Student Status
Full-Time Classification
A full-time student is one who pays full-time tuition fees (Schedule A of the tuition fee schedule). See the Fees section of the UBC Calendar for details about standard and specialized graduate program tuition. Graduate programs may articulate specific limitations regarding concurrent paid employment as consistent with participation in full-time study. Students holding Teaching Assistantships must adhere to TA contract rules regarding hours of employment.
In exceptional cases, an alternative tuition schedule may be established by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in consultation with the University Registrar for doctoral students who have been assessed by the UBC Access & Diversity Office as having permanent disabilities requiring a reduced level of academic engagement while still considered full-time. See Doctoral Students with Disabilities who are Deemed "Full-Time with Reduced Workload" for details.
Part-Time Classification - Doctoral
Part-time doctoral studies are designed for students who are unable to devote full-time hours and expect they will require a longer timeline to complete their studies. See the Student Classification section of the UBC Calendar for details.
A maximum 8-year time period is allowed for completion of the part-time doctoral program. It is required that all part-time doctoral students be admitted to candidacy within 48 months from the date of initial registration.
Prospective students who are interested in part-time studies are advised to check with the graduate program in which they are interested to confirm whether part-time studies are offered. Part-time studies are available only in some programs, as part-time study may not fit the curriculum or research in some fields of study. See Part-Time Doctoral Programs for a list of programs have been approved for part-time PhD studies:
Furthermore, admission to part-time study will depend on finding a suitable supervisor, as part-time studies may not suit the research topic of the student or some faculty. Applicants will be asked to indicate their interest in pursuing their doctoral program part-time as part of their application for admission.
Part-Time Doctoral Status: Tuition Fees (Schedule C)
Part-time doctoral students will be assessed tuition fees according to Schedule C. Under Schedule C, tuition fees are less than those assessed for full-time students (Schedule A) on an annual basis but the total cost of a part-time degree will be higher than a full-time degree. The total cost differential is based on the likelihood that part-time students will use more resources over their degree compared to full-time students. The total tuition paid by a part-time student over seven years (the expected time to complete part-time studies) will be 20% higher than the total tuition paid by a full-time student over five years (the average time to complete full-time studies). Note: programs with longer full-time completion times will likely have part-time completion times longer than seven years. See the Fees section of the UBC Calendar for details about Schedule C tuition assessments.
Doctoral students admitted to part-time study are required to submit the Schedule C form prior to the beginning of the first term of the program (i.e., prior to the commencement of the degree program) in which fees are assessed. The form for payment of Schedule C tuition fees is found at: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/forms/doctoral-degree-part-time-tuition-fee-application-payment-schedule-c
Part-Time Classification - master's
All master’s students are automatically assessed full-time tuition fees (Schedule A) unless formally approved to be assessed part-time tuition fees (Schedule B). See Student Classification section of the UBC Calendar for details. See the Fees section of the UBC Calendar for details about Schedule B tuition assessments.
Students who wish to be assessed master’s program tuition according to the part-time schedule (Schedule B) must obtain approval of their Graduate Program Advisor and the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies prior to the beginning of the first term of the program (i.e., prior to the commencement of the degree program) in which fees are assessed. The application for payment Schedule B can be found at: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/forms/masters-degree-tuition-fee-application-payment-schedule-b.
International Students
Due to Canadian immigration regulations, part-time study has particular implications for international students. International students should seek advice from a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant before pursuing part-time classification.