The Ph.D. program in economics at UBC owes its strength to the quality of its research faculty, extensive opportunity for student-faculty interaction, and a diverse offering of specializations for thesis work.
Each year we typically admit about 15 new students to our program. As a result, our program is small enough to provide extensive research supervision yet large enough to offer expertise in a wide range of fields. Virtually all of the School’s research faculty hold grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and other funding agencies, thus opportunities for research assistantships and dissertation support are ample. The School houses the Centre for Labour Studies and manages the British Columbia Inter-University Research Data Centre. As a result, unique training opportunities, research funding, and access to data and computing resources are available to our Ph.D. students.
In addition to study with the School’s professors, our students are able to work with economists in UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems and the Sauder School of Business. Students may also take advantage of The Institute for Advanced Studies in Economics, a collaborative teaching and research initiative by the Vancouver School of Economics and the Strategy and Business Economics Division at the Sauder School of Business.
The School actively supports the placement of our Ph.D. job market candidates. Our students have obtained positions at leading research and teaching universities around the world. A number of graduates also obtain excellent positions at government agencies, central banks, non-governmental organizations, and in the private sector.
Virtually all of our research faculty hold grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and other funding agencies, resulting in numerous opportunities for experience as research assistants for our M.A. students. The School houses the Centre for Labour Studies and manages the British Columbia Inter-University Research Data Centre. Hence, unique training opportunities and access to data and computing resources are available to our students.
The School has its own computer lab for the exclusive use of our graduate students. The School lounge offers a comfortable space to chat with colleagues and faculty over coffee, and for study groups to meet to analyze and work out issues of debate in depth. The UBC Library collection numbers over one million volumes. In terms of economics material, the holdings are particularly extensive in serial publications and the post-war literature.
The Graduate Student Centre, of which all graduate students are members, is nearby and has facilities for social activities. In addition, the School holds regular social activities during the year. These include the Grad Student Welcome Party in September, and the School’s Holiday Party in December! Members of our School also take part in activities such as intramural sports and the annual 10km Vancouver Sun Run.
We invite you to explore our website and learn more about what our Ph.D. program, the Vancouver School of Economics, the thriving academic environment at UBC, and the stunning, cosmopolitan city of Vancouver can all offer to you.