Students completing our PhD program will be well-prepared for a job in industry, government or academia. The program has an expected completion time of 4-5 years.
Key Program Benefits
- Competitive funding package
- One-on-one mentorship by world-leading faculty members
- Interaction with amazing fellow graduate students
- Supportive environment: graduate student parental leave, collegial department, universal health care system
- Modern facilities, right in the center of a vibrant campus in a cosmopolitan city
Coursework
PhD students must take a total of 15 credits prior to the Comprehensive Exam and 21 credits before graduation. Special emphasis on the three core areas of statistical theory and methods, probability, and computing and applications is emphasized during the first year. Additionally, all PhD students take Stat 548 Directed Studies during year 1. Stat 548 is an immigration course designed to prepare students for research.
Students are encouraged to take advantage of the educational opportunities at UBC by taking additional statistics courses and to consider graduate courses in other departments where statistical methods play an important role. With the approval of the Graduate Advisor, courses taken outside of the department may be counted toward the 21 credits, but typically no more than 6.
Qualifying Process
The department's PhD Qualifying Process blends written exams with small research experiences. Students are expected (1) to demonstrate proficiency in both probability and statistical methods during year 1 courses; (2) demonstrate preparation for research contributions in Stat 548; (3) identify a faculty member willing to supervise dissertation research; and (4) prepare a short abstract describing their research direction (summer after Y1). Preparation and qualification to proceed through the PhD program is determined at the end of the first year by a faculty committee. Additional information is provided in the PhD Handbook.
Comprehensive Exam
Near the end of the second year of the program, the student writes a dissertation research proposal and presents it in the Comprehensive Exam. The Comprehensive Exam consists of a half-hour student presentation followed by questions from the Comprehensive Exam Committee. Through this process, the Committee assesses the student's ability to carry out research—both the research presented and research in general. Additional information is provided in the PhD Handbook and with the Proposal Template.
Dissertation
A PhD dissertation consists of original research conducted independently by the student with guidance from a faculty supervisor and a Supervisory Committee. The student chooses his/her own thesis topic and finds an appropriate Supervisory Committee, or decides on a topic after choosing a supervisor. Deciding on a PhD topic requires thought and exploration; the ideal topic is something one is very interested in and wants to spend all of one's time researching. During the first year of the program, the student should be thinking about potential thesis areas and topics. A good way to do this is to become familiar with the research of faculty members, via the department website, through Stat 548, by attending seminars or reading groups, and by taking topics courses from various faculty members.
Defence and Program Completion
To complete their studies, PhD students are required to make a presentation based on their dissertation work in a Department Seminar. The student must also successfully defend their written thesis at an oral examination. Find out more about the UBC doctoral examination regulations.