ubc phd defense schedule

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Doctoral Deadlines

There are four deadlines doctoral candidates must meet in order to be eligible for the respective end/graduation date.The Doctoral Examination deadlines are suggested in order to guide doctoral candidates through each step of the doctoral examination process in time to meet requirements for specific program end dates or for graduation ceremonies. Please note that if deadlines are not met, doctoral candidates may not be able to fulfill requirements for intended program completion dates or for graduation ceremonies.

Oral defences are not normally held between mid-December and mid-January. Candidates on extensions ending December 31 must complete oral examinations before the blackout period.

It is in the best interest of the candidate to meet the deadline for each step of the doctoral examination process.

All deadlines provided below assume that the candidate wants his/her degree conferred at the earliest time. To meet deadlines all forms and documentation must be received within usual business hours, typically before 4pm PDT.

Spring 2024 Graduation

Friday, 24 november 2023, friday, 26 january 2024, friday, 22 march 2024, friday, 19 april 2024, april 30, 2024 program end date, friday, 8 december 2023, friday, 9 february 2024, friday, 5 april 2024, tuesday, 30 april 2024, august 31, 2024 program end date, friday, 12 april 2024, friday, 14 june 2024, friday, 2 august 2024, friday, 30 august 2024, fall 2024 graduation, friday, 31 may 2024, friday, 26 july 2024, friday, 20 september 2024, friday, 18 october 2024, december 31, 2024 program end date, monday, 19 august 2024, tuesday, 15 october 2024, friday, 13 december 2024, friday, 10 january 2025.

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Doctoral Program

For full details on the PhD programs, see the PhD Program .

The UBC Department of Computer Science PhD program has four main components:

Satisfying the Comprehensive Course Requirement

• Passing a Research Proficiency Evaluation

Passing a Thesis Proposal Oral Examination

Completing the research program.

The objective of the comprehensive course requirement is to ensure that the student obtains an equal load of courses. That is, all courses are treated equally and all areas are treated equally

To fulfill this requirement, the student must complete six (6) courses:

• that cover at least four (4) of the nine (9) areas * 
• four (4) of which must be CS courses    

*Only in exceptional cases, can this constraint of covering 4 different areas be waived. The student must, with the Supervisor's approval, submit a justification for why the proposed courses provide equivalent breadth. The proposal must be approved by the AH-Grad/Graduate Affairs Committee.

Please refer to Comprehensive Course Requirement for details.

Satisfying the Research Proficiency Evaluation (RPE)

The objective of the Research Proficiency Evaluation is to ensure a student shows sufficient promise in research skills necessary to successfully carry out a PhD in our environment. The student will work with one or more supervisors on a jointly determined research project, which can form the basis of a potential thesis topic. The student will then present the work, both in writing and orally, to a committee of faculty early in their time in the PhD program.

Students benefit from the RPE by making an early engagement with their supervisory committee and by receiving early feedback from a committee of experts on their potential success in the PhD program, thus minimizing the chance of facing difficulties after years of investment.

Please refer to RPE for details.

After completing the comprehensive course requirements, the student will move on to researching and writing a PhD thesis proposal under the direction of their supervisor(s).

After completing the thesis proposal, the student will take an oral thesis proposal examination administered by the PhD thesis committee. The chair of this examination will be a faculty member not on the thesis committee, and will be chosen by the student's thesis supervisor. The sole purpose of this exam is the defense of the student's thesis proposal, which must be presented in written form to the thesis committee at least two weeks prior to the examination. The examination must take place within 24 months of the time that the student enters the PhD program.

Please refer to PhD Thesis Proposal for details.

Once the student has passed the thesis proposal exam, the student must carry out the research program in accordance with the research proposal under the supervisor's guidance. The PhD thesis describing the research findings must be written by the student and approved by the PhD supervisory committee. In order to obtain the PhD degree, the thesis must also be approved by an external examiner outside UBC and two UBC examiners (one from this department and the other from another department within UBC) and defended at the final oral examination set up by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

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Thesis defence process.

We have provided step-by-step instructions on the thesis paperwork process with a flowchart to help you prepare your thesis paperwork properly and ensure you are on track to defend your thesis

Pre-Defence Paperwork

• Signed by: Supervisor, Committee, Program Coordinator
• Signed by: Neutral Chair, Committee, Supervisor, Graduate Student, Program Coordinator
• Completed by supervisor OR send a copy of Thesis to Graduate Assistant and they will complete
• Electronic Copy of Thesis for Examination (this is also sent to committee)

*Note: Above items due 4 weeks before proposed defense date; MFA Artwork form due before exhibition is installed

• Final Master’s Thesis Oral Examination- Neutral Chair’s Report
• Master’s Thesis Oral Examination Neutral Chair Responsibilities
• Voting Ballots
• Final Oral Examination Committee Members Report
• Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner Form (PhD only)

Post-Defence Paperwork

4. Supervisor or graduate student collect, sign and send to Graduate Assistant ( [email protected] )

• Signed by: Supervisor, External Examiner, Committee, Program Coordinator
• Signed by: Graduate student

5. (Optional) Graduate student collect, sign and send to Graduate Assistant ( [email protected] )

• Signed by: Graduate student, Supervisor, Program Coordinator

*Note: Timeline for post-defence documents

• No revisions: submit within 3 business days of defence
• Minor revisions: submit within 2 weeks of defence
• Major revisions: submit within 6 months of defence

Thesis Forms and Information

The College of Graduate Studies has prepared information to assist students with the preparation of their thesis and have outlined the defence scheduling process. Any questions about this process can be discussed with the students supervisor and the Graduate Program Assistant.

MFA students are required to submit an Artwork Recommendation for Examination form signed by their supervisory committee prior their exhibition, performance or creative work dissemination.

MFA Artwork Recommend for Examination

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Graduate Program

UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) has some helpful information on the writing and formatting process for Master’s and PhD theses. All RES theses must meet the UBC G+PS formatting requirements. Please visit the G+PS website to familiarize yourself with this information.

The Masters and Doctoral thesis is graded on a Pass/Fail basis and a percentage or letter grade is not given.

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Departmental Exam

The purpose of the departmental exam is to obtain department approval of the thesis for submission of the external examiner of the Final Oral Defense.

There is no official meeting for the internal defense prior to the university examination. Instead, 2 committee members (not the supervisor) must read the full thesis and provide edited versions to the student and the supervisor, and sign for approval to send thesis to external exam. The 3rd committee member will read the thesis for the university exam.

When the student is ready for his/her thesis to be read by committee members, he/she must contact [email protected] with the following information:

• Names of the two committee members who will be reading the full thesis and providing feedback
• Supervisor Name
• Name of 3rd committee member who will read thesis for university exam
• Dissertation Title

SBME Student Services will provide the internal approval form to the committee members for their signature. Student Services will also prepare the department approval form for signatures and submission to G+PS.

Exam Committee

The exam committee normally consists of the 2 members of the the supervisory committee.

Final Oral Defense

The School of Biomedical Engineering follows the Faculty of Graduate Studies guidelines for the Final Oral Defense. Please review these guidelines.

Thesis Submission

Each candidate must follow the instructions available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies sites: Final Doctoral Examination Final Dissertation Thesis Submission Graduation Program Completion Current Students – Graduation

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Examination

The purpose of both the Master’s Thesis Oral Examination and the Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination is for the student to independently defend their dissertation. The examinations are also intended to serve as confirmation of the student’s knowledge of the research topic within the context of their field(s) of study.

In order to safeguard and promote the quality of graduate education, all students in thesis-based graduate programs must defend their dissertation in an oral examination before the degree can be granted. Both examinations are approved by the College of Graduate Studies.

Prior to the final defense, candidates must have fulfilled all coursework, examination and language requirements of the degree program. It is the responsibility of the candidate’s graduate program to ensure that all of these requirements have been met and that the candidate’s language proficiency is sufficient for the examination to be conducted with full communication between the committee and the candidate.

Both the Master’s Thesis Oral Examination and the Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination are considered public events at UBC Okanagan, and as such will be conducted in English.

To schedule an exam, create a committee or request approval for an examiner, please see the  Supervisors, Supervisory Committees, and Graduate Program Coordinators section  of our  Graduate Policy and Procedure Manual  and use the forms found below.

Remote Defences and Examinations

Master’s thesis defences and PhD oral examinations may be held remotely or in person.

If your thesis defence or oral examination is happening remotely, please see the resources below

Final Master’s Thesis Oral Examination

Master’s thesis defence resource.

Timeline to Defence Graphic: Master’s Thesis

Master’s Initiating Examination Forms

Notice of Master’s Thesis Oral Examination

This form is to be completed by the supervisor and delivered to CoGS either in hard-copy form or via email to initiate the scheduling of the defence. The form identifies the members of the Supervisory Committee members participating on the Examining Committee, the University Examiner and the Neutral Chair.  This form must be signed off by the graduate student, supervisor and program coordinator for approval by the Dean.

Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner Form

This form is to be used by a supervisor who is requesting the approval of a proposed external examiner.

Final Master’s Thesis Oral Examination – Neutral Chair’s Report

This form is sent to the Neutral Chair from the supervisor via email prior to the examination date. This form records the voting outcome by the examining committee for the student. The Neutral Chair ensures the University Examiner, and Examining Committee members have all signed the outcome selected. The Chair records their comments and observations before signing off.  All ballots are to be attached to the form as part of the process. The form is submitted to Graduate Studies 48 hours after the examination is completed by the Chair.

Masters Thesis Oral Examination Neutral Chair Responsibilities

This document can be sent to the Neutral Chair by the supervisor via email prior to the examination. It outlines the step-by-step responsibilities and procedures for the Neutral Chair.

Voting Ballots

The voting ballots are to be sent to the Neutral Chair by the supervisor via email prior to the examination.

Masters Thesis Oral Examination Announcement

This announcement form is posted on the College of Graduate Studies bulletin board and on UBC calendar events.

Final Oral Examination Committee Member Report

If the examiners are unable to achieve unanimity regarding the defense and/or the oral examination or the examiners choose, there must be no further discussion regarding that component of the examination and the Neutral Chair must select “Failure to Reach Unanimous Decision” on the Final Master’s Thesis Oral Examination Report and immediately inform the College of Graduate Studies of “lack of unanimity”. This form is also used if examiners choose ‘fail’. Each Examination Committee member (including the University Examiner) must provide a confidential Final Oral Examination Committee Member Report to the Dean of Graduate Studies explaining the reasons for their recommendation within five business days.

Master’s Final Submission Forms

Required forms.

Master’s Thesis Approval and Program Completion Form This form confirms that the student has completed all program requirements including any thesis changes that were required by the thesis defence committee.

Thesis Dissertation Submission Cover Sheet This form confirms that the thesis/dissertation is the final version that was approved by the examination committee & the supervisor, the thesis/dissertation conforms to the College of Graduate Studies formatting requirements, and acknowledges that the thesis/dissertation will be made publicly available.

Optional Forms

Request for Approval to Withhold a Dissertation Thesis from the Public Domain This form may be completed when:

• Time is required for completion and submission of a significant manuscript or patent application for a device or idea that might emerge from the thesis research
• The thesis describes something of considerable monetary potential which could, if you were given an opportunity to develop it, benefit you or the University
• Funding for the research was provided by a commercial company which has requested a delay in publication
• The thesis deals with a potentially dangerous product or process, or potential cure for a disease, for which you need more testing time before public release of the information

The following dates allow a student sufficient time to complete the thesis defence process, based on a successful defence and only minor revisions.

Students may initiate the process at any time, and have four periods to be considered for degree conferral (February, May, September or November).

February Degree Conferral 

December 7:  Last date for submission of documents/thesis to initiate a defence January 4:  Last date for the defence January 18:  Last date for submission of final documents/thesis for formatting review January 29:  Last date for the final thesis to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

APRIL PROGRAM COMPLETION/MAY DEGREE CONFERRAL

March 5:  Last date for submission of documents/thesis to initiate a defence April 2:  Last date for the defence April 16:  Last date for submission of final documents/thesis for formatting review April 30:  Last date for the final thesis to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

SEPTEMBER DEGREE CONFERRAL (2024 only)

June 5:  Last date for submission of documents/thesis to initiate a defence July 3:  Last date for the defence July 17:  Last date for submission of final documents/thesis for formatting review July 31:  Last date for the final thesis to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

AUGUST PROGRAM COMPLETION

July 5:  Last date for submission of documents/thesis to initiate a defence August 6:  Last date for the defence August 19:  Last date for submission of final documents/thesis for formatting review August 30:  Last date for the final thesis to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

NOVEMBER DEGREE CONFERRAL

September 9:  Last date for submission of documents/thesis to initiate a defence October 7:  Last date for the defence October 21:  Last date for submission of final documents/thesis for formatting review October 31:  Last date for the final thesis to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

DECEMBER PROGRAM COMPLETION

October 28:  Last date for submission of documents/thesis to initiate a defence November 25:  Last date for the defence December 9:  Last date for submission of final documents/thesis for formatting review December 18:  Last date for the final thesis to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

Program completion = when all program requirements are completed, including uploading your final thesis to cIRcle, and thesis formatting is approved by the College of Graduate Studies

Degree conferral = when your degree is officially conferred by Senate, when you can use your credential, and when your parchment will be available

PLEASE NOTE:

It is highly advisable to schedule your defence prior to or after the summer months of July and August given the unavailability of many faculty members.

For the same reason, it is highly advisable to schedule your defence prior to or after the month of December.

POINTS TO REMEMBER:

• You can complete your program at any time during the year as long as your coursework is completed and you have successfully defended a thesis
• Convocation is held in June of each year and you may choose to attend or not
• In order to graduate/have your degree conferred, a student must apply online through the  Student Service Centre (SSC) . Please note that application deadlines differ from the deadline dates above
• Click here for more information on  Graduation and Convocation
• Tuition and fees will continue to be assessed until your program is complete and closed out. If you have not paid the minimum number of tuition installments for the program, the remaining installments will be charged to you when your program is closed out.

Final Doctoral Thesis Oral Examination

Doctoral dissertation oral examination resource.

Timeline to Defence Graphic: Doctoral Oral Examination

DOCTORAL Initiating Examination Form

Notice of Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination

This form is to be completed by the supervisor and delivered to CoGS either in hard-copy form or via email to initiate the scheduling of the examination. The form identifies the members of the Supervisory Committee members participating on the Examining Committee, the External Examiner, the University Examiner and the Neutral Chair. This form must be signed off by the graduate student, supervisor and program coordinator for approval by the Dean.

External Examiner Email Notification Request Example

This is a sample email that the supervisor can use when initiating the request for invitation of an External Examiner.

Final Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination – Neutral Chair’s Report

This form is sent to the Neutral Chair from the supervisor via email prior to the examination date. This form records the voting outcome by the examining committee for the student. The Neutral Chair ensures the External Examiner, University Examiner, and Examining Committee members have all signed the outcome selected. The Chair records their comments and observations before signing off. All ballots are to be attached to the form as part of the process. The form is submitted to Graduate Studies 48 hours after the examination is completed by the Chair.

Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination Neutral Chair Responsibilities Procedures

Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination Announcement

If the examiners  are unable to achieve unanimity regarding the examination and/or the oral examination, there must be no further discussion regarding that component of the examination and the Neutral Chair must select “Failure to Reach Unanimous Decision” on the Final Doctoral Dissertation Oral Examination Report and immediately inform the College of Graduate Studies of “lack of unanimity”. This form is also used if examiners choose ‘fail’. Each Examination Committee member (including the External Examiner and University Examiner) must provide a confidential Final Oral Examination Committee Member Report to the Dean of Graduate Studies explaining the reasons for their recommendation within five business days.

Doctoral Final Submission Forms

Doctoral Dissertation Approval and Program Completion Form This form confirms that the student has completed all program requirements including any dissertation changes that were required by the dissertation examination committee.

The following dates provide a guideline for students to complete the dissertation examination process, based on a successful examination and only minor revisions.

Students may initiate the process at any time, and have four periods to be considered for degree conferral (February, May, September, or November).

FEBRUARY DEGREE CONFERRAL

October 26:  Last date for supervisor to submit the Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner November 23:  Last date for submission of documents/dissertation to initiate an examination January 4:  Last date for the exam January 18:  Last date for submission of final documents/dissertation for formatting review January 29:  Last date for the final dissertation to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

January 22:  Last date for supervisor to submit the Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner February 19:  Last date for submission of documents/dissertation to initiate an examination April 2:  Last date for the exam April 16:  Last date for submission of final documents/dissertation for formatting review April 30:  Last date for the final dissertation to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

April 24:  Last date for supervisor to submit the Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner May 22:  Last date for submission of documents/dissertation to initiate an examination July 3:  Last date for the exam July 17:  Last date for submission of final documents/dissertation for formatting review July 31:  Last date for the final dissertation to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

May 27:  Last date for supervisor to submit the Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner June 24:  Last date for submission of documents/dissertation to initiate an examination August 6:  Last date for the exam August 19:  Last date for submission of final documents/dissertation for formatting review August 30:  Last date for the final dissertation to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

July 29:  Last date for supervisor to submit the Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner August 26:  Last date for submission of documents/dissertation to initiate an examination October 7:  Last date for the exam October 21:  Last date for submission of final documents/dissertation for formatting review October 31:  Last date for the final dissertation to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

September 16:  Last date for supervisor to submit the Request for Approval of Proposed External Examiner October 14:  Last date for submission of documents/dissertation to initiate an examination November 25:  Last date for the exam December 9:  Last date for submission of final documents/dissertation for formatting review December 18:  Last date for the final dissertation to be approved by the College of Graduate Studies

Program completion = when all program requirements are completed, including uploading your final dissertation to cIRcle, and dissertation formatting is approved by the College of Graduate Studies

It is highly advisable to schedule your exam prior to or after the summer months of July and August given the unavailability of many faculty members.

For the same reason, it is highly advisable to schedule your exam prior to or after the month of December.

• You can complete your program at any time during the year as long as your coursework is completed and you have successfully defended a dissertation
• In order to graduate/have your degree conferred, a student must apply online through the  Student Service Centre (SSC) Please note that application deadlines differ from the deadline dates above

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THESIS PREPARATION

Students must consult the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies instructions on  preparing a graduate thesis .  Contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies with questions before beginning your final draft. The supervisor should read the complete thesis in draft form, and the appropriate revisions be made before the other members of the student’s Supervisory Committee read the thesis. The examination copy of the thesis should not be prepared before the revisions suggested by the rest of the Committee have been incorporated.

Doctoral candidates should begin preparing for the thesis defense at least three months before the completion of the theses. Prior to submission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the thesis must be read by at least two of three supervisory committee members of which one (1) will be on the final thesis examination committee.

MASTERS THESIS ORAL DEFENCE

The Master’s (MSc) thesis defence is a public presentation of a student’s thesis, followed by questions from the examiners.  Students must have completed all course work, exams and other program requirements by the time of the defence. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange the time, date, and location of the defence. Defences can also be done virtually on Zoom. Students can use the Master’s Thesis Checklist to help them plan for their defence.  See the  Forms page to download additional resources.

The Examination Committee consists of:

• At least two members from your committee (your supervisor plus one other)
• An external examiner who selected by the supervisor. This person must be at arm’s length from the supervisor (meaning they have not published together in the past 6 years, and have never been in a supervisory relationship) and cannot be from the same department as the supervisor.
• One person will serve as Chair who is nominated by the supervisor. The Chair cannot be the supervisor.

Quorum for the Oral Examination consists of:

• One external examiner
• Two supervisor Committee members, one of which will serve as chair (Note: your supervisor cannot serve as chair)

PHD THESIS ORAL DEFENCE

Students must follow the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies  oral defense procedures . It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all these procedures are carried out by the appropriate person (the student, the Research Supervisor, or the Chairman of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience) and in a timely fashion.

The Neuroscience GSA provides a free mock defence service.  If you need help, please contact the GSA.

Review and follow the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies  graduation procedures .

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PhD Program

SCARP's extraordinary PhD alumni conduct and mobilise original research with cunning new insights, and enter a broader world as a planning scholars.

Full program overview

SCARP's PhD Program provides students with a collegial and convivial environment in which to pursue interdisciplinary research at the intersections of planning theory and practice. We aim to foster planning scholars and practitioners who can think critically, research inventively, and communicate their ideas effectively.

Each year we seek to admit 4 or 5 students, and there may be up to 20 students in residence each year.

We have developed a lively PhD culture at SCARP which includes:

• A forum, held every month
• A lecture series, organized by students
• A SCARP Student Symposium, organized by students and held every February on a topic of contemporary interest.

The SCARP PhD is primarily a research degree, with a flexible component of course work as well as certain specific Required Courses.  Doctoral students work under the guidance of a Supervisory Committee consisting of at least three faculty members, including the Research Supervisor.

Overall, Ph.D. candidates should expect to spend at least 3 years in the completion of their degree requirements. Typical programs run 4-5 years.To successfully complete the degree, students must satisfactorily complete the following:

• Course work
• A two-year pre-candidacy residence requirement
• A comprehensive examination
• A research proposal
• Writing and defending a PhD dissertation

The SCARP PhD Program is governed by the general policies and procedures of the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) and their more specific elaboration by SCARP.

On qualifying

See the minimum admissions criteria for graduate studies at UBC.

Beyond this, the SCARP Admissions Committee considers many factors in making admissions decisions. These factors include academic preparation, academic capability, experience, and fit with a prospective research supervisor and with the School.

Please review the 'Applying' tab for details on any prerequisite requirements.

Program requirements

SCARP's PhD Program is governed by the general policies and procedures of the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS). See the  Handbook of Graduate Supervision  and  Policies & Procedures  webpages, as well as their more specific elaboration by SCARP (as detailed below and in the PhD Handbook) for Thesis Preparation, Internal Defense, Final Oral Defense, and Thesis Submission. The Chair of the SCARP PhD Program is responsible for ensuring that the administration of each student's program is in compliance with these policies and procedures. Students should be familiar with all information available.

Course Requirements

Students typically take 15-24 credits of course work in the first two academic years of SCARP's PhD program.

Required Courses

Additional courses.

• Students may select other appropriate courses in consultation with their supervisory committee. The exact form and structure of the student’s PhD coursework is left to the discretion of the student and their committee and depends on the student’s background preparation and research focus. PhD students generally use their courses to develop disciplinary expertise relevant to their area of research.

Additional Requirements

Doctoral students can proceed to candidacy (the research phase of the PhD degree) upon completion of:

• Required coursework
• The comprehensive exam
• Defence of the research proposal

The basic requirements for the status of "Admitted to Candidacy" are:

• All required course work successfully completed
• Completion of the comprehensive examination
• Successful defense of the research proposal
• Completion of a two-year residency as a full-time student in the PhD program
• Candidacy requirements should normally be completed within the first twenty-four months in the program and, in any case, within the thirty-six month limit established by G+PS.

Preparation

Detailed requirements for the thesis document have been established by the UBC Library. The Faculty of Graduate Studies has developed regulations that govern innovative thesis formats and media.

Final Steps

When a PhD student has completed a final draft of their thesis and all Supervisory Committee members have approved it the thesis must be sent to The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) for transmittal to the External Examiner and for the final UBC Oral Examination. If a student wishes to proceed directly to the UBC Defense, the Supervisory Committee must agree that the thesis is ready and submit a memo to that effect to the PhD Chair (or Department Head, in cases where the PhD Chair is supervisor).

The thesis transmittal memo and the final thesis are due in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies a minimum of six weeks before the University final oral examination.

University Final Oral Examination

The final step in the Doctoral Program is a formal oral thesis defense administered by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Regulations pertaining to the University's final oral examination can be found in a reference booklet entitled " The Final Oral Examination Guide for Doctoral Candidates ".

Important timelines highlighted in the booklet are:

Three months before the expected completion of the thesis, the Appointment of External Examiner form must be submitted by SCARP to G+PS

Six weeks before the final oral examination, submit the thesis and departmental memo to G+PS.

Six weeks is the earliest date that a defense can be scheduled after the thesis has been transmitted to the External Examiner by G+PS.

Four weeks before the final oral examination, the Research Supervisor must confirm the date and time of the final oral examination and submit the Examination Program and the Approval of University Examiners forms to G+PS.

Timelines are subject to change. Students should check for documentation updates a minimum of six months prior to their expected thesis defense date.

Formal Preparation and Submission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies

SCARP Course listings

UBC Course schedule

Full-time Studies (Schedule A)

Up-to-date fee information (Additional student fees may apply)

Cost of Living information for Vancouver

Note first:

Please review all information on requirements before you proceed here.

Application Steps

If you would like to apply for the next September intake, please review the following steps: 

• Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to prospective supervisors to determine if there is overlap in research interests and intellectual approach and to see if prospective supervisors are taking on PhD students in any given year.
• Applicants are asked to submit a pre-application by November 30th .  This pre-application allows applicants to assess their fit with a supervisor and the program without having to pay the full application fee. 
• Those applicants who submit a pre-application and who are considered promising will be invited to submit a full application during the official application period, which runs from December 15 to February 10 .
• Applicants who haven't submitted a pre-application may still apply during the official application period, but the pre-application is very strongly encouraged (for the reasons described above).
• Please check your online application regularly for updates. Due to the volume of documents received we are unable to confirm receipt of documents by email or phone. 

Application Requirements

Please contact the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for the inquiries below: 

• Application fees
• Online application problems
• Minimum academic requirements
• Transcript requirements
• Translations of transcripts

Letters of Reference

Minimum admission requirements.

The School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) adheres to the minimum academic requirements established by the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies :

I received my Masters degree from a post-secondary institution within Canada or the United States I received my Masters degree from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada and the United States

Further information on qualifications for the PhD program may be found in the program overview tab. 

Transcripts

Please note the following  required  information:

• Applicants are required to scan and upload digital copies of  all official transcripts, including transcripts for study abroad semesters, non-degree studies, or credential programs.  
• Please ensure that the uploaded documents are  official transcripts   and include a transcript key . (Transcript keys are often printed on the reverse sides of official transcripts.) 
• Grade reports, marking sheets, and transcripts marked “unofficial” are not acceptable and will not be considered for review.  
• Degree certificates are required only if the degree conferral is not listed on the transcript. 
• Transcripts in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by certified translations. If applicable, transcripts that do not have an indication of the date the degree was conferred must be accompanied by a degree certificate (and translation, if appropriate).
• Uploaded transcripts should be in PDF format, with each transcript complied as one PDF document.  Include only one copy of the transcript key.  Any additional or extraneous documents will be excluded from the final application file.

The uploaded copies of official transcripts are considered “unofficial documents” . We use the unofficial documents to evaluate applicants and make conditional offers of admission. 

Please note that applicants are not required to send hardcopies of official transcripts  to the School of Community and Regional Planning office at the time of application.

For more information, please visit the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies sections on  Canadian Official Transcripts  or  International Official Transcripts .

GRE-Graduate Record Exam (General Test)

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is  not mandatory , and is only recommended in situations where an applicant’s GPA is close to the minimum and does not reflect the applicant’s true academic potential. GRE scores show students' level of reasoning skills, critical thinking and the ability to communicate in writing which provides us with additional information about the likelihood of a student's success in graduate school.

The GRE is particularly helpful in situations where applicants do not have undergraduate grades (because their program may have been ungraded), or if there are obvious gaps in an applicant’s academic record. A strong GRE score will provide the admissions committee with another data point to consider academic ability.

The GRE is widely required for graduate school applications throughout North America. We urge applicants to carefully review the guidebook that comes with the test application. It illustrates the kinds of questions on the test and helps the student practice for the test. Please see the  GRE website .

Submission of GRE test scores must be followed in accordance to the GRE test scores instructions outlined by the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. 

Evidence of English Language Proficiency

Standardized test of English language proficiency is required unless the previous post-secondary degree is from a university where the primary language of instruction was English. 

To be eligible for admission, applicants must meet the following  minimum  scores:

• Overall score of 100 or higher
• Reading & Listening: Score of 22 or higher
• Writing & Speaking: Score of 21 or higher

 IELTS (academic only):

• Overall score of at least 7.0
• Reading, Writing, Listening, & Speaking: Score of 6.5 or higher

More information on these tests can be obtained from their websites:  TOEFL  |  IELTS .

Submission of English language proficiency test scores must be followed in accordance to the instructions outlined by the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies .

Research Statement of Intent

Applicants are required to prepare and submit a research statement of intent (approximately 1,000 words). The statement should outline the thesis project you wish to undertake, the research methods you expect to use, and how the work builds on or draws from your previous training or experience.

Evidence of Research Competence

Applicants must submit a copy of their Master’s thesis for their application. Previous academic publications, or previous academic projects are also considered acceptable writing samples.

Each applicant must submit a CV/resume detailing educational background, work and/or volunteer experience, publications, and any academic or professional awards earned. 

Exactly three references are required for the application. Additional references will not be considered as part of the final application file.

References should be from individuals who can assess your academic or professional qualifications and your communication skills. In most cases,  at least two references should be academic.  If you have been away from school for several years, all references may be from non-academics who are capable of assessing your professional and, if possible, your potential academic performance.  Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their references submit documentation by the deadlines specified.   The reference deadline is 10 days after the application deadline.  Contact references in advance of submitting an application to ensure they have adequate time to provide a letter. Reference letters may be addressed to the "PhD Admissions Committee". 

Please note that an online application must be submitted before referees receive a request to provide a reference .

There are three possible formats for references: electronic references, paper letters of reference, and paper reference forms. SCARP strongly prefers that references utilize the electronic reference system in the online application to submit a letter of reference. Please note that the system is unable to accept e-mails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free e-mail accounts for referees. Letters should be in PDF format, on letterhead, with signature.

If using the electronic reference is not possible, please send paper letters of reference and reference forms to: 

School of Community and Regional Planning Faculty of Applied Science The University of British Columbia - Vancouver Campus   433 - 6333 Memorial Road Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z2

For more information, please visit the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies section on  Letters of Reference . 

Deferred Admission

It is not possible to defer admission. If you are accepted but do not register you may apply again by submitting a new application form and paying the fee. Your admission would be considered along with others applying for that year.

Time of Admission

Applicants selected for consideration for admission will be invited to an interview with their prospective research supervisor and Program Chair. Final admission decisions will be made after the interview. 

Applicants admitted to the program will commence full-time studies in September. The School of Community and Regional Planning does not admit students at any other time of year. 

Pre-application opens: September 12 Pre-application closes: November 30 Application open:  December 15 Application closes:  February 1 Referee deadline:  February 10

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Policies and Procedures

The PHAS graduate program policies and procedures pdf file (available on the PHAS internal website) is the official departmental policies and procedures. This webpage, however, provides additional information and explanation to supplement the official policies and procedures.

Download the PHAS graduate program policies and procedures file (pdf)

Supplementary information, supervision, thesis submission, graduation procedures.

• Expected Timeline for M.Sc. and M.A.Sc. - completion of course work and thesis, direct transfer to Ph.D., and graduation
• Expected Timeline for Ph.D. - formation of a supervisory committee, completion of the comprehensive exam, thesis preparation, examination, and graduation

M.SC. AND M.A.SC

Masters students are guided in their research program by a Research Supervisor. As an incoming masters student, you may not have a particular supervisor in mind. We encourage you to visit with all our research groups and talk with our faculty. Having surveyed the research opportunities available, you will be better able to chose a research area, and a supervisor who is best suited for you. Incoming students have up to four months to make this choice. Should you need assistance, or have questions about the process, please contact the Graduate Advisor .

Doctoral students are guided in their research program by a Research Supervisor and a Supervisory Committee . As an incoming Ph.D. student you will normally have already selected, or been assigned, a supervisor. The next step is to form a committee. This should be done as soon as possible after beginning your program. The committee should consist of at least three faculty members in addition to your supervisor. It should contain an experimentalist (or observational astronomer) in addition to a theorist. Also, it should include someone not in your particuarl field of study (for example an astronomer for a physics student). Normally, committee members, and supervisors, must be full-time members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies . However, adjunct professors and senior research scientists may serve with permission of the Dean of Graduate Studies. The committee is selected in consultation with your supervisor, and must be approved by the Graduate Advisor.

As a Ph.D. student, you are expected to meet with your supervisor frequently, and with your committee at least once per year. The committee will advise you on course selections as well as your research program. It is not unusual for committees to meet twice per year or more frequently as necessary.

For further information please refer to the Handbook of Graduate Supervision .

Return to the top

Following the Departmental Examination, the candidate makes all of the requested changes and edits to the thesis, usually to the satisfaction of just the Supervisor. In a case where significant changes are warranted, the Committee may decide that the new thesis version will need approval by one or more additional committee members, in addition to the Supervisor. The Supervisor then sends a Report on Departmental PHD Defense to the Graduate Program Chair, stating that the student has passed the Departmental Examination and the thesis is now ready to go to the External Examiner.  Include an account number for the courier charges. Allow a minimum of eight weeks before the final oral examination, ten weeks if the External Examiner is outside North America. An extra week must be added if the thesis is to be mailed instead of couriered.

Upon receipt of this memo, the Graduate Program Chairman (writing on behalf of the Head) will verify that all the degree requirements have been met (coursework, oral examination Comprehensive Exam ) and write to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, certifying that all requirements have been met and that the student is currently registered.   This Head's letter accompanies two bound (cerlox or coil) copies of the thesis, one for the External Examiner and the other for the Chairman of the Final Oral, who will be appointed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Every student who wishes to graduate must apply for graduation, whether or not participating in the scheduled ceremonies. Application is available on-line through the Student Services Centre . For both May and November convocations, check the final dates for the following:

• Submitting the application for graduation
• Submission of the final thesis to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and to the department
• Submission of MSc/MASc Thesis Grade form to the department (for MSc/MASc students only)

Students should check to ensure that the following are in order for graduation:

• Currently registered (where applicable) in PHYS or ASTR 649 (PhD thesis), 549 (MSc thesis) or 599 (MASc thesis)
• All academic fees are paid in full
• For MSc/MASc - 12 course credits completed (plus a thesis)
• For PhD - Advancement to Candidacy
• Submission of final thesis to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, and to the department

Thesis preparation and submission

For thesis submission please refer to the Dissertation/Thesis Submission Checklist to ensure that you are submitting all appropriate paperwork.

For thesis formatting, pleaser refer to Resources for Thesis Checking .

For further information regarding Thesis submission please refer to Submission Procedure .

Expected Timeline for M.Sc. and M.A.Sc.

M.sc. / m.a.sc..

Students are expected to complete their degree within two years, unless they make a direct transfer to the Ph.D. program. Upon arrival at UBC, you will have up to 4 months to select a supervisor. You should use this time to investigate the wide range of research opportunities within the department, meet with individual faculty members, and choose a supervisor. The supervisor must be a full-time Member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FoGS), or be approved by the Dean to co-supervise graduate students. In the latter case an academic co-supervisor is also required, who is a full-time member of FoGS.  Full-time Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors are members of FoGS. Adjunct Professors, Associate Members, Research Scientists, and others are not and therefore require approval. Please consult with the Graduate Advisor if you are uncertain about the status of your proposed supervisor.

Normally, at least 12 credits of coursework are completed during the first year, with the remaining courses and thesis being completed during the second year.

Masters students must give a public presentation of the results of their research. Normally this is done at a department seminar, but a conference presentation may also be acceptable.

The thesis is reviewed by the supervisor and a Second Reader (who has not been involved in the student's supervision). When satisfactory, it is submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies along with an application to graduate .

Direct Transfer to Ph.D.

If a masters student completes 12 credits of 500-level coursework and obtains at least an 85% average in these courses, and the supervisor agrees, he or she may request a direct transfer to the Ph.D. program. This transfer can only be done after the first year, and no later than the end of the second year, of the masters program. To request a direct transfer, the student should first obtain the approval of the supervisor, and then complete a " Recommendation for Direct Transfer to the PhD Program " and contact the Graduate Advisor.

Expected Timeline for Ph.D.

Supervisory committee.

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program will normally have a supervisor selected. The next step is to form a supervisory committee . This should be done as soon as possible, and not later than one year after the start of the program.

The committee should have a minimum of three members in addition to the supervisor, including at least one theorist one experimentalist and a member who works in a field that is removed from that of the student's research (eg. an astronomer for a physics student). Members of the supervisory committee must be full-time Members of the Faculty of Graduate Studes , or be approved by the Dean. Full-time Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors are members of FoGS. Adjunct Professors, Associate Members, Research Scientists, and others are not and therefore require approval. Please consult with your supervisor, and the Graduate Advisor when selecting a committee, and complete an " Approval of PhD Committee Membership " form.

The student meets formally with the supervisory committee at least once per year . In these meetings, the student reports on progress with courses and research work, and receives advice from the committee. The committee may question the student on areas pertinent to the research area, and in some cases may require that specific courses be taken or specific research tasks be completed. The results of the meeting, and the committee's recommendations, are recorded by the supervisor on a " PhD Progress Report " form, which is submitted to the Graduate Advisor. A copy of this form will be given to the student.

Comprehensive Examination

The university requires that every Ph.D. student pass a comprehensive examination . In our department, students have the option of either a written or oral exam. The exam can be taken more than once, and the student can switch from written to oral and vice versa. The written exams is currently offered once per year. Oral exams can be arranged at any time by consulting the Chair of the Comprehensive Examination Committee( [email protected] ). When an oral comprehensive exam is conducted, a " Report on Oral Comprehensive Examination " form is submitted by the Chair of the examining committee.

See PHAS  Graduate Program Comprehensive Exam Guidelines for Ph.D. Students

Students are required to take a comprehensive exam within the first 12 months of the Ph.D. program. If the exam is not passed, it must be retaken at least once before the end of the second year of the program.

Within two years of entry into the Ph.D. program , students are expected to advance to candidacy . Candidacy is granted when:

All course requirements have been completed

A comprehensive examination has been passed

The thesis proposal has been accepted by the Supervisory Committee

The supervisor then completes and submits a " Recommendation for Advancement to Candidacy " form.

Thesis Preparation

The thesis should be completed in the third or fourth year of the Ph.D. program. Requirements for the preparation and submission of the thesis can be found here .

Nomination of External Examiner

The final steps involve preparation for the Final Doctoral Examination . At least three months prior to this, the Faculty of Graduate Studies requires the nomination of an External Examiner. This person must be capable of judging the acceptability of the thesis at a university comparable to UBC, and is normally a full or associate professor, or equivalent. Two, or preferrably three, names are submitted using an External Examiner form . The candidate, research supervisor, or department head, must not make personal contact with the External Examiner.

Departmental Oral Examination

When the thesis is complete, the candidate must schedule the Departmental Oral Examination. It should include all members of the supervisory committee, but at minimum at least the supervisor (or his/her delegate) and two committee members. For students that have two co-supervisors (research and academic), both must be present. This is a public event, open to all interested faculty and students. The Graduate Coordinator needs notice of the event at least a week in advance, so that it may be properly advertised. Copies of the thesis should be given to committee members at least two weeks in advance.

The form of the Departmental Oral Examination is similar to that of the final doctoral examination. It is chaired by the supervisor (or academic co-supervisor). The candidate first presents a summary of the research, which should be about 20 minutes in length, and must not exceed 30 minutes. This is followed by a round of questions from the committee, with the supervisor last, a possible second round of questions, then questions from the audience. Following this, the candidate and audience leave and a private discussion is held by the committee to determine whether the candidate, and the thesis, are ready to proceed to the final examination.

Following the Departmental Examination, the candidate makes all of the requested changes and edits to the thesis, usually to the satisfaction of just the Supervisor. In a case where significant changes are warranted, the Committee may decide that the new thesis version will need approval by one or more additional committee members, in addition to the Supervisor. The Supervisor then sends a Report on Departmental PHD Defense to the Graduate Program Chair, stating that the student has passed the Departmental Examination and the thesis is now ready to go to the External Examiner.  Include an account number for the courier charges.  Allow a minimum of eight weeks before the final oral examination, ten weeks if the External Examiner is outside North America.  An extra week must be added if the thesis is to be mailed instead of couriered .

University Examiners

The Research Supervisor must nominate two willing University Examiners, one from within the Department and one from another department.  They must both be of senior rank, either Full or Associate Professor, and at arms-length from the candidate.  Their consent and availability at the schedule time of the final oral must be obtained by the Supervisor prior to submitting a University Examiner Appointment form .

Final Doctoral Examination

The Research Supervisor is responsible for arranging a mutually convenient time for all members of the Examining Committee (although often the candidate can be given this task and it can be done by e-mail), and for booking a room with the Doctoral Oral's program assistant at the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

At least four weeks before the Final Doctoral Examination, the candidate is responsible for delivering to each member of the Supervisory Committee as well as the University Examiners a copy of the thesis in approved form.

At least four weeks before the Final Doctoral Examination, a typed version of the final Examination Program must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. This is the candidate's responsibility, but it must be approved by the Research Supervisor.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies appoints the Chairperson of the Final Doctoral Examination (normally someone from another UBC department), and the Chairperson will be given instructions on how to conduct the proceedings. They are also available on the FOGS website.   Usually, the Supervisor will put the questions posed by the External Examiner to the candidate, if the External Examiner is not present at the examination.

For further details, and deadlines, please refer to the "Final Doctoral Examination Guide" .

The Faculty of Graduate Studies maintains a complete list of graduate student deadlines .

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Program Overview

The research-intensive Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Political Science at UBC Vancouver will help prepare you to secure tenure-track faculty positions and prestigious postdoctoral fellowships, as well as other academic and non-academic careers.

Prospective graduate students should browse our research areas to learn about the groups of faculty members working in 30 different research fields, methodologies, and geographic regions.

Our PhD program consists of two years of graduate coursework followed by comprehensive exams following the completion of course requirements.

Students write a dissertation proposal by the end of their third year of study, and with its approval and defense, move on to their dissertation research and writing, which normally takes two to three years to complete.

We are proud to see many of our PhDs in faculty positions and in successful careers throughout the world. We value collaboration and collegiality, and we strive to create an atmosphere of trust, respect, and professional courtesy to ensure a diverse intellectual community.

NEW: CANADIAN POLITICS FACULTY RENEWAL

UBC Political Science has significantly renewed our Canadian Politics faculty roster in recent years with the recruitment of Profs. Carey Doberstein, Sophie Borwein, and Vince Hopkins.

The Canadian Politics field at UBC is now especially equipped to supervise graduate students in the realm of public policy, public opinion and identity, inequalities in society, and how governments design and implement policies, programs, and services.

New faculty also complement the existing Canadian Politics faculty strengths in the areas of federalism (Kathy Harrison, Gerald Baier) and political behavior (Fred Cutler, Matthew Wright).

Faculty in the Canadian Politics field use survey methods, data science and experimental designs, and qualitative approaches in the course of their research.

The renewed Canadian Politics faculty at UBC will supplement department financial support packages in the doctoral program with research assistance fellowships and conference support.

Our PhD graduates have been highly successful in pursuing academic and non-academic careers.

On the academic front, UBC PhDs hold tenured or tenure track positions at major universities in North America and internationally. Our graduates have taken up  tenure-track and tenured positions at Canadian institutions including the University of Toronto, University of Victoria, University of Western Ontario, York University, University of Ottawa, MacEwan University, University of Fraser Valley, University of Manitoba, Memorial University of Newfoundland, McMaster University, and the University of Calgary; at U.S. institutions including the University of Michigan, University of Pittsburgh, Colorado State University, Georgia Tech, Soka University; and outside North America at institutions including the University of Essex, University of Sheffield, University of St. Andrews, Cardiff University, Trinity College Dublin, Tel Aviv University, Sophia University, National University of Singapore, Queensland University, Australia National University, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, and Ritsumeikan University.

Our PhDs have held postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Oxford University, Duke University, and other institutions.

Many UBC PhDs have taken their doctoral training to high-level positions with government agencies, NGOs, international organizations, think tanks, and private-sector employers, including Statistics Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada, the US Department of Defense Asia-Pacific Center, Global Affairs Canada, Health Canada, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontiers, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, Deutschebank, Innovative Research Group, the Institute for Research on Public Policy, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, among others.

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The PhD program in the Department of History is designed to take five years to complete. It requires full-time academic residency until the attainment of candidacy.

PhD Program Overview

Students in the PhD program complete their coursework in their first year; take their comprehensive exams, defend their prospectus, and advance to candidacy in their second year; spend a year and a half doing dissertation research; and a year and a half writing the dissertation.  Students should create a personal program completion timeline in conjunction with their supervisor during Term 1 of Year 1 of their program.  Students who require more than six years to complete their program can apply for and receive an extension through the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Admission to the PhD program is on a full-time basis only.  Most PhD students enter the program with a completed MA degree.

Applicants and candidates for the PhD program should also review the general requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies ( www.grad.ubc.ca ) regarding residency, coursework, examinations, and dissertation preparation and submission.

Program Requirements – PhD Degree:

PhD students must complete  three courses.  Two of these courses are mandatory: “Professional Development for Historians” (HIST525) and “The Doctoral Research Seminar” (HIST699).  Students choose their third course in consultation with their supervisor. Note that students who have not previously taken a graduate-level historiography course must choose Historiography (HIST 548) for this third course.

Graduate courses for PhD students:

Course 1 (3 credits) : HIST 525 - Professional Development For Historians: This is a mandatory course taken in Year 1 of the PhD program . This course introduces students to professional skills and options for historians in both academic and non-academic careers.

Course 2 (3 credits): HIST699 -  The Doctoral Research Seminar: This is a mandatory course taken in Year 1 of the PhD Program .  The course guides students through the process of doing research for and drafting their dissertation prospectus.

Course 3 (3 credits): Choose from options below: Students should take this course in Term 1 of Year 1.  However, where appropriate and in consultation with their supervisor, they may choose to take it as late as Term 1 of Year 2. For their third course, students choose ONE of the following:

• HIST 548D - Historiography (3 credits) Students who have not previously taken a graduate-level historiography course must choose HIST 548D: Historiography.  This course is offered annually only in Term 1.
• Area and Thematic course (3 credits) The History Department's readings courses introduce students to the main historiographical problems and secondary literature in their fields of specialization. Readings and topics courses require written work (approximately 3,000-4,000 words per course) from students as evidence of their growing mastery of secondary literature.
• Graduate course offered outside of the History Department (3 credits) With permission of the Graduate Advisor, students may take 3 credits of graduate coursework from outside the History Department. Language courses may not be substituted for graduate readings courses.  Please consult your supervisor for possible graduate courses offered outside of the History Department.  (Examples of non-history graduate seminars represent 500+ level courses from the STS department, Asian Studies, FNIS, etc.)
• HIST 547D - Directed Studies Course (3 credits) This course (HIST 547D) represents a one-on-one or small group directed readings course with a professor.  When a professor (usually the supervisor) agrees to do a directed readings course with a student, the professor must contact the graduate programme assistant to set up the course and register the student into the course.
• Graduate course through the Western Dean's Agreement (3 credits) Students at participating Universities in Western Canada can attend partner institutions as visiting students without having to pay the host university's tuition fees through the  Western Dean's Agreement  (WDA). As per the UBC Academic Calendar , courses taken by PhD students under the Western Deans' Agreement will not be credited to their degree programs.  If a PhD student wishes to take a graduate course through the WDA, they must also get approval from the graduate advisor for an exemption to the PhD Course requirements.

1b. Graduate Course Schedule & Course Planning Guide

Updated: May 26, 2023

Link to Document: Graduate Course Schedule Link to Document:  Graduate Course Planning Guide

2. Language requiremen t

Before receiving the PhD degree, candidates must demonstrate an adequate knowledge of a language other than English. The language exam typically takes the form of a written test of reading ability, although under certain circumstances, oral proficiency can satisfy this requirement.

Students who require a foreign language (or languages) for their dissertation research must take the language exam in that language. In cases where the dissertation research involves only English-language sources, students may take the exam in the language of their choice.

For students who will be examined on their reading ability, the department holds a language exam twice a year (usually in November and April) in which candidates must successfully translate a passage from the language they have chosen into English, with the aid of a dictionary, but without the assistance of online translation tools.

The exam is a one page translation of text testing for reading ability of the target language. The grading scale represents:

• First class: student demonstrates professional level translation in target language.
• Pass: student demonstrates reading ability in target language
• Fail: student does not demonstrate reading ability in target language.

Requesting an Exemption to the Language Requirement/Exam:

Exemption from the language exam may be granted under certain circumstances, on a case by case basis, by submitting a written request to the History graduate advisor:

• Several departments at the university offer courses to help students acquire a reading knowledge of a foreign language, such as French, German, or Russian. Students who have successfully completed such a course at the third-year level or above, with at least a B (72%) average, can apply for exemption from the History Department’s translation exam by submitting evidence of completion of the course to the History graduate advisor.
• Students whose projects rely on oral sources in a language other than English can make a request to be exempted from the language exam and to instead satisfy the language requirement with their demonstrated oral proficiency in the relevant research language.  In such cases, the graduate advisor will consult with the student’s supervisor to confirm their ability and determine whether this requirement has been met.
• For all other circumstances, please contact the History graduate advisor in writing.  Exemptions may be granted on a case by case basis.

3a. Comprehensive Examinations

PhD students are required to complete written and oral comprehensive examinations in two major fields.  One field is geographically defined; the other is thematic .  Examination fields and the composition of the examination committee are determined through consultation involving the student, research supervisor, and Graduate Advisor. The major fields that will be examined are determined by the student’s research and the department’s research clusters.

The PhD Field Examination Committee is comprised of four field examiners. One of the four examiners is the research supervisor.  Regular meetings should be held with all four of the examining professors. Discussion of the types of questions likely to comprise the exam is also highly recommended.  Professors and students should agree on the number of questions and amount of choice well in advance of the exam. The standard is two questions answered per field (a total of 10,000 words for both fields) from a list of questions any of which might be asked during the oral part of the examination.

Students must complete all of their coursework requirements before sitting their comprehensive examinations.  Students are expected to complete their comprehensive examinations within fifteen months of the date of initial registration.

In order to advance to candidacy, students must successfully pass the written and oral comprehensive exams, and then defend their dissertation prospectus within the subsequent four months.  A student who has not advanced to candidacy within 36 months from date of initial registration must withdraw from the program.  Extension of this period may be permitted by the Dean of Graduate Studies in exceptional circumstances.

Preparation for Comprehensive Exams

Students should have working reading lists in hand for their two fields by the end of Term 1 of Year 1.  They begin studying for comprehensive exams at the beginning of Term 2 of Year 1.

As an approximate guide to the preparation expected, students generally read the equivalent of 75 books (with 3 or 4 articles counting as the equivalent of a book) for each field.  Examiners in each field provide the candidate in advance with titles comprising 70-80% of the bibliography. Students themselves identify titles to comprise the remaining 20-30% of the list.

Form of the examination

• Written Examinations.  The examinations test the candidate's mastery of the factual knowledge, central historiographical issues, and theoretical concepts of the field.  Doctoral students are required to complete two written take-home examinations, one in each field, over a two-week period.  Students have a week to write for each field and may choose which field they do first. The comprehensive exams should total no more than 10,000 words.
• Oral Examination.  In the week following the written examinations, candidates take an oral examination, to be based mainly on the candidate's written field examinations.  All of the questions posed in the written examinations are open to oral questioning.  Other questions relevant to the field reading lists also may be expected.  The oral examination is normally three hours in duration.  The written and oral examinations in each field will receive one grade (pass/fail).  A student who fails either major field must repeat the written and oral examinations in all fields.  No substitution of fields at re-examination will be permitted.  A student will be allowed to re-sit comprehensives only once, and will be required to withdraw from the PhD program upon a second failure in one or more fields. Comprehensive doctoral examinations should be held between October and December of the second year.

3b. Comprehensive Exam Checklist

Comprehensive Exam Checklist

• Assemble your committee (Term 1, Year 1) 1a. Major Field in ___________   Professor___________; Professor_________________ 1b. Major field in ___________    Professor___________; Professor_________________
• Communicate this list to the Grad Advisor for final approval, and the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ), who will notify the graduate committee member in charge of exams  to find a chair for your oral exam.
• Finalize reading list. Send an electronic copy of the reading list to Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ) along with a copy of email approval from the professors involved. Alternatively, a hard copy signed  by you and the professors involved. (The final list can be submitted just prior to the commencement of the examination.)
• Organize the comprehensive exam date.  The comprehensive exam involves three academic weeks.  The first two weeks represent written exams for each field. The Oral exam will be held in the third week.  Set a date  and time (3 hour block) with your committee members and communicate the date and time to the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ).

Upon receiving the confirmed "date and time", the Graduate Programme Assistant will:

• Arrange a Room,
• Alert the Member of the graduate committee responsible for exams, who will find a chair for your oral exam,
• Send out a formal written schedule with a request to the committee members to submit their written comprehensive exam questions, and;
• Update the schedule once the graduate committee member has confirmed a chair.

For reference, the Graduate Programme Assistant will be invigilating the written exams.

Note on Remote Setup for Virtual Meetings: The supervisor is responsible is responsible for setting up a skype (or zoom) virtual meetings for comprehensive and prospectus examinations .

Important Note about Scheduling: The oral comprehensive examination date should be set with a minimum of 5-6 weeks in advance in order to allow enough time to find a chairperson.   For Oral examination dates set with less than 5 weeks’ notice, the graduate committee member in charge of comprehensive and prospectus exams may require the supervisor to find a chairperson.

4a. Dissertation Prospectus Examination

When a student has completed all coursework and the comprehensive examinations, the candidate and Graduate Advisor establish a Dissertation Committee.  This Committee is composed of  a minimum of three faculty members  including the Dissertation Supervisor and is presided over by the Dissertation Supervisor.

Candidates are required to present a dissertation prospectus for approval by the Dissertation Committee.  As a guideline, the dissertation prospectus is usually presented between one month to  no later than four months after completion of the PhD comprehensive examinations.   The examination of the dissertation prospectus can occur as early as Term 1, Year 2 and typically, no later than the end of Term 2, Year 2.

Candidates should first present to the Dissertation Supervisor a 10-12 page prospectus indicating the nature of the problem the candidate plans to investigate, the body of literature relevant to the problem and the candidate's expected contribution to that literature, the specific research methods and plans to be followed in the study, the availability and accessibility of the relevant materials including specific archival collections and other sources, and a tentative schedule for research and writing. After consultation with the Dissertation Supervisor, the prospectus must be presented to the Dissertation Committee and discussed at the prospectus examination.  If one of the Dissertation Committee members cannot attend the prospectus examination, another faculty member will join the committee for this purpose.

Additional Resources:

What is a Prospectus? ( February 2013 )

by Chris Laursen, PhD (Alumni)

• Just get to the heart of what you want to do with your dissertation in the prospectus.  You may not feel anywhere near ready to create a prospectus, and that's okay!  You have to start somewhere.  What you write will be critiqued.  You can't escape that, and it's fine because it's part of being a scholar.  Whatever advice you are given, remember that you will end up moving in better directions in your dissertation research and writing as a result of it.  Make the prospectus a fun exercise, one in which you use your imagination and creative thinking, as well as showing that you have something to contribute to historical studies and can defend your preliminary arguments (which will become stronger as you get into the real work of your dissertation).  Start by asking yourself, "What is my dream dissertation?"  With that, get the essential bits in there: a strong thesis, proposed chapter outline, and showing how it makes a contribution to the study of history (through a historiographical section).
• Once you've explained how you're making a contribution, put all of those scholars you've read aside, go back to what you've outlined, and think for yourself.  Unless your committee indicates they expect application of an existing theoretical model based on your study, I would advise being more concerned about focusing on how you are going to approach your topic.  Myself, I felt an invisible pressure after taking so many courses that focused on so many theoretical or philosophical models.  I assumed that I was expected to think about my dissertation through the lens of at least a few of these existing models.  Unless you're absolutely passionate about applying one of these models (which, honestly, I wasn't), you should start with yourself.  After writing - and fumbling in my defense - on how my project could fit existing theoretical models (what a disaster!), the advice my committee gave was liberating: worry about your own methodological development, not applying that of others.  It's not that it's easier to develop your own methodological approach.  But the prospectus is your opportunity to propose how you would do so.  You've been working on it in everything you've done up to this point.  If there's one thing I wish I had done it would have been to say to myself, "Okay, I've learned all sorts of approaches.  I've outlined how my works fits in the historiography.  Now I'm going to put others' work aside and think for myself.  How do I want to approach collecting research materials and analyse them?  How would I get what I want out of them?"  I think the ability to say this is what I want to do is crucial in a prospective defense.  My committee wanted to know how I was going to develop my own scholarly style through the dissertation process, and some of that was in my prospectus, but I spent way too much time writing about other scholars' approaches.  You've already recognized related scholars in a historiographical section.  Make the rest of the prospectus about how you want to do things.  What you produce will not be perfect, but it's a significant step toward thinking for yourself as a member of a community of scholars.
• How one of your PhD colleagues or faculty members does something does not mean you have to do it the same way.  First of all, remember to consult with your committee as you develop these approaches before you get to prospectus defense.  This will be a big help.  As your prepare, when you look at sample prospecti, read dissertations, or published works, concern yourself with how they're organized and consider how strong their thesis is.  Apply structures and content that strongly benefits what you want to say in your dissertation.  Ultimately, you are going to build an idea for a dissertation in the way you want to do it. From there, your committee is going to give advice, some of which you won't implement, much of which will completely lift you up in terms of strengthening your scholarship.  I thought of my defense more as a formal brainstorming session.  I loved hearing what my committee members and defense chair had to say.  Nothing went as I imagined, and really, life is like that anyway.  Defend your ideas as carefully as you can, but be open to all critiques and advice.  Be thankful for it.  This is really an opportunity to grow.  It's a forum where you walk in with a document and walk out with new ways of thinking about your research, writing, and scholarly style.
• Start early , gather your sources, and set yourself a tight schedule with milestones to complete your prospectus after passing comps.  For those preparing for comps, insert key scholarly works to read that you'll be using in your dissertation research.  This is so important.  For those starting grad school, collect as many key sources as you can well ahead of time.  If you haven't already started doing that by the time you begin your PhD, you'd better get going on that!  (I had been gradually collecting sources since 2006, two years before commencing my MA, and defended my prospectus in January 2012, two months after my comps exam; writing the prospectus was a quick process because I already had key sources read and ready to consider in my prospectus.)  Once you are ready to write the prospectus, make it an efficient process.  In my opinion, you can probably write it, get outlines and drafts reviewed by committee members over a month or two, then refine it and defend.  Set your defense date early to motivate getting it done.  With candidacy, you can get to the real work of research and writing your dissertation. Don't draw the prospectus process out too long.
• It's a defense ; that's nerve wracking, and that's okay.  It's part of being a scholar.  The prospectus defense is probably not going to feel smooth.  You're early on in your dissertation.  Your ideas are just forming.  Write as strong of a document as you can in a limited time.  Consult with your committee members ahead of the defense to see what they think of an outline of it, and then on a draft of it.  They'll catch the early weaknesses that you can work on. Expect to hear questions and ideas that hadn't been mentioned earlier in your defense - things you'd hadn't considered before.
• Myself , I'm writing a succinct reimagined prospectus one year after defending.  The first prospectus felt like a beginning, a way of getting feedback, and a way of showing that I can carry on with my dissertation work.  The second one - only a revised working thesis, succinct overview of methodology and argument, and a more developed chapter outline - is an opportunity to truly shape the dissertation.  The prospectus you write to achieve candidacy will be a useful tool to develop your methodology, analysis, and research travel strategies. As a candidate, I have put a lot of thought into those three elements over the past year.  I also consulted a lot with people knowledgeable about my research topic - invaluable!  Now the content seems all the more concrete, although I fully expect my committee to have a variety of new ideas and directions based on this revised prospectus.  It's an ongoing process - and one that should be both as delightful and challenging as you can make it.
• So what is a prospectus really? It is an essential step for you and your committee to feel that you are ready to do the real work of the dissertation - so make this a time to show them and yourself that you're ready to proceed with that.  It's an exercise in imagining what you would really enjoy doing, getting your key sources lined up, assessing the contribution your work with make to historical studies, and above all an opportunity to say, "This is how I want to be a historian.  This is the approach I'm thinking about.  What do you think, colleagues?"

4b. Prospectus Examination Checklist

The last step to advancement to candidacy is the prospectus defence (examination). Once you are ready to defend your prospectus:

• Please arrange a “2 hour time slot” with your prospectus committee.  This should be done with at least five week's notice in order to leave ample time to find a chairperson.
• Email the Date, time, and names of the prospectus committee to Graduate Programme Assistant at [email protected] .
• The Graduate Programme Assistant will book the room, notify the graduate committee member responsible for comprehensive and prospectus examinations to find a chairperson, and send out a schedule to everybody involved.

Important Note about Scheduling: The oral prospectus examination date should be set with a minimum of 5 weeks in advance in order to allow enough time to find a chairperson.   For Oral examination dates set with less than 5 weeks’ notice, the graduate committee member in charge of comprehensive and prospectus exams may require the supervisor to find a chairperson.

5. Admission (Advancement) to Candidacy

Once candidates have completed their residency period, completed all required coursework, passed their comprehensive examinations, and the dissertation proposal has been approved by the Dissertation Committee, the student is admitted to candidacy and may proceed with the dissertation.  Advancement to candidacy can occur as early as Term 1, Year 2 and typically no later than the end of Term 2, Year 2.

For reference, the date for advancement to candidacy usually represents the date of the prospectus defense because the prospectus examination is usually the final requirement to be completed.  

A student who is not admitted to candidacy within three years (36 months) from the date of initial registration will normally be required to withdraw from the program.  Where extenuating circumstances exist, students can apply to G&PS for an extension. 

6. PhD Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation must be an original contribution to historical knowledge, based upon primary sources. The PhD candidate is strongly advised to select a dissertation topic and research supervisor as early as possible, and to begin work on the dissertation within one of the research seminars.  The dissertation must not exceed 400 pages, including footnotes, bibliography, and appendices.

• Dissertation Supervisor and Dissertation Committee The Dissertation Committee is composed of  a minimum of three faculty members  including the Dissertation Supervisor and is presided over by the Dissertation Supervisor.  Although the supervisory work is largely done by the Dissertation Supervisor, the final responsibility for supervision, for approving the dissertation proposal, for judging the acceptability of the dissertation, and for recommending its submission to the University Thesis Examining Committee rests with the Dissertation Committee.
• Progress Reports and the Role of the Dissertation Committee There should be frequent contact between candidates and thesis supervisors to facilitate the giving of advice and the reporting of research progress. The Dissertation Supervisor should be available, even when on leave. The Faculty of Graduate Studies suggests that there be contact between students and supervisors at least every three months. The Dissertation Committee may also request progress reports from a candidate. If research prevents the candidate from being in Vancouver, such reports may be submitted by arrangement with the supervisor and/or Dissertation Committee by mail or e-mail. A full committee meeting with the candidate must occur once a year.  Students should plan to submit their work-in-progress at a department colloquium in Year 3 or 4.  Students who plan to complete by the end of Year 5 should have a full dissertation draft ready for the entire committee to review by the end of Year 4. While the Dissertation Committee should be an important source of advice and aid to the student, it is not responsible for the final quality of the dissertation. Its responsibility is to see that the candidate does the best possible job within a reasonable period of time, and then to decide, after discussions with the candidate, whether the dissertation should be laid before a University Committee for evaluation.
• Final Doctoral Examination The Dissertation Committee must be convinced of the quality and acceptability of the dissertation before approving its submission to the External Examiner, which begins the process of its submission for public examination to the University Thesis Examining Committee.  The final examination of the dissertation by the University Thesis Examining Committee is not a mere formality. Candidates may be asked to undertake revisions, or the dissertation may be rejected at this stage. For further information on the composition of the University Thesis Examining Committee and the results of examinations see the Faculty of Graduate Studies document  " The Final Oral Examination: Guide for Doctoral Candidates ."  Candidates should acquaint themselves with the submission procedures and technical requirements for formatting of theses. These requirements are listed in the Faculty of Graduate Studies document  " Dissertation and Thesis Preparation ."

7. Submitting your PhD Dissertation To Formally Close Your Program

After you have successfully completed your Final Defense, the final step is to submit your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) to close your program.

Step 1: Read the overview of the submission process: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/final-dissertation-thesis-submission

Step 2: Carefully follow the steps in the link below to submit your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to close your program: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/final-dissertation-thesis-submission/final-submission-instructions

Note: Once the student has all of the forms in step 1, they can email them to the Graduate Programme Assistant ( [email protected] ) to verify the signatures and forward the forms to GPS on behalf of the student.

Dissertation/Thesis Submission Deadlines: Check deadlines for dissertation/thesis submission dates: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/deadlines (Under Deadline Type -->Select Option: Thesis Final Submission --> Click: Filter)

Thesis approval deadlines are for having your thesis fully approved in cIRcle , not just submitted. You are expected to submit at least five days ahead of any deadline in order to allow yourself time to make any needed corrections.

8. Applying For Graduation

For Reference: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/graduation/applying-graduate

Every candidate for a degree must make formal application for graduation. Students apply through Student Workday . Login with your Campus-wide Login (CWL). Please check the Deadlines section of this website or contact your program to find out when the Application to Graduate is open.

If your application to graduate is not approved, then you must re-apply for the next graduation season.

Doctoral Students Doctoral students must also complete a 350-character doctoral citation. For details and information on how to submit this, please see Doctoral Citations for Graduation .

Not attending the graduation ceremony? You must apply to graduate regardless of whether or not you plan to participate in the scheduled ceremonies.

Questions? For questions about applying to graduate, please contact [email protected]

Conference Travel Funding

Graduate students are now eligible to receive travel funding to attend a conference at which they are presenting a paper. Over the course of a graduate career, each PhD student will have access to $3,000 to attend conferences. Eligibility continues for up to four months after completion of the degree. As per University guidelines, payments will be made via reimbursement.

PhD Co-op (Optional)

Co-operative education is an optional program that allows you to gain work experience as you work on your doctoral degree. You will have access to various resources to help support your job search and build career skills.

Research on co-op programs has shown that students typically return to their studies after co-op terms highly motivated and increasingly successful in their studies (marks, completion rates, etc.).

Eligibility:

You are eligible to apply to the UBC History PhD Co-op Program if you have achieved candidacy (or are expecting to achieve candidacy by the time you begin your co-op term, typically in January of your third year in the PhD program). You also must have two years of PhD study left, in which to schedule three, 4-month work terms. You cannot enrol in the Co-op Program without advancing to candidacy first: that is, Co-op students must be ABD (all but dissertation).

SSHRC-holders and international students are both eligible to apply and go through the same application process.

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MSc Defense

Unlike the doctoral final oral exams, a master’s defense is conducted according to departmental guidelines. However you must follow UBC’s standard layout and advice when writing your thesis.

MSc Thesis Checklist (117 KB)

Checklists and Guidelines

Before the defence.

• Meet with your supervisory committee by December 1st of your second year to review your progress and to receive permission to continue with your research.
• Check the current calendar for thesis submission deadlines: November and May completion. UBC has 2 degree conferral dates and 2 ceremony dates.
• Hold a second committee meeting to receive approval from your supervisory committee to write up your thesis
• Prepare your thesis according to the guidelines as specified by  Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
• Submit a copy of your thesis to each examiner at least three weeks before the date of your defense
• Your examining committee will comprise of your supervisory committee and one additional member (may be but need not be departmental) as chosen by your supervisor
• Your supervisor will fill out the  MSc Exam Committee Approval  form and submit it to the Advisor for approval prior to the scheduling of the MSc defense
• Your supervisor is the Exam Chair Person
• You are responsible for arranging the thesis defense date with your examining committee
• You must  apply to graduate  even if you do not plan to attend the convocation ceremony

During the Defence

• You will make a 20 to 30 minute oral presentation of your research
• This will be followed by a question and answer session
• Unlike PhD defences, MSc defences are NOT public, only you and your committee are in attendance

After the Defence

• Your examining committee will submit a pass/fail grade to the graduate secretary along with a evaluation of your performance  MSc Exam Report.
• You must complete all recommended revisions and obtain committee signatures for the required  thesis forms  prior to  submitting your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate Studies

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