Academic Regulations

All MSc students must remain continuously registered in one of the thesis (CPSC 549A or 549B) or essay (CPSC 589) options until the degree is completed except for periods of time when the student is away on an official leave of absence.  Failure to register for two consecutive terms may result in the student being required to withdraw.

Transfer Credits

Students may request to transfer up to a maximum of 12 credits toward their MSc degree.  These transfer credits cannot have been used as the basis for admission or for credit towards the completion of another program.  Only courses in which at least a B standing (UBC 74%) is obtained will be considered for transfer.  The time limit for eligibility of courses for transfer to a graduate degree program is normally five yearsat the time students commence their program.  The 12 credit restriction does not apply to students in UBC approved Exchange Agreements established by the UBC Exchange Programs Office.

Graduate courses taken as an unclassified student may be approved for transfer towards the MSc program with the permission of the Department and the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.  Consistent with the standard transfer credit regulations, students are limited to transferring a maximum of 12 credits or 40% of the total number of credits needed for degree completion. Only courses in which at least a B standing (UBC 74%) is obtained will be considered for transfer.  The time limit for eligibility of courses is normally five years at the time students commence their program.   Students who would like to transfer credits must have the written approval from their advisor or supervisor.

Faculty of Graduate & PostDoctoral Studies: Transfer Credit

Grading Practice

A minimum of 60% must be obtained in any course taken by a student enrolled in the MSc program for the student to be granted Pass Standing.  However, only six credits of Pass standing may be counted towards a MSc program.  For all other courses, a minimum of 68% must be obtained.  For students in the essay MSc, please refer to the Comprehensive Course Information for detailed information.

Faculty of Graduate & PostDoctoral Studies:  Grading Practices

Part-Time Study

A student may be enrolled part-time in the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and take 6 to 12 credits per year, as well as work on a thesis or essay.  Support for part-time study is not available.  The program must be completed in five years.  Part-time students are not eligible to receive interest-free status government loans, university fellowships, or scholarships and they are not eligible for teaching assistantships, research assistantships, or student housing, and are not guaranteed assigned desk space at the University.

Faculty of Graduate & PostDoctoral Studies:  Part Time Classification for Master's Students

Transferring to the PhD Program

During the first year, students who have completed at least 12 credits of course work with an excellent academic record and support from their supervisor may request to transfer directly into the PhD program before completing the MSc degree. The transfer is subject to the student’s successful completion of the Research Proficiency Evaluation (RPE) . Upon receiving the formal recommendation letter from the supervisor and successful completion of RPE, the Graduate Affairs Committee will recommend the transfer to Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.  Transfer directly into the doctoral program is not normally permitted beyond 18 months of study at the MSc level and in no case is it permitted after completion of the second year. Please note that transferring from an MSc to a PhD program is rare and only exceptional students are considered.

Faculty of Graduate & PostDoctoral Studies:  Transfer to Doctoral Programs without completing the Master's program