Electrical and Computer Engineering - Doctor of Philosophy - PHD - Postgraduate / Graduate Program - UBC Grad School

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Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical and Computer Engineering Program is for students interested in pursuing advanced studies and research in Biomedical Technologies, Communications Systems, Computer and Software Systems, Energy Systems, or Micro and Nano Technologies. Applicants to the program must have a high scholastic standing and must have demonstrated an aptitude for research to be admitted to the Ph.D. program, as the program is designed to develop the ability for independent research.

Electrical and Computer Engineers develop computing systems, from chip architecture to mobile applications, to communications protocols as well as the energy systems to allow these devices and all other electrical systems to function. The discipline has a huge impact on society because it helps to design the systems we use in everything from health to finance to safety.

In this program students can choose to contribute to research on technologies very close to or already in the market or technologies that are in the early stages of research such as quantum computing or carbon nanotubes.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

Electrical and Computer Engineering is one of the largest graduate programs at The University of British Columbia with over 75 faculty members and 400 students. All of our faculty members lead distinguished research programs. The faculty members also collaborate with colleagues in the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science as well as with industry leaders. These collaborations allow our students to work beside world-leaders in their area of interest. Our students use cutting-edge technologies at The University of British Columbia’s many research facilities and centres of excellence as well as in the field.

Every year, our department admits students to the MASc program from around the globe. Just some of the places we have admitted students from in recent years include: Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Canada, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Japan, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Syria, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America

I chose UBC as it is one of the the top schools in Canada, as well as the chance to work with top professors in my field.

Khaled Ahmed

Quick Facts

Faculty Faculty of Applied Science

Mode of delivery In person at UBC Vancouver

Program Components

Dissertation

Academic Unit Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Specialization Electrical and Computer Engineering

Tuition (First Year) Domestic: $5,626.02 | International: $9,883.98

Information Sessions Register

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Program Enquiries

Admission Information & Requirements

Program Instructions

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

Writing

Speaking

Listening

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement: 7.0

Reading

6.0

Writing

6.0

Speaking

6.0

Listening

6.0

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.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Course and Thesis-based Master's Degree

Applicants applying should have:
- A recognized course and thesis-based Master’s degree which includes graduate level courses and a written thesis
- References should include a detailed letter from the thesis supervisor
- North American degree holders must have an overall average of B+ (76% at UBC) in your master’s degree program
- Non-North American degree holders must review the academic entrance requirements for students from your country at the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
- Applicants who have completed a degree by research only may have to complete a year of additional coursework as part of their Ph.D. program.

Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Undergraduate Degree

This is also known as a direct entry PhD. In addition to the usual M.A.Sc. requirements, you must have:
- A first class standing in your bachelor’s degree and evidence of prior research ability. First class standing is indicated for each nation by UBC G+PS guidelines (80% minimum or equivalent for Canadian institutions). It is understood that such a grade-average is a minimum requirement and depending on the overall applicant profile, higher grades can be expected.
- Hard evidence of research experience and ability, by way of previous research internships, for example. Ideally, you should be a co-author on a manuscript or paper accepted in a high visibility, rigorously peer reviewed academic venue, e.g., an internationally recognized journal, or, in certain disciplines (especially computer and software engineering), top tier conferences.
- Prospective supervisors of direct entry students must submit a maximum one page explanation of why the student is deemed sufficiently-prepared to be directly admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Course-based Master's Degree

In addition to the usual M.A.Sc. requirements, you must have:
- Hard evidence of research experience and ability, by way of previous research internships, for example. Ideally, you should be a co-author on a manuscript or paper accepted in a high visibility, rigorously peer reviewed academic venue, e.g., an internationally recognized journal, or, in certain disciplines (especially computer and software engineering), top tier conferences.
- Prospective supervisors of students with a previous course-based masters degree must submit a maximum one page explanation of why the student is deemed sufficiently-prepared to be directly admitted to the Ph.D. program.

Other Requirements

GRE scores are not mandatory for applying to our PhD program. You are welcome to submit GRE scores if you have them, to provide further support to your application. Please ask GRE to submit their examination report to UBC using the institution code 0965 (UBC).

Applicants who have recently completed a degree in one of the following countries do not need to submit a language score. Degrees must have been completed within the past 5 years of the date of application to our department in order for this language score requirement to be waived.

Australia, Botswana, Canada, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ireland, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the English-speaking countries of the West Indies.

Other applicants, including Canadians, who have completed their most recent degree in other countries, must submit a current TOEFL or Academic IELTS score. We will not waive this requirement for you. Our department does not consider conditional admission in the case of pending English language training.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) Prepare Application

4) Apply Online

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Fees	Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat	International
Application Fee	$116.25	$168.25
Tuition *
Installments per year	3	3
Tuition per installment	$1,875.34	$3,294.66
Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%)	$5,626.02	$9,883.98
Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible)		$3,200.00 (-)
Other Fees and Costs
Student Fees (yearly)	$1,144.10 (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.

* Regular, full-time tuition. For on-leave, extension, continuing or part time (if applicable) fees see UBC Calendar.
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.

Program Funding Packages

From September 2024 all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.

Average Funding

Based on the criteria outlined below, 102 students within this program were included in this study because they received funding through UBC in the form of teaching, research, academic assistantships or internal or external awards averaging $38,314.

58 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 58 students was $7,360.
93 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 93 students was $23,523.
16 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 16 students was $4,758.
101 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 101 students was $9,659.
10 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 10 students was $24,100.

Study Period: Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 - average funding for full-time PhD students enrolled in three terms per academic year in this program across years 1-4, the period covered by UBC's Minimum Funding Guarantee. Averages might mask variability in sources and amounts of funding received by individual students. Beyond year 4, funding packages become even more individualized.
Review methodology

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 24 hours a week during academic sessions.

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.

Career Outcomes

211 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 200 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)

Sample Employers in Higher Education

University of British Columbia (9)
British Columbia Institute of Technology (3)
Langara College (2)
University of Tehran (2)
University of California - San Diego (2)
Chinese Academy of Science (2)
University of Calgary (2)
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (2)
Qatar University (2)
University of Alberta

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

Amazon (6)
Intel Corporation (5)
Qualcomm (4)
Microsoft (4)
BC Hydro (4)
BC Cancer Agency (3)
Point Grey Research (3)
BroadbandTV Corp. (3)
AMD (2)
Fortinet Technologies Inc. (2)

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

Software Development Engineer (7)
Engineer (6)
Research Scientist (4)
Research Engineer (4)
Senior Consultant (3)
Senior Engineer (3)
Embedded Software Engineer (3)
Director (3)
Chief Executive Officer (3)
Software Developer (3)

PhD Career Outcome Survey

You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.

Disclaimer

These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.

Career Options

The Doctoral program in Electrical and Computer Engineering prepares students for employment directly after completing the degree or to pursue further a career in research at a public institution. Some of our recent graduates are now working with Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Samsung, D-wave, BC Hydro, Bell Mobility, Sierra Wireless, PMC-Sierra, TELUS, Bank of Montreal, BC Children’s Hospital, The Government of Canada, Drobo, Siemens Canada, Celestica, Cisco, Alpha Technologies, etc. Many of our M.A.Sc. graduates have also gone on to pursue their Ph.D. with us at UBC.

Alumni on Success

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
Applications	216	221	224	237	214
Offers	46	39	47	58	41
New Registrations	30	26	28	34	25
Total Enrolment	172	180	175	169	169

Upcoming Doctoral Exams

Research Supervisors

Doctoral Citations

A doctoral citation summarizes the nature of the independent research, provides a high-level overview of the study, states the significance of the work and says who will benefit from the findings in clear, non-specialized language, so that members of a lay audience will understand it.

Year	Citation
2022	Dr. Obada-Obieh studied how technological solutions in personal, professional, and involuntary relationships led to security and privacy concerns. She proposes a framework of how technological solutions can be (re)designed to address these concerns. Her research could make users feel safer while using these technologies in their relationships.
2022	Dr. Wang designed low-power low-voltage CMOS circuits for wirelessly powered smart stent system. The implemented implantable system can be integrated with a medical stent to sense critical data and transmit data out for diagnosis. The wirelessly powered smart stent does not need a bulky battery hence it can be implanted inside narrow blood vessels.
2022	Dr. Sharkia worked on semiconductor integrated circuits: He developed a type-I subsampling phase-locked loop, that achieves low noise and low power consumption, in a compact footprint. He also developed flexible serrodyne-based frequency synthesizers that can be used to efficiently generate and distribute clock signals in modern integrated circuits.
2022	Dr. Sherwali explored how electrical heating can be used to minimize the environmental impact of oil sands recovery while economically exploiting the resource. He established an alternative to steam-based recovery methods using induction heating, and developed a simulation process to examine the performance in Northern Alberta.
2022	Dr. Hassan studied a nanostructured material known as carbon nanotube forests due to its unique mechanical and electronic properties. He developed novel processes using a noncontact etching technique to shape the material at the micro scale level. This helped in integrating the material in electro-mechanical and vacuum electronic applications.
2021	Dr. Ge studied novel ways to make polymeric micro sensors and actuators. He successfully developed a platform technology to fabricate capacitive microelectromechanical systems using photoresist. His technology is useful to emerging applications such as Internet of things and wearable electronics
2021	Dr. Shahriari developed a control algorithm to maintain a constant electric field in the cavity resonators that accelerate electrons. This controller predicts and corrects field fluctuation due to previous particles in the electron beam. Her research results in improved electron beam quality which can be used for various scientific research topics.
2021	Dr. Mostafa developed schemes for supporting massive Internet of Things (IoT) systems in the wireless cellular networks using energy-efficient communication technologies. Those systems consist of a large number of IoT devices that collect data from the environment to enable diverse applications.
2021	Dr. Hadi designed a novel six-axis optical force sensor with unparalleled performance compared to commercial sensors. The sensor can be used in a diverse range of mechatronic applications. Dr. Hadi successfully integrated his sensor in a telesurgical system, which can lead to significant efficiency and accuracy improvement in surgical tasks.
2021	Dr. Voon studied heat transport in carbon nanotube forests. Through computational simulation, he showed how their unique structure and arrangement contributed to highly efficient heating, and how to harness their properties towards optimizing their efficiency and lifetime towards applications such as solar thermal energy.

Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)

Canadian Immigration Updates

Overview

What makes the program unique?

Quick Facts

Program Enquiries

Admission Information & Requirements

Program Instructions

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

English Language Test

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Other Test Scores

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

Other Requirements

2) Meet Deadlines

January 2026 Intake

Application Open Date

Canadian Applicants

International Applicants

Deadline Explanations

3) Prepare Application

Transcripts

Letters of Reference

Statement of Interest

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)

Citizenship Verification

4) Apply Online

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

Financial Support

Program Funding Packages

Average Funding

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Foreign government scholarships

Working while studying

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Cost Estimator

Career Outcomes

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

PhD Career Outcome Survey

Disclaimer

Career Options

Alumni on Success

Michel AlSharidah

Michael Wrinch

Mehrdad Fatourechi

Mohamed Sultan Mohamed Ali

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion Rates & Times

Disclaimer

Upcoming Doctoral Exams

Tuesday, 1 April 2025 - 9:30am - Room 203

Friday, 4 April 2025 - 1:00pm

Tuesday, 8 April 2025 - 4:00pm - 2020, Fred Kaiser, 2332 Main Mall

Research Supervisors

Supervision

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical and Computer Engineering (PhD)

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

Doctoral Citations

Pages

Sample Thesis Submissions

Related Programs

Same specialization

Further Information

Specialization

UBC Calendar

Program Website

Faculty Overview

Academic Unit