Prospective students

About the department

The Department of Statistics at UBC was founded in 1984 and is located in the Earth Sciences Building (ESB), a beautiful and convenient location in the heart of the UBC campus. We are close to many restaurants and coffee shops, such as those in the student building (aka the Nest). Right across ESB is the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, where Canada’s largest blue whale skeleton is displayed. But you don’t even need to go out of the building to see an old gigantic skeleton—ESB’s atrium is home to an Elasmosaurus skeleton cast!

The department has a very amiable atmosphere. We have a lounge (with fridges and microwaves to store and heat your lunch) where students and professors usually gather to eat and chat. We also frequently hangout and play sports. All PhD students are assigned a desk in a shared office (with at most six students per office). MSc students have lockers and a shared corner office with beautiful ocean views.

Funding

All PhD students are guaranteed a minimum funding package. All international students in the department also receive the international tuition award, which covers the difference between domestic and international tuition. On top of that, we frequently have TA positions to spare—see here for more info about TAing in the department. It is also common for supervisors to provide students with research assistantships (RAs). The department also provides entrance awards, such as the Thorne-Tanabe Graduate Entrance Scholarship. See here for more departmental awards. If you apply to study at UBC statistics, you are automatically considered for these entrance awards. UBC also has some awards for which you are automatically considered, such as the Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF).

There are several other scholarships and awards that you can apply for:

• NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships, available at the MSc and PhD levels for Canadian citizens and permanent residents
• Vanier scholarship, available to students of any nationality
• Other UBC graduate awards

About UBC

UBC has a beautiful campus in the west outskirts of Vancouver, in the traditional territory of the Musqueam people. Many bus lines travel between different neighborhoods of Vancouver and UBC all the time. (Fun fact: the busiest bus line in Canada and the US is one of them!) On-campus you will find no less than three museums; nine libraries; three gardens; one (clothing-optional!) beach; a working farm; four pubs; seventy five restaurants (high-variance estimate); and a forest (yes, a forest). Writing this, we realized we have yet many places to explore at UBC—and we have been here for quite a while!

About Vancouver

Vancouver is a truly wonderful city to live in. The city has an amazing public transit network (included in UBC tuition fees!), with multiple bus and subway (aka SkyTrain) lines. We also have a SeaBus! Vancouver is home to some of the world’s best outdoor activities, year-round thanks to its mild winter and not-too-hot summer compared to other Canadian cities. There are incredible hikes; ski runs (an hour away in Whistler but also in North Vancouver); mountain bike trails; beaches; road cycling routes; and a provincial park. The city is incredibly bike-friendly; many students commute by bike to UBC and within Vancouver. Vancouver also has an amazing beer scene, with many breweries producing amazing beer year-round. The city is also home to a wide variety of different cuisines, and is particularly famous for its ramen scene.

There are many other great tourist attractions in Vancouver:

• Stanley Park for walking, hiking, biking, or eating ice cream
• Granville Island for great food
• The Capilano and Lynn Valley suspension bridges
• Queen Elizabeth park for a picnic with a view
• The Vancouver Aquarium
• The Vancouver Art Gallery
• Deep Cove if you want good donuts
• The Richmond night market for amazing food during the summer
• The Vancouver Christmas market for schnitzel and mulled wine
• Steveston Village for fish and chips
• Brewers row in Port Moody for some drinks and (nearby) fish and chips
• Metrotown in Burnaby is the largest shopping mall in British Columbia
• White Rock Beach in White Rock is home to Canada’s longest pier
• Chilliwack tulip flower festival for Vancouver’s largest flower festival held in April each year

Housing information

There are many neighborhoods in Vancouver, each with its own vibe and perks. UBC housing has a great overview.

Many students live on-campus at a UBC residence, especially during their first two terms (September to April). Preference is given to incoming graduate students, but we recommend that you apply quite early. You can check more info here. In the case that you are unable to find a spot in a UBC residence, fear not! There are still other options available within the UBC campus.

Lots of students in the department also live off-campus, especially more senior students. Popular neighborhoods (from close to far to UBC) to live are:

• West Point Grey, which is really close to UBC but has a quieter vibe than Kits
• Kitsilano (aka Kits), which is roughly between UBC and Downtown and has many restaurants, coffee shops, and bars along West Broadway and 4th Avenue as well as two great beaches
• Mount Pleasant, which is past Kits along Broadway and has a vibrant night life
• Downtown, which is the core of Vancouver—it’s super busy, all the time. It has beaches, Stanley Park, restaurants, clubs, bars, coffee shops, stores… Although farther from campus, there exist express bus routes to UBC, such as the 44 line.

Last updated: August 25, 2022