Luna Ferguson
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Employer
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Canadian Immigration Updates
Review details about the recently announced changes to study and work permits that apply to master’s and doctoral degree students. Read more
Overview
The PhD in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice is an interdisciplinary program which allows students to explore their interests in diverse areas while employing feminist, intersectional, and decolonizing methodologies. It is intended to be flexible and to accommodate the needs of individual students.
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program
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: 90
Reading
22
Writing
21
Speaking
21
Listening
22
IELTS: International English Language Testing System
Overall score requirement: 6.5
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.
2) Meet Deadlines
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
20 September 2024Canadian Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 December 2024
Transcript Deadline: 08 December 2024
Referee Deadline: 08 December 2024
International Applicants
Application Deadline: 01 December 2024
Transcript Deadline: 08 December 2024
Referee Deadline: 08 December 2024
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 Doctor of Philosophy in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (PhD)
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
Criminal Record Check
Students may elect to take a practicum that will require a criminal record check.
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.
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 | $1,838.57 | $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. | |
* 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.
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, 13 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 $30,531.
- 5 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 5 students was $13,835.
- 3 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 3 students was $8,236.
- 6 students received Academic Assistantships. Average AA funding based on 6 students was $2,826.
- 13 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 13 students was $20,210.
- 1 student received external awards valued at $23,333.
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
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 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.
Career Outcomes
15 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 11 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 (2)University of Alberta
Wilfrid Laurier University
Douglas College
Mahidol University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Sample Employers Outside Higher Education
Government of CanadaBC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS
Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education
Academic Editor, WriterHead
Research Associate
Soeech-Language Pathologist
PhD Career Outcome Survey
You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.Disclaimer
This program underwent a name or structural change in the study time frame, and all alumni from the previous program were included in these summaries. 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.Alumni on Success
Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats
These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.
This program went through a name change in previous years that may have included curriculum changes. It was previously known as: Doctor of Philosophy in Women's Studies and Gender Studies until 2013, Doctor of Philosophy in Women's Studies and Gender Relations until 2011. Historical data on this page may include data collected under the previous name(s) of the program.
ENROLMENT DATA
| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 39 | 51 | 82 | 56 | 52 |
| Offers | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| New Registrations | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Total Enrolment | 28 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 20 |
Completion Rates & Times
This program has a graduation rate of 42% based on 12 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 5 graduating students from the 2011 - 2014 admissions cohort the minimum time to completion is 5.47 years and the maximum time is 10.25 years with an average of 7.11 years of study. All calculations exclude leave times.
Disclaimer
Admissions data refer to all UBC Vancouver applications, offers, new registrants for each registration year, May to April, e.g. data for 2022 refers to programs starting in 2022 Summer and 2022 Winter session, i.e. May 1, 2022 to April 30, 2023. Data on total enrolment reflects enrolment in Winter Session Term 1 and are based on snapshots taken on November 1 of each registration year. Program completion data are only provided for datasets comprised of more than 4 individuals. Graduation rates exclude students who transfer out of their programs. Rates and times of completion depend on a number of variables (e.g. curriculum requirements, student funding), some of which may have changed in recent years for some programs.
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 Doctor of Philosophy in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (PhD)
Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.
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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Angeles, Leonora (Gender analysis, gender mainstreaming and other gender planning related tools, including feminist critiques and perspectives on the intergration of gender and other social axes of difference and diversity in community planning and international development work)
-
Catungal, John Paul (queer of colour geographies, critical race and ethnic studies, diaspora and transnationalism, critical pedagogy, the scholarship of teaching and learning, and the lived geographies of sexual and racial minorities in educational spaces)
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Chaudhry, Ayesha (Islam, Muslims, religion, gender, human rights, family and children, discrimination, social justice )
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Ferreira da Silva, Denise (ethical questions of the global present and target the metaphysical and ontoepistemological dimensions of modern thought; Critical Racial and Ethnic Studies, Feminist Theory, Critical Legal Theory, Political Theory, Moral Philosophy, Postcolonial Studies, and Latin American & Caribbean Studies)
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Harris, Leila (Critical identity, ethnic and race studies; Gender, sexuality and education; Human rights, justice, and ethical issues; Africa; Development Policies; Drinking Water; Environmental justice; equity and social justice; Ethics and Fundamental Issues of Law and Justice; Fresh Water; Gender Relationship; gender and social difference; Ghana; International development; participatory resource management; Resources Management; Social Contract and Social Justice; Social and Cultural Factors of Environmental Protection; South Africa; Turkey and Middle East; Water; water governance; water politics)
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Mahtani, Minelle (critical mixed race theory; cultural forgetting; Social justice)
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Patterson, Christopher (Transpacific discourses of literature, games, and films)
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Pierre, Jemima (relationship of political economy to race; migration, transnationalism, and diaspora; ethics and politics of western knowledge production and disciplinary formation)
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Riano-Alcala, Pilar (Lived experience of violence, Historical Memory and the politics of commemoration and witnessing, Forced migration (internal displacement and refuge), Critical and participatory methodologies, Community organizing, everyday resistance and social repair, Public art)
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Sia, Rosanne (Sociology; Cold War cultural history; Performance studies; critical race studies; queer studies)
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 |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Dr. Beljaars studied the evolution of salsa in the Netherlands, exposing Antillean influences on Dutch culture. She also examined interactions in the Afro-Latin dance scene, illuminating the complexities of identity and belonging in Dutch postcolonial society and emphasizing the criticality of race in understanding Dutch cultural citizenship. |
| 2023 | Dr. Desideri reflects on a set of artistic practices which, rather than creating objects, create the conditions for collaborative thinking and making, that is called study. Her Studio Practice proposes a novel approach to artmaking as study and to study as artmaking. |
| 2023 | Dr. Pauker's cross-disciplinary work sketches intertwining genealogies of philosophy and journalism. Advocating philosophical journalism as a mode of critical questioning in the present, Pauker disrupts normative configurations of truth and truth-telling in journalism, philosophy, and knowledge production in the western tradition, more broadly. |
| 2022 | Dr. St. Rose Yeo studied the possibilities generated by creative practices to subvert temporal dominance as formulated in Western modernity. Her work contributes to ongoing discourses that suggest creative practices play a critical role in transforming systems of harm in our global present. |
| 2022 | Dr. Lowik investigated the tactics that trans people undertake when accessing reproductive health care spaces that are not equipped to serve their needs. They found that the onus to remedy systematic erasure often falls on trans people and identified the structural forces that prevent this erasure from being addressed systematically. |
| 2022 | From 2015 to 2021, Dr. Bhandal led a research project to study social justice perspectives in Canadian nursing and medical education. Specifically, she focused on two areas of theory and practice from social justice studies, decolonization and intersectionality. The findings have been published in various academic and popular venues. |
| 2021 | Dr. Koostachin examines how positionality shapes the creative process of Indigenous documentarians, revealing the impacts on core concepts, themes, and forms within their practice of documentary. Her research methodology is rooted in a paradigm that privileges InNiNeWak (Cree) ways of being. |
| 2019 | Dr. Elradi investigated the relationship between women's organizations, nationalism and violence in Sudan and discovered that violence is perceived differently by local, national and international women's organizations. Findings suggest that mitigating racialized gendered violence in Sudan and the Nuba Mountains will require national and transnational alliances. |
| 2018 | Dr. Nayebzadah studied the representation of Afghan-Canadian Muslim diaspora in postcolonial fiction through the practice of a/r/tography. Her work raises questions about biases, presuppositions, and world-views on Muslims. This research informs discussion around the role of authors as constructing and consolidating notions of "self" and "other". |
| 2018 | Dr. Stewart worked with youth born of forced relations in the rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. She identified their experiences of discrimination as a national and international problem of accountability and found creative ways they negotiate belonging. Her study will inform policy for those born of sexual violence in other wars. |
Pages
Sample Thesis Submissions
Further Information
Specialization
Faculty expertise in Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice include gender and development, critical studies in sexuality, decolonizing and post-colonial methodologies, race, gender and cultural studies (including Asia), critical race theory, gender and Canadian history and literature (in English and French), transgender studies, gender issues in health, and feminist legal studies.
Program Website
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
VGDPHD-LC
September 2025 Intake
Application Open Date
20 September 2024 Canadian Applicant Deadline
01 December 2024 International Applicant Deadline
01 December 2024 Program Enquiries
Still have questions after reviewing this page thoroughly?
Contact the program
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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