FAQ – Newly Admitted

In most cases, students admitted to graduate programs at UBC receive a letter from the department as well as an email and letter from the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS). The letter from G+PS is your official offer of admission. You can send an email to grad.edst@ubc.ca, a letter, or an e-mail (see contact information) once you make your decision. If you decide to not accept our offer, this may open a space in the program for another applicant, so please let us know as soon as you can. If you cannot begin the program when you expected, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant or Graduate Adviser to discuss deferring your admission or reapplying for a later start date.

In the admission letter you will find the name and contact information of your pro tem (temporary) adviser. This person is responsible for answering program and departmental questions; for advising about applying for scholarships or fellowships; for completing a program of study worksheet; and for providing guidance in the early stages of your program. It is important to contact your pro tem adviser as soon as possible after being admitted and DEFINITELY before you register for courses. Once courses are opened for registration, many fill up quickly, so to avoid disappointment, meet with your adviser and ensure you understand the requirements of your program.

First, read the Tips for Success document for your degree program. This document lists important events in your degree program, from acceptance through to graduation. The timeline for your degree gives you a good idea of the normal sequence in which these events occur and highlights policies and procedures you should know about.

Second, download and read the Program of Studies Worksheet for your degree program and specialization (Policies and Forms). This worksheet contains information about required courses and provides space to indicate what elective courses you intend to take. If you don’t find the worksheet for your specific program on the website, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant.

Third, visit the Courses section of the department’s website for the session you intend to begin your program. Review the course offerings for that session and list the required courses that are scheduled and any elective courses that are attractive to you. You can also visit other departmental websites to see what courses they are offering. Research methods courses are offered by several departments in the Faculty of Education. To see a consolidated listing of all research methods courses, visit the website of the Office of Research in Education.

When you meet with your pro tem adviser, they will complete the Program of Studies Worksheet with you. It is not necessary to identify all courses in your program before you begin, but completing this form is an important first step in getting started with your studies. You can complete the top half of the form before meeting with your adviser. A copy of the signed worksheet should be provided to you by your adviser and the original will be placed in your file.

Each September EDST holds an all-day orientation for new students to the department. All newly admitted students would be notified of the date, time and location of the orientation. The orientation presents an overview of the department, introduces people in various administrative and academic roles, provides an opportunity to meet other students in your program, and to get answers to your questions. All incoming students will be sent email notifications of the schedule for orientations, so please be sure that we have a current email address for you.

If you are an international student, you will find a great deal of useful information at the Student Services Website. Here you can download a Pre-Arrival Guide, the detailed International Student Handbook, the Grad Guide, and get additional on-campus resources. This site also has information on the International Student Orientation (highly recommended for all incoming international students) and the services, programs and events at International House. International Student Advisers at International House can provide information about visas, immigration and employment, medical insurance, and your cultural transition to Canada and UBC.

You can register for courses online through the Student Service Centre. Incoming students receive a date for when they can begin the registration process. In order to access the Student Service Centre (SSC), you will need to set up your Campus-Wide Login (CWL). This provides you with an ID and password that you can use to access the SSC along with other secure electronic services on campus, including the Web-based email system my.ubc.ca.

To create a CWL account, visit www.cwl.ubc.ca. We encourage students to register in courses as soon as possible for two important reasons: First, by registering as soon as you can, you get the best selection of courses. Some courses do fill up quickly so registering early gives you greater choice. Second, courses with low enrolments may be cancelled, so registering early will decrease the chances of this happening.

If a course you wish to take is full when you attempt to register, it is a good idea to check back periodically to see if the course has new spaces. If you absolutely need a course and it is full, contact the instructor, explain your circumstances, and ask if you can show up at the first class session to see if space is available. Also, students add and drop courses during the first week of classes, so check occasionally during the first week to see if space has opened up in the course you want.

You can see more info here: https://vancouver.housing.ubc.ca/getting-started/graduate-students/

At UBC, your UBC card is your library card, your student ID card and your voting identification for student elections. Students can get a UBC card in person at the UBC Bookstore but you will need photo ID and a valid student number. Please visit the UBC Library for open hours and more information.