Application Information

GENERAL REMARKS

The main purpose of the ISGP is to enable qualified graduate students to pursue advanced interdisciplinary research exceeding the provisions of existing departmental programs. It facilitates neither the avoidance of academic requirements nor the pursuit of a particular definition of interdisciplinarity.

ADMISSION ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet the minimum admission requirement outlined by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

FUNDING

Tuition cost, student fees, and cost of living can be calculated here. As per UBC-V Senate policy, all PhD applicants to the ISGP will be considered for Minimum Guaranteed Funding packages from the ISGP. Full/partial funding commitments from UBC supervisors or other confirmed UBC-sourced funding may increase the chance of an applicant being admitted, in the event an applicant is not qualified to receive one of ISGP funding packages.

DATES & DEADLINE

Online applications open on November 1. Complete applications are due every year by January 15 @ 11:59 pm PST, for program start in the following September. All required application materials must be uploaded to your online application by the deadline. The ISGP office will not consider incomplete applications.

Applicants are evaluated by the ISGP Faculty Advisory Committee, and notified in March. If admitted, students may postpone program start date for up to one year. Students are also required to reside in Vancouver for the first year of their degree.

Application Deadline: January 15 (complete application including all supporting documents submitted online)

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Request an Application Guide to help you with your application!

Application to the ISGP program is a lengthy process. Successful applicants often begin the process months in advance of the application deadline. If you are considering applying to the ISGP, the first steps are to start approaching potential Co-Supervisors and to work with them on finalizing your research proposal

  1. Reach out to faculty with your preliminary SPRT Form
  2. The online application comprises of:

    Document Uploads (by applicant)
    – Cover Letter of Intent – max. 1 page (“Statement of Intent” in online application)
    – Curriculum Vitae (CV)

    SPRT Form – max. 2 1/2 pages of text (not including bibliography) 
    Scan of (ALL) Official Post-Secondary Transcripts. Transcript submission guidelines are found
     here.

    Email Submission (by Co-Supervisors)

    – Two (2) ISGP Co-Supervisors Assessment & Agreement Forms – emailed by applicant’s two Co-Supervisors directly to enid.ho@ubc.ca
    IMPORTANT: In order to ensure stability and appropriate level of support from your supervisory team, it is crucial that at least one of your proposed co-supervisors is a G+PS member who is tenured or tenure track faculty member holding the rank of Assistant/Associate/Full Professor (verify by entering name here).

    Online Submission/Uploads (by three referees)

    *NOTE: Your referees will only receive email notifications to submit references AFTER you finish and submit your online application.  Referees would have a week to complete and submit their references by January 22. Three (3) references must be submitted through your online application either as: 1) eRef (for referees with institutional email) – click link within email notification or 2) “Report on Applicant” form / free-form letter in letterhead bearing signatures (for referees with non-institutional emails e.g. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo…etc.) – emailed directly to enid.ho@ubc.ca.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All required documents must be submitted through the online application portal as document uploads. Applicants’ documents emailed or submitted in person will not be accepted. DO NOT submit/mail any hardcopy documents (letters/transcripts).