Admission
How to Apply
Applications for admission to the Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) Program open in September/October and close December 1st of every year.
A complete application for admission includes:
- A completed Faculty of Graduate and Postgraduate Studies online application form.
Application fee. Please see the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies' website for up-to-date information about application fees.
Three official confidential letters of reference.
Transcripts for all past post-secondary study.
A 600-word statement of interest.
A resumé detailing educational background, work and/or volunteer experience, publications (if any), and any academic or professional awards earned.
Evidence of English language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS), if required.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE): highly recommended but not mandatory.
Record of Landing form (Canadian permanent residents).
Please refer to the SCARP website for up-to-date information on application requirements.
Application Review Process and Timeframe
The School accepts applications once a year for programs commencing in September. We have a firm application deadline of December 1 to ensure that all applicants' files are reviewed together using a three-step process.
- The first step involves compiling the applications and evaluating the transcripts to make sure they meet the minimum academic requirements set by UBC's Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The information is entered into the School's database.
- The second step involves reviewing the applications based on the applicant's stated program preferences. A committee of appropriate faculty members and students is formed to review applications.
- The third step involves the admissions committee reviewing the recommended applications and deciding who will be admitted. The acceptance letters are sent by mid-March to late May. Each year we receive up to 200 master's applications with only 40 spaces to fill. In order to give as many applicants the best possible chance at admission, we also compile a wait list. We usually make our final decisions by the end of May.
For more information, visit the School.
Contact Information:
Graduate Administrator
Tel: 604.822.4422
Email: grad.scarp@ubc.ca
Web: www.scarp.ubc.ca
Send correspondence and application documents to:
School of Community & Regional Planning
The University of British Columbia
433-6333 Memorial Road
Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2
Prerequisites for Admission
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has minimum requirements for all applicants to graduate studies. The minimum requirement for applicants with Canadian or US credentials is a four-year bachelor's degree with an overall average of B+ in all courses at the third- and fourth-year level. International students should visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies website to review admission requirements by country.
Admission to SCARP is very competitive. Each year the number of applicants far exceeds the number of spaces available. Meeting the basic entrance requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.
Students are accepted from both the social sciences and the natural sciences, the humanities, and such fields as commerce, architecture, law, engineering, agriculture, and forestry.
Prospective students are encouraged to follow an honours or major program in their own discipline and develop some breadth of knowledge during their undergraduate program by selecting from courses in ecology, economics, geography, political science, history, sociology, and organizational development and behaviour.
A candidate who has taken graduate courses equivalent to those described for the master's degree may be given credit not to exceed 12 credits for courses completed in the year prior to commencing their program in the School.
Approximately 35-40 students are admitted annually. The School seeks highly motivated applicants who can communicate effectively, who are challenged by a field marked by complexity, who are creative, and have the potential to provide leadership.
Orientation
All entering students are required to attend orientation sessions at the commencement of Term 1 of Winter Session to become acquainted with faculty members and fellow students and to examine typical urban, regional and resource planning problems in BC and abroad.
