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This FAQ answers many questions about applying to UBC Graduate Studies. Please read carefully to see if your question has been answered here.
Who to contact?
Contact the graduate program for:
- application status
- references
- transcripts
- extensions to application deadline
- missing documents
- supervision
- funding
Contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for:
- credit card payment problems
- persistent log in problems with the online application
Pre-Application
Review the graduate degree program listing on our website which provides you with the ability to browse all graduate degree programs (master and doctoral degrees) and credentials (graduate certificates and diplomas). Each entry provides a description of the program, entry requirements, statistics, tuition and funding information and much more.
Students who take graduate level courses without enrolling in a degree program are known as unclassified or non-degree students. Please visit the following web page for information: Admission Requirements for Unclassified Students
Complete details on admissions requirements and the application process are included on our website.
Check the list of program contacts and visit the program web site for information about academic requirements.
UBC's online application is the only way to apply to graduate school at UBC.
Apply via the online application. Information about graduate degree programs at UBC Okanagan can be found at the College of Graduate Studies.
Yes. You can apply as long as your current degree program is completed before the start of the UBC program to which you are applying. Upload the most updated version of your transcript during the application process.
It depends on program to which you are applying. See GRE or Other Required Tests for GRE requirements by program.
General information on English language proficiency test score requirements and the GRE can be found on our website. You can also check your program's minimum requirements for English Language Proficiency and GRE test scores on the UBC Calendar.
Detailed information on application fees, including payment options, are found on the page Online Application and Fee.
- The application fee can only be waived for international applicants:
- whose citizenship and correspondence address are located in the world's 50 least developed countries, as declared by the United Nations.
- These countries include but are not limited to Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, and Uganda.
If you are eligible for an application fee waiver, you do not need to apply for it. You will not be asked for a fee when you complete the online application.
The application fee is not refundable. We can only refund the application fee when a program applied for has been cancelled.
- Make sure your application is for the correct program
- Only click the "submit" button once; if the application is not submitted contact the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies before re-submitting, as your credit card may be charged twice.
In order to submit an application for UBC graduate programs you must have a UBC Campus Wide Login (CWL) account. The CWL system provides access to UBC's online services with one secure login ID.
As a previous undergraduate or graduate applicant, an alum, a student, a staff member or in some other affiliated role, you most likely have a CWL account already. Follow these links to retrieve your login name or reset your password. The password reset feature will provide you with specific instructions for how to proceed with your existing CWL account.
Retrieve CWL Login Name
Reset CWL Password
As an individual you can have only one CWL account, even if you have multiple email addresses. You have to re-use a pre-existing CWL. If you create multiple CWL accounts, your admission application will not be forwarded to the graduate program until your CWL account has been reviewed. Creating multiple CWL accounts will cause a delay that may result in your application not being considered by the graduate program.
Unsuccessful previous applications connected to your CWL will not disadvantage your current or future application(s).
For CWL issues, please contact the IT Service Centre Help Desk. If you are experiencing technical issues, please ensure your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See Browser Help for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari.
For all other questions, please email graduate.apply@ubc.ca and include your full name, the program(s) you are applying to and a general description of the problem.
No, you should login to the online application system using your existing CWL account. If you experience difficulties using your CWL account then please contact the IT Service Centre Help Desk. If you are experiencing technical issues, please ensure your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See Browser Help for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari.
For all other questions, please email graduate.apply@ubc.ca and include your full name, the program(s) you are applying to and a general description of the problem.
Yes, you will need to submit a separate application and application fee for each program you want to apply to. Decisions are made by the program(s), and they each need complete information in order to evaluate your application. If you are indeed applying to more than one program, references must be sent to each program you have applied to.
While Applying
Please contact the program to which you are applying to and ask them if you can do this.
When filling out your Academic History on your application, you will be asked whether or not the institution(s) you have attended have provided you with a degree or other credentials. If you are in the process of completing your degree, but your degree has not been conferred yet, make sure to select "Not Yet. Credential is in progress."
You must list all post-secondary schools and institutions.
The online application has room to list six higher education institutions of study. If you have attended more than six previous institutions, you will be instructed to upload all remaining transcripts into one file within your online application.
Program specific document instructions are provided within the online application system and on the website of the program you are applying to. Please check with the program to which you are applying to determine what additional support documents they may require and for instructions about uploading and sending documents to support your application. Main document requirements are listed on our website.
For more information on document requirements, see:
Canadian applicants: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/canad...
International applicants: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/inter...
For initial application, you will normally scan and upload digital files (.pdfs) of documents in the online application system. If you are offered admission, you will be required to send in one copy of each of your official academic history documents. Official documents are normally sent to:
University of British Columbia
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
6371 Crescent Rd
Vancouver, BC V6T1Z2 CANADA
Some graduate programs may require you to send in paper documents directly to their department office upon initial application. Please check the website of the program(s) to which you are applying for instructions.
For more information on document requirements, see:
Canadian applicants: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/canad...
International applicants: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/inter...
Further information on providing scanned and official paper documents is also provided within the online application system.
You must scan and upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official required documents in the application system. The scanned transcripts must be copies of your official transcripts, which usually means that you must order official transcripts from your institution(s), open the envelopes, and then scan and upload copies to the application system. Since this requires you to break the official seal on the transcripts, these are considered “unofficial documents”. These uploaded copies of your official documents will be used for the initial evaluation of your application.
Please note: Some programs will require an official set of transcripts at the time of application. Please refer to the website of the program(s) to which you are applying and the instructions in the online application for specific information about sending your official documents.
If you are offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration. Do not send official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission unless you have received special instructions from the graduate program to which you have applied.
General information on English language proficiency test score requirements and the GRE can be found on our website. You can also check your program's minimum requirements for English Language Proficiency and GRE test scores on the UBC Calendar.
Please contact the program to which you are applying.
Applicants are unable to remove uploaded documents from the application system. You can upload an updated version as long as the program’s document deadline has not passed, but it will not overwrite the existing document. If you decide to upload another version of a document, please provide a different name for the updated document.
Please clear all fields and then re-enter your payment information on the payment page. Make sure that you have entered your credit card information in the correct format. Your name must be exactly as it appears on the credit card, the numbers must be entered with no spaces in between, and the expiry date must be entered in the correct format (January/2019 entered as 0119).
If you are still having problems submitting your online application, please e-mail graduate.technical@ubc.ca and include your full name and the program(s) you are applying to.
Document submission deadlines are set by the graduate program. Contact your graduate program if the information made available on their website and in the online application is unclear.
Document submission deadlines are set by the graduate program. Contact your graduate program if the information made available on their website and in the online application is unclear.
Application deadlines are set by individual programs, not by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please contact the program you wish to apply to for approval to apply after the deadline.
If you have missed the application deadline please do not submit an online application until you have received approval from the specific program. Application fees are non-refundable.
If you are not currently a Permanent Resident of Canada, choose "Study Permit/Student Visa" as Visa Type in the online application. Once you have obtained permanent resident status, please upload a copy of both the front and the back of your Permanent Resident Card by logging in to My Applications. If you are unable to upload the Permanent Resident Card, please send a copy of both the front and the back of your Permanent Resident Card to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. We will then update your status in our files.
Your online application must reflect your citizenship status as it is on the day you submit your online form and payment. If you don’t have a Study Permit at time of application but you will need a Study Permit to attend UBC, please choose “Study Permit/Student Visa” in the Immigration and Visa Details section of the application form. If your citizenship status changes after you submit your online application please contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by email at graduate.apply@ubc.ca for information about additional documents required to support your application.
The online application requires that your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See Browser Help for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari.
No, you should create a single CWL user name and use it for all applications. If you experience difficulties using your CWL account then please contact the IT Service Centre Help Desk. If you are experiencing technical issues, please ensure your browser supports both Cookies and JavaScript. See Browser Help for additional information and instructions. Use of the latest version of Firefox with JavaScript enabled is recommended but the application is also supported by Internet Explorer, Chrome, Opera and Safari. For all other questions, please email graduate.apply@ubc.ca and include your full name, the program(s) you are applying to and a general description of the problem.
After Applying
It is possible to upload documents after you submit your application as long as the program’s deadline hasn’t passed. To do this go to: Application portal > Manage tab > Documents.
Please note that the updated version of a document will not overwrite the existing one, therefore, you will need to rename it accordingly.
Only very limited edits can be made to your online application after it has been submitted. You may replace each referee once, change referee email addresses, and send reminders to referees through the application system. If you need to update other information then please contact the graduate program you applied to for assistance. Note that referees are able to upload documents as long as it’s before the deadline.
For changes to personal information such as citizenship, date of birth, or name, please contact graduate.apply@ubc.ca and include the appropriate documentation (e.g. birth certificate, passport) to support your request.
After submitting your application, you should wait 24 hours and then check the status to ensure that it shows as "Submitted". If the status hasn't changed, please contact graduate.technical@ubc.ca.
Many programs take several weeks to evaluate applications. To check the status of your application and to provide any new information or updated documentation required, please log in to My Applications. My Applications is also where you can find Information about your references and the status of your reference requests. Please note: you will only be able to upload documents after submitting your application as long as the program's document deadline (which is different from the application deadline) has not passed. If you cannot find the information you need in My Applications or on this website, please contact the program(s) you applied to for further assistance. For updates regarding documents received please note processing times for confirming documents received at peak times can be lengthy, please check back regularly.
Once you have submitted your application and paid your application fee, your status should appear as “Submitted”, if this is not the case you should reach out to technical.graduate@ubc.ca and we will look into your application.
Many programs take several weeks to evaluate applications. To check the status of your application and to provide any new information or updated documentation required, please log in to My Applications. My Applications is also where you can find Information about your references and the status of your reference requests. If you cannot find the information you need in My Applications or on this website, please contact the program(s) you applied to for further assistance.
If your program’s deadline has passed and you wish to add any information to your application (e.g. an updated CV), please contact them directly. It is at the discretion of each program to determine whether updated documents are accepted or not.
You can see the status of documents received by logging in to My Applications. Please allow 4 weeks after sending in your documents for the system to be updated. If you have already submitted your online application and don’t see a document you are expecting in My Applications, please contact your graduate program directly. If four weeks have passed and you have received an offer of admission and you don’t see a document you are expecting in My Applications, please contact Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at graduate.apply@ubc.ca for instructions.
Please note: applicants are also sent an email when documentation is received and added to your application file.
If you need to update your address, please contact graduate.apply@ubc.ca and they will make the changes for you.
The application fee is not refundable.
Provincial Attestation Letters (PAL)
A Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) is a formal document that verifies you have a spot in the given year’s provincial allocation and is included in the federal cap to submit a study permit application.
Most students will need to provide a PAL in their study permit application. The most common situations where students need to provide a PAL are:
- You apply for a study permit from outside Canada.
- You change Canadian institutions and need to apply for a new study permit.
- You are a UBC undergraduate student who will begin/has begun graduate studies. If you need to extend your study permit, you will require a PAL because you are changing your study level (from undergraduate to graduate).
The most common situations where you do not need to provide a PAL are:
- You are a current UBC graduate degree seeking student who is extending your study permit to continue graduate studies, whether you finished your first graduate program or not (even if you switch between master’s degree and doctoral degree programs).
- You were previously a UBC undergraduate student whose study permit is still valid. You can study at the graduate level with your current study permit (if you need to extend your study permit, a PAL will be required).
- You are eligible for a temporary policy allowing work permit holders to study without a study permit. (If you need to apply for a study permit to finish your program, a PAL will be required).
- You are from certain countries which have a temporary public policy and apply for your study permit before the policy expires.
Full details about PALs can be found on the IRCC PAL webpage.
PALs will include your name, date of birth, and address, which will be automatically pulled from the program application.
You should double check your personal details in the graduate application system eVision and on the admission letter before accepting the offer. You should confirm that your name matches your name as it appears on your passport, and that your date of birth and address are correct. If changes are required, please contact graduate.apply@ubc.ca. The PAL will be issued based on this information and a PAL cannot be reissued if your personal details are incorrect.
- PALs only support first and last names, they do not take middle names into account. You are advised to enter your legal first and last names as shown on your passport as part of your program application to ensure that the information on the admission letter is consistent with the information on the PAL. If your passport has a separate field for middle name(s) and you entered your middle name into the graduate application, it will show on your admission letter, but not on your PAL. This cannot be changed and based on experience and correspondence with IRCC is not a cause for concern.
- When you are considering whether to use a current address at the time of application or your permanent address, you should be consistent and use the same address which you will have continued access to. The address on your admission letter, PAL and study permit application should be the same.
- Not all address details you enter in the graduate program application form will be shown on the PAL. Information from address line 2, postal code and province/state will not be included on the PAL. This is not an issue of concern and won't cause problems with your study permit application.
If your PAL has already been issued with incorrect information, you must write a letter of explanation in your study permit application to explain the discrepancy. Contact International Student Advising for support.
Not all address details you enter in the graduate program application form will be shown on the PAL. Information from address line 2, postal code and province/state will not be included on the PAL. This is not an issue of concern and won't cause problems with your study permit application.
PALs only support first and last names, the provincial system does not offer an option to record middle names. If your passport has a separate field for middle name(s) and you entered your middle name into the graduate application, it will show on your admission letter, but not on your PAL. This cannot be changed and based on experience and correspondence with IRCC is not a cause for concern.
UBC distributes PAL via email to you after you accept your graduate degree admission offer. You will usually receive your PAL within 3 business days after having accepted your graduate degree admission offer. If you do not receive your PAL within this time frame you should reach out to your admitting graduate program. In the meantime, you can work on preparing your study permit application.
The PAL only needs to be valid when you submit your complete study permit application to IRCC. The PAL does not need to be valid when you travel to Canada or when you begin your program.
For example: if an applicant starts in May 2026, they can apply with a PAL issued in 2025, as long as the complete study permit application is received by IRCC before Dec 31, 2025. Applications must be submitted before 11:59pm EST on December 31, 2025, in order for their PAL to be valid, and IRCC considers applications based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) 11:59pm, not local time zones, so applicants should not apply at the last minute and should submit their study permit application at least a day before December 31.
If your admission letter and PAL both show the same address, but your address has recently changed, it won't be possible to update your admission letter and PAL to the new address prior to submitting your study permit application. Instead, prepare a letter of explanation to accompany your study permit application, highlighting the following:
- Your previous mailing address at the time of your program application to UBC and PAL issuance - explain that the mailing address is the same in both documents,
- The change in mailing address, ideally along with documentation demonstrating the exact date when you relocated,
- Write your current mailing address (in bold) on the letter of explanation.
Ensure to use your current mailing address in the application form for the study permit.
There are two kinds of level of studies, where there are different PALs for each level of study:
- Graduate-level PALs: for master’s degree and doctoral degree programs
- Undergraduate-level PALs: for all other programs (including undergraduate bachelor’s degrees, graduate certificates and graduate diplomas)
This means:
- A UBC undergraduate student going into a master’s or Doctoral degree who needs to extend their study permit will require a graduate PAL.
- A UBC student in a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma program changing/laddering into a master’s program will require a graduate PAL.
- A UBC Visiting International Research Student going into a master’s or Doctoral degree program will require a graduate PAL.
- A UBC master’s student going into a Doctoral degree program will not require a PAL since it is the same graduate level of study.
Whether a new PAL will be required depends on your program start date, when you accept your offer, and the time of year.
PALs only need to be valid at the time when you submit your study permit application, and it does not need to be valid when you travel to Canada or when you begin your program.
In most cases, changing your program start date or deferring will not require a new PAL.
For example:
- Changing your start date from Sep 2025, to Jan 2026: you may receive your admission offer sometime between January to April, 2025, accept before June and thus receive a PAL from the current year (in this example, a 2025 PAL with a validity to 31 Dec 2025). As long as you submit a complete study permit application by Dec 31, 2025, the PAL is valid at the time you apply and can still be used for the Jan 2026 start date.
- A deferral from Sep 2025 to Sep 2026: you may receive your offer sometime between January to April, 2025, accept before June and thus receive a PAL from the current year (in this example, a 2025 PAL with a validity to 31 Dec 2025). As long as you submit a complete study permit application by Dec 31, 2025, the PAL is valid at the time you apply and can still be used for the Sep 2026 start date.
It is critical that you apply before your PAL expires, even though your program will start in the following year.
Under certain situations, you may end up accepting an offer for one program, then later accept an offer for another UBC program. As long as all programs are at UBC and are in the same graduate level of study, you will not require a second or additional PAL. This applies across both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan campuses. While the name of the first accepted program will be printed on the PAL, that PAL can be used for other programs at the same Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and at the same level of studies.
Obtaining References
Applicants may choose to use academic and/or professional references. Please have in mind that some thesis-based programs place more weight on academic references. If you have questions about the type of references expected by your prospective program, get in touch with your graduate program.
Reference request emails are sent to your listed referees at the moment you submit your online application. Please note that if you have provided a free email address (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) for any referees, they will receive an email providing instructions for submitting a paper reference, as they will not be able to submit online.
You can edit some Reference information after your online application has been submitted by logging in to My Applications. Once logged in, choose "References" and follow the instructions to send a reminder to your Referee, edit a Referee email and resend email or replace a Referee.
Please include your referee’s information as part of your application. Your referee will receive an email providing instructions for submitting a paper reference form. If your reference has an institutional email and has not received an email, please reach out to graduate.technical@ubc.ca and we will investigate.
Referees should provide either a paper or an electronic reference, but not both. Referees are contacted by UBC via email with detailed instructions about how to submit a reference (by completing an online form or manually submitting their paper reference if required). If your referee has questions, please ask them to review these instructions or contact graduate.apply@ubc.ca for more information.
For security reasons, references cannot be submitted by e-mail. Referees are contacted by UBC via email with detailed instructions about how to submit a reference. If your referee has questions, please ask them to review these instructions or contact graduate.apply@ubc.ca for more information.
Referees will receive an automatic e-mail (sent to the e-mail addresses you entered in the "Referees" section) asking them to provide a reference report on your behalf. They then submit their references via an online form. Please note that we are not able to accept emails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free email accounts for Referees. Applicants receive email notifications if an email to a Referee cannot be processed or if a Referee declines a reference request.
The status of your reference letters is visible to you in the online application system under the references tab.
Please have your referee check his/her email inbox junk folder. You can also re-send the email under the “references” section when you logon to the application portal.
The section “manage references” will allow you to send your referees a reminder email which includes the link to access your reference request. You can send reminder emails as long as it falls before the deadline.
You can replace each referee once. You may do this under the “manage references” section of your application. You may replace a referee as long as it is done before the deadline.
Referees
Please refer to the email sent to you by UBC from graduate.apply@ubc.ca for instructions on how to submit your specific reference. In general, there are two options for submitting a personal reference letter. You may be able to scan and upload your personal reference letter using our online reference system form. Or, a personal reference letter can be sent by post to the program which the student has applied. In both cases, personal reference letters must be written on institutional letterhead. Letters sent by post must be in a sealed envelope with your written signature across the envelope seal and should be directed to the graduate program directly. Program addresses are listed in our degree program listing.
For security reasons an e-mail or an e-mail attachment is not an acceptable format for a reference letter.
Many programs accept reference letters electronically, but this must be done via the link provided in the "Reference form for UBC Graduate Application" e-mail that you received. We are unable to accept e-mails from Hotmail, Yahoo, or other free e-mail accounts.
If you submit your reference via the online reference form, you will receive an online confirmation message indicating your form has been submitted to the program. If you did not complete the online reference form, please contact the program directly or ask the student you are referring to log in to their online application system (My Applications) where they can view the status of all reference requests.
Please mail the form directly to the program to which the student applied. The automatic email you have recieved will include the program name and their mailing address.
Yes, as long as the program’s reference deadline has not passed. Please send the request to graduate.apply@ubc.ca .