Why Grad School at UBC?

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Academic Excellence

UBC is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top public universities in the world.

International

Times Higher Education ranked UBC as the most international university in North America in its "World University Rankings 2024.”

Modern Facilities

UBC invested more than $1.5 billion dollars into infrastructure and facilities in the past few years.

Innovative

UBC is a catalyst for innovation with more than 2,500 collaborative research partnerships, 200+ spin-off companies, and 450+ licensing agreements for its technologies across the world.

Degree Program Choice

At UBC, you can choose from more than 300 graduate degree program options and 2200+ research supervisors. You can even design your own program.

Supportive

UBC focuses on your success and offers dozens of professional development events and career sessions over the course of your program.

Fantastic Location

Vancouver has it all: sea, parks, mountains, beaches and four seasons per year, including beautiful summers and mild, wet winters with snow in the mountains.

Entrepreneurial

Seed funding, tech accelerator, incubator, executives in residence - UBC provides support for all stages of venture creation, from ideation, through business model creation, to company building.

Every year, UBC attracts outstanding students from around the globe to our world-class academic environment. Why do they choose the University of British Columbia?

Aria Malhotra

I grew up here and I love living in Vancouver. I was very excited to be returning back here to begin the grad school adventure, especially after the Montreal winters I experienced during my undergrad at McGill!

Musanna Galib

UBC has a strong applied science community, and I am excited to become a part of that. I was offered a 4-year fellowship and got the opportunity in the field I am interested in, which helped me decide to study at UBC.

Alexis Bahl

My decision to study for my PhD at the University of British Columbia (UBC) was based on a combination of factors. Firstly, UBC has an outstanding reputation for research excellence and innovation, particularly in the field of Oceanography. The university has...

Jerry Achar

Joining UBC was a great deal for me because the University has high academic standards and a global reputation for producing cutting-edge research, competent graduate students and world leaders, and providing a conducive environment for personal and professional...

Shiva Zargar

I chose UBC to conduct both my second master’s degree and Ph.D. research as it is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. I wanted to conduct my research at a university that is known worldwide for its high level of education and UBC was that one....

Dante Prado

UBC houses one of the most thriving and exciting programs in my field, but also, Vancouver made sense for my partner's career. I should also note that many recommendations highlighted the campus's beauty (and size!).

Rachel Vivian Helmer

UBC is one of the most well-respected universities in Canada and the research/collaboration options here are amazing! The professors in my department were recommended to me as potential supervisors when I was an undergraduate participating in the Canadian Summer...

Ajibola Fabusuyi

UBC looms large as a reputable academic institution and given its high-ranking position among Canadian universities, it was easy to choose it over others. More so, the university is located in a beautiful landscape, close to nature, and boasts good traffic...

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Here are some more reasons why UBC is the chosen academic destination for some of the world’s most promising young scholars:

Our People. Exceptional people come to UBC. Some of the world’s most exciting scientists, artists, adventurers, entrepreneurs, humanitarians and intellectual leaders come together in our academic community—including graduate students! At UBC you can expect wise mentoring and supportive staff to help guide you to success. And of course, the lifelong friendships and intellectual partnerships you’ll develop as a member of our community will be among the most lasting benefits of a UBC graduate education.

Our Programs. UBC offers more than 300 Graduate Degree Programs in nearly every academic field imaginable, and opportunities to pursue cutting-edge transdisciplinary study that crosses traditional boundaries. There is sure to be a program offered that aligns with your interests.

Our Research. UBC is a research powerhouse. UBC attracts $759 million per year in research funding from government, non-profit organizations and industry through 10,000 projects and UBC researchers file more than 250 patents a year. Many programs have state-of-art new buildings and facilities. At UBC you will work side by side with passionate scholars as you delve into the most meaningful questions of our world.

Our Values. UBC has a passionate vision for preparing exceptional global citizens and promoting a civil and sustainable society. Graduate students are a crucial element of promoting and living these values in our University community.

Our Setting. Learning at UBC means enjoying a superb campus in one of the planet’s truly spectacular regions—beautiful British Columbia. Vancouver is BC’s cosmopolitan urban centre, providing a temperate climate, safe streets, a vibrant arts and cultural scene, and a welcoming, culturally diverse population. And if you are from outside Canada, you probably already have a positive impression of our country—a peaceful, progressive society that welcomes all ethnicities, nationalities, and creeds into its cultural fabric.

So, is UBC right for you? Only you can know for sure. But by choosing UBC you are undoubtedly joining a supportive community at the world’s leading edge of graduate education and research.