Master's Program

A Master’s degree is expected to take two years, although faster progress is encouraged. The MSc degree requires a combination of coursework and research for a total of 30 credits. 12 credits of coursework are taken, with the remaining 18 credits being thesis research.

Students have considerable flexibility in their choice of courses including graduate and senior undergraduate courses in Zoology, Botany, Microbiology, Cell and Developmental Biology, Fisheries, Genetics, Conservation, and Earth and Oceans Sciences, as well as several other departments. Students may also design their own courses in the form of "Directed Studies" supervised by a faculty member other than their supervisor.

At the end of their two year program, MSc students are expected to complete an oral defense of their Master’s thesis.

After 1 month

  • Meet with supervisor to discuss expectations of the student, and supervisor, degree requirements, policies and timelines
  • Introductory meeting with supervisory committee (minimum attendance: supervisor and one committee member). Discuss coursework, composition of committee, research plan

After 8 months

  • Full committee established
  • Submit Supervisory Committee Form
  • Begin coursework. 12 credits must be completed within the MSc degree
  • If necessary, apply for scholarship funding 
  • Identify research project. If this has not occurred within first 8 months, the supervisor must provide a project which can be completed in a reasonable (<18 months) time
  • Convene committee meeting to discuss proposed research (G+PS requirement: at least one committee meeting every 12 months)
  • Begin research

Between 12 to 24 months

  • If you and your supervisor wish you to transfer to a PhD, ensure that you have completed the necessary requirements within first 18 months
  • Convene committee meeting to discuss research results from first year, possible further research, timeline to thesis completion
  • Complete research

After 24 months

  • The student will complete writing the thesis by the end of the second year
  • Receive thesis approval from supervisor
  • Submit to supervisory committee members, at least two weeks before approval required
  • Schedule supervisory committee meeting, obtain approval, and submit MSc Thesis Approval Form
  • Schedule and complete MSc Thesis Defence
  • Final Submission Instructions (post-defence)

Please keep in mind that your program will not be closed until the final submission instructions have been completed. If you're aiming for a particular completion date/graduation, give yourself about a month between the oral examination and your target deadline. After revisions and after the final submission paperwork and dissertation have been submitted and accepted, G+PS will close your program about 1-2 weeks.

And remember to apply for graduation! Graduation happens in May and November of each year. You can apply for graduation even if you haven’t defended yet (but you won’t be approved to graduate without having completed all your requirements so check the Deadlines page for when your program requirements should be completed for a specific graduate ceremony).

After completion of the required course-work, and within 18 months of starting date, the MSc supervisory committee (minimum three members) must recommend in writing to the Graduate Advisor that the student be transferred to the PhD program. The committee should discuss who to add to the committee (four total members required).

A PhD thesis proposal must be approved at a meeting by the full four-person committee. The Department will then make a recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for this transfer.

Once the thesis proposal has been approved, the Comprehensive Exam can be scheduled. Note that the Comprehensive Exam must be taken within 18 months of starting graduate school at UBC, even for students transferring from the MSc to PhD program.

Transfer Requirements:

Students may be eligible to transfer from a master’s program into a related doctoral program if they meet the following requirements:

  1. Hold a bachelor's degree, and have completed a minimum of one year of study in the master's program with 9 credits at the 500-level or above and of first class standing (80% or better).
  2. Students entering the doctoral program after partial completion of the master’s degree must, during the first two years of study at the graduate level, complete a total of 12 credits with a first-class average (of which at least 9 credits must be at the 500-level or above and at least 9 credits must be of first-class standing) to maintain registration as a doctoral student.
  3. Show clear evidence of research ability or potential.

Transfer directly into a doctoral program is normally accomplished after completion of the first year of study at the master's level and will not be permitted after completion of the second year. Transfers may not be retroactive.

G+PS Transfer Request Form