FAQ’s

No, currently the program only starts in September. The courses are offered in a sequential order and are only offered during the terms stated.

The Statement of Intent should explain why you are interested in the Master of Biotechnology program and how your academic and/or professional goals align with this graduate program. The length does not need to exceed one page. File size cannot exceed 10MB. Preferred file format: PDF but can upload: BMP, DOC, DOCX, GIF, JPEG, JPG, RTF, TXT. To allow our system to process your documents, please ensure that your files are not locked via a password or PDF Document Assembly restrictions.

English Language Proficiency requirements are only needed if an applicant has attended a university outside of Canada at which English is not the primary language of instruction.

No. UBC does not accept the IELTS One-Skill retake test. Thus, if you need to retake a section to meet minimum, you must retake the full test and receive passing scores in all aspects in one sitting.

English proficiency requirements are outlined by the College of Graduate Studies.

The English proficiency test checklist items is added to all applications, both international and domestic. Once your application has been reviewed by the College of Graduate Studies, this condition for an English Language Proficiency test will be removed/cleared from your application if this does not apply to you. Please allow up to 10 business days for processing.

No. Sometimes the admissions office may request a copy of an additional document (e.g. passport) to confirm the format of one’s legal name or verify name changes.

The application fee is waived only in the following circumstances:

• For international applicants whose citizenship and correspondence address is located in one of the world’s least developed countries, as declared by the United Nations. These countries include but are not limited to Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, and Uganda. See the complete list of eligible countries.
• Seniors: BC residents who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents aged 65 years or over at the time of application.

If you are eligible for an application fee waiver, you do not need to apply for it. You will not be asked for a fee when you complete the online application.

You can submit an unofficial transcript at the time of submission however an official transcript would need to follow before an offer of admission can be granted. Please see this website for specific information on how to send in your Transcripts. If you are a current or former UBC student 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.

Unfortunately, we cannot pre-review transcripts/credentials without a fully submitted application and therefore cannot assess documents you provide ahead of your application. For International students, please review the minimum academic requirements here.

Use your best judgement as to your suitability for the program and in determining whether you believe you meet minimum admission requirements. UBC Okanagan programs are highly competitive and while meeting minimum requirements is generally advised, it does not guarantee admission.

Withdrawals can be requested directly through the online application system. All applications are non-refundable and non-transferrable.

We strive to review all applications and get decisions out to applicants approx. 8 – 10 weeks after the application deadline closes. Sometimes it can take longer to hear back because you may have been placed on a waitlist. This means that the program is waiting to hear back from students after the first round of offers have been made before we can make any additional offers.

Due to the significant number of applications we receive, we are unable to provide applicants with specific explanations for being declined. Applicants who believe they have been unjustly denied admission to a program due to an error in process, or who believe that they deserve special consideration due to mitigating circumstances, should discuss the matter with the graduate program to which they applied immediately upon receipt of their final admission decision.  After you have discussed the decision with the program, if you would still like to pursue an appeal with the College of Graduate Studies, please complete the form.

More information on admission appeals can be found in the Academic Calendar.

Applicants to graduate programs who are unsuccessful and wish to reapply to a future session are encouraged to do so by submitting a new application to the program of their choice once applications open.

Capstone projects are unpaid, full-time placements within labs on campus.  Students gain valuable experience with cutting-edge academic research teams. This may result in co-authorship on publications, or other types of intellectual property. Internships are paid, full-time placements with employers off-campus. Duties are assigned according to employer needs, and may include a range of industrially relevant tasks not limited to research.

Capstone projects change from year to year based on the availability through the labs and professors in that particular year. Typically, different options are presented to students and they can provide input into which projects they are most interested in. Final assignment of students to Capstone projects takes into consideration a number of factors including students’ strengths, interests, and the size of the group each lab can accommodate.

Internships can take place with companies across Canada, the United States or internationally. Students can only pursue international internships to countries that are deemed low risk by Global Affairs Canada travel advisories. Low-risk destinations are those with an advisory that states travellers should practice normal or increased security precautions. Destinations with an advisory that states travellers should avoid non-essential or all travel will not be approved for an internship. Students must ensure they have the necessary work Visas to work for any companies outside of Canada.

You will need to job search for your internship. The program has some contacts and employers that we have used previously for past internships, but they do not guarantee positions for our students. Employers and positions change from year to year, depending on the labour market and employers’ needs. Internship opportunities are competitive. You are required to apply for positions and employers decide who they want to interview and who they want to hire.

The program offers workshops on resume and cover letter writing, job search and networking techniques, and interview skills. One-to-one support is offered by appointment in person, or via email. Mock interviews are provided for students typically with professors in the department. The Program & Internship Manager also shares postings with students as they arise, and invites applicants to apply whom are a good match for both the student and the employer.

Due to the competitive nature of internships it is very likely that every student will not secure two internships, and some students may not complete one internship.  In order to graduate students must complete 6-credits from capstone projects and/or internships. These are held simultaneously in term 2 and in term 4. Both are beneficial in different ways and provide hands-on, relevant experience.

Not necessarily. Employers decide who they want to hire for an internship. The employer may choose to ask for a criminal reference check or they may not ask for one. This may depend on the nature of the job and which company you would be working for (e.g. if any security clearances are required). The employer may also look at the nature of the criminal record to determine if they believe it would impact the job.

No, capstone projects are arranged around Professor’s schedules and individual student needs for timing outside of these terms cannot be arranged. Similarly, employers are aware of when the program customarily holds their internships and thus students need to work within these time periods.

Not at this time. This is something that the program is looking into for the future.

No. The MBtec program is a course-based Master’s program, not a thesis-based program. Potential TA and RA positions are for thesis-based grad students. The MBtec program can however be completed quicker than traditional thesis-based Master’s programs, thus allowing students to potentially join the workforce earlier.

This depends largely on the student’s academic capabilities and the hours required for their part-time job. Some previous students have been able to juggle both responsibilities while others have found it too much. Generally speaking, students have found it easier to work part-time during terms when they are engaged in a Capstone project.

PGWPs are controlled by the federal (Canadian) regulations rather than provincially or by UBCO. It is best to consult the information on the Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)’s website regarding PGWPs. You can also reach out to UBCO’s Global Engagement Office for additional questions at ubco.global@ubco.ca.