Application & Admission
Explore UBC's Graduate Programs
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies offers a wide range of options for course-based or research-based master's and doctoral students. We offer students an intellectually challenging education through programs that are international in scope, interactive in process and interdisciplinary in content and approach.
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Check Your EligibilityMinimum Academic Requirements | English Language Requirements | Other Tests
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants. Check first if you can meet those absolute minimums. Keep in mind that
- each graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements that you will find in the Graduate Degree Program listing and on the program website
- entry to UBC is competitive, i.e. each year we receive way more applicants who meet all our requirements than we can accept. Meeting minimum and program requirements is not a guarantee that you will be admitted.
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application.
Some of our programs require additional components, such as GRE or GMAT scores, as well as certain course or degree requirements.
Meet Deadlines
All deadlines are program specific and can range from November of the previous year to April of a year for a September intake. The most important deadline is the application deadline. Without meeting the application deadline, a file may not be considered for evaluation. No changes can be made to the application after submission. Graduate programs can set two other deadlines - which may be the same as the application deadline or provide slightly more time to complete specific actions:
- Transcript deadline: Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application. Information for accessing the applicant portal will be provided after submitting an online application for admission.
- Referee deadline: Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references. See Letters of Reference for more information.
You have full access to all deadlines in the degree program listing or review an overview of application deadlines below.
Review program application deadlines
Program Name | Intake | Canadian Applicant Deadline | International Applicant Deadline |
---|---|---|---|
Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology (PhD) | July 2025 | 31 January 2025 | 28 February 2024 |
Master of Geomatics for Environmental Management (MGEM) | July 2025 | 15 February 2025 | 15 February 2025 |
Master of Urban Forestry Leadership (MUFL) | July 2025 | 15 February 2025 | 15 February 2025 |
LLM in Taxation (LLMT) | July 2025 | 01 February 2025 | 01 November 2024 |
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy (EdD) | July 2025 | 15 November 2024 | 15 November 2024 |
Master of Arts in Special Education (MA) | July 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Craniofacial Science and Diploma in Pediatric Dentistry (PhD/Dip. Pediatric Dentistry) | July 2025 | 30 September 2024 | 30 September 2024 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Language and Literacy Education (PhD) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD) | September 2025 | 05 January 2025 | 05 January 2025 |
Master of Music in Composition (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Arts in Ancient Culture, Religion and Ethnicity (MA) | September 2025 | 03 January 2025 | 03 January 2025 |
Master of Education in Modern Languages Education (MEd) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Music in Guitar (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Music in Harpsichord (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Forestry (MF) | September 2025 | 05 January 2025 | 05 January 2025 |
Master of Education in Adult Learning and Education (MEd) | September 2025 | 01 February 2025 | 01 February 2025 |
Master of Music in Opera (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Science in Zoology (MSc) | September 2025 | 08 January 2025 | 08 January 2025 |
Master of Science in Cell and Developmental Biology (MSc) | September 2025 | 31 March 2025 | 31 March 2025 |
Master of Music in Piano (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Education in Adult Learning and Global Change (MEd) | September 2025 | 28 February 2025 | 28 February 2025 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology (PhD) | September 2025 | 15 December 2024 | 15 December 2024 |
Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy (MDPhD) | September 2025 | 04 October 2024 | 15 July 2024 |
Master of Music in Organ (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Arts in Anthropology (MA) | September 2025 | 15 December 2024 | 15 December 2024 |
Master of Applied Science in Materials Engineering (MASc) | September 2025 | 01 February 2025 | 01 February 2025 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Asian Studies (PhD) | September 2025 | 30 November 2024 | 30 November 2024 |
Master of Music in Orchestral Instrument (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Architecture (MARCH) | September 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 |
Master of Music in Voice (MMUS) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Advanced Studies in Architecture (MASA) | September 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 |
Master of Science in Genetic Counselling (MSc) | September 2025 | 09 January 2025 | 09 January 2025 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Cell and Developmental Biology (PhD) | September 2025 | 31 March 2025 | 31 March 2025 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering (PhD) | September 2025 | 15 February 2025 | 15 February 2025 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Astronomy (PhD) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Archival Studies and Master of Library and Information Studies (MASLIS) | September 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 |
Master of Science in Materials Engineering (MSc) | September 2025 | 01 February 2025 | 01 February 2025 |
Master of Applied Science in Geological Engineering (MASc) | September 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 |
Master of Archival Studies (MAS) | September 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 |
Master of Applied Science in Mining Engineering (MASc) | September 2025 | 15 May 2025 | 30 April 2025 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD) | September 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 |
Master of Arts in Geography (MA) | September 2025 | 15 December 2024 | 15 December 2024 |
Master of Science in Geography (MSc) | September 2025 | 15 December 2024 | 15 December 2024 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Atmospheric Science (PhD) | September 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 |
Master of Arts in Art Education (MA) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Food Science (MFS) | September 2025 | 10 January 2025 | 10 January 2025 |
Master of Education in Special Education (MEd) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Education in Art Education (MEd) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Master of Arts in Music Education (MA) | September 2025 | 01 December 2024 | 01 December 2024 |
Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD) | September 2025 | 15 May 2025 | 15 April 2025 |
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Prepare Your Application
Apply Online
Once you have collected all your documents and are ready to apply, find out how to best move through the online application, what questions to expect, tips and tricks for your application and how to pay the application fee.
Next Steps
Prior to an admission decision
While you wait for your application to be evaluated, there are a few things to bear in mind.
- Check your online application portal for the status of your application, references, English language scores (if applicable), and any additional information or documentation requested by the program.
- References should be received and recorded in your online application portal by/before the References deadline.
- If a reference isn’t recorded as having arrived as the deadline draws near, please contact the Referee to ensure the following:
- That the Referee received the request (ask them to check junk filters)
- That the Referee actually clicked the Submit button. They may have uploaded the reference but overlooked the final submission step.
- If a reference isn’t recorded as having arrived as the deadline draws near, please contact the Referee to ensure the following:
- If you have multiple email addresses, ensure you’re checking the one you used in your application as you’ll be alerted to the program decision, or requests for additional information, by email.
Please be patient, and resist the temptation to ask the program about the status of your application. UBC receives approximately 20,000 applications to graduate school. Rest assured that your program is working hard to evaluate applications and make admissions decisions as efficiently as possible. Most admission decisions are made in February and March, but this is highly dependent on the program to which you have applied and therefore, offers and declines can also be expected before and after this peak.
After an admission decision
Successful Applicants
Congratulations! Please go to the newly admitted student checklist to see your next steps.
Unsuccessful applicants
Given that the number of applicants exceeds the number of positions available, a record that satisfies basic entrance requirements does not guarantee admission to graduate studies.