Program Overview

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Overview

The Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD) program offers advanced study in applied plant biology, with a commitment to the development of sustainable managed agroecosystems. The program provides opportunities for advanced studies in basic and applied research, leading to M.Sc. or Ph.D. degrees, in plant production, plant protection, plant biotechnology, plant physiology and biochemistry, and plant-environment interaction.

Program Details

• The program is enriched through collaborations with colleagues in graduate programs such as Food Science, Soil Science, Botany, Zoology.
• Collaborations include on-campus research centers such as the Biodiversity Research Centre, the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, the Wine Research Centre, and off-campus research agencies/institutions such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Canadian Light Source, and other Canadian universities.

What Makes the Program Unique

• The graduate program offers students the opportunity to develop their graduate studies uniquely tailored to their professional goals and research interests in consultation with their research supervisor.
• The diversity of plant agriculture in British Columbia provides excellent opportunities for students to select a cropping system most suitable for their thesis research.
• Students have the opportunity and are encouraged to develop their research programs through an interdisciplinary approach involving other departments on the campus.

Facilities

• Excellent facilities for thesis research are available on the UBC campus in the MacMillan Building, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm, Totem Field Laboratory, UBC Wine Research Centre, the Michael Smith Laboratories, and the Horticulture Glasshouse.
• Some Plant Science graduate students also work with our Adjunct Professors, spread throughout the province of British Columbia.

Quick Facts

• Faculty: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Academic Unit: Faculty of Land and Food Systems
• Specialization: Plant Science
• 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 $34,007 or more funding per year in the first 4 years, before tuition and fees

Admission Information & Requirements

Program Instructions

• Before you apply, please make sure you meet/exceed the admission requirements and most importantly have a supervisor confirmed.
• Please review the list of faculty members in the program and contact the ones with the same research interests as you directly to check their availability/interest in accepting you.

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).
• Each program may set higher academic minimum 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.
• Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Prior Degree Requirements

• Students admitted to the Ph.D. degree program normally possess a M.Sc. degree in plant science or a related area, with clear evidence of research ability, and a strive for research excellence.
• Transfer from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. program is permitted under Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies regulations.

Research Information

Research Highlights

• Research topics focus on plant-environment interactions, plant-pathogen interaction, pollination ecology, agro-ecology, crop production and breeding, irrigation management, disease protection, and plant physiology, biotechnology, biochemistry, and imaging.

Research Focus

• Specific areas of specialization include:
  • pollination biology; insect physiology; insect ecology and behaviour; natural insecticides
  • weed biology, ecology, and control; invasive species biology
  • fruit physiology and metabolism; plant nutrition; plant-plant interaction; biotic and abiotic stressor resistance
  • crop stress physiology; plant anatomy; structure-function relation; water relations; irrigation management
  • horticulture; vegetable culture; ornamental horticulture; post-harvest physiology
  • plant biochemistry; tissue culture; genetic engineering; plant, fungal, and viral molecular genetics
  • plant-microbe interaction; bacterial and fungal diseases; plant virology; biological control of pests and diseases
  • cereal and pathogen genomics; host-pathogen interactions; genetics of disease resistance
  • plant breeding; phenotyping; plant imaging; trait selection
  • rangeland ecology and wildlife habitat studies

Tuition & Financial Support

Tuition

• Fees | Canadian Citizen / Permanent Resident / Refugee / Diplomat | International
  • Application Fee | $118.50 | $168.25
  • Tuition per year (plus annual increase, usually 2%-5%) | $5,626.02 | $9,883.98
  • Int. Tuition Award (ITA) per year (if eligible) | | $3,200.00 (-)
  • Other Fees and Costs
    • Student Fees (yearly) | $1,144.10 (approx.)
    • Costs of living | Estimate your costs of living with our interactive tool in order to start developing a financial plan for your graduate studies.

Financial Support

• Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e., based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e., based on your financial situation) opportunities.
• Program Funding Packages: All newly admitted graduate students in the research-based PhD program will be supported by a minimum funding package of $24,000/year for 4 years provided they maintain good academic standing.

Career Outcomes

• Plant Science graduates (M.Sc., Ph.D.) generally opt for a teaching and/or research career.
• Some also work for government agencies (Agri-Food Canada, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture), agri-industry, or do consulting work in plant science.

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

• These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science (PhD).
• Data are separated for each degree program combination.

Research Supervisors

• Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor.
• Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Sample Thesis Submissions

• Insect pollinators in urban landscapes: impacts of city design and management on species abundance and occurrence
• Abiotic and biotic drivers of indirect defense allocation in Vicia faba
• Anthocyanin accumulation and cuticular wax deposition in blueberries: Impacts on fruit surface color and water loss

Related Programs

• Same specialization: Master of Science in Plant Science (MSc)
• Same Academic Unit:
  • 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 Soil Science (PhD)
  • Graduate Certificate in Aquaculture (GCAQUA)
  • Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE)
  • Master of Food Science (MFS)
  • Master of Land and Water Systems (MLWS)
  • 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)