Program Overview

Master of Land and Water Systems

The Master of Land and Water Systems is a professional degree that serves both practicing resource managers and recent graduates from cognate undergraduate academic programs, providing the necessary credentials to address the emerging concerns of land and water resources conservation and management.

Overview

Land and water are essential resources required to sustain human needs, including food security, maintenance of environmental goods and services, and all forms of useable energy. Managing land and water as an integrated system provides a framework to aid society in achieving the goals of an improved quality of life, a healthy environment, and human equity in an era of global climate change and urban expansion.

Program Structure

The MLWS degree includes 33 credits of coursework, consisting of 21 credits of required courses plus 12 credits of electives. Each student will be required to register for LWS 548 (6 credits) and complete a "Major Project".

Quick Facts

• Faculty: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Academic Unit: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Specialization: Land and Water Systems
• Mode of delivery: In person at UBC Vancouver
• Program Components: Coursework only
• Tuition (First Year):
  • Domestic: $22,672.20
  • International: $46,322.80

Research Information

The Major Project may be conducted off-campus and will be co-supervised by a recognized professional (for example, a Professional Agrologist, Biologist, Forester, Geoscientist, etc.), and a UBC Faculty member.

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

• Application Fee:
  • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $118.50
  • International: $168.25
• Tuition:
  • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $7,557.41 per installment
  • International: $15,440.92 per installment
• Program Fee:
  • Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat: $22,672.23
  • International: $46,322.76
• Other Fees and Costs:
  • Student Fees (yearly): $1,144.10 (approx.)
  • Costs of living: Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.
• Deposit to accept offer (if admitted): $1,500.00

Financial Support

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including:

• Employer support
• Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
• Financial aid (need-based funding)
• Foreign government scholarships
• Working while studying
• Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Career Options

There is demand in Canada and around the world for professionals who can understand and analyze the relationships between the resource sectors and the realities of human population growth, increased demand on land and water systems, and the added uncertainty brought by climate change. Potential Career Paths include:

• Agricultural Representatives, Consultants and Specialists
• Environmental Consultants for Natural Resource Development; Government
• Utilities Managers (Director of water pollution control, Director, water supply)
• Non-Government Organizations

Alumni on Success

Naomi Robert, Research Associate at the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, is an example of the program's success.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

• Enrolment Data:
  • Applications: 68 (2023), 54 (2022), 191 (2021), 152 (2020), 149 (2019)
  • Offers: 35 (2023), 32 (2022), 36 (2021), 35 (2020), 33 (2019)
  • New Enrolment: 17 (2023), 16 (2022), 25 (2021), 18 (2020), 20 (2019)
  • Total Enrolment: 18 (2023), 16 (2022), 25 (2021), 21 (2020), 21 (2019)
• Completion Rates & Times:
  • Graduation rate: 98% based on 47 students admitted between 2015-2018
  • Minimum time to completion: 1.02 years
  • Maximum time to completion: 2.05 years
  • Average time to completion: 1.03 years

Related Programs

• Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Human Nutrition (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD)
• Doctor of Philosophy in Soil Science (PhD)
• Graduate Certificate in Aquaculture (GCAQUA)
• Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)
• Master of Food Science (MFS)
• Master of Science in Applied Animal Biology (MSc)
• Master of Science in Food Science (MSc)
• Master of Science in Human Nutrition (MSc)
• Master of Science in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (MSc)
• Master of Science in Plant Science (MSc)
• Master of Science in Soil Science (MSc)

Further Information

• Specialization: Land and Water Systems
• Program Website: Not available
• Faculty: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Academic Unit: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Program Identifier: VGMMLW
• Classification:
  • Natural sciences » Earth and related environmental sciences » Natural environment sciences
  • Natural sciences » Earth and related environmental sciences » Natural environment sciences » Natural resource management
  • Engineering and technology » Environmental engineering and related engineering » Environmental engineering
  • Agricultural and veterinary sciences » Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries » Agriculture, land and farm management » Sustainable agricultural development
  • Agricultural and veterinary sciences » Agricultural biotechnology and food sciences » Food sciences (including food engineering) » Food safety
  • Social sciences » Economics and business administration » Economics » Environment and natural resources economics