Program Overview

Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical and Computer Engineering Program is for students interested in pursuing advanced studies and research in Biomedical Technologies, Communications Systems, Computer and Software Systems, Energy Systems, or Micro and Nano Technologies. Applicants to the program must have a high scholastic standing and must have demonstrated an aptitude for research to be admitted to the Ph.D. program, as the program is designed to develop the ability for independent research.

Program Description

Electrical and Computer Engineers develop computing systems, from chip architecture to mobile applications, to communications protocols as well as the energy systems to allow these devices and all other electrical systems to function. The discipline has a huge impact on society because it helps to design the systems we use in everything from health to finance to safety.

What Makes the Program Unique?

Electrical and Computer Engineering is one of the largest graduate programs at The University of British Columbia with over 75 faculty members and 400 students. All of our faculty members lead distinguished research programs. The faculty members also collaborate with colleagues in the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Science as well as with industry leaders. These collaborations allow our students to work beside world-leaders in their area of interest. Our students use cutting-edge technologies at The University of British Columbia’s many research facilities and centres of excellence as well as in the field.

Admission Information & Requirements

• Minimum Academic Requirements: The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements.
• English Language Test: 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.
• Prior Degree Requirements:
  • Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Course and Thesis-based Master's Degree: Applicants should have a recognized course and thesis-based Master’s degree which includes graduate level courses and a written thesis.
  • Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Undergraduate Degree: This is also known as a direct entry PhD. In addition to the usual M.A.Sc. requirements, you must have a first class standing in your bachelor’s degree and evidence of prior research ability.
  • Admission to the PhD Program with a Previous Course-based Master's Degree: In addition to the usual M.A.Sc. requirements, you must have hard evidence of research experience and ability, by way of previous research internships, for example.

Tuition & Financial Support

• Tuition: Fees for the year are subject to adjustment and UBC reserves the right to change any fees without notice at any time, including tuition and student fees.
• Financial Support: Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based and need-based opportunities.
• Program Funding Packages: From September 2024, all full-time students in UBC-Vancouver PhD programs will be provided with a funding package of at least $24,000 for each of the first four years of their PhD.

Career Outcomes

The Doctoral program in Electrical and Computer Engineering prepares students for employment directly after completing the degree or to pursue further a career in research at a public institution. Some of our recent graduates are now working with Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Intel, Samsung, D-wave, BC Hydro, Bell Mobility, Sierra Wireless, PMC-Sierra, TELUS, Bank of Montreal, BC Children’s Hospital, The Government of Canada, Drobo, Siemens Canada, Celestica, Cisco, Alpha Technologies, etc.

Research Supervisors

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Interference cancellation circuits for full-duplex low-power radios
• Integrated circuits for the generation and filtration of photon pairs in silicon on insulator technology
• Printed circuit board parasitics in wide-bandgap applications: estimation, mitigation, and exploitation
• Development of a machine vision guided inkjet platform for single cell isolation using real-time machine learning feedback
• Detection, attribution, and localization of manipulated images

Related Programs

• Master of Applied Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MASc)
• Master of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MEng)
• Master of Engineering Leadership in Dependable Software Systems (MEL)

Program Details

• Faculty: Faculty of Applied Science
• Academic Unit: Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Program Identifier: VGDPHD-HA
• Classification: Engineering and technology » Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and information engineering » Computer engineering » Hardware and software for computer security
• Specialization: Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Mode of delivery: In person at UBC Vancouver
• Program Components: Dissertation
• Tuition (First Year): Domestic: $5,626.02 | International: $9,883.98
• Median Funding: 50% of students receive $41,900 or more funding per year in the first 4 years, before tuition and fees

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

• Enrolment Data:
  • Applications: 214 (2023), 221 (2022), 224 (2021), 237 (2020), 214 (2019)
  • Offers: 45 (2023), 39 (2022), 47 (2021), 57 (2020), 40 (2019)
  • New Enrolment: 30 (2023), 26 (2022), 28 (2021), 34 (2020), 24 (2019)
  • Total Enrolment: 172 (2023), 180 (2022), 175 (2021), 169 (2020), 169 (2019)
• Completion Rates & Times: This program has a graduation rate of 80% based on 170 students admitted between 2011 - 2014. Based on 88 graduations between 2020 - 2023 the minimum time to completion is 3.07 years and the maximum time is 9.9 years with an average of 5.62 years of study.