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Prospective PhD students
Doctoral study in Language & Literacy Education
Two PhD programs
PhD program · LITR
Literacy Education
Language and Literacy Education (LITR) focus on critical and contemporary issues at the intersections of language and literacy learning and cultural and societal transformation.
PhD program · TESL
Teaching English as a Second Language
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) examines the social, linguistic, educational, cognitive, cultural and political processes affecting the teaching, learning, assessment, and use of English as an additional language locally and globally.
Key Dates
September Intake
Application open
August 3
Choose a program & prepare
Application deadline
December 1
Deadline to submit online application. No changes can be made to the application after submission.
Transcript deadline
December 8
Deadline to upload scans of official transcripts through the applicant portal in support of a submitted application.
Referee deadline
December 15
Deadline for the referees identified in the application for admission to submit references.
Funding your degree
Funding for prospective students
$40,000
Guaranteed PhD funding, every year for four years
All full-time PhD students receive a minimum funding package of $40,000 per year for the first four years. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships.
Department fellowship
Literacy Research Fellowship
A fellowship of $10,000, awarded above minimum funding, is available annually for an outstanding incoming doctoral student in the department. This award reflects the donor’s commitment to recognizing excellence and supporting future leaders who will contribute meaningfully to the advancement of literacy research.
All PhD applicants will automatically be considered for the award.
UBC opportunities
Other funding opportunities
Explore a wide range of competitive fellowships, recruitment awards, and merit-based scholarships available to support your doctoral journey at the University of British Columbia.
Admitted students must fund their own travel to Vancouver. It is also advisable to have personal reserves in case of emergency. A cost-of-living calculator is available here.