Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL)

The Educational Administration and Leadership Program (EDAL) is a graduate program of interest to persons seeking to exercise leadership in a wide array of formal and informal educational settings. Candidates are already practicing teachers in schools or organizations. Please note: This is a program for experienced educators. It is NOT a teacher-education program, and will not lead to certification or a teaching licence. Graduates will be prepared to provide leadership as educators, administrators and facilitators of educational change within schools and communities. As a community of scholars and practitioners, we come from different disciplinary traditions (philosophy, law, educational administration and management, organizational studies, sociology, policy studies, media studies, Indigenous education). We bring to the Program an engagement with education undertaken in national and cultural settings in different regions of the world (Africa, South-East and Western Asia, North America and the Pacific). We believe that this diversity enriches our teaching and exposes students to both Canadian and international experiences and approaches in the field of educational leadership.

Faculty members take pride in fostering student intellectual growth and in promoting student welfare. We ask much of our students and give much in return. The Program has been operating for over 40 years and has over 800 graduates, many of whom occupy strategic leadership and other educational roles in schools, school districts, non-governmental organizations and in other community settings. A focus on education and educational leadership rather than “training” gives our program a special character.

Educational leadership is the distinctive and integrating feature of the EDAL program. Education and leadership have powerful meanings. When they are linked a new connotation is created that emphasizes the centrality of education to the pursuit of the good life. We believe that Educational Leadership is a powerful conduit for a socially just and equitable education in a democratic society. As a community of scholars and practitioners, we strive to improve, sustain, and renew the educational opportunities of all citizens in fair and just ways. We are committed to forms of educational praxis that integrate research and scholarship into sustainable organizational improvements of schools and other educational settings operating in a variety of contexts and serving a diverse citizenry.

As members of the Educational Administration and Leadership Program we aspire to provide our students with knowledge, skills and understandings that equip them to work successfully in diverse leadership roles across complex educational and schooling contexts and exercise their professional judgment in ways which recognize and promote the values of an equitable, inclusive, democratic, multicultural and sustainable society, the empowerment of individuals and the wellbeing of communities.

The EDAL Program is known for its ability to generate student professional growth. It challenges established assumptions and offers critical perspectives on education, leadership, and society. While the Program has a distinctive Canadian content and engages with a wide array of educational initiatives across British Columbia and Canada, it also engages with diverse global perspectives, integrating research and frameworks from international contexts to enrich its curriculum.

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The Master of Education in Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL) offers students opportunities to experience and develop greater awareness and capacity in educational leadership in contexts of Indigeneity, anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and anti-oppression.

Students will benefit from the program’s emphasis on capacity building, cross-departmental faculty expertise and contributions, scholar-practitioner community and school district engagements and land-based learning opportunities toward fostering leadership for Indigeneity, anti-racism, equity, inclusion, and intersectional anti-oppression. The program is dedicated to supporting students working in areas of teacher-leadership and those working toward more formal roles in educational administration and leadership.

The Program is offered in three formats: face to face on-campus (often a September intake), a school-based cohort model in partnership with school districts, and fully online.

The online intake  is offered fully online, with options to take electives in-person during the summer. Please note that courses for the fully online intake will be synchronous and offered on weekday evenings (4:30-7:30pm) and/or on weekends (9:00-4:00pm) Pacific Standard Time (PST).  Additionally, the fully online program is only available to domestic students. Interested international applicants should choose the on-campus (face to face) intake.

For further information and application process please see the Apply tab.

 

All graduate program applicants in the Department of Educational Studies (EDST) must meet the minimum entry requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which oversees graduate work at UBC. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements will be considered for admission only in exceptional circumstances.

General Eligibility

To be eligible for admission to a master’s degree program at UBC, applicants must hold a four-year bachelor’s degree (apart from applicants from Quebec) with a minimum overall average in the B+ range (at UBC 76%) in third- and fourth-year courses prescribed by the Department concerned as prerequisite to the master’s program.

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies – Minimum Academic Requirements: Canadian or U.S. Credentials
http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-canadian-or-us-credentials

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies – Minimum Academic Requirements: International Credentials
http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

English Requirements

English Language Proficiency Test Score: Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Acceptable English language proficiency tests for applicants to EDST programs are:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language):
  • Tests taken prior to January 21, 2026 (1-120 scale): 92 overall with a minimum of 22 in each component
  • Tests taken as of January 21, 2026 (1-6 scale): 4.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5 (listening), 4.5 (reading, writing) and 4 (speaking)
• IELTS (International English Language Testing Service): a minimum overall band score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component of the academic (NOT general) IELTS test
• DET (Duolingo English Test): The Duolingo English Test will be accepted for May 2027 admissions and onwards. The minimum requirement is 125 overall with a minimum component score of 115 (listening, reading) and 120 (writing, speaking).

Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application. The official test score must be sent directly from the test centre to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at UBC. Please follow the instructions on score submission on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website:  https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-language-test.

Criteria for admission to the MEd: All students must meet the criteria required for admission to the UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies and the MEd program in Educational Administration and Leadership.

MEd in Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL)

All General Admission Requirements for UBC Graduate Study should be met.

We are looking for students with academic strength and a track record of leadership. Applicants need:

1. Leadership experience, demonstrated in schools or formal or informal community settings
2. A minimum of 3 years successful teaching experience in public or independent schools or in community education settings

MEd Collaborative Program in Curriculum and Leadership (CULE) – Please note that this program is currently paused.

All General Admission Requirements for Graduate Study should be met.

We are looking for students with academic strength and a track record of leadership. Applicants need:

1. Leadership experience, demonstrated in schools or formal or informal community settings
2. A minimum of 3 years successful teaching experience in public or independent schools or in community education settings
3. Demonstrated practical curriculum development or revision experience

MA in Educational Studies with a concentration of Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL)

Please see the EDST MA requirements at MA in Educational Studies.

All EDAL MEd programs include core courses and electives. In total students must complete 30 credits (this usually works out to 10 courses).

In order to graduate from any EDAL program, students must complete a minimum 18 credits in EDST-specific course work.

Students specializing in Educational Administration and Leadership must take the following core courses:

• EDST 532 (3): Leadership in Educational Organizations
• EDST 581 (3): Leadership, Administration and the Aims of Education
• EDST 582 (3): The Study of Organization in the Educational Context

Students must also complete a 3-credit research methods course and a graduating paper (EDST 590) or group project inquiry for M.Ed students and a thesis for MA students.

Program Worksheets are available here: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/resources/

UBC offers many interesting courses that are directly concerned with the interests of educational leaders and others that address a broad range of issues facing educators today. Here is information about courses that are part of the Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL) Program. Each is valued at three credits (semester hours) (Total program = 30 credit hours).

Please note that EDST 508 and 565 are omnibus numbers.

All EDAL MEd programs include core courses and electives. In total students must complete 30 credits (this usually works out to 10 courses).

In order to graduate from any EDAL program, students must complete a minimum 18 credits in EDST-specific course work (i.e. 6 EDST courses).

Program Worksheets are available here: https://edst.educ.ubc.ca/resources/ 

EDST 550: The Role of the School Principal

Concerned with understanding the practice of school leadership. The work of the principal is seen through various lenses: managerial, political and educational. Students are encouraged to integrate these views into their own conception of practice.

EDST 551 : Personnel Administration in Education

An overview of staffing issues such as recruitment, placement, transfer, dismissal, appeal procedures and bargaining practices. Performance evaluation techniques. Motivation of personnel from various perspectives. Issues and cases in staff development.

EDST 508: Seminar on Educational Leadership in the BC Context

This course may only be taken in conjunction with full participation in the UBC/BCPVPA Short Course offered each summer. It provides a structured opportunity to reflect in more depth on the issues raised in the Short Course and gives students an opportunity to develop a project based on their practice.

NOTE: Students pay the regular UBC course fees as well as the fee for the Short Course.

EDST 517: Improvement of Instruction through Supervision

Introduction to the philosophy and practice of supervision. Examination of literature, videotapes, and classroom teaching. Discussion and practice of both formative and summative evaluation. The supervision cycle is studied and practiced. Students analyze teaching and are made aware of relevant political considerations.

EDST 531: Politics of Educational Governance

Overview of issues associated with power, influence, authority, and control in education. A review of conflict and interest groups in education based on recent actions. Micropolitics at the school level, district and board level politics, and influences of politics at the provincial level. Case studies on the politics of innovation.

EDST 548: Teacher Unions and Education

This course examines teacher unionism and labour-management relations in education within a North American historical context, within the context of the broader union movement in Canada, and within the broader economic, social, and political context nationally and globally. Teacher unions are presented as complex organizations that represent a variety of intersecting interests related to teachers’ roles as employees, professionals, and concerned citizens.

EDST 554: Administration and Educational Policy

Development of the knowledge and skills useful to the educational administrator in policy development, implementation, and analysis. Students consider ethical dimensions, formulate policies and update policy manuals, and learn processes for policy implementation. Guest lecturers and use of a journal.

EDST 555 : Educational Finance

Covers an understanding of how budgets are raised, allocated, and spent for K–12 education in BC. Addresses the principles of finance and applies them to a variety of problems such as budgeting, staffing and fundraising. The impacts of reforms such as decentralization are discussed. Guest speakers offer differing points of view on relevant issues.

EDST 556 : Leadership and Administration of the Educational Programs

Offers students an opportunity to explore issues related to the administration of a school-wide educational program in the context of issues of equity, excellence, and social justice. Students investigate research and popular opinion related to such topics as grouping and tracking, assessment, teaching and learning styles, multiculturalism, and ESL instruction.

EDST 557: Professional Ethics for School Leaders

In this course we will draw upon readings in ethics and upon our own professional experience to address three broad, interrelated questions. The first question, which is the focus of the course, concerns ethical decision-making: How can we develop our capacity for sound professional judgment on issues with ethical or moral dimensions? The second question concerns moral leadership: How can we contribute to the creation and flourishing of ethical school communities? The third question concerns moral pluralism: How should we understand and work with conflicting points of view on fundamental moral issues

EDST 552: School Law

Introduction to basic legal concepts and terminology. Students develop an awareness of the statute law and case law that pertains to education in BC. They focus on the information needed for legal action, but not on detailed legal rules. Topics include rights, special education, liability for accidents, crime, and copyright.

EDST 561: Practicum Simulation of School Leadership and Administration

Aimed at the improvement of administrators’ decision-making and communication skills, this course presents problems that elementary and secondary principals face. Using a critical strategies format with a considerable number of case studies, students’ insights and understandings of school organizations are increased.

EDST 565: Alternative Programs and Independent Schools

Students examine in depth the challenges and issues concerning mission, governance, leadership, curricular focus, funding, staffing, parental roles, and accountability. Debates, visiting speakers, presentations and critiques are used to compare and contrast both public alternatives and independent programs.

EDST 565: Organizational Learning in Education

This course aims to develop understanding and basic skills relating to the engagement of organizational members in collaborative incremental and transformational learning and change. Although the emphasis is on public schools, the theory and processes discussed are broadly applicable to a variety of other organizations.

EDST 565: Identity and Power in Work Organizations

This course will explore issues of identity and power as they apply across a variety of organizations, including K–12 schools, post-secondary education, and business. Identity is defined and examined using a variety of theoretical lenses. The central questions addressed in the course are: How do individuals come to identify, disidentify, or underidentify with organizations in which they work, and how is this process influenced by the way management treats employees, by organizational policies and practices, and by external policies that affect the organization? The course aims to develop understanding related to processes of engaging organizational learning in collaborative, incremental, and transformative learning and change.

EDST 565: Leadership is a Funny Business

It’s funny — the leader is responsible for ensuring that there is the plan intended to guide the group methodically toward its goals, and is subsequently responsible for managing things when it becomes clear that the plan is not what is happening.  How can we, as leaders, be both thoroughly prepared and gracefully adaptable?  How can we have clear expectations and standards while adjusting to contextual imperatives and embracing the needs and contributions of individual colleagues and children? Perhaps the contrary-filled business of leadership can be embraced by embracing the contraries themselves, strengthening the imagination, welcoming alternatives, looking again and askance, keeping a humble and hopeful stance.

EDST 579: School-Community Relations

The course addresses the social, political, and economic forces impacting school-community relations and the role played by educational leadership in this regard.

EDST 580: Directed Study

A student links up with a professor and investigates a problem of special interest that is not covered in depth in the course work. Some problems may be selected from the student’s place of work. The student and professor maintain contact by meeting, telephone, faxes, and e-mail. Registration is by manual methods, not on line.

EDST 590: Graduating Paper

An opportunity to focus on an administrative problem in depth that is of particular interest to the student. Often involves assembling the relevant knowledge, collecting information from the student’s school district, and submitting the results to the student’s employer. The paper may take many forms, including original research, critical literature review, a case analysis, or a proposal for educational policy.

EDST 598: Field Experience

Individually tailored, this is an opportunity to spend time shadowing an educator in a school, district office, or other workplace usually during three full-time weeks in May. Students complete a journal and assess their experience in light of what they have learned in their course work. Supervised jointly by a faculty member and an administrator. Most accessible to full-time students.

EDST 599: Master’s thesis

Consult the Handbook of Graduate Studies on the website of the Faculty of Graduate Studies at http://www.grad.ubc.ca

There are many electives you are eligible to take across the EDST and Faculty of Education calendar. Please consult with your advisor for elective options outside of the Faculty of Education.

 

Graduate and Undergraduate Courses with Aboriginal/Indigenous Focus/Content at the University of British Columbia

Please note that these are only a few examples; there may be more courses offered through various programs, departments and faculties at UBC.

GRADUATE LEVEL

Faculty of Education: Educational Studies

• EDST 505 – First Nations Education and Change
• EDST 545 – Indigenous Inquiry and Research
• EDST 546 – Indigenous Epistemology and Methodology
• EDST 578 – Multiculturalism and its Critical Alternatives: Diversity in Education and Society
•  

Faculty of Education: Curriculum and Pedagogy

• EDCP 532 – Theories and Dimensions of Place-Based Education: Ecohumanist, Critical, and Indigenous Lenses

• EDCP 539 – Narrativity, Ecopedagogy and Indigeneity
• EDCP 585 –  Indigenous Visual Expression as Pedagogy

Faculty of Education: Educational Technology

• ETEC 521-Indigeneity, Technology, and Education

Faculty of Education: Language & Literacy Education

• LLED 565D – Indigenous Language and Cultural Education: Global Perspectives
• LLED 565B – Materials Development for Indigenous Language Learning and Teaching

Faculty of First Nations and Indigenous Studies:

• FNIS_V 560 –  Applied Learning: Collaborative Place-Based Research

• Faculty of Library, Archival, and Information SciencesLIBR 564/ARST 585 – Information Practice and Protocol in Support of Indigenous Initiatives

Faculty of Forestry

• FRST 522- Social, Community & Indigenous Forestry

Mining and Engineering

• MINE 559- Indigenous Peoples and Mining in Canada

Community and Regional Planning

• PLAN 514 001 – Indigenous Planning: Ways of Being, Knowing and Doing
• PLAN 515 001 – Indigenous Law, Governance and Community Planning

School of Population and Public Health

• SPHA 512 – Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety Core concepts of Indigenous-specific racism and human rights, cultural safety and how this relates to the practice of health administrators.

• SPHA 579 – Collecting, Analyzing and Using Public Health Data in Indigenous Communities Applied biostatistics, epidemiology and data management addressing public health priorities and clinical research in Indigenous communities.

• SPHA 586 -Indigenous Health Policy in Canada Indigenous health policy and history in Canada through four substantive areas: economics and financing; need and demand; ethics, rights and law; quality and effectiveness.

• SPHA 587 – Mental Health Care and Delivery in Indigenous Communities Approaches to mental health and resilience concepts and strength-based interventions with Indigenous communities.

• SPHA 588 – Introduction to Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods in Indigenous Health Research Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research as applied to Indigenous public health priorities.

Educational Leadership

The Master of Education in Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL) offers students opportunities to experience and develop greater awareness and capacity in educational leadership in contexts of Indigeneity, anti-racism and anti-oppression.

Students will benefit from the program’s emphasis on intergenerational capacity building, cross-departmental faculty expertise and contributions, scholar-practitioner community and school district engagements and land-based learning opportunities toward fostering leadership for Indigeneity, anti-racism and intersectional anti-oppression. The program is dedicated to supporting students working in areas of teacher-leadership and those working toward more formal roles in educational administration and leadership.

The online intake will be offered fully online with options to take electives in-person during the summer. Please note that courses for the online intake will be synchronous and offered on weekday evenings (4:30-7:30pm) and/or on weekends (9:00-4:00pm) Pacific Standard Time (PST).  For further information and application process please see the Apply tab.

Apply Online: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online/

The number of graduate students who can be accommodated is limited and only the best qualified applicants can hope to secure places. To ensure that all applicants are treated equitably, your application will go through several stages before a decision is made on acceptance or rejection. Once your transcripts have been reviewed to determine if you are eligible for admission to graduate study at UBC, several faculty members in scholarly areas related to your area of interest will read your application and individually assess your suitability for admission.

If you are admitted conditionally, subject to completing a degree in progress or courses, these conditions will be included in the offer of admission. Successful applicants are asked to inform the department as soon as possible whether they are accepting a place in the Department of Educational Studies. If you decide to accept our offer, you should contact your assigned research supervisor and together plan a program of study.

 

Applications should be submitted online at www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online. All of the following components of an application must be received by the department’s Graduate Program Assistant before the file can be reviewed by the appropriate admissions committee.

a. Online UBC application form. When you submit an online application at www.grad.ubc.ca/apply/online, the completed form is automatically forwarded to the Graduate Program Assistant. Non-refundable processing fee payable to UBC. See the cover of the official UBC application form for the exact amount.

b. Upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official transcripts. See Digital Copies of Official Transcripts tab for details.

c. Two references – The purpose of the references is to give as complete an idea as possible of your relevant background and capacity to complete the degree. One of the references should be from a course instructor or other person able to assess your academic ability. The other suitable referee can be a supervisor, president, academic dean, or another person to whom you are, or have been, accountable in employment or as a volunteer. The reference letters must be in English. If the original letter is in another language, the letter must be accompanied by a certified English translation. There are three possible formats for references:

• Electronic references: In the online application system, applicants are asked to provide an email address for each referee. Once the online application has been submitted, a unique link will be emailed to each referee, allowing them to log in to a secure site and submit an online reference or upload a reference document as an attachment.
• Letters of reference: Your referee may wish to send a paper letter. Paper letters of reference should be on referee’s official letterhead and signed. It must be mailed directly by the referee to the EDST Program Office to the following address in a sealed and endorsed envelope.EDST Program AssistantDepartment of Educational Studies, Faculty of EducationPonderosa Commons North (Oak House)
  2005 – 6445 University Boulevard
  Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
  V6T 1Z2
• Reference forms: UBC provides a general reference form. Your referee may fill out this form and mail it directly to the EDST Program Office in a sealed and endorsed envelope.

Notes:

1. All references must be sent by referees directly. Reference letters or forms submitted by the applicant will not be accepted.
2. The application system and department are unable to accept referee emails from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, MSN or other free email accounts.
3. By “sealed, endorsed envelope” we mean that the envelope needs to be sealed and that the signature of the referee be placed over the seal (i.e., partially on the flap and partially on the rest of the envelope).

d. Statement of intent. You need to describe in one to two pages your specific interests in pursuing a graduate degree and precisely why you are applying to the Department of Educational Studies, and to the program in Educational Administration and Leadership (EDAL). This statement should highlight the following:

• your background and experience
• description of your anticipated area(s) of enquiry
• the contribution you bring to the faculty and the profession that will be developed during your program of study.

Curriculum Vitae / Resume

Please provide a CV as evidence of your potential to succeed in EDST at the graduate level.

After submitting your application, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all supporting materials are submitted by the application deadline. The Admissions Committee will only review completed applications. You can check the status of your application and supporting materials through the online application system.

For any components of the application that cannot be uploaded, they can be submitted to the department’s graduate program assistant at the following address (Please note: faxed & emailed reference letters will not be accepted):

 

Applicants from outside Canada should be aware of additional requirements that may apply. Please read the following to determine which of these requirements may apply to you.

International Transcripts and Translation Requirements

See International Transcripts and Translation Requirements tab for details

Entering Canada

To enter Canada, a “Student Authorization” (Student Visa) is required. Apply as soon as possible to the nearest Canadian Consular or Immigration Office since it may take 8–10 weeks for processing. For applicants applying from the People’s Republic of China it may take 3–6 months. Applying for a Student Authorization requires a UBC letter of admission/acceptance; a valid passport; and evidence of adequate funds for tuition, maintenance of the student and, if married, the student’s spouse and children, plus travel funds to and from Canada. Please consult the Immigration Canada website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp.

If the application for a visa is approved, the UBC letter of admission/acceptance will be returned to the student and must be retained for presentation to the Immigration Officer at the Canadian point of entry.

 

Canadian Transcripts

UBC has changed its application document requirements.

If you are applying to begin study in 2016 or beyond, you will normally scan and upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official required documents in the application system. These are considered “unofficial documents”. These uploaded copies of your official documents will be used for initial evaluation of the applicant.

Conditional admission offers may be made based on documents uploaded to the application system. However, admission offers will not be finalized and applicants will not be allowed to register in a graduate program until one set of all required official academic records are received and validated by the University.

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF TRANSCRIPTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with Canadian transcripts (other than UBC) must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.  UBC transcripts are not required.

Each transcript should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. They should be named: “Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension”

Examples:

Kelly Smith-University of Waterloo Transcript.pdf
Kelly Smith-CV.pdf
Kelly Smith-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

Transcripts must be scanned front and back. All pages of one transcript, front and back, should be uploaded as a single file (rather than a separate file for each page).

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS

To be considered official, academic records must either be received in official university envelopes, sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution, or be sent via secure electronic delivery by the issuing institution.

If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration. Do not send official transcripts before receiving an offer of admission unless you have received special instructions from the graduate program to which you have applied.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission should be sent directly to:

Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
University of British Columbia
6371 Crescent Rd
Vancouver, BC CANADA  V6T 1Z2

CURRENT AND FORMER UBC STUDENTS

You do not need to submit UBC transcripts as part of your graduate application, as this data is already available through the student database system. However, be aware that you are still responsible for submitting transcripts from all other post-secondary institutions that you have attended (e.g., exchange year, transfer year, etc.).

 

International Transcripts and Translations

If you are applying to begin study in 2016 or beyond, you will normally scan and upload digital copies (.pdfs) of official required documents in the application system. These are considered “unofficial documents”. These uploaded copies of your official documents will be used for initial evaluation of the applicant.

Conditional admission offers may be made based on documents uploaded to the application system. However, admission offers will not be finalized and applicants will not be allowed to register in a graduate program until one set of all required official academic records are received and validated by the University.

UPLOADING UNOFFICIAL COPIES OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS IN THE APPLICATION SYSTEM

Applicants with transcripts from non-Canadian post-secondary institutions must obtain an official paper transcript for every post-secondary institution they have attended.

Each transcripts should be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated. Otherwise, they should be named: “Applicant Full Name-Document Description.extension”

Examples:

Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript.pdf
Peng Zhang-Peking University Transcript English Translation.pdf
Peng Zhang-CV.pdf
Peng Zhang-Journal of Neurosciences Paper.pdf

Transcripts must be scanned front and back. All pages of one transcript, front and back, should be uploaded as a single file (rather than a separate file for each page).

If you have transcripts that are issued in a language other than English, then in addition to uploading digital copies of the documents in their original language, you must also upload a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university’s translation service or certified English translator.

Please consult the document scanning and uploading instructions provided within the online application for detailed instructions.

OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

To be considered official, academic records must either be received in official university envelopes, sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution, or be sent via secure electronic delivery by the issuing institution.

After being offered admission: If you have been offered admission conditional upon receipt of official documentation, you must provide UBC with one set of official transcripts for every postsecondary institution you have attended for the equivalent of one year or more of full-time study. UBC reserves the right to also require any individual applicant to provide official transcripts for study of less than one year duration.

If an official transcript does not indicate the degree name and the degree conferral date, then an official copy of the degree certificate must also be submitted

If your university issues only one original copy of transcripts/degree certificates:

Make photocopies of your original academic records and send them to your home university. Ask your home university to:

• verify that the photocopies are consistent with their records.
• attest that the copies are true photocopies and stamp them with an official university stamp.
• put the attested, stamped photocopies in sealed envelopes endorsed by the Registrar.
• mail the sealed, endorsed envelopes directly to Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your transcripts are issued in a language other than English:

• arrange to have a set of all official transcripts issued in their original language.
• obtain a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university’s translation service.
• send both the original transcripts and the literal English translation to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

If your home university does not provide English translations of transcripts:

• make a photocopy of your copy of your transcripts. Do not open a sealed, endorsed envelope containing transcripts intended for submission to your program.
• take the copy to a certified English translator and ask them to provide a complete, word-by-word, literal English translation.
• tell the translator to put both the original language photocopy and the English translation into a sealed envelope, and endorse the envelope by signing across the seal.
• send the sealed, endorsed envelopes from the translator to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
• send your original transcripts in the original language to UBC Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

Note: Academic records must be translated in their entirety, including any information that appears on the reverse side of any document.

UBC does not accept the following:

• photocopies that have not been stamped, attested and endorsed by the Registrar at your home university
• documents in envelopes that have been opened
• documents that do not arrive in sealed envelopes endorsed by the issuing institution or certified translator
• documents that arrive without the official seal of the university
• photocopies notarized by a notary public
• photocopies endorsed by a lawyer, professor, judge etc.
• unofficial translations
• non-literal translations

Do not send academic records that are not in sealed and endorsed envelopes. It will only delay the processing of your application.

Documents being provided to meet conditions of admission  should be sent directly to:

Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
University of British Columbia
6371 Crescent Rd
Vancouver, BC CANADA  V6T 1Z2

 

Note that fees are subject to change by the University.

Tuition for Masters Programs

Tuition fees for EDAL Masters Programs are found on the UBC Calendar website.

Tuition for PhD and EdD Programs

Tuition fees for EDAL PhD and EdD Programs are found on the UBC Calendar website.

Deadlines for applications

Deadlines for On-Campus EDAL programs can be found on the EDST website.

Deadlines for Off-Campus EDAL programs can be found on the PDCE website.