Now that you have received an admissions offer from UBC this could become your new backyard. We are truly looking forward to welcoming you to UBC in Vancouver.
As Dean pro tem of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, it is my sincere pleasure to welcome you to the University of British Columbia and congratulate you on your admission to UBC. If you are new to the UBC community, welcome; and if you are already a UBC alumnus, welcome back! A special welcome as well to those of you who are coming internationally – in addition to resources in our unit and at UBC International Student Development, we have a vibrant and inclusive community of international graduate students and professionals that are here to support you.
UBC has a longstanding history of excellence, and consistently ranks among the top three Universities in Canada, and top 40 globally. The fact that you have been admitted to UBC is proof that you exhibit the same attributes of excellence, and that we are confident that you will continue to uphold the virtues of this great University to make outstanding contributions to UBC and society as a whole. You are now part of more than 10,000 graduate students at the UBC Vancouver campus across more than 300 different graduate offerings, which speaks to the breadth of possibility here at UBC. I invite you to explore everything that we have to offer, both academically and non-academically.
Academia in particular, and society as a whole, has experienced rapid change in the past few years. I recognize that the graduate student experience and needs of today are very different from when I was a student. At UBC, we have taken a leading role in envisioning change and supporting the graduate and postdoctoral community in the evolution of our response to these changing needs. We have changed the way that we view and nurture the relationship between graduate students and their supervisors and instructors, we have promoted more flexible and targeted methods of instruction and assessment, we have taken great steps to enhance graduate student wellbeing, and we have made it a priority to advance Indigenous inclusion and integrate Indigenous ways of knowing. We have also been at the forefront of reimagining graduate and postdoctoral education through initiatives such as our Public Scholars Initiative which supports doctoral students to undertake collaborative research for the public good. These are all examples of UBC’s commitment to supporting and encouraging academic success, work-life balance, and the development of competencies to prepare our graduates for the myriad career opportunities available in the years to come.
Finally, I strongly encourage you to do things other than what is required for your degree. Too many times I have heard of graduates say that they wish they had done more, or tried new things. Many of us have regretted missing out on something because we just need to “read another paper” or “analyze this dataset,” or because “it isn’t in my specific area of interest, so won’t be relevant to me.” You never know what you will learn from a seminar, event, or opportunity outside your discipline, or where that may take you. You are also fortunate to now live in one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. Get out and enjoy everything that Vancouver and its natural splendor have to offer.
So, again, on behalf of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at UBC, congratulations, welcome, and all the best as you start this next phase of your journey.
Dr. Michael A. Hunt, Dean pro tem
Use the comprehensive interactive checklist in the graduate student community!
The following steps should be reviewed and completed (if applicable) ideally as soon as possible after receiving an offer and before course registration opens.
You will be asked to accept your offer of admission online through the "My Applications" portal. Please ensure that you accept your offer before the offer acceptance deadline. You will usually find this date in the admission supplement on page three under the heading "Deadline to respond to admission offer".
Accepting your offer will enable you to take the next steps, such as course registration when it opens.
If your plans have changed and graduate school at UBC may not fit into your plans any longer, please make sure to decline your offer in "My Applications" portal at your earliest opportunity. This will ensure you do not receive auto-emails designed for newly admitted UBC students.
Some graduate programs require acceptance deposits. You will have received communication by your program about such a requirement or you can review the degree program listing under the "Tuition and Financial Support" heading where applicable deposits are listed. Acceptance deposits are non-refundable. The deposit will be applied towards your tuition fees after you register for classes. Please note that students in thesis-based programs who don't anticipate taking courses will still register for the thesis course.
Accepted payment methods are VISA Credit, VISA Debit, Mastercard Credit and Mastercard Debit.
You can download your official letter of admission from the “My Applications” portal in the UBC Graduate Application system.
If you are an international student and have not done so already, you should apply for a Study Permit from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada as quickly as possible. Detailed information about the process is provided by UBC's International Student Advising office.
An admission letter, even if it includes conditions, can be used to apply for a study permit. Applicants are advised to include an explanation letter which addresses how they plan to meet admission conditions. In most cases it is recommended to apply right away, even with a conditional offer letter.
If you believe that you will not receive the Study Permit in time for your stated program start date, please contact your graduate program to discuss the possibility of changing your start date and check additional considerations.
Make sure to read the important information about the recent changes to Canada's immigration regulations.
The UBC Student Housing and Hospitality Services' application process is entirely separate from Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies admissions process. The number of applicants for all housing properties exceeds the number of vacancies available for new applicants so it is important to apply as early as possible if you wish to live in residence on campus.
A limited number of rooms in winter session residence will be set aside for newly admitted graduate students from outside the city who are also new to UBC. In order to have the best chance of securing on-campus housing, these students should select BOTH Winter Session and Year-Round Housing on their housing application. You will pay only one application fee ($50) if you select both at the same time.
You may also consider the two Graduate Residential Colleges: St. John's College and Green College.
Your offer letter may specify conditions to submit official documents. Please check your “My Applications” portal for a list of specific documents you are required to submit to our office, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Eligibility to register will be granted once your official transcripts (including those currently in progress) have been reviewed and approved. Any subsequent documents detailing outstanding completions or degree conferral must be received at G+PS no later than 16 weeks after the start of your first term.
Below are examples of the statuses you might see in your checklist in the portal:
The issuing institution must send a link to a secure site to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) at graduate.sas@ubc.ca. G+PS will download the transcript from the secure site. Important: an e-transcript is downloaded via a link to a secure site. It is NOT an email attachment of any kind, even if sent from an authority at the issuing institution.
When ordering via a third party service such as Parchment please specify graduate.sas@ubc.ca as the intended recipient.
UBC offers online webinars on topics including finding a place to live, life in Vancouver, budgeting and tuition assessment, and specific sessions for international students on immigration and health insurance requirements. As well, join our chat sessions with current UBC graduate student ambassadors for tips on preparing for your arrival at UBC, settling in, and life as a graduate student at UBC. You can view upcoming sessions on the Orientation website.
Registration is a critical step in order to become a UBC student. All students, including students in research programs, need to register in courses. Without registering you cannot complete many of the other steps in this checklist.
To be eligible to register for courses, you must have accepted the offer of admission and met the official documentation requirements (if applicable).
It is important that you register as soon as possible to open up your eligibility to apply for your student ID card (UBCcard) and transit pass (UPass), pay tuition fees, and access your funding when available. Please remember that you must register for every term throughout the duration of your graduate degree program.
Registration for those starting their program in September typically opens up in mid-June, and for those starting their program in January, you will be eligible to register once you have accepted your offer and your official documentation requirements have been processed.
Before you register, please wait for information from your graduate program directly and consult with your supervisor or graduate advisor on course choice. Contact information for programs can be found in the Graduate Degree Program listing.
We will provide updates soon on how to register.
There are many additional steps for newly admitted students to take after you have registered. To make it easy for newly admitted students, we encourage you to log into the online graduate community to use our interactive checklist.
