Admission Requirements

Admission Procedures

Please refer to the College of Graduate Studies for application and admission deadlines.

Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.Sc.).

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (IGS) program is governed by the general guidelines, policies, and procedures of the College of Graduate Studies, including its standards for admission of students. The IGS program has additional requirements for admission, which are described below.

Applications received before the application deadline will be considered for admission on a competitive basis. Applications received after the deadline will be considered if resources permit. Application procedures for IGS may be found at the College of Graduate Studies website.

In addition to College of Graduate Studies requirements, completed applications for the IGS program must include the name of the proposed supervisor, the department or unit of the proposed supervisor, and a proposal indicating the study and research to be conducted with that proposed supervisor. Applicants to IGS will not be admitted until they have obtained commitment from a supervisor.

The supporting supervisor must provide written confirmation of support for the proposed plan of study and research, the availability of facilities required to conduct the research, and the level of funding from research grants and contracts that will be made available for the support of the applicant.

Admission Criteria

Admission to this program is competitive and limited. Students who meet the minimum admission requirements may not be accepted to the program.

Applicants will be admitted on the basis of:

• Their record of academic and professional achievements;
• Their letters of recommendation;
• The quality and feasibility of their proposed plan of study and research;
• The ability of their proposed supervisor to support the proposed study plan;
• The availability of financial and operational support.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (IGS) program is governed by the general guidelines, policies, and procedures of the College of Graduate Studies, including its standards for admission of students. The IGS program has additional requirements for admission, which are described below.

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program are expected to have a prior master's degree, the subject matter of which is relevant to the interdisciplinary study they propose to undertake in their IGS Ph.D. program.

Applications received before the application deadline will be considered for admission on a competitive basis. Applications received after the deadline will be considered if resources permit. Application procedures for IGS are posted on the College of Graduate Studies website.

In addition to College of Graduate Studies requirements, completed applications for the IGS program must include the name of the proposed supervisor, the department or unit of the proposed supervisor, and a proposal indicating the study and research to be conducted with that proposed supervisor. Applicants to IGS will not be admitted until they have obtained commitment from a supervisor.

The supporting supervisor must provide written confirmation of support for the plan of study and research, the availability of facilities required to conduct the research, and the level of funding from research grants and contracts that will be made available for the support of the applicant.

Admission Criteria

Admission to this program is competitive and limited. Students who meet the minimum admission requirements may not be accepted to the program.

Applicants will be admitted on the basis of:

• Their record of academic and professional achievements;
• Their letters of recommendation;
• The quality and feasibility of their proposed plan of study and research;
• The ability of their proposed faculty supervisor to support the proposed study plan;
• The availability of financial and operational support.

Ph.D. Individualized Option

There are no single-discipline individualized options for study available in the IGS program. Applicants to the Ph.D. Individualized Option must propose a demonstrably interdisciplinary plan of study and research. The individualized option is only available at the Ph.D.-level. Because of the added challenges of the individualized option, the following additional requirements accompany the admission of a student to this option:

1. Only applicants with a minimum overall average of first-class standing (80% at UBC) in all graduate courses are eligible for admission to the individualized option.
2. Applicants interested in pursuing an individualized option must have their study plan (i.e. a Statement of Intent/Statement of Purpose) endorsed by signature by the proposed supervisor of the applicant, and must include the names of at least two other faculty members who agree by signature to participate on the supervisory committee of the student. The proposed supervisory committee composition must reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the proposed plan of study and research.
3. At least one of the additional supervisory committee members must commit to, and be capable of, taking on a co-supervisory role should circumstances warrant.
4. The proposed supervisor of an applicant to the individualized option must demonstrate, by signature, the ability and willingness to fund the applicant for a minimum of three years and a maximum of four years at a set minimum expected funding level (consistent with the funding levels of the relevant Tri-council Doctoral Fellowships). The ability to meet this commitment will be confirmed, by signature, by the Supervisor’s Head and/or the Associate Dean responsible for Graduate Studies in the Faculty of the supervisor.
5. The proposed supervisor of an applicant must detail the internal and external scholarly supports/networks that will be in place to support the student’s plan of study.