If you are an international student, check out the International Student Guide which includes information and resources on immigration, important documents, health insurance, travelling to Canada, working in Canada, taxes, banking, and more.

New to UBC and want to make sure you're set up for success? Use our interactive New student checklist on our Graduate student community site to keep track of everything you need to feel confident about starting out your journey in grad studies.

• Living in Vancouver
  • March 2024 recording 
• Living in Vancouver & Ask Me Anything Panel:
  • June 2024 recording, handout and slides
• Ask Me Anything - Grad Student Panel
  • July 2024 handout
• Tenant's rights
  • March 2024recording and handout
• Budgeting and finance with Enrolment Services
  • May 2024 recording
• Career Planning from the Start
  • Aug 2024 recording and handout
• Black Graduate Student Network Orientation
  • This session was not recorded. To receive their orientation guide, please email UBC BGSN.  You can also follow them on IG @ubc_bgsn or sign up for their newsletter

Pre-Arrival webinar recordings for International Students via iPrep. (Includes general pre-arrival session as well as the session specifically for graduate students with families)

GradStart August 2024

• Recordings from GradStart Prep Day August 2024 are available below:
  • Your Grad School Strategy
  • Navigating an Effective Relationship with Your Supervisor
  • Navigating Wellbeing, Managing Stress and Self-Compassion
  • Career Planning from the Start
  • Ask Me Anything, Grad Student Panel

Check out our Life in Vancouver page for information on restaurants and groceries, day trips and festivals, places of worship, transportation, phones, and more.  The Living in Vancouver pre-arrival webinar recording and handout above are also a great place to start.

Tourism Vancouver provides information on things to do in and around Vancouver, including an event calendar and deals.

The Respect, Sincerity & Responsibility: Land Acknowledgements @ UBC - Professional Development course provides information about the history of UBC's land, engagement with the indigenous community and why land acknowledgements are an important part of our work at UBC.

Translink: The interactive trip planning tool can help guide you to your destination via bus, skytrain, or SeaBus! You can also find out when the next bus will arrive at your stop!

Check out our comprehensive guide to finding both on and off campus housing, including costs, neighbourhoods, and more.

UBC Vancouver is situated in the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) – People of the River Grass. Learn more about Musqueam & UBC.

Getting to Campus from Vancouver International Airport: Find passenger guides on how to navigate through the Vancouver International Airport (YVR): https://www.yvr.ca/en/passengers/navigate-yvr

• To and From the Airport by Taxi: If you’ll be arriving in Vancouver via air, there is a 24-hour taxi service to and from the airport. Make sure to ask for the fixed fare for your destination.  Don’t let the taxi driver try to make you pay a different rate.
• To and From the Airport by Public Transit: The Canada Line runs from the airport to downtown Vancouver.  Use the Translink trip planner for your best travel options (It’s about $8.75)

Wayfinding at UBC: Feeling lost? You aren’t alone. This interactive map can help you find your way around UBC.

The Bike Kitchen provides students and the wider community with an accessible environment where they can learn to fix bicycles, share resources, and work together. They engage in cycling education, outreach and advocacy to promote biking as a safe and sustainable means of transportation.

HOPR Campus Bike Share: People living, studying, and working on campus have access to HOPR bikes for commuting on campus, running errands, and riding for fun. To get hoppin’, download the HOPR Transit App and choose a pass.

Campus Security offers support in the event of theft and provides 24/7 security services to promote a safe environment at UBC. Here is a list of services and tips to stay safe on campus:

• First Aid: https://security.ubc.ca/home/our-services/first-aid/
• UBC Safe APP: https://security.ubc.ca/home/safety-prevention-resources/ubc-safe-app/
• Emergency Blue Phones: https://security.ubc.ca/home/safety-prevention-resources/emergency-blue-phones/

• Protecting Your Property: https://security.ubc.ca/home/staying-safe/protecting-your-property/
• Getting Around Safely: https://security.ubc.ca/home/staying-safe/getting-around-safely/  

AMS Safewalk: You do not have to walk alone on campus. If you feel unsafe walking alone on campus after dark, Safewalk can accompany you to your destination. AMS Safewalk is a student-run safety service designed for anyone on the UBC campus who is traveling alone. Driving and walking teams are available to accompany individuals to their desired location after dusk. Safewalk prioritizes those who are vulnerable and feel unsafe traveling alone, allowing them to travel with a greater sense of security. The service is intended to give safe means of accompaniment when no other form is available.

• Safewalk operates from 8 pm to 2 am (9 pm to 2 am in the summer)
• Call Safewalk at 604-822-5355 or meet Safewalk team in the Nest building room 1314

UBC is committed to providing a safe, supportive, and inclusive living and learning environment with resources and services to support all students.

We invite you to take our course Introduction to Climate Action at UBC Vancouver to better understand climate action at UBC. This course will provide you with an overview of Climate Action at UBC Vancouver, including UBC's Climate Emergency Response, Climate-Related Student Engagement Opportunities, and Tips For Adopting a Climate-Friendly Campus Lifestyle. 

All students are welcome, from newcomers to this topic to seasoned climate and sustainability champions! Every step we take, no matter how big or small, will help us tackle climate change together!

UBC hosts several wireless networks to support students, faculty and staff on campus and at partner institutions. Check out which one will work best for you and get connected! 

UBC Information Technology provides technology services and support to help you with your online learning. Check out the UBC IT website. to find out more about the IT tools that will support you in your studies. 

Software 

Download Free Software: Don’t have Microsoft 365 yet?  Don’t fret. Students with a CWL account can download a free Microsoft 365 subscription. Microsoft Teams and OneDrive collaboration tools are also available to all students free of charge. 

Stay cybersafe!  
Keep your information secure when you’re learning remotely, and beware of phishing attempts to your inbox. Follow UBC tips and guidelines  to stay safe. 

Need help? 
The IT Service Centre is available to support you via webform or phone at 604.822.2008. Follow @UBCIToutages on Twitter for the latest updates on service outages and incidents. 

Additional IT Resources: 

• Learn about Advanced Research Computing and Resource Data Management 
• Check out the Emerging Media Lab on how you can incorporate augmented/virtual reality to your work. 
• Bookmark the Top Services for Researchers page to find IT resources during your studies 
• Learn about the Cloud Innovation Centre, UBC and Amazon Web Services’ first university-based cloud innovation centre in Canada. 

UBC Food Services: UBC has over 40 places to eat. Learn about all the great options for food, meal plans, and the hours of each location. Use your UBCcard and save.

The AMS Food Bank is an emergency food relief service for UBC students, offering non-perishable food items, personal hygiene items, budgeting tips, and information on additional resources in Vancouver. The AMS Food Bank receive supplies from a number of generous sponsors but otherwise rely on donations from students and staff to stock the food bank. 

The Acadia Food Hub is a community project at UBC supporting households with food and baby supplies. Explore more food and financial resources on and off campus.

Check out the many amazing museums, gardens, and event spaces on campus. Immerse yourself in live music, theatre, opera, film and more through Arts & Culture District events - many of which are free or discounted for UBC students. 

Visit UBC Events to learn about events happening all around campus.

With a wide variety of inclusive, accessible programs and resources UBC Recreation strives to create exceptional physical activity experiences that help students be their best while at university, build friendships and a sense of community, and enhance their wellbeing. UBC Grad students can enjoy perks and discounts on almost all UBC Recreation program offerings. Check out the facilities on campus including two fitness centres (the ARC & the BirdCoop), the UBC Aquatic Centre, the UBC Tennis Centre, and a number of grass and turf fields at Thunderbird Park.

The UBC Bookstore is your one-stop shop on campus.  In addition to course materials, students can purchase school supplies, home décor, apparel, food, tech items and more!  To shop online, visit bookstore.ubc.ca. For questions about course materials, feel free to reach out to the UBC Bookstore.

Visit the Student Services Centre (SSC) to access information and resources on academic support, tutoring, advising, health and well-being, career building, and recreation. You can also use the SSC to register for courses, pay for tuition, get your study permit in order, explore your housing and transportation options, order transcripts and diplomas, and apply to graduate.

As you navigate your graduate program at UBC, you are encouraged to visit grad.ubc.ca/current-students for resources and guidance for thesis submission, doctoral examinations, deadlines, and graduation. This site also includes the Handbook of Graduate Supervision (including an expectations document), Student Responsibilities, Managing your Program, and the Graduate Game Plan — a step-by-step guide to your degree.

Academic integrity is a commitment to upholding the values of respect, integrity, and accountability in coursework. Learning with integrity means submitting work that is one’s own, acknowledging the work of others, and following criteria provided by instructors. It is an essential part of being a member of the university community since learning with integrity ensures that graduates are properly credentialled.

The university’s academic misconduct regulation in the Academic Calendar describes the responsibilities and standards expected of all UBC persons.

UBC’s academic integrity website includes information and resources for students and faculty to learn more about academic integrity, understand its role, and learn what happens when it is breached.

UBC's generative AI website provides guidance on using Generative AI at UBC.

Conducting research ethically involves everyday decisions, behaviours and actions throughout the course of your research career.

The university’s Scholarly Integrity Policy (SC6) describes the related responsibilities and standards expected of all UBC persons engaged in scholarly activity.

UBC’s Scholarly Integrity Initiative offers teaching, learning and discussion resources in areas such as mentorship, data management, writing, authorship and publishing, and more to support you to responsibly conduct your research and scholarship.  This includes a short self-paced training module.

An online, on-demand RCR course that covers the core norms, principles, regulations, and rules governing the conduct of research is available through UBC's subscription.

The Office of Research Ethics is the home of research ethics at UBC and provides extensive guidance on research ethics practices and requirements and helps you trouble-shoot your specific research questions. Does your research involve human participants? See handout.

Are you involved in conducting Indigenous research? See the webpage for more information.

Important notes:

• Research ethics board (REB) review and approval is required when your research involves people or their data.
• REB approval is required to graduate and must be obtained before you start your research.
• Completion of the TCPS2 CORE tutorial is required before you start your research.

For questions, contact Behavioural Study Support or Clinical Study Support.

Go Global develops and facilitates international learning opportunities for UBC students: Global Seminars, Exchange, Summer Abroad, Research Abroad, and Cross-institutional student conferences and forums.

Go Global's programs offer UBC students the opportunity to explore the world; build independence, initiative and adaptability; and foster global citizenship while participating in meaningful international learning experiences.

Are you planning to travel outside of Canada for your research? If so, you have some responsibilities to prepare for safe travel including completing UBC’s Student Safety Abroad Registry.

Go Global coordinates UBC’s Student Safety Abroad Program, which includes a policy that sets out a process for approving student international travel for university activities. Please go to Student Safety Abroad for more information and for the Safety Abroad Registry, or contact Student Safety Abroad.

To learn more, visit the Go Global website or email inquiries.
To view a helpful PowerPoint PDF with information on the Go Global programs, please click here. 

With over 10 library branches on campus, you have access to resources and support to help you plan your research and get through your coursework.

Watch the quick video introduction to UBC Library for Grad students.

Contact your department’s subject Librarian.

See workshops for grad students.

Get support in navigating copyright for teaching, learning and research purposes with Copyright at UBC.

Access cIRcle, UBC’s open access digital repository for published and unpublished material created by the UBC community and its partners. Discover freely available teaching, learning, and research material, and submit your graduate thesis or non-thesis research.

Visit Open UBC to learn about open scholarship and what it means to teaching, learning, and research at UBC.

The Digital Tattoo Project provides resources and content to help you make your own informed decisions about your digital identity and learn about your rights and responsibilities as a digital citizen.

The Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication offers a wide variety of evidence-based workshops and retreats to support you in your writing across the disciplines and professions.

Located on the 4th and 5th floors of Koerner Library, the UBC Library Research Commons offers consultations, workshops and collaborative spaces for studying, research projects and hosting presentations. Our spaces feature a computer lab, group project rooms and brightly lit, quiet study spaces.

The Research Commons team provides workshops and personalized consultations to support you and your research, no matter what your discipline. We can help with:

• Citation management tools
• Data analysis and visualization
• Digital scholarship
• Geospatial information and technology
• Remote computing facilities
• Research computing (with our partners from UBC ARC)
• Research data management and data management plans
• Research ethics (with our partners from UBC Research Ethics)

See handout for information on our key resources.
Check out our upcoming workshops or request a consultation for yourself or your research team.

To get the latest news from the Research Commons, subscribe to the UBC Library Research Commons Newsletter.

The Centre for Writing and Scholarly Communication (CWSC) provides evidence-based writing consultations, workshops, and resources for UBC Vancouver community members. We welcome those with varying levels of English language proficiency, including multilingual speakers new to academic and professional English at a research university. The CWSC models best practices that support and promote linguistic diversity, expression, and identity in accord with UBC’s decolonizing, anti-racist, and inclusive Pathway to excellence.

The English Language Institute and UBC Extended Learning offer various courses and programs, with fees, to improve your communication in English.

The UBC Tandem Language Learning Program is a free initiative, where participants wishing to improve in a language are matched with a partner who speaks this language fluently, and at the same time wants to improve in the language the first person speaks. It is a program designed to build community through additional language acquisition, foster intercultural communication, and enhance cross-cultural understanding on campus.

Registration opens at the start of each term, in early September and January. Please contact us at tandem.program@ubc.ca. 

The Centre for Accessibility facilitates disability-related accommodations and programming designed to remove barriers for students with documented disabilities and ongoing medical conditions. You will have confidentiality about the nature of your diagnosis per the language of LR-7. To see if the Centre is right for you and for information on registering with the Centre for Accessibility, please click here to view an informative PDF.

The Applied Statistics and Data Science Group (ASDa) is the general statistical consulting group of the Department of Statistics at UBC. ASDa offers various services to graduate students including:

• the popular Statistical Opportunity for Students or SOS program, designed for graduate students to receive a free one-hour statistical consultation.
• the “The Fundamentals of Statistics” webinar series hosted through the Graduate Pathways to Success (GPS) program. See previous webinar recordings.
• assistance with your research project or thesis by hiring one of ASDa’s consultants.

If you are interested in learning to use the R statistical programming language, check their webpage Learn and use R for some suitable resources.

For a more thorough overview of the various services offered, please refer to ASDa’s corresponding Statistics department webpage and short 2 minute promotional video.  And use their Contact Us form to inquire further or to make a request for help.

UBC’s Public Scholars Initiative (PSI) was launched in 2015 to support UBC doctoral students who wish to make purposeful contributions to the public good through collaborative, action-oriented, and/or creative forms of scholarship in their dissertation work. Doctoral students who wish to extend their doctoral research beyond academia and beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries to have a tangible impact for public good should consider applying to the PSI. In its 10 years, PSI has accepted almost 400 Public Scholars into the program, seeking to address complex questions and challenges of our world through collaborations with almost 200 partners in all societal sectors in over 50 countries. PSI is also the largest network of interdisciplinary doctoral students and PhDs in Canada. Applications to the program take place each spring, from March to May. Learn more about the program and how to apply here.

A groundbreaking and award-winning program, PSI moves beyond ‘skills training’ and extracurricular experience and reimagines PhD pathways that legitimize and integrate broader conceptions of scholarship and scholarly products within the core of doctoral education – dissertation research. By recognizing these forms and products as worthy determinants of the granting of the PhD, UBC is promoting a renewed commitment to 21st century relevance for the academy’s highest degree. Coming from almost all faculties and disciplines, Public Scholars are united under the PSI umbrella with a passion to contribute to the public good. 

In partnership with UBC Health, PSI is accepting applications for a new health equity stream. The Health Equity Stream is a dedicated funding source to further increase the number of PSI scholars working to impact health equity within local, national, and global health systems. 

In addition to the PSI programming, scholars in the Health Equity Stream will have the opportunity to engage in learning and networking focused on building interdisciplinary connections and a community of doctoral students working to improve health equity. 

ARC is UBC's dedicated service for researchers across all disciplines working on questions that have large computational and data needs. The main digital research infrastructure (DRI) platforms, Sockeye and Chinook, offer free high performance computing resources (yes, including GPUs!), object storage, and all the hands-on support that goes along with using these platforms. All of the DRI services are suitable even for highly sensitive data.

In addition to Sockeye and Chinook, ARC offers training, consultation, including research proposal support, hosting survey platforms, and commercial cloud computing infrastructure. ARC is constantly evolving to meet the needs of UBC's researchers and always welcome any suggestions or feedback from the UBC research community.

ARC is also in partnership with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) to ensure UBC researchers have continued access and assistance to leverage the national DRI.

ARC's services are provided free-of-charge to the UBC community.

The Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre is the home for UBC alumni for life and the UBC alumni community is now 350,000 strong, living in more than 140 countries. alumni UBC offers an array of programs and services, both in person and online, to benefit alumni - and current students - in the life of UBC. From career resources, stimulating intellectual programming, networking opportunities, to the award-winning University of British Columbia Magazine, alumni UBC keeps you current and connected.

The centre offers a variety of services and resources aimed at assisting graduate students with career guidance and development, including weekly drop-in and advising sessions. Events include employer information sessions, recruitment fairs, and workshops. Graduate students can access events and services at any time during their degree, and up to 1 year post graduation.

The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) provides a variety of graduate student programs and support related to teaching, TA training, use of technology in educational programming as well as a certificate program for those wishing to pursue a career in teaching and learning in higher education.

The Graduate Pathways to Success program in Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies offers a palette of non-credit workshops, seminars and other activities designed to develop some of the skills and competencies needed to thrive as professionals and to make meaningful contributions to society.

Multiple units within the Vice-President, Research and Innovation portfolio work together to assist UBC researchers, scholars and their partners to generate social, health, environmental and economic impacts in BC and around the world.

These units guide UBC researchers and their partners through the most effective channels, including patenting and licensing, venture building or forming new partnerships with industry, government, non-profit or community groups.

The following supports are available to help you:

• build research partnerships: Innovation Partnerships and University-Industry Liaison Office
• impact policies, practice or public debate: The UBC Knowledge Exchange Unit
• commercialize your research discoveries: University-Industry Liaison Office
• create and build ventures: University-Industry Liaison Office and entrepreneurship@UBC. 

Mitacs offers a range of opportunities. Accelerate supports postdoctoral and student research internships that help businesses and not-for-profit organizations reach their goals and achieve results. Business Strategy Internships are for students and postdocs developing innovative projects to help organizations thrive. Training provides professional skills development courses. Globalink helps students and fellows to take their research abroad by offering travel funding between Canada and several international partners.

Please visit the Mitacs website or connect with a Mitacs representative to learn more.

Mitacs Training provides professional development courses for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. The curriculum is designed to build competencies in five key areas recognized as vital to professional success: professional and career fundamentals, interpersonal skills, communication, leadership and management, and intrapreneuralism. This professional development opportunity consists of course bundles that include an online instructor-led workshop and a self-paced online component. The instructor-led workshops are offered in an interactive learning environment facilitated by leading business and industry professionals. Candidates do not need to apply for other Mitacs programs to access Mitacs Training. Sessions are offered at no charge to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows currently registered at a Canadian university.

To learn more about Mitacs’s unique courses, please visit Mitacs Training.

Graduate students may register through UBC’s institutional subscription for this online, on-demand mentoring, tools, and support, including webinars and a 12-week Dissertation Success Curriculum, to help you succeed in the academy. Programming focuses on the following 4 key areas: Strategic Planning, Explosive Productivity, Healthy Relationships and Work-Life-Balance.

Stay updated with information about fees and tuition by visiting Tuition, Fees & Cost of Living. 

UBC has many financial resources and tools for students, including financial advising, workshops, and more.

There are also options to work on campus while completing your graduate studies through Student Service Appointments, On-Campus work, or  Work Learn Program.

The Office of the Ombudsperson for Students is an independent, impartial, and confidential resource to ensure students are treated fairly in their university life. The Ombuds Office is not influenced by the University, does not take sides, and does not share information unless authorized to do so. The Ombuds Office helps students navigate campus-related fairness concerns, which includes clarifying UBC policies and procedures, exploring options, identifying resources and supports, planning strategies and next steps, and problem solving constructively. Their sound and practical advice empowers students to advocate for themselves and move forward.

The GSS Advocacy Office provides confidential assistance to individual graduate students facing difficulties academically or otherwise.

The Equity & Inclusion Office's mission is to advance equity and human rights at UBC by promoting diversity, eliminating discrimination, and engaging the community in dialogue and action. Find resources and take workshops that support employment equity, education, leadership, and proactive initiatives while building resiliency and a respectful environment. Unsure if you are experiencing discrimination or personal harassment, you can always make an appointment with a Human Rights Advisor at the Equity & Inclusion Office.

The UBC Investigations Office (IO) responds to formal reports of sexual misconduct and discrimination involving students, faculty, and staff through investigations and alternative resolution processes under UBC’s Sexual Misconduct Policy (SC17) and Discrimination Policy (SC7). If you or another campus community member has experienced sexual misconduct or human rights-based discrimination, visit the IO’s resources page for supports. A written report to the IO, submitted through the IO website, is required to initiate any process.

Folks can confidentially discuss their reporting options and have all of the IO’s processes explained before submitting a report.

Email or call the IO to set up a no-obligation consultation meeting.

Contact your graduate program administrator or graduate advisor for department-specific questions or challenges.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies provides a plethora of information to help you manage your program including information on academic progress, helping with leaves, conflict resolution, and more.

CUPE 2278 is a local of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) representing Teaching Assistants, Tutors, Markers, and Graduate Academic Assistants at UBC, Invigilators at UBC Centre for Accessibility, Instructors in the UBC English Language Institute, and Graduate Teaching Assistants at UNBC.

CUPE 2278 engages in collective bargaining with the university to fight for fair working conditions for all members. Find them on Instagram and on Facebook. To get assistance with workplace challenges, contact the Advocate. To become involved in your union, please contact the President. 

UBC has a large and vibrant community of Indigenous students, faculty members, staff and friends. You can learn more about the many Indigenous-focused programs and services aimed at supporting Indigenous graduate student academic and personal success through the Indigenous Graduate Student page.

The centre of Indigenous community on campus is the First Nations Longhouse. The Longhouse sponsors many workshops, social gatherings, ceremonies and support programs throughout the year. It also is the home to the šxʷta:təχʷəm – formerly Indigenous Student Collegium, the First Nations House of Learning (FNHL), a computer lab, and the Xwi7xwa Library.

šxʷta:təχʷəm is unique in that it works to support all Indigenous students from first year through graduate school. This home away from home provides space to find community, support from peers, discover resources and opportunities and enjoy cultural and social events. For ongoing updates follow šxʷta:təχʷəm on Instagram.

Indigenous graduate students are also invited to join SAGE (Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement), an initiative to support Indigenous graduate student success through faculty and peer mentorship, academic workshops, speaker series, writing circles, networking and more. E-mail to join the SAGE listserv.

To learn more about Indigenous student spaces on campus, Indigenous student groups, and Indigenous student resources, visit the Faculty of Arts' Indigenous Student Advising Community website or check out their student spaces on campus.

Advancing Indigenous Inclusion is a key strategic priority in Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS).  Learn more. G+PS partners with faculty and staff across the university to ensure that Indigenous graduate students receive support throughout their UBC experience, from pre-application through to program completion. Contact Brianne Howard, Director of Student Support if you have questions.

Indigenous Initiatives at CTLT  develops and offers programming, resources, and consultations focused on Indigenous engagement in curriculum, pedagogy, classroom climate, and professional development.

Their approaches include:

• Campus and Classroom Climate
• Having Difficult Conversations
• Bridging the Knowledge Gap
• Positionality and Intersectionality
• Indigenization, Decolonization, and Reconciliation

The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at UBC addresses the colonial legacy of residential schools and other policies imposed by the Canadian government on Indigenous Peoples, and ensures that this history is acknowledged, examined and understood within the UBC community. The Centre works with partners across disciplines, at UBC and beyond, to facilitate dialogues and access to records and information that support engaging the legacies of the residential school system and the on-going impacts of colonialism in Canada.

Between the late 1800s and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children attended Indian residential schools. What does this legacy look like today?

Visit the UBC’s Residential School History and Dialogue Centre online to learn about the ongoing legacy of residential schools in Canada:

• browse our collections
• listen to Survivor testimony
• attend an event
• and more.

Indigenous Research Support Initiative (IRSI)  facilitates research that is developed and conducted in collaboration with Indigenous communities and led by Indigenous perspectives.

Indigenous Research Support Initiative also supports research excellence and helps create and sustain meaningful collaborations with Indigenous communities.

Check their website for information on:

• Working with IRSI
• Indigenous Research Collaborations
• Research toolkit
• Resources
• and more!

To note: the Office of Research Ethics also provides support for conducting Indigenous research. See the webpage for more information.

Located on the second floor of the AMS Nest (room 2131), the lounge is a password-protected Indigenous space for students to decompress, deconstruct, and decolonize. There are board games, a small kitchenette, couches, TV, and study area. Visit their Facebook page for password information.

Museum Of Anthropology: https://moa.ubc.ca/

Visit the Museum of Anthropology to explore arts and culture from around the world with a special emphasis on the First Nations peoples and other cultural communities of British Columbia. Free with your UBC student card. There is also an amazing gift shop! 

Indigitization: https://www.indigitization.ca/

The Indigitization Program, a collaborative initiative between BC Aboriginal groups and academic partners from UBC and the University of Northern British Columbia, offers resources through the Indigitization toolkit, supports community-led digitization projects with training workshops, identifies funding opportunities, and advocates for ongoing funding directly to Aboriginal partners for long-term cultural heritage management.

xwc̓ic̓əsəm: Indigenous Health Research and Education Garden at UBC Farm

The Indigenous Health Research and Education Garden (IHREG), located at UBC Farm aims to serve educational and research needs related to Indigenous knowledge and its intersections with other ways of knowing.

The Graduate Student Community is an online portal that includes:

• an interactive newly admitted checklist,
• forums for incoming graduate students to help you get settled into your life as a UBC Vancouver graduate student,
• forums for current graduate students regarding current career, workshop, and funding opportunities, and
• a graduate student-specific event calendar.

The GSS provides an independent voice for UBC-V graduate students. They advocate on student-related academic, personal, and financial issues both within the university and at a provincial and federal level; administer a health and dental plan; support and collaborate with other graduate student organizations; and provide opportunities for peer connection and student wellbeing through social events and discounted programming.

The executive team of five graduate students, together with the GSS council, committees, and staff, lead the society to provide support, resources, political advocacy and social events to connect grad students across campus with each other, the university, and the government.

The Alma Mater Society (AMS)
Alma Mater Society (AMS) of UBC offers student services and advocacy ranging from tutoring to resource groups. With over 350 Student Clubs there are plenty of ways to get involved. Can’t find something you’re interested in? Start a club yourself.

Check out the list of Graduate Student Associations and Clubs.

If you are a student who is a parent, there are plenty of programs, resources and initiatives that can assist you. The students who are parents website offers information on community centres and family activities, support on campus, information on daycares and schools, and more

The printable resources for Graduate Students with Families document also includes information on housing, child care and schools, fun things to do as well as resources for settling in.

The Global Lounge is a space for global citizenship and social justice events and initiatives, sharing new ideas, making new friends, or finding support for events or initiatives of your own.

It is also a space to build community and socialize among like-minded students – come to study or eat your lunch and learn more about what the space has to offer.

The University Multi Faith Chaplains Association is here for the religious AND the non-religious person on campus. After all we are all spiritual persons! We have chaplains from some of the major global faith groups serving at UBC: Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh and Christian. 

When you reach out to a chaplain or stop in at their office here in the Life Building or meet them at one of their tables in the first year dorms you are going to find that:

1. A Chaplain is a friendly listening ear. They will ask questions and hear you out. Their spiritual roots run deep and they care for you no matter your faith background.
2. Chaplains are part of a faith community and serve with student groups and clubs on campus. Some chaplains have had training for this kind of work. Others have been nominated as trusted leaders within their community. All the UBC chaplains volunteer with the UMCA.
3. The UMCA Chaplains would be happy to help you meet other students. Most of these group gather weekly and have a variety of spiritual practices — like meditation, prayer, teachings, and of course eating together!
4. Chaplains are great connectors and will be thoughtful about the referrals they make.
5. You can learn more at UBC Chaplains or by checking out their linktree: https://linktr.ee/UMCAatUBC