PhD Program

Students typically take 15-24 credits of course work in the first two academic years of SCARP's PhD program.

Required Courses

Additional courses

• Students may select other appropriate courses in consultation with their supervisory committee. The exact form and structure of the student’s PhD coursework is left to the discretion of the student and their committee and depends on the student’s background preparation and research focus. PhD students generally use their courses to develop disciplinary expertise relevant to their area of research.

Additional Requirements

Doctoral students can proceed to candidacy (the research phase of the PhD degree) upon completion of:

• Required coursework
• The comprehensive exam
• Defence of the research proposal

The basic requirements for the status of "Admitted to Candidacy" are:

• All required course work successfully completed.
• Two comprehensive examinations (theory and substantive) successfully completed.
• Completion of a thesis research prospectus that has been successfully defended and accepted.
• Completion of a two-year residency as a full-time student in the PhD program.
• Candidacy requirements should normally be completed within the first twenty-four months in the program and, in any case, within the thirty-six month limit established by G+PS.

Preparation

Detailed requirements for the thesis document have been established by the UBC Library. The Faculty of Graduate Studies has developed regulations that govern innovative thesis formats and media.

Final Steps

When a PhD student has completed a final draft of their thesis and all Supervisory Committee members have approved it the thesis must be sent to The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) for transmittal to the External Examiner and for the final UBC Oral Examination. If a student wishes to proceed directly to the UBC Defense, the Supervisory Committee must agree that the thesis is ready and submit a memo to that effect to the PhD Chair (or Department Head, in cases where the PhD Chair is supervisor).

The thesis transmittal memo and the final thesis are due in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies a minimum of six weeks before the University final oral examination.

University Final Oral Examination

The final step in the Doctoral Program is a formal oral thesis defense administered by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Regulations pertaining to the University's final oral examination can be found in a reference booklet entitled " The Final Oral Examination Guide for Doctoral Candidates ".

Important timelines highlighted in the booklet are:

Three months before the expected completion of the thesis, the Appointment of External Examiner form must be submitted by SCARP to G+PS

Six weeks before the final oral examination, submit the thesis and departmental memo to G+PS.

Six weeks is the earliest date that a defense can be scheduled after the thesis has been transmitted to the External Examiner by G+PS.

Four weeks before the final oral examination, the Research Supervisor must confirm the date and time of the final oral examination and submit the Examination Program and the Approval of University Examiners forms to G+PS.

Timelines are subject to change. Students should check for documentation updates a minimum of six months prior to their expected thesis defense date.

Formal Preparation and Submission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies

The School of Community and Regional Planning (SCARP) adheres to the minimum academic requirements established by the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies:

I received my Masters degree from a post-secondary institution within Canada or the United States
I received my Masters degree from a post-secondary institution outside of Canada and the United States

Further information on qualifications for the PhD program may be found in the program overview tab. 

Please note the following required information:

• Applicants are required to scan and upload digital copies of all official transcripts, including transcripts for study abroad semesters, non-degree studies, or credential programs. 
• Please ensure that the uploaded documents are official transcripts and include a transcript key. (Transcript keys are often printed on the reverse sides of official transcripts.) 
• Grade reports, marking sheets, and transcripts marked “unofficial” are not acceptable and will not be considered for review. 
• Degree certificates are required only if the degree conferral is not listed on the transcript. 
• Transcripts in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by certified translations. If applicable, transcripts that do not have an indication of the date the degree was conferred must be accompanied by a degree certificate (and translation, if appropriate).
• Uploaded transcripts should be in PDF format, with each transcript complied as one PDF document. Include only one copy of the transcript key. Any additional or extraneous documents will be excluded from the final application file.

The uploaded copies of official transcripts are considered “unofficial documents”. We use the unofficial documents to evaluate applicants and make conditional offers of admission. 

Please note that applicants are not required to send hardcopies of official transcripts to the School of Community and Regional Planning office at the time of application.

For more information, please visit the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies sections on Canadian Official Transcripts or International Official Transcripts.

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not mandatory, and is only recommended in situations where an applicant’s GPA is close to the minimum and does not reflect the applicant’s true academic potential. GRE scores show students' level of reasoning skills, critical thinking and the ability to communicate in writing which provides us with additional information about the likelihood of a student's success in graduate school.

The GRE is particularly helpful in situations where applicants do not have undergraduate grades (because their program may have been ungraded), or if there are obvious gaps in an applicant’s academic record. A strong GRE score will provide the admissions committee with another data point to consider academic ability.

The GRE is widely required for graduate school applications throughout North America. 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.

Submission of GRE test scores must be followed in accordance to the instructions outlined by the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies here.

Standardized test of English language proficiency is required unless the previous post-secondary degree is from a university where the primary language of instruction was English. 

To be eligible for admission, applicants must meet the following minimum scores:

TOEFL: 

• Overall score of 100 or higher
• Reading & Listening: Score of 22 or higher
• Writing & Speaking: Score of 21 or higher

 IELTS (academic only):

• Overall score of at least 7.0
• Reading, Writing, Listening, & Speaking: Score of 6.5 or higher

More information on these tests can be obtained from their websites: TOEFL | IELTS.

Submission of English language proficiency test scores must be followed in accordance to the instructions outlined by the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Applicants are required to prepare and submit a research statement of intent (approximately 1,000 words). The statement should outline 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.

Applicants must submit a copy of their Master’s thesis for their application. Previous academic publications, or previous academic projects are also considered acceptable writing samples.

Each applicant must submit a CV/resume detailing educational background, work and/or volunteer experience, publications, and any academic or professional awards earned. 

Exactly three references are required for the application. Additional references will not be considered as part of the final application file.

References should be from individuals who can assess your academic or professional qualifications and your communication skills. In most cases, at least two references should be academic. 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. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their references submit documentation by the deadlines specified. The reference deadline is 10 days after the application deadline. Contact references in advance of submitting an application to ensure they have adequate time to provide a letter. Reference letters may be addressed to the "PhD Admissions Committee". 

Please note that an online application must be submitted before referees receive a request to provide a reference.

There are three possible formats for references: electronic references, paper letters of reference, and paper reference forms. SCARP strongly prefers that references utilize the electronic reference system in the online application to submit a letter of reference. Please note that the system is unable to accept e-mails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free e-mail accounts for referees. Letters should be in PDF format, on letterhead, with signature.

If using the electronic reference is not possible, please send paper letters of reference and reference forms to: 

School of Community and Regional Planning
Faculty of Applied Science
The University of British Columbia - Vancouver Campus  
433 - 6333 Memorial Road
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z2

For more information, please visit the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies section on Letters of Reference. 

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.

Applicants selected for consideration for admission will be invited to an interview with their prospective research supervisor and Program Chair. Final admission decisions will be made after the interview. 

Applicants admitted to the program will commence full-time studies in September. The School of Community and Regional Planning does not admit students at any other time of year.