About PhD Program,
Food scientists integrate and apply fundamental knowledge from multiple disciplines to ensure a safe, nutritious, sustainable and high quality food supply, and to establish scientifically sound principles that guide policy and regulations pertaining to food on a global scale.
Since its inception in 1969, the Food Science Program at UBC has been a leader in providing opportunities for advanced study and research in Food Chemistry and Biochemistry, Process Science, Microbiology, Safety and Toxicology, Biotechnology, Quality Evaluation and Wine Biotechnology. Ongoing research areas include the study of nutraceuticals and bioactive compounds derived from food; biophotonic, nano-biosensing and nano-optical imaging; carbohydrate chemistry and enzymology; molecular biology and metabolic engineering of wine yeasts; farm-to-fork food safety systems; stress response mechanisms of foodborne pathogens; structure-function relationships of food and non-food related enzymes.
The innovative research conducted by UBC Food Science faculty members and students has led to national and international recognition in the form of awards and collaborations with research centres and universities both in Canada and around the world.
The program is uniquely situated in a Faculty that focuses on education and research to address issues around food, nutrition & health, and the responsible use of finite land and water resources to ensure a sustainable and safe food supply. In addition to laboratories equipped for chemical, analytical, molecular biology and microbiological (including Biosafety level 2) based research on food, the program houses pilot plant and sensory evaluation facilities for research requiring food-grade specifications.
Students can also access research facilities at UBC, such as the Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, BioImaging Facility and Michael Smith Laboratories, as well as through collaborations with other institutions including Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada and the Department of Fisheries & Oceans.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The requirements are not based on your citizenship, but where you received your academic credentials that will most likely form the basis for admission to a UBC graduate program. Applicants should have academic backgrounds within the general requirements listed by country below.
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants. The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please refer to specific Graduate Degree Programs for detailed information regarding the program to which you intend to apply, including deadlines and specific admission requirements. Please note that the number of applications to UBC graduate programs always exceed the number of seats available, and meeting the minimum requirements is not a guarantee of admission.
Individual graduate programs may require higher English language proficiency scores, and may require minimum scores on individual components of any of the tests. Please check individual program websites to verify English language score requirements.
PhD Funding Coverage,
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. The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please note that many graduate programs provide funding packages that are substantially greater than $24,000 per year. Please check with your prospective graduate program for specific details of the funding provided to its PhD students.
Application Requirement,
Online application
Transcripts & Academic Documents
Application Deadline,
Jan 10, 2025
Application Fee,
- Canadians (and Permanent Residents, Refugees, Diplomats): (CDN) $116.25
- International Applicants: (CDN) $168.25
