Admission Requirements & Deadlines

1. Check MFRE and UBC Admissions Requirements

MFRE Requirements

To be a successful applicant to the MFRE program, you should have an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in an area such as economics, agricultural economics or business that provides a solid background in economics.

Specific course requirements:

1. Mathematical competency, at least differential calculus (equivalent to MATH 100 or MATH 110 at UBC).
2. Statistical competency, at least one course in statistics (equivalent to LFS 252 or ECON 325 at UBC).
3. Introductory economic theory micro and macro-economic principles courses (equivalent to ECON 101 and 102 at UBC)
4. Intermediate micro-economic theory (equivalent to ECON 301 or COMM295 at UBC).
5. At least two additional MFRE related courses at the intermediate level (300 or 400 level courses) in Economics, Environmental Economics, Agricultural Economics, Resource Economics or Economic-based Commerce courses (COMM 446, COMM394).

Students lacking any of the above four competencies will need to fill these gaps before being admitted to the MFRE program. Connect with the MFRE program for suggestions and review of transcript to assist your course selection. Email: mfre.admin@ubc.ca

UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies minimum standards of admission.

Students with Canadian or US Credentials

Normally, applicants for a master’s degree program must hold the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor’s degree from UBC including ONE of the following:

1. A minimum overall average of B+ (76% at UBC) in third- and fourth-year courses. This includes the courses taken in your third and fourth years. At UBC, these courses are referred to as “upper level” and are given 300 and 400 level numbers.
2. At least 12 credits of third or fourth year courses that are important to the MFRE degree with at least A- (at UBC, 80% or higher) in each course. At UBC, these would include 300 or 400 level courses in ECON, FRE and COMM. These 12 credits must all be obtained from the same institution.

Students with Degrees from Other Countries

Please review the minimum requirements by country. The requirements are not based on your citizenship, but where you received your academic credentials that will most likely form the basis for admission to a UBC graduate program. UBC Graduate Studies minimum requirements.

2. Gather and Organize Application Documents

You will need the following documents for your application

• Transcripts: You must obtain an official paper transcript from every post-secondary institution you have attended, regardless of whether you obtained a degree or not (including Canadian DEC programmes). Each transcript should then be scanned as an individual .pdf file and then uploaded to the application system as indicated.

  Original, official transcripts and degree certificates will be required once applicants are offered admission. More details will be in the official UBC letter of admission. UBC Graduate Studies Transcripts

• Letters of Reference: A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. Depending on your situation, a mix of academic and professional references can be used. UBC Graduate Studies Reference Letters.

• English Language Proficiency: If you’re applying from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction, you must provide results from an English language proficiency examination as part of your application. UBC Graduate Studies English Language Test

  Resume: Please submit a resume that emphasizes your academic background, volunteer work, and professional experiences, particularly noting any skills and contributions relevant to the MFRE program

• Statement of Intent (500 words maximum) UBC Graduate Studies Statement of Interest

  The Statement of Interest for the MFRE program should clearly describe the following points.

  • Your connection with the Climate, Food / Natural Resources / Environmental sectors. Explain how you got involved in these fields and/or you motivation to further understand them through the MFRE program.
  • How the MFRE program fits with your future career plans.
  • Your background, interests and goals. Tell us about yourself!

  Ensure your application is completed by the deadline or earlier. It takes just one missing item, such as a letter of reference or a TOEFL score, to hold up your application. The later you apply, the less chance you have of securing a position and/or merit award with the MFRE program. After you submit your application, it might benefit you to contact your referees after 1-2 weeks and confirm they have submitted their letters.

3. Apply Online

Application Form and Fee UBC Graduate Studies Online Application

You are required to pay a non-refundable application fee. The online application requires a credit card payment via VISA or Mastercard, or Interac/debit from individuals with banking accounts at Scotiabank, Royal Bank, or TD Canada Trust.

4. After Application Submission

The MFRE review process involves the following:

Review Process: Completed applications will be evaluated by both the MFRE Admissions Committee and the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Academic courses and grades, work experience, and connection/interest in the climate, food and environmental sector are the focus of the review. Be sure you make these clear in your application documents, resume, and statement of interest. Each completed application is assessed by the MFRE Admissions Committee for the MFRE awards at the same time as they are reviewed for admissions.

Interviews: Select candidates may be contacted to complete an Online Interview (asynchronous). The purpose of the Online Interview is to provide the opportunity for MFRE to meet you virtually and for you to be able to tell us about yourself. The Online Interview includes 3 video questions and 1 written question. The questions do not have a right or wrong answer, and they are not economic or business content questions. They are questions developed by MFRE that provide us with additional information on our candidates and you with a good sense of MFRE’s culture and values.

Notification of Offers: You will be notified of an admission decision by mid February or mid March via email/letter. If you require an earlier offer or have questions, please email us at mfre.lfs@ubc.ca.

5. Accepting an Offer of Admission

If you are accepted to the MFRE program, you will receive a formal letter of admission from UBC Graduate Studies and a Welcome Letter from the MFRE program. To confirm your acceptance you must:

• Formally accept your offer of admission on the Graduate Studies Online Application system
• Submit a non-refundable deposit.
• Send your official transcripts to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office when available
• Fulfill any other conditions described in your offer of admission

6. Check Your Application Status

To check the status of your application and to provide any new information or updated documentation required, please log in to My Applications. My Applications is also where you can find Information about your references and the status of your reference requests.

For students who find out about the MFRE program late, have their applications held up by a missing item, or have not heard by the deadlines, please contact the program with your questions at mfre.lfs@ubc.ca.