Department Summary
Programs of Study
The department offers graduate programmes leading to the M.Sc. and Ph.D.
degrees. Research areas include artificial intelligence, computational
vision, data communication, operating systems, distributed systems,
protocol specification and testing, hardware verification, multimedia,
networking, numerical computation, parallel computation, computational
geometry, design and analysis of algorithms, complexity theory, theory
of computation, programming languages, VLSI design, software
engineering, computer graphics, and the social impact of computers.
Both theoretical and applied aspects of research are stressed, and
interdisciplinary work is encouraged; close ties exist between the
department and the Faculty of Commerce, the Faculty of Forestry (through
the Interdisciplinary Program in Remote Sensing), the Institute of
Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and the Department of Mechanical
Engineering and the Department of Electrical Engineering (through the
Centre for Integrated Computer Systems Research, CICSR.)
Students in the M.Sc. program are normally required to complete 18
credits of course work (six normal courses) plus a 12-credit thesis.
This generally takes between one and two calendar years.
Ph.D. students normally take between three and five years to complete
their program. Each student is guided by a Ph.D. committee, which
provides advice on courses, conducts a preliminary oral examination and
aids the development of the student's thesis research.
Research Facilities
The department maintains a collection of several hundred computers
including: MacIntoshes, Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics and IBM.
Modems are available for students to access the department's computers
from off campus. Most machines run the Unix operating system. The
Laboratory for Computational Intelligence, the Imager Computer Graphics
Laboratory, and the Systems Laboratories contain specialized equipment
appropriate to their disciplines. The facilities are linked together
locally using Ethernet, AppleTalk, and token ring networks. The
departmental networks are connected to a campus wide network that is
connected to both commerical (Datapac) and research-oriented (BCnet,
CA*net, CDNnet) wide-area networks.
Financial Aid
The department offers teaching assistantships, for both Canadian and
foreign students, for the eight-month teaching year. Summer support is
available for these students in the form of summer research
scholarships and summer teaching assistantships. Graduate fellowships
are available from the University for outstanding students on a
full twelve-month basis. For Canadian and foreign students, support is
also available in the form of research assistantships from faculty
research grants, although preference must be given to Canadian students.
Cost of Study
In 1995/96, tuition for M.Sc. students is
$2279 for the first and second year, and
$1218 for each subsequent year.
For Ph.D. students, tuition is
$2279 for the first, second and third year and
$1218 for each subsequent year.
Living and Housing Costs
Some housing is available for students on campus.
Off-campus suites rent from approximately $450 to $650 per month.
Further housing inquiries should be directed to:
University of British Columbia, Student Housing, 1874 East Mall, Brock Hall,
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z1.
Student Corps
The department consists of 50 Ph.D. students and 60 M.Sc. students.
Roughly half are Canadian and most students receive full financial
support. Virtually all graduates have found jobs in computing;
generally speaking the Ph.D. graduates have university teaching jobs,
and the M.Sc. graduates have computer-related jobs in industry, business
and government.
Location
The University is located on a peninsula, adjoining the city of
Vancouver, which has a population of one million people. The setting
for the city is one of the most beautiful in the world, and outdoor
sports that range from skiing to sailing to hiking are just a few
minutes away. The city itself is quite cosmopolitan with many different
ethnic communities. The climate is moderate; average daytime
temperatures range from 5C in the winter to 25C in the summer.
The University
UBC, like all Canadian universities, is funded by the provincial
government. The teaching year runs from September 1st to April
30th. There are more than 2000 faculty members, covering all the
recognized disciplines of university teaching and research. The
libraries are among the best in Canadian universities.
All applicants should send the white and yellow copies of the
application form, the application fee, the reply card and the statement
of interest along with the following documents:
Applicants with a
degree from a Canadian university require OFFICIAL transcripts and 3
references.
- Applicants with a
degree from a US university require official GRE (general) score in
addition to the OFFICIAL transcripts and 3 references.
- Those without a degree
from a Canadian/US university require OFFICIAL transcripts in original
language and English; OFFICIAL degree certificate in original language
and English; 3 references; official GRE (general) score; and OFFICIAL
TOEFL score of at least 600 (except countries mentioned in the
application form). Please note that photocopies of transcripts and
degree certificates are not acceptable. However, notarized copies from
the Consulate General or the notary public are acceptable. If you don't
have ANY certified English translation, then the only alternative is to
have it translated by the Consulate General of your country.
Please note that a total of two sets of official transcripts and degree
certificates (if applicable) are required. We encourage applicants to
try to send all the required documents in sealed envelopes at the same
time that they are applying.
Graduate Admissions
University of British Columbia
Department of Computer Science
201-2366 Main Mall
Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada V6T 1Z1
Tel: (604) 822-3061
Fax: (604) 822-5485
Email: <grad-info@cs.ubc.ca> (on Computer Science Dept. only)
WWW:
http://www.cs.ubc.ca/home
For information on the graduate program, please fill out
the online Application Request Form
Also see our
list of contact addresses
for the department.
