Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)

University of British Columbia

Canada, Vancouver

University RankQS Ranking

Apply Now!

Go to Official Website

Home/Canada/Vancouver /University of British Columbia/Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)

University of British Columbia

Canada , Vancouver

Key Facts

Program Level

PhD (Philosophy Doctorate)

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Vancouver

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 7 year(s)

Tuition Fee

CAD 9,884 / per year

Apply Date 15-May-2023

Next Intake September-2026

Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Genetics (PhD)

About

The UBC Department of Medical Genetics is an inspiring and productive community of scholars of genetics and genomics. It is an outstanding provider of knowledge, technical expertise, and compassionate care for our patients. Faculty members in the Department of Medical Genetics are at the forefront of their fields using cutting edge genetic, epigenetic, genomic, and bioinformatic methodologies to gain insight into diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative and neurological disorders, and other genetic diseases. Research is highly interactive and often involves local, national, and international collaborations which further enrich the research experience.

Individual labs conduct clinical and/or translational research and basic experimental research engaging a wide variety of approaches including the use of model organisms such as mice, flies (D. melanogaster), worms (C. elegans), and yeast (S. cerevisiae).

Disciplines

Faculty of Medicine

Requirements

Entry Requirements

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum Academic Requirements

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement: 100

Reading

Writing

Speaking

Listening

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement: 7.5

Reading

7.0

Writing

7.0

Speaking

7.0

Listening

7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

Prior degree, course and other requirements

Prior Degree Requirements

MSc degree (focused on life sciences, biotechnology, etc.)

Course Requirements

Mandatory advanced-level courses in:

Genetics and/or genomics

Strongly recommended advanced-level courses in one or more of the following:

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Biostatistics (Statistics)
Bioinformatics

Additional criteria:

Relevant laboratory research experience
Excellent references with assessment of research expertise and aptitude

Document Requirements

A complete application includes:

Application form

Letter of interest / intent (1 page)

Curriculum Vitae

References (3)

TOEFL or IELTS test scores – if applicable

Your application will not be reviewed, and therefore be rejected if your OVERALL AND COMPONENT test scores are below the required Medical Genetics minimum scores. There will be no exceptions.

Official post-secondary transcripts; and degree certificates (international students)

Unofficial transcripts, web transcripts and poor-quality scans are not acceptable. Do not include high school transcripts.
Each transcript must be scanned as a single PDF document and MUST include the grading key.

Other Requirements

Successful applicants meet and often exceed the admissions and pre-requisite requirements:

Typically have relevant, independent, multi-month (wet or dry) laboratory research experience;
Typically have excellent, detailed reference letters with assessment of applicant's research expertise and aptitude by direct research supervisors, not just from course instructors;
Often have won awards and/or published journal articles and/or presented posters or platform presentations and/or attended professional meetings and/or volunteered for science-related events (outreach, etc.)

Career

Career Outcomes

53 students graduated between 2005 and 2013: 1 is in a non-salaried situation; for 4 we have no data (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016). For the remaining 48 graduates:

RI (Research-Intensive) Faculty: typically tenure-track faculty positions (equivalent of the North American Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor positions) in PhD-granting institutions
TI (Teaching-Intensive) Faculty: typically full-time faculty positions in colleges or in institutions not granting PhDs, and teaching faculty at PhD-granting institutions
Term Faculty: faculty in term appointments (e.g. sessional lecturers, visiting assistant professors, etc.)

Sample Employers in Higher Education

University of British Columbia (9)
Stanford University (2)
University of Toronto (2)
Washington University in St Louis (2)
Babraham Institute
University of Hong Kong
University of Calgary
Duke University
Ulm University
University of Warwick

Sample Employers Outside Higher Education

BC Cancer Agency (3)
Hospital for Sick Children (2)
Mayo Clinic
PROOF Centre of Excellence
InSilixa, Inc.
Vancouver Coastal Health
Rick Hansen Institute
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Provincial Health Services Authority
Spectrum Mobile Health

Sample Job Titles Outside Higher Education

Postdoctoral Fellow (3)
Scientist (2)
Research Associate (2)
Site Manager
Staff Scientist
Strategic Development Officer
Management Consultant
Director, Co-founder
Associate Project Manager
Senior Product Marketing Manager

PhD Career Outcome Survey

You may view the full report on career outcomes of UBC PhD graduates on outcomes.grad.ubc.ca.

Disclaimer

These data represent historical employment information and do not guarantee future employment prospects for graduates of this program. They are for informational purposes only. Data were collected through either alumni surveys or internet research.

Career Options

The PhD program in Medical Genetics is a research-based, thesis-based program which generally takes five to six years to complete. Graduates find employment in the public and private sector, and also pursue further studies in the field of Medical Genetics. Following is a brief sample of occupations that our graduates are pursuing:

Academia:
- Assistant Professor / Associate Clinical Professor, etc.
- Principal Investigator
- Canada Research Chair
Advanced Training:
- Post-doctoral Fellow
- Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Postdoctoral Fellow
- Fellow of the Canadian College of Medical Genetics
- Postdoctoral Clinical Laboratory Fellow
- Diagnostics Laboratory Manager
- Medical Doctor
Industry / Clinical Careers:
- Clinical Molecular Geneticist and Cytogeneticist
- Research Program Manager
- Online Marketing Coordinator
- Scientific Sales Representative
- Research and Development Scientist