Prospective PhD students
PhD Admissions
Before you apply
Admission requirements
Admission to the doctoral program is highly competitive, and we have the capacity to admit only a few outstanding applicants each year. We do not typically consider PhD applicants who already hold a doctoral degree.
You will need:
- A master’s degree with high standing in a relevant educational discipline
- English proficiency test results, if your degree is from a university outside Canada where English is not the primary language of instruction
The following will be taken into consideration:
- Your academic excellence, including awards; fellowships; scholarships; and distinctions
- Your relevant professional and academic experience, including conference presentations, professional workshops, publications, and relevant teaching experiences
- The availability of a faculty member with similar research interests and appropriate background to supervise the proposed research
Supervisors
If you are interested in working with particular faculty members, you can indicate this in your statement of interest or on the application form. However, admissions decisions are made by an admissions committee and individual professors are unable tomake commitments to you before the committee’s adjudication.
Thus, there is no need for you to contact a potential supervisor prior to your application.
When indicating potential supervisor(s), please note that assistant professors of teaching, associate professors of teaching, and professors of teaching will need the university’s approval to supervise PhD or MA students.
Online application
Application & fees
All applications are submitted through UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS). Your application is processed only once the fee is paid, and your referees are emailed only after you submit.
What to upload
Required documents
Transcripts and academic documents
Every post-secondary institution
- Upload a copy of the official transcript for every post-secondary institution attended, including original transfer credit and exchange courses; no grade sheets or unofficial portal transcripts.
- Include the grading key or legend (usually the back of the transcript). The key explains the grading, course numbering system, etc.
- Upload all pages of one transcript as a single file.
- If the transcript is issued in a language other than English: upload a copy of the transcript in the original language and the certified English translation of the transcripts from the home university’s translation service or a certified English translator.
- Not required: UBC transcripts, WES report, or the GRE.
Reference letters
Three · at least one university instructor
- References must be confidential, not seen by the applicant
- Applicants may choose to use academic and/or professional references. We require three references including at least one university instructor..
- Give an institutional email for each referee; a unique link is emailed to the referee to submit online or upload a letter; the uploaded free-form document must be on the institutional letterhead and have the referee’s signature.
- If a referee has a non-institutional email account (gmail, hotmail, etc.), they have to send the reference by post in a sealed envelope and sign across the flap of it. Copies, faxes and emails are not accepted.
- If the reference is issued in a language other than English: referee has to send by post the original reference and certified English translation.
Mailing address
Graduate Program Assistant, Department of Language & Literacy Education
Ponderosa Commons Oak House, Room 2013, 6445 University Boulevard
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
Statement of interest
Short essay · max 500 words
- The statement must be written in the form of a short essay (maximum of 500 words).
- It should explain in what way your academic or research interest matches what our department offers and how much you are prepared to embark on your graduate study in language and literacy education and/or to conduct your research on a particular topic.
- It is also the opportunity to tell us about your past education and other experiences; specific skills/expertise; publications; presentations; and what you hope to achieve in our program.
CV / résumé
Work & academic history
- A short summary of your relevant professional and academic background. Please outline your work experience and academic history. See the CV sample for suggested items.
Writing sample
Max 30 pages · doc or pdf
- An example of scholarly writing, such as a portion of a master’s thesis or a short scholarly paper (maximum 30 pages; do not send books or hardbound copies). Upload your writing sample as an electronic file (doc or pdf) in the online application.
Test scores
English requirements
Applicants who received a degree from a North American university are not required to submit their English test scores. Similarly, applicants who completed their degree outside North America from an institution in which English was the primary language of instruction of the entire university (not just a program) are not required to provide English test scores as part of their application.
Please note that we can only accept your English test scores if the test has been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of the application. An official test score report ordered from the testing agency has to be sent to UBC.
Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to UBC Grad School are:
- TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, minimum score 580 (paper-based) or 237 (computer based), or new minimum TOEFL score of 92 (with a minimum of 22 for each component);
- MELAB – Michigan English Language Assessment Battery. Minimum overall score 85;
- IELTS – International English Language Testing System – Academic. Minimum overall band score 7, with no component less than 6.5;
- PTE – Pearson Test of English – Minimum overall score of 66, with no component less than 61
Score submission for IELTS:
UBC requires an official score to be sent to us electronically from the test centre. On the IELTS application form you will be asked to specify institutions where you would like the results being sent to. To ensure UBC receives your results correctly, you have to use the following details on the application:
Address: 170-6371 Crescent Road, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z2, Canada
Name of institution: The University of British Columbia
Name of person/department: Graduate School Admissions
Score submission for TOEFL:
UBC accepts either an official paper score report sent directly to the university from the testing centre or electronic submission. Use the University of British Columbia’s institution code 0965.
After you apply
Offers & admission
Offers of admission
Once a student is deemed admissible an appropriate pro tem (temporary) advisor for the student is identified. “Qualifying” status calls for the completion of specified prerequisites before being fully admitted to the program.
Any offer for admission is valid only for the academic year it is made. Candidates who do not accept an offer must reapply if they wish to be considered for admission in a subsequent year. It is not necessary to submit new documents unless the student has completed further academic work.
Conditional admission
Condition(s) that must be met before offer can be considered final. Such conditions may include final documentation showing degree conferred, or submission of academic records from previous institutions. Letter of admission stipulates deadline dates as to when the conditions must be met. Failure to comply with a condition will normally result in the student having to withdraw from the program.
Applying to more than one program?
The Department of Language and Literacy Education welcomes interest across our diverse range of graduate offerings; however, applicants should be aware that submitting separate applications to multiple graduate programs within this department does not increase the probability of admission.
To ensure the most effective review of your materials, we ask that you adhere to the following procedure:
- Primary Application: Submit a single, complete application to the program that most closely aligns with your primary academic and professional goals.
- Secondary Consideration: If you wish to be considered for alternative graduate programs within Language and Literacy Education should your primary application be unsuccessful, please indicate this by listing those programs in the “Areas of Interest” section of the online application. (For example, in applying for the MA in TESL, you may indicate a willingness to be considered for the MEd in TESL as a second choice.)
By following this process, you allow our admissions committees to better understand your specific research interests while ensuring you remain eligible for all relevant opportunities within the department.
Also note that it is possible to transfer between closely related LLED programs once admitted (e.g., MEd to MA), provided you notify your academic supervisor of your wish to transfer in the first term of study and provided your academic progress is strong.
Apply now
Choose your PhD program to apply
PhD · LITR
Language & Literacy Education
For research in literacy education. The degree conferred is the PhD in Language & Literacy Education.
PhD · TESL
Teaching English as a Second Language
For research in additional-language learning and teaching, bilingualism and language policy.
Questions about documents or your application? Email lled.gradassistant@ubc.ca