Admissions

Requirements

Graduate programs in the Faculty of Medicine are administered by the University of British Columbia Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. While UBC has general admissions requirements that must be met, each individual graduate program may have additional requirements. For example, the English language proficiency requirement is higher in most Faculty of Medicine programs than the minimum university requirement. For more details, please visit the websites of the individual programs.

Financial Support and Funding

Financial support for graduate students typically comes from one or more of four basic sources:

(1) Merit-based awards administered by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies,
(2) Needs-based awards administered by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies,
(3) Teaching and/or research assistantships, and
(4) Direct awards from external agencies.

Specific graduate student awards are available to students registered in the Faculty of Medicine, or supervised by a faculty member with a primary appointment in the Faculty of Medicine.

Finding the Right Graduate Program

  • Start early: Researching the right program for you takes time. Furthermore, admissions time varies across programs; while some research programs may have variable admission times, slots may fill up if left too late.
  • Explore the career options: Learn as much as possible about professionals in your chosen area and what career options are available after graduation.
  • Compare programs: Explore the individual program websites to look for course requirements, graduate student support, size, and trainee outcomes.
  • Talk to current students: Ask current students or alumni about their experiences and for advice. They can provide a wealth of insight into what your experience may be like.
  • Talk to prospective supervisors (research programs): Try to visit the campus in person or arrange a Skype meeting.

Finding a Supervisor

Most research-based graduate programs expect students to identify a prospective faculty supervisor prior to acceptance in the program. It is best to check with the graduate program you will be applying to in order to find out whether this is expected. Supervisors should be available to help their students at every stage of their program and must also ensure that their students’ work meets the standards of the University and the academic discipline. As a comprehensive university with more than 12,000 faculty and staff members, including over 2,000 potential supervisors, there is a high probability that UBC will have a supervisor for your research interests. To find a supervisor :

  • To search by field of interest among all eligible faculty at UBC, use the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies “Find a Supervisor” search tool. View their profiles online and read their publications to familiarize yourself with their research.
  • Check the program websites. Most programs provide lists of faculty members and their research interests on their website. Look at their research areas, publications, current lab size etc.
  • Follow program instructions on how best to approach potential supervisors. Typically, this involves writing a brief email to them indicating your knowledge of their research and how it fits with your interests (be specific, refer to their publications). Inform them of your intention to apply to their graduate program, and interest in working with them. Inquire whether or not they are currently accepting new students into their lab. Give them a brief summary of your academic and research background.
  • If the supervisor is interested in further discussion, some questions you may ask are size of the lab, specific research you might be involved in, outcomes of trainees, expectations they have of trainees, and research funding. Importantly, you should find a supervisor that you feel comfortable working with and will be a good fit for you.

Contact

Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies 
The University of British Columbia
180 – 6371 Crescent Road
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2
604-822-2848
604-822-5802