Admissions

THE ONLINE APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION 2013 WILL OPEN IN THE FALL 2012.

ADMISSION PROCESS

STAGE 1

First, we ask that you submit a curriculum vitae and a Research Statement (about 1,000 words) outlining the thesis project you wish to undertake, the research methods you expect to use, and how the work builds on or draws from your previous training or experience. You should thoroughly investigate faculty members' interests (through the School's Web site and other sources) and if appropriate contact specific professors concerning their availability as supervisors.

The School will admit a student to the PhD program only when a faculty member with an interest in the student's proposed research will agree to act as the PhD aspirant's advisory committee chair and thesis research supervisor. Even a well-qualified applicant must be turned away if no such faculty member is available.

The PhD Program Chair, Prof Leonie Sandercock, will review your experience and training (CV), discuss your intentions with possible supervisors, and advise you of your prospects. This first stage aims to save prospective students the effort and expense of formal application, in cases where admission is improbable.

STAGE 2

In the second stage, students submit complete formal applications, including transcripts, letters of reference, and so on (see the checklist, below). The deadline date for application is December 1st, each year, for admission the following Fall.

A PhD Admissions Committee reviews all applications, looking at a range of factors but particularly the excellence of academic performance in both Bachelors and Masters degrees, and the fit between the applicant's research interest and training, and the interests of faculty. On average, we admit between three and six students each year, but there may be years when we make no offers of admission. It usually takes 6-8 weeks for all applications to be reviewed. We aim to notify applicants of our decisions by late March.

HOW TO APPLY

You apply on-line at: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online/. You will need a credit card for payment. Please note that the 1,000 word research proposal is part of the on-line application and we do not require a paper copy in this case.

The following documents are required of all applicants:

STATEMENT OF INTEREST

A 1,000-word research proposal is required (when you apply on-line it is part of the application form). It allows us to assess whether your objectives can be satisfied within the School. Please submit this before formal application (see Stage 1 above).

LETTER OF REFERENCE

Three letters of reference are required from individuals who can assess your academic or professional qualifications and communication skills are influential in the selection process. In most cases, at least two of these should be academic references. If you have been away from School for several years all references may be from non-academics who are capable of assessing your professional and, if possible, your potential academic performance.

There are three ways to submit references (please only use one method):

Sent by regular mail directly from the referee on the reference form or on their company/university letterhead in a sealed envelope. The form is available for download, please click here: SCARP PhD Letter of Reference Form.
Sent by regular mail or hand-delivered by the applicant. The envelope must be sealed and the outside of the envelope must be signed by the referee. The reference will not be considered official without the signature.
Through the online appication electronic reference (preferred method). UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies has a secure electronic reference form on the online application. Your referee's business email address must be included on your application in the space provided on your online application for this feature to work (some email addresses such as hotmail and gmail cannot be used for this reference form). The referees will automatically be sent an email requesting a reference be sent to a secure site after you have submitted your application (please tell them to ignore the message if they have already sent a reference by mail). The referees can prepare the reference ahead of time and cut and paste it into the form (the box on the form is expandable). Please submit your application a few days before the deadline if you want them to use the electronic form. There are many benefits to using this way of submitting a reference including ease of submission, safety & speed (there is no chance it will get lost of delayed in the mail). SCARP will be able to access the reference on the online application website. There is no need for a paper copy to be sent.

NOTE: References sent by fax or regular email are not considered official and will delay review of your application.

TRANSCRIPTS

Two official sets of transcripts (or copies certified by the institution) from all universities/colleges previously and currently attended. If you have completed course work through an exchange we require the official transcripts from the Institution. If the official transcript does not indicate the degree name and the degree conferral date, then official degree certificates are also required. Transcripts and certificates issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by certified English translators. To be considered official, all academic records must be received in envelopes which have been sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution.

GRADUATE RECORD EXAM (GENERAL TEST)

Institution Code: 0965; Dept. Code: 4402

Although the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not mandatory, we strongly encourage applicants to SCARP to write it. The reason we encourage GRE scores be submitted by applicants is straightforward: it tests reasoning skills, critical thinking and the ability to communicate in writing which provides us with additional information about the liklihood of a student's success in graduate school. These scores are used to supplement other information that helps indicate a student's future success, such as the student's grades in an undergraduate or other graduate program. We pay close attention to a student's previous grades, as well as the nature and location of the student's previous university programs, letters of recommendation and professional and personal experience. In other words, the GRE is one of the several indicators we use as a basis for comparing candidates.

The GRE is particularly helpful in situations where students do not have grades (because their program may have bee ungraded), or when grades do not reflect a student's true potential as a graduate student. The GRE is widely required for graduate school applications throughout North America. Professional programs such as law, medicine and business all use similar standardized tests as one of many sources of information about the capabilities of applicants. We urge applicants to carefully review the guidebook that comes with the test application. It illustrates the kinds of questions on the test, and helps the student practice for the test. Please see the GRE website: http://www.gre.org.

NOTE: The GRE General Test is offered online 7 days a week world-wide. There is a limit a taking the test no more than once a month. Applicants taking the test should ensure that they take it early enough to have results sent to our School by the December 1st deadline.

EVIDENCE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Applicants from a university outside of Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must submit an official TOEFL or IELTS score. The tests must be taken within 24 months of submission and be sent directly from the testing agency.

Please note that the School requires the following minimum scores:

TOEFL: Institution Code 0965; Dept. Code 97.

Internet-based test: Overall score of 100 with no component test less than 26

Computerized test: overall score of 250 with no component test less than 25

Paper test: overall score of at least 600 with no component test less than 60

IELTS:

Overall score of at least 7.5 with no component test score less than 7.5

Results of English language tests sent directly to us by the applicant are not considered official. More information on these tests can be obtained from their websites: TOEFL, IELTS

RECORD OF LANDING

Permanent Residents are required to provide proof of immigration status and date of landing by submitting a copy of the Record of Landing form or a copy of both the front and back of their Permanent Resident card.

DEFERRED ADMISSION

It is not possible to defer admission. If you are accepted but do not register you may apply again by submitting a new application form and paying the fee. Your admission would be considered along with others applying for that year.

TIME OF ADMISSION

Students admitted to the program will commence studies in September. We do not admit students at any other time of the year.

ADMISSION ENQUIRIES:

PhD: sherli [at] exchange [dot] ubc [dot] ca

Phone: 604-822-3276

Send correspondence and documents to:

Graduate Advisor - PhD Program

School of Community and Regional Planning

#433-6333 Memorial Road,

Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2

Canada