Individual Joint Doctoral Programs

Note: New agreements for entry to Individual Joint Doctoral Programs are not being accepted until further notice.

Degrees Offered: Ph.D., Ed.D., D.M.A.

UBC offers the ability for individual students to enter a collaborative academic program of scholarship & research, which is jointly designed, supervised and examined by faculty from UBC and another university. An Individual Joint Doctoral program is a single doctora degree (a Ph.D., an Ed.D., or a D.M.A.) jointly awarded by the two universities. Each joint doctoral program is based on an existing Ph.D., Ed.D., or D.M.A. program at UBC, but is individually developed and customized for a particular student in collaboration with another university.

The academic and research program of a student enrolled in an Individual Joint Doctoral Program should be based on ongoing or developing research collaboration between research groups in the two participating universities and may also reflect an active collaboration between two universities that are part of a network. The student is expected to spend significant periods of time engaged in academic work at each university.

The student is enrolled in a specific graduate program at each university. The university of the student's principal supervisor will be designated as their "lead" university.

Individual Joint Doctoral degree arrangements should be established from the outset of the student's enrolment at UBC. Enrolment in a Joint Doctoral degree will not normally be allowed after the student has advanced to doctoral candidacy at UBC.

Admission Requirements

Students wishing to pursue a joint doctoral degree must be recommended for admission by a specific doctoral program at UBC. Students must satisfy the admission requirements of - and be admitted by - both universities.

Program Requirements

Each Individual Joint Doctoral Program will require a reciprocal written agreement between the two collaborating universities, which outlines the specific details of the academic program that the student will be required to complete. The agreement must specify arrangements related to the assignment and monitoring of supervision, required coursework, comprehensive examination, dissertation requirements including the language, length and format of dissertation, oral defense, and submission of final dissertation. The academic program must satisfy all doctoral requirements at each university.

The agreement must also specify additional responsibilities and regulations, such as the administration of student admission, enrolment, progression and graduation, provision of funding and infrastructure support, charging of tuition and other fees, intellectual property guidelines, maximum duration of program, misconduct and appeals processes, and the format and wording of transcripts and degree certificates.

The written agreement is signed at each university by the academic vice-president, the dean of graduate studies, and dean of the faculty in which the student is enrolled (or equivalent positions).

Contact Information

A student wishing to pursue an Individual Joint Doctoral Program should inquire within a specific graduate program about the possibility of doing so.

General information about Individual Joint Doctoral programs can be obtained from:

UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
180-6371 Crescent Road
Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2
Tel: 604.822.2848
Fax: 604.822.5802
Email: graduate.sas@ubc.ca
Web: www.grad.ubc.ca


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