UBC Okanagan

Program Requirements

You are reading the 2022/23 Academic Calendar. The 2021/22 version remains in effect until 31 August 2022 and is available here

Master's Degree

The minimum credit requirements for IGS M.A. or M.Sc. programs are 30 in total. Specific coursework requirements may vary from Theme to Theme. Within the limits indicated in the overall IGS program guidelines, supervisors and supervisory committees may, with the approval of the relevant Theme Coordinator, require students to enrol in coursework beyond the IGS mandated minimums. Specific additional courses applicable to the student's program must be approved by the student’s supervisor and supervisory committee and the Coordinator of the relevant Theme.

Minimum course requirements for the IGS M.A. and M.Sc. are as follows:

1. 3 credits in a Proseminar in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies.
2. 3 credits in a Theme Seminar in Interdisciplinary Approaches.
3. 3 credits in Theme Methods.
4. For an MA or an MSc that requires 12 credits of thesis work, 9 credits of additional coursework that is relevant to the research the student will undertake to complete the Thesis; OR
5. For an MA or an MSc that requires 18 credits of thesis work, 3 credits of additional coursework that is relevant to the research the student will undertake to complete the Thesis.

Master’s students are permitted a maximum of 3 credits of “Directed Readings” or “Directed Study” coursework toward completion of their degree requirements.

Master’s students are permitted a maximum of 6 credits of coursework at the upper undergraduate-level (300-400 level).

Master's Thesis

Master’s students (MA or MSc) must complete 12 to 18 credits from the following course:


• IGS 599 - Master's Thesis.

Ph.D. Degree

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program are expected to have a prior master's degree, the subject matter of which is relevant to the interdisciplinary study they propose to undertake in their IGS Ph.D. program.

Minimum course requirements for the IGS Ph.D. are as follows:

1. 3 credits in a Proseminar in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies.
2. 3 credits in a Theme Seminar in Interdisciplinary Approaches.
3. 3 credits in Theme Methods.

Ph.D. students who have completed an IGS Master’s program at UBCO may enrol in suitable alternatives as determined by the Theme Coordinator in consultation with the student’s supervisory committee.

Within the limits indicated in the overall IGS program guidelines, supervisors and supervisory committees may, with the approval of the relevant Theme Coordinator, require students to enrol in coursework beyond the IGS mandated minimums. The total number of required courses for a Ph.D. in IGS may not total more than 18 credits. [18315] Specific requirements and guidelines for achieving candidacy, including the successful completion of a comprehensive examination, are posted on the IGS website.

Specific requirements and guidelines for achieving candidacy, including the successful completion of a comprehensive examination, are posted on the IGS website.

Individualized Option

An Individualized Option is available at the Ph.D. level in the IGS program.

Applicants to the individualized option must propose a demonstrably interdisciplinary program of study and research.

Minimum course requirements for the IGS Individualized Option Ph.D. are as follows:

1. 3 credits in a Proseminar in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies.
2. 3 credits in a Graduate Seminar in Interdisciplinary Approaches.
3. 3 credits in Interdisciplinary Methods.

Ph.D. students who have completed an IGS Master’s program at UBCO may enrol in suitable alternatives as determined by the Faculty IGS Coordinator, in consultation with the student’s supervisory committee.

Doctoral Dissertation

Ph.D. students must successfully complete:

• Comprehensives as outlined in the Guidelines for the Comprehensive Examination Process for Doctoral Students in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Program; and
• IGS 699 Doctoral Thesis.

Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies Course Offerings

The following courses, classified into two categories, are available to students in the IGS program. This list does not include non-IGS courses at the graduate or upper undergraduate-level in which students may, with appropriate permission and consistent with these guidelines, enrol to fulfill IGS course requirements.

Research Methods and Analysis

• IGS 501 Interdisciplinary Topics in Research Methods and Analysis;
• IGS 503 Indigenous Research Methods;
• IGS 504 Multivariate Statistics;
• IGS 505 Introduction to Qualitative Enquiry;
• IGS 506 Creative Research Methods;
• IGS 509 Directed Studies in Interdisciplinary Research Methods;
• IGS 515 Advanced Qualitative Methods;
• IGS 601 Advanced Topics in Research Methods and Analysis;

Special Topics and Directed Studies

• IGS 520 Special Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies;
• IGS 523 Special Topics in Indigenous Studies;
• IGS 524 Proseminar in Interdisciplinary Studies;
• IGS 529 Directed Studies in Indigenous Studies;
• IGS 530 Special Topics in Creative and Critical Studies;
• IGS 539 Directed Studies in Creative and Critical Studies;
• IGS 540 Special Topics in Optimization;
• IGS 541 Special Topics in Urban Studies;
• IGS 542 Directed Studies in Urban Studies;
• IGS 543 Special Topics in Sustainability;
• IGS 544 Directed Studies in Sustainability;
• IGS 549 Directed Studies in Optimization;
• IGS 550 Special Topics in Social Science Research;
• IGS 559 Directed Studies in Social Science Research;
• IGS 560 Special Topics in Latin American and Iberian Studies;
• IGS 561 Directed Readings in Latin American and Iberian Studies;
• IGS 620 Advanced Topics in Interdisciplinary Studies;