Master of Science in Women+ and Children's Health Sciences (MSc)
Overview
The goal of the graduate program in Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences is to provide students with a broad knowledge of research in women+ and children’s health sciences including biomedical, clinical, health services, and populations. Students will develop critical thinking skills to independently design, execute, and evaluate research experiments directly related to women+ and children’s health sciences. Core concepts will include biomedical, patient- and public-oriented translational research with consideration of social determinants of health and cultural competence, including sex and gender and indigenous health, and research methodologies.
What makes the program unique?
Students will have the ability to specialize in one of these area:
- Women+ Health
- Child Health
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Admission Information & Requirements
1) Check Eligibility
Minimum Academic Requirements
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:
Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.
English Language Test
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. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:
TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based
Overall score requirement: 100
Reading
22
Writing
22
Speaking
22
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 7.0
Reading
7.0
Writing
7.0
Speaking
7.0
Listening
7.0
Other Test Scores
Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:
The GRE is not required.
2) Meet Deadlines
May 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
20 August 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
03 December 2024Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
January 2026 Intake
Application Open Date
15 April 2025Canadian Applicants
International Applicants
3) Prepare Application
Transcripts
All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.
Statement of Interest
Many programs require a statement of interest, sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Science in Women+ and Children's Health Sciences (MSc)
Citizenship Verification
Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.
4) Apply Online
All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.
Research Information
Research Focus
Students will develop in depth expertise in at least one of the following areas of research that represent existing areas of faculty expertise within our departments:
- Acute or chronic diseases
- Brain development and function
- Implementation science
- Developmental origins of health and disease
- Placental, embryonic, foetal, perinatal, infant, child and/or youth: Development, physiology, and/or pathophysiology
- Reproductive biology
- Reproductive or childhood cancers
- Epidemiology specific to women+ or children
- Mental health specific to women+ or children
- Health services specific to women+ or children
Tuition & Financial Support
Tuition
Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International |
---|---|---|
Application Fee | $114.00 | $168.25 |
Tuition * | ||
Installments per year | 3 | 3 |
Tuition per installment | $1,838.57 | $3,230.06 |
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,515.71 | $9,690.18 |
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | $3,200.00 (-) | |
Other Fees and Costs | ||
Student Fees (yearly) | $1,116.60 (approx.) | |
Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies. |
All fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees. Tuition fees are reviewed annually by the UBC Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students. New students may see higher increases in tuition. Admitted students who defer their admission are subject to the potentially higher tuition fees for incoming students effective at the later program start date. In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.
Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)
Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union.
Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)
Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Estimator
Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Master of Science in Women+ and Children's Health Sciences (MSc). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
ENROLMENT DATA
2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Applications | 31 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Offers | 17 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
New Registrations | 11 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total Enrolment | 36 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclaimer
Research Supervisors
Supervision
Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.
Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Master of Science in Women+ and Children's Health Sciences (MSc)
Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors
These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.
This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.
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Sanatani, Shubhayan (Arrhythmia; Sudden death, ion channelopathies, supraventricular tachycardia, autonomic nervous system)
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Schultz, Kirk (Pediatric Cancer Blood and Marrow Transplantation Transplantation immunology Graft-versus-Host Disease Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Aplastic Anemia Myelodysplastic Syndrome, Oncology, immune system, childhood leukemia, blood and marrow transplatation, tumour immunology)
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Schummers, Laura (Pediatrics and reproductive medicine; Health Services; Health Policy; women’s reproductive and perinatal health)
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Sly, Laura (Innate immunity; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammation; macrophages; Cell signalling)
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Steiner, Theodore (Innate immunity, intestinal epithelial cells, inflammatory bowel disease, C difficile infection, tropical medicine, international health)
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Stockler-Ipsiroglu, Sylvia (Diabetes, Nutrition & Metabolism (Nutrition & Metabolism), pathophysiology and treatment of neurometabolic disorders, ceberal creatine deficiency syndromes, cerebral glucose dificiency syndromes, epilepsy, mental retardation)
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Stuart, Gavin (Medicine )
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Talhouk, Aline (Human reproduction and development sciences; Computer Science and Statistics; Epidemiology; Bioinformatics; Cancer of the Reproductive System; diagnostic models; Digital health; Machine Learning; personalized medicine; prevention; Privacy)
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Tamber, Mandeep (epilepsy surgery; Craniofacial disorders; Craniofacial abnormalities; Craniofacial surgery; Hydrocephalus; Management of complex hydrocephalus; Endoscopic management of hydrocephalus)
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Turvey, Stuart (Immunology; Microbiology; Asthma; Immune System; Immunodeficiencies; Microbiome cohort studies; Precision Medicine; Primary Immune Deficiencies)
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Vallance, Bruce (Enteric bacterial pathogens, innate immunity, instestinal inflammation, host defense, inflammatory bowel disease, immunity in health and disease)
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Verchere, Bruce (Diabetes research, pediatrics, Beta cell survival and function)
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Vidler, Marianne (Health sciences; Childbirth; Global Health; High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy; Infections and Pregnancy; Postpartum Care; Pregnancy)
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Voss, Christine (Pediatrics; Physical Activity; Children and youth; Health behaviours; Diabetes; congenital heart disease)
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Weber, Alexander (Neurocognitive patterns and neural networks; Central nervous system; Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI); Quantitative MRI; Brain Disorders; resting state functional MRI; myelin water imaging; Arterial Spin Labelling; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Fractal based analysis; Concussion; Diagnostic Imaging; Epilepsy; Seizures; Traumatic Brain Injury; open science; Biomedical Engineering; Rett Syndrome)
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Wiens, Matthew (Global health; Sepsis; Prediction modelling; Epidemiology; Pediatric infectious diseases; Post-discharge outcomes; Global Health; Digital health)
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Wright, David (How exercise modulates adipose tissue, liver and skeletal muscle metabolism, impact of exercise, nutrition and pharmaceutical interventions on fat tissue)
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Yong, Paul (pelvic pain, with a particular interest in endometriosis, painful periods, sexual pain, co-existing bladder and bowel problems, and pain related to the musculoskeletal system; laparoscopic excision of complex endometriosis and prevention of adhesions in women with endometriosis and pelvic pain and infertility)
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Zwicker, Jill (Occupational therapy; Rehabilitation medicine; Brain development; developmental coordination disorder; Infant / Child Development; Learning Disorders in Children; Motor System; neuroplasticity; Prematurity; rehabilitation)
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Further Information
Specialization
Women+ and Children's Health Sciences builds on the strengths of UBC's biomedical and clinician-scientists, whose research encompasses biomedical, clinical, health services, and population health in multiple disciplines that include translational and precision medicine.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Classification
May 2025 Intake
September 2025 Intake
January 2026 Intake
Program Enquiries
Contact the program
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form.
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