The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of the top-ranked public research universities in the world with campuses located in Vancouver and Okanagan, Canada. It is a global center for learning, teaching, and research that embraces curiosity, innovation, determination, and vision to form a better world. It pursues excellence in all aspects including an engagement to nurture global citizenship and sustainable society while promoting integrity, respect, accountability, and academic freedom. The university’s global engagement including international research partnerships, student exchanges, and joint degree programs continually develops to ensure that the students, faculty, and staff will stay connected with the best learning and teaching experience and wide-ranging opportunities around the world. It offers Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical and Computer Engineering program designed to enhance the ability of the students for independent research and pursue advanced studies in computer and software systems, communications systems, micro and nano technologies, biomedical technologies, and energy systems. The program will equip the students with a thorough understanding and real-world experience while conducting research in communications and network technologies, computer engineering, systems control and automation, data analytics, and signal processing. Moreover, they will also be equipped with expertise and techniques in statistics, optimization, signal processing and control, algorithmic solutions, and theoretical framework. Facilities will be provided for research to better obtain excellent hands-on experience.
Throughout the program duration, learners will acquire strategies across hardware and software layers in computer systems and will develop techniques for the design and evaluation of protocols, algorithms, architectures, and management strategies for communications systems. Likewise, learners will perform distributed security design, coding, channel modeling, optical transceiver, sensors, multiple access, and target tracking, and in the same way, they will conduct research about the blockchain with the help and support of the university’s research group which will provide blockchain training to strengthen the existing programs. Furthermore, Ph.D. students are required to complete the final oral defense, defend the dissertation and its underlying methodology, assumptions, results, and conclusions. The doctoral program will prepare the students for direct employment after finishing the degree and may enjoy job positions such as software development engineer, software developer, embedded software engineer, research scientist, research engineer, senior consultant, and senior engineer.
The admission requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC) are an online application and application fee, a minimum average overall grade of B+ or 3.3 on a 4.0 point scale on the master’s program, 3 reference letters, a statement of purpose, English language proficiency TOEFL iBT minimum overall score of 100 with 22 in each component or IELTS overall score of 7/9 with 6.0 in each component, official transcripts, curriculum vitae, criminal record check, proof of citizenship, and research supervisor.
Full-time students are required to spend a minimum of 2 consecutive years and a maximum of 6 years to complete the program. Canadian citizens, permanent residents, refugees, and diplomats are required to pay the tuition fee of $5,301.54 per year while international students are required to pay $9,313.92 per year. UBC awards scholarships, financial aid, and assistantships to qualified students to finance their studies.
