3.0 Applications & Admissions

DECLARATION

• I agree that my post-secondary grades may be released to UBC.
• I agree to notify the graduate program(s) to which I am applying of any additional post-secondary studies taken or registered courses from which I withdraw subsequent to the date of this application.
• I certify that information provided in written responses are accurate and my own.
• As per UBC Senate Policy, I confirm that I have disclosed all non-UBC post-secondary academic history information, including current coursework, incomplete degrees, and coursework taken under a non-degree designation.
• I understand that failure to disclose my full and complete post-secondary record is a serious matter and may result in disciplinary action.
• I agree that if I knowingly or carelessly provided untrue, incomplete or plagiarized information with this application then UBC may in its sole discretion do any or all of the following: (a) cancel my application; (b) withdraw any offer of admission, whether accepted or not; (c) require me to withdraw from UBC; (d) subject me to academic discipline; (e) share the information I provided with other post-secondary institutions, law enforcement agencies, or other third parties.
• I agree that UBC may verify the information provided by contacting any references provided and institutions attended.
• I agree that UBC may release my name to my previous institutions if I am a scholarship recipient.
• I agree, if admitted to UBC, to be bound by the statutes, rules and regulations, and ordinances (including bylaws, codes, and policies) of the University of British Columbia, and of the faculty or faculties in which I am registered, and any amendments thereto which may be made while I am a student of the University, and that I may be subject to discipline or other consequences for failure to comply with the same.

COLLECTION AND USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Legal Authority: UBC collects, uses, retains and discloses personal information in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), R.S.B.C. 1996, c.165, as amended, and the University Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c.468, as amended.

Collection: During the admissions process, and throughout your university career, UBC will collect personal information from you for the purpose of carrying out its mandate and operations.

Use: UBC will use your personal information for the purpose of carrying out its mandate and operations, including but not limited to the following purposes:

• authenticating your access to UBC systems
• making decisions about your academic status, including but not limited to admission, registration, academic progress, funding, and graduation
• providing you with ongoing service and assistance
• operating athletic, residential, alumni and other UBC-related programs and activities (including issuing UBC Card and U-Pass)
• other purposes authorized by the FIPPA

Disclosure: UBC may disclose your personal information, inside or outside Canada, as follows:

• within UBC to carry out its mandate and operations
• to the UBC Alumni Association for the purpose of registering individuals with the Association and to allow the Association to communicate with its members concerning UBC and Association initiatives, including fund-raising and marketing products and services
• to UBC student societies (such as UBC Alma Mater Society and Graduate Student Society) for the purpose of running elections, managing and communicating with their membership, and administering student programs (including the UBC Alma Mater Society and Graduate Student Society Health Plan)
• to other UBC student organizations to carry out their mandates
• for the purpose of graduate supervision and examination, including disclosure to your external supervisors and examiners as well as to members of the public who attend your doctoral defence
• to organizations providing financial support to you (such as student loan issuers, government sponsors, and research funding agencies)
• for the purpose of facilitating your educational or professional development activities, experiential learning activities, internships or other work/research placements
• to other educational institutions when necessary for academic purposes
• to professional organizations for membership and licensing purposes
• to the provincial government to carry out its mandate
• to entities participating in or operating UBC-related programs (e.g., U-Pass)
• to third parties for statistical and research purposes (e.g., to conduct surveys in order to gain feedback from students regarding their experiences at UBC)
• to Canadian immigration officials to expedite my visa processing and verification of student status in Canada
• for other purposes authorized by the FIPPA

For more information, contact the Registrar of the University of British Columbia.

The College of Graduate Studies is responsible for compiling application materials, which includes verifying the authenticity of references and of any documents it has received to fulfill admissions requirements. The College of Graduate Studies sends completed application files to graduate programs for review.

When an academic department recommends an applicant for admission, the College of Graduate Studies will ensure that the applicant meets all admission requirements. If a recommended applicant does not meet the minimum admission requirements, the College of Graduate Studies will follow the Exceptional Admissions process.

The College of Graduate Studies is responsible for sending all admission offers and rejection notifications to applicants.

It is the responsibility of the academic program or department to review all complete applications and make admissions decisions regarding all application files. Department, program, or faculty graduate committees make recommendations to the College of Graduate Studies to accept applicants to fill available positions in their departments and programs.

When recommending an applicant for admission, the academic department should ensure that the applicant meets all admission requirements. Academic departments should only recommend admission for students they believe are likely to succeed in the program and for whom they have the resources that are required to adequately foster student success in the program. These resources include supervisory personnel, facilities, and financial support where appropriate.

OFFERS OF ADMISSION

The College of Graduate Studies has final approval authority for all graduate admissions.

Once an admission is approved, the College of Graduate Studies sends an admission offer letter to the successful applicant through the online application system.
If a successful applicant is to receive funding from their program, the program should send a letter outlining the funding opportunity. This information is especially important for international applicants who may need to provide proof of funding when applying for study permits.

UNCONDITIONAL/FULL ADMISSION

Unconditional admission is granted when an applicant meets all requirements and the College of Graduate Studies has received and officially accepted all required documentation.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION

Applicants receive offers of conditional admission when they must meet certain conditions before they can receive an unconditional offer of admission.
Such conditions may include:

• Submission of a criminal record check;
• Completion of required prerequisite courses, or verification that such courses have been completed;
• Submission of final documentation showing degree conferral; or
• Submission of academic records from previous institutions.

The offer of admission letter will stipulate any conditions that must be met prior to the start of the program. Failure to meet conditions prior to the program start date listed in the admission offer letter may result in revocation of the admission offer.

NEGATIVE ADMISSION DECISION BY THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES

If the College of Graduate Studies does not approve the admission of an applicant whom a program or department has recommended for admission, the College of Graduate Studies will first report the negative decision to the recommending program coordinator. The program will have five business days to respond to the negative decision and/or schedule a meeting with the Dean or Associate Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. If the program does not respond within five business days, or the Dean is not satisfied with the response of the program, the applicant will be sent a rejection notification. The Dean has sole discretion to reject an applicant, subject only to an appeal to Senate.

ACCEPTING OR DECLINING ADMISSION OFFERS

All applicants will receive a formal decision concerning their applications.

Applicants are responsible for accepting or declining admission offers by the response date indicated in the notification email.

Normally, a response is expected within three weeks of the date the admission offer is sent.

Applicants accept or decline the admission offer by logging into the online application system and responding to the admission offer.

DECLINED ADMISSION

Applicants who are not successful will receive an admission decline email through the online application system.

Each year, many strong applications are declined. Common reasons include the unavailability of an appropriate faculty supervisor, the unavailability of funding for the applicant, the less competitive academic record of an applicant, or the limited number of available graduate placements in a given program.

NOTE: Because of the large number of applications the College of Graduate Studies receives, it is unable to provide unsuccessful applicants with specific explanations for why their application has been declined.

ADMISSION DEFERRALS

Admission offers can only be deferred with the permission of the College of Graduate Studies and the department or program to which the applicant has been admitted.

Admission offers can be deferred for a maximum period of one year. Applicants seeking deferrals for more than one year must reapply for admission.

Master of Data Science students are not eligible for deferrals.

The process for an admission deferral is as follows:

1. Complete the admission deferral request form, which must include the intake period to which the applicant seeks to defer;
2. The College of Graduate Studies will evaluate the request and confer with the relevant program concerning approval of the request;
3. If the deferral request is approved, the College of Graduate Studies will generate a new admission offer with the revised program start date; and
4. If the deferral request is not approved, the applicant must either accept or decline the original admission offer.

NOTE: During the deferral period, the applicant must declare and submit official transcripts for any courses taken that were not included in the original application to the College of Graduate Studies.

MINIMUM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum admission requirements are set by the College of Graduate Studies and listed in the Academic Calendar. Programs may set higher admission requirements than the College of Graduate Studies.

MASTER’S DEGREE

STUDENTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM CANADIAN OR AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS

Applicants for a master’s degree program must hold the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC with:

• a minimum overall average in the B+ grade range (76-79% at UBC) in third-year level and above courses; or
• academic standing with at least 12 credits of third- or fourth-year courses in the A grade range (80% or higher at UBC) in the field of study; or

Applicants who have a four-year bachelor’s degree, or its academic equivalent, which does not meet the requirements stated above, but who have had significant formal training and relevant professional experience to offset such deficiencies, may be granted admission on the recommendation of the appropriate graduate program or faculty and approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

These are the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies. Individual graduate programs may have additional admission requirements. Consult the graduate program listings in the Calendar to confirm the admission requirements for specific degree programs.

STUDENTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The College of Graduate Studies welcomes and encourages applications from international students who hold a credential deemed academically equivalent to a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC and who demonstrate superior academic standing. Specific minimum admission requirements for graduates of different countries are listed in the International Student Evaluation Manual.

Students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents must apply for a study permit (student visa) to enter Canada. Applications can be made through any Canadian Consulate or High Commission.

These are the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies. Individual graduate programs may have additional admission requirements. Consult the graduate program listings in this Calendar to confirm the admission requirements for specific degree programs.

PHD. DEGREE

STUDENTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM CANADIAN OR AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS

Applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD.) must have completed one of the following requirements prior to admission:

• a master’s degree (or equivalent) from an approved institution, with clear evidence of research ability or potential and a minimum overall average in the B+ grade range (76-79% at UBC) in all graduate courses;
• a bachelor’s degree, with one year of study in a master’s program with 12 credits of first-class average, of which, normally, 9 credits must be at the 500 level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first-class standing, and clear evidence of research ability or potential. Transfer directly into a doctoral program is normally accomplished after the first year of study and will not be permitted after the completion of the second year in a master’s program; or
• in exceptional cases, applicants who hold an honours bachelor’s degree with an overall average in the A grade range and who demonstrate advanced research ability may be granted direct admission to a doctoral degree program on recommendation of the admitting graduate program and approval of the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

To maintain registration as a doctoral student, students entering directly from a bachelor’s degree must, during the first year of study, complete 12 credits with a first-class average, of which at least 9 credits must be at the 500 level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first-class standing.

These are the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies. Individual graduate programs may have additional admission requirements. Consult the graduate program listings in this Calendar to confirm the admission requirements for specific degree programs.

STUDENTS WITH CREDENTIALS FROM INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The College of Graduate Studies welcomes and encourages applications from international students who hold a credential deemed comparable academically equivalent to an approved Canadian two-year master’s degree and who demonstrate superior academic standing. Specific minimum admission requirements for graduates of different countries are listed in the International Student Evaluation Manual.

Students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents must apply for a study permit (student visa) to enter Canada. Applications can be made through any Canadian Consulate or High Commission.

These are the minimum requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies. Individual graduate programs may have additional admission requirements. Consult the graduate program listings in this Calendar to confirm the admission requirements for specific degree programs.

ENGLISH PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS

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:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): 90 overall with a minimum score of 22 in Reading & Listening and a minimum score of 21 in Writing & Speaking (Internet version); minimum score of 22 in Reading & Listening and a minimum score of 21 in Writing (paper version) (The College of Graduate Studies accepts MyBest Scores); or
• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): minimum overall band score of 6.5, with no individual score less than 6.0; or

Individual graduate programs may set higher English language proficiency scores than those listed above.

To be officially accepted, proficiency tests must have been taken within 24 months prior to application, and they must be submitted directly to the College of Graduate Studies by the testing agencies. The College of Graduate Studies will not accept photocopies of test results.

TOEFL scores must be issued directly to the Okanagan campus of the University of British Columbia from the testing agency using institution code 2499.

CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK

Students admitted to the Social Work (MSW) program or Clinical Psychology program are required to submit criminal record checks before their studies commence. Detailed information concerning these record checks are posted on the program websites:

• Social Work
• Psychology

EXCEPTIONAL ADMISSIONS

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements for admission are normally denied admission, but may be admitted under exceptional circumstances. If a department wishes to recommend admission for an applicant who does not meet the minimum admission requirements, the department must provide the dean of the College of Graduate Studies with a letter of rationale outlining why the applicant should be admitted. The Dean of the College of Graduate Studies has the sole discretion to either approve or deny the admission.

Cases for exceptional admission include, but are not limited to:

• applicants who do not meet all admission requirements, but who have significant formal training and relevant professional experience to offset such deficiencies;
• applicants admitted to a doctoral degree program directly from having completed an honours bachelor degree; or
• applicants whose prior educational institutions are not currently recognized by UBC.

Applicants approved under this exceptional admissions policy are required to submit a progress report to the College of Graduate Studies after their first term of study.

READMISSION

Readmission applies when it is appropriate to admit a student who was previously registered, as if for the first time. An application for admission, whether to the same or a different program, will be evaluated as a new application. A new application form and application fee must be submitted.

A maximum of 12 credits or up to 40% of the total number of degree credits of previously completed coursework may be applied toward the new degree program requirements, provided the courses were completed no longer than five years from the date of readmission. Courses eligible for transfer must have been awarded a grade of at least B (74% or higher at the UBC Okanagan campus). Normal program requirements apply, as does the standard time allowed for degree completion: five years for a master’s student; six years for a doctoral student.

PHD STUDENTS PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED TO CANDIDACY

PhD students who were previously admitted to candidacy may, upon approval of the relevant graduate program, be readmitted and continue with their “All But Dissertation” status provided that candidacy was achieved no longer than five years from the date of readmission.

Students applying for readmission in order to complete the dissertation must submit, as part of the application, a study plan outlining the proposed timeline and tasks required to complete the program.

Students readmitted to complete the dissertation will have a maximum of three years from the date of readmission to complete the PhD program.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Detailed information regarding application components and requirements is available on the Programs & Applying section of our website.