitchen facilities, and individual and group-work spaces.

College of Graduate Studies: Your hub for administrative support and such things as graduate workshops for professional development and for assisting you from the admissions process through to your graduation.

Centre for Scholarly Communication: Supports graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, staff, and faculty in disseminating their research. The Library’s CSC provides one-on-one consultations and workshops, including writing support for theses, dissertations, journal articles, and grant proposals.

Centre for Teaching and Learning: Provides support related to teaching, TA training, and use of technology in educational programming.