The Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics offers MSc and PhD graduate degrees. Major areas of research in the Department include neural, cardiovascular, respiratory, neuroscience, and clinical pharmacology as well as drug development. The shared research interests in anesthesiology, pharmacology and therapeutics allow students to gain broad-based exposure to fundamental as well as medically related aspects of drug research. Faculty members receive operating grants from CIHR, NSERC, The Heart Foundation, etc.. Many of our students receive CIHR and NSERC studentship awards.
Education Requirements
The Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology & Therapeutics encourages applications for graduate study from highly qualified and motivated students with a background in pharmacology, biology, physiology, neuroscience, and related fields.
English Language Requirements
Program specific requirements include minimum English language proficiency results. The Department requires a minimum overall score of 100 with a minimum score of 22 in each component of TOEFL, and an overall band score of 7.0 with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component of IELTS. Further information on acceptable English proficiency tests are available at: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/english-language-test
The English language test requirement is waived for applicants with undergraduate or graduate degree(s) from an English-speaking country; for further details, refer to: https://you.ubc.ca/applying-ubc/requirements/english-language-competency/elas-countries/
Research Supervisors
It is the student’s responsibility to identify a faculty member who is willing to supervise their research. A research supervisor is a requirement for admission.
Departmental areas of research can be found here: https://med-fom-apt-2026.sites.olt.ubc.ca/research/
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral studies also provide resources for prospective students for identifying a research supervisor: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/research-supervisors
Application Process
Full details on the entry requirements and application process can be found on the UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website:
MSc in Pharmacology: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/graduate-degree-programs/master-of-science-pharmacology
PhD in Pharmacology: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/graduate-degree-programs/phd-pharmacology
Funding
Prospective students are encouraged to become familiar with sources of financial support, including from UBC, granting agencies such as CIHR & NSERC, and prospective supervisors. The Department provides minimum funding support for MSc students ($25,000 per annum) and PhD students ($40,000 per annum). The funding package may consist of any combination of internal or external awards, teaching-related work, research assistantships, and graduate academic assistantships. Please see website for more details: https://med-fom-apt-2026.sites.olt.ubc.ca/department-resources/students-resources/current-graduate-students/funding/)
Graduate Awards
BPOC Graduate Excellence Award program – Awards starting May 2023 onward
Please click on link below for further details:
BPOC GRADUATE EXCELLENCE AWARD – UBC
Dr. K. Leighton Pharmacology and Therapeutics Graduate Award
Awards totaling ~$1,200 (such as $600 for a PhD trainee, $600 for a MSc trainee) have been made available through an endowment established by APT professors emeriti. Selection criteria: An email is sent early Spring to all PCTH graduate students inviting those who have done a minimum of 1 full term as an APT graduate trainee to submit an updated CV. Ranking of productivity for the past 2 years is done according to the same criteria as Tri-council awards (CIHR & NSERC). Pre-APT productivity (e.g., publications related to work done before starting in PCTH) can represent a maximum of 25% of the final score. Awardees are not eligible for the following year’s competition.
How To Apply: Students are invited to submit a CV.
Application Deadline: Decided by Dept during the summer.
How to Adjudicate: No adjudication. To be decided by Graduate Advisor and Associate Head.
The Stephen Sacks Award
This annual award worth $300 is named after Dr. Stephen Sacks, Professor in APT, who passed away in 2003. Two graduate students with the best presentations in PCTH 514 (graduate student seminar course) are nominated to share the award based on the recommendation of the PCTH 514 course coordinators.
How To Apply: Students do not need to apply.
Application Deadline: Decided by Dept during the summer.
How to Adjudicate: No adjudication. Prize is shared by one PhD and one MSc student with the best presentations plus a combination of attendance, participation and feedback from participants and faculty. Awards are decided by the Graduate Advisor and Dept Head.
GSI – Graduate Studies Initiatives (Replacing PhD Tuition Waiver)
The Graduate Support Initiative (GSI) provides funding for new PCTH graduate students through a one-time entrance scholarship. Funding is allocated annually by FoM and typically distributed to new students late Winter of each calendar year.
How To Apply: Students do not need to apply.
Application Deadline: Decided by Dept around late Winter.
How to Adjudicate: No adjudication. A portion goes to PhD tuitions and any balance to be decided by Graduate Advisor and Head.
4YF – Four Year Doctoral Fellowship
Started since 2008-09. 4YF provides funding for UBC’s best PhD students of at least $18,000/year plus tuition for the first four years of their PhD studies. Annual slot(s) provided by FoGS for Dept’s recommendation during the summer.
How To Apply: By competition. Eligible PhD students are invited to submit a CV to the Dept.
Application Deadline: Decided by the Dept during the Summer.
How to Adjudicate: Students submit CVs to be ranked by the Dept Graduate Studies Committee which ranks them and selects the top ranked student for the award.
PAEIPA – Presidents Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award
Please click on the link below for further details:
PRESIDENT’S ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE INITIATIVE PHD AWARD (PAEIPA)
Tri-Agencies – CIHR-masters; NSERC-doctoral or masters & affiliated awards
Students submit applications to compete for CIHR-masters, NSERC-masters, NSERC-doctoral or affiliated award. FoGS provides each Dept. a quota of applications for forwarding to FoGS. All student applications will be ranked by Dept G/S Committee and Dept would submit the maximum quota of applications to FoGS for institutional ranking.
Exception: CIHR-doctoral do not need ranking – student submit appl. directly to CIHR
How To Apply: By competition. Student to submit an application for Dept & FoGS ranking
Application Deadline: Student deadline is two weeks ahead of FoGS’s deadline (around mid-Oct) for Dept’s recommendations
How to Adjudicate: All applications will be ranked by the Dept G/S committee and Dept would submit maximum quota of applications to FoGS before the deadline.
Vanier Scholarship – Doctoral (CIHR-doctoral/NSERC-doctoral)
The Vanier Scholarships Program offers funding of $50,000 per annum for up to 36 months to Canadian or international doctoral students. International students are also eligible to apply.
How To Apply: Submit an application following instructions provided by FoGS for Dept & institutional ranking
Application Deadline: Early September annually
How to Adjudicate: Each dept may submit a max. of 3 applications to FoGS. So far, Dept received only one-two applications annually. Dept simply forwarded all appl. to FoGS without adjudication. Need adjudication only if more than 3 applications are rec’d
IPTS – International Partial Tuition Scholarship
The International Partial Tuition Scholarship assists international graduate students with their tuition fees if they are registered full-time in research-oriented master’s and doctoral programs that assess tuition fees of $7,344 per year. With an IPTS, an international student is actually paying the same fee as a local student.
How To Apply: No need to apply
Application Deadline: Available as soon as an eligible intn’l grad student started the grad program
How to Adjudicate: Dept is not involved. An eligible international graduate student will receive IPTS as long as he/she is registered in the grad program
Graduate Student Travel Fund
The Travel Fund provides travel support to a maximum of $500 per graduate student. Graduate students are eligible for reimbursement from the Graduate Student Travel Fund once per degree program. One each in Master and PhD programs. For more information about the Graduate Student Travel Fund, please see FoGS website: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/graduate-student-travel-fund
How To Apply: Submit an application to FoGS
Application Deadline: Applications accepted throughout the year.
How to Adjudicate: Dept is not involved. Application & receipts to be submitted directly to FoGS.
Duration of Study
An MSc in Pharmacology takes on average of 2-3 years to complete. A PhD in Pharmacology takes on average of 4-5 years to complete.
Graduate Program Administration
Graduate Program Director: Dr. Pascal Bernatchez – pascal.bernatchez@ubc.ca
Graduate and Postodoctoral Studies Program Committee: Terms of Reference (pdf)
Graduate Program Secretary: Wynne Leung – anae-pcth.ugmscphd@ubc.ca