Admissions

Situated in beautiful Vancouver, UBC’s Department of Central, Eastern, and Northern European Studies (CENES) offers a research-intensive graduate program in Germanic Studies with an interdisciplinary perspective.

Students interested in graduate studies in the UBC CENES Department must meet the minimum admission requirements and follow the application procedures below for the respective program.

How to Apply

Students who wish to apply should ensure that they meet the admissions requirements for the Germanic Studies program they are interested in, as well as the admissions requirements of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

In order to be considered for admission, applicants must complete the following:

  • An online application
  • Required documents for each program

Applicants must upload all required documents directly to the application portal. Please double-check the respective program section for the specific documents. UBC will require official copies of transcripts and degree records. Admissions decisions will not be made until after the application deadline. If your application is approved, the Director of Graduate Studies would then recommend your application for admission to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at UBC.

MA Admission Requirements

If you are interested in the MA in Germanic Studies, you must meet the following requirements to be granted admission:

  • 4-year degree (BA or equivalent) with an emphasis on German studies (or related disciplines)
  • Degree must be from a recognized post-secondary institution
  • Canadian or US credentials – minimum academic requirement (meet at least one of the following two conditions):
    • A minimum B+ overall average (76% at UBC) in third- and fourth-year courses,
    • An A average (80% or higher at UBC) in at least 12 credits of third- or fourth-year courses in the field of study.
  • International credentials – minimum academic requirement:
    • Please view specific requirements for the country where your post-secondary institution is located from this list.
  • Sufficient fluency in German and English (see Language Competence below)

Students applying for the MA program must submit the following documents in their online application:

  • 1 set of official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. You must also provide one set of the official diploma, if the transcripts do not show that your degree was granted (see Transcript section).
  • 3 confidential letters of reference: Each confidential letter should be submitted by the referee, either online via the application portal OR mailed on institutional letterhead directly to the CENES Department. If letters are sent by mail, each letter must come in a separate, sealed envelope, endorsed (signed) across the seal.
  • Evidence of English proficiency: TOEFL or IELTs Score (see Language Competence section).
  • Writing sample: Provide one example, in German or English, that best demonstrates your scholarly writing, such as a term paper or a substantial scholarly paper (no more than 20 pages).
  • CV or Resume
  • Statement of Intent: approximately 3-5 pages written in English describing your academic and professional interests and how they align with our program. You must also describe your proposed research.

If your transcripts are not issued in English:

  • 1 set of official English translations of all transcripts and diplomas - If you have documents that are issued in a language other than English, then in addition to uploading digital copies of the documents in their original language, you must also upload a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service or certified English translator (see Transcript section).

If you are accepted into the program, official documents provided to meet conditions of admission should be sent via secure electronic delivery or directly to the address below. Details can be found in the Transcript section.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies | The University of British Columbia
170 - 6371 Crescent Rd
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6T 1Z2

PhD Admission Requirements

If you are interested in the PhD in Germanic Studies program you must meet the following requirements to be granted admission:

  • Master’s degree, or equivalent, in German Studies (or related disciplines) from an approved post-secondary institution
  • Clear evidence of research ability or potential
  • International credentials – minimum academic requirement:
    • Please view specific requirements for the country where your post-secondary institution is located from this list.
  • Sufficient fluency in German and English (see Language Competence below)

Students applying for the PhD program must submit the following documents in their online application:

  • 1 set of official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. You must also provide one set of the official diploma, if the transcripts do not show that your degree was granted (see Transcript section).
  • 3 confidential letters of reference: Each confidential letter should be submitted by the referee, either online via the application portal OR mailed on institutional letterhead directly to the CENES Department. If letters are sent by mail, each letter must come in a separate, sealed envelope, endorsed (signed) across the seal.
  • Evidence of English proficiency: TOEFL or IELTs Score (see Language Competence section).
  • Writing sample: Provide one example, in German or English, that best demonstrates your scholarly writing, such as a term paper or a substantial scholarly paper.
  • CV or Resume
  • Statement of intent: approximately 3-5 pages written in English describing your academic and professional interests and how they align with our program. You must also describe your proposed research.

If your transcripts are not issued in English:

  • 1 set of official English translations of all transcripts and diplomas - If you have documents that are issued in a language other than English, then in addition to uploading digital copies of the documents in their original language, you must also upload a certified literal English translation of your transcripts from your home university's translation service or certified English translator (see Transcript section).

If you are accepted into the program, official documents provided to meet conditions of admission should be sent via secure electronic delivery or directly to the address below. Details can be found in the Transcript section.

Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies | The University of British Columbia
170 - 6371 Crescent Rd
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6T 1Z2

Transcript Information

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies has strict and specific requirements for admissions documents, and the procedures may be unfamiliar to those outside of North America. Detailed instructions are available on the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

Language Competence

Sufficient competence in both German and English is required for admission into the program. If you have credentials from an institution outside North America whose official language of instruction is English, you do not have to take an English equivalency test.

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate competence in English by passing the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) before they can be admitted by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Minimum TOEFL score required by our program: 90 (internet-based exam) with a minimum score on each component (reading: 22, writing: 21, listening 22, speaking: 21)

Minimum IELTS score required by our program: 6.5 (minimum overall band score) with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component (reading, writing, listening and speaking) of the academic (not general) IELTS test.

German proficiency will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and you may be required to pass a placement test. Normally, four years of instruction in German language at the university/postsecondary level (or the equivalent of B2 level on the CEFR) will be deemed sufficient for master’s students. Please indicate your highest level achieved (e.g., GERM 410, 4th-year level German, B2/B1/C2/C1 on the CEFR, TestDaF score, or equivalent). Those whose proficiency in German is deemed insufficient may be required to take remedial courses. Applicants may be required to provide evidence of their proficiency in the German language.

Admissions FAQs

No, we do not require a GRE score for either the MA or PhD program in Germanic Studies.

Please review the full set of instructions for reference letters.

If you entered your referees' email address on the online application system, they should have received an email delivered automatically by the online system. The automatic email is sometimes routed to the referee's junk mail folder by mistake, so if they do not receive an email, ask them first to check their junk mail folder. The application system will not accept email addresses that are free accounts such as Gmail. The email address must be official, i.e. from an academic institution. Information for submitting reference letters can be found on the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

Yes, we accept letters of reference in German.

You must indicate your interest by selecting one or more prospective research supervisors in the admissions application, but you are not required to contact the faculty in advance.

The checklist does not update automatically. If you uploaded your documents, you should be able to see them in the list (you may need to hit refresh), which means they have been uploaded successfully. The Graduate Program Assistant will contact you if any uploaded documents are missing.

We must receive 2 sets of official transcripts from all universities/colleges you attended. We require official paper documents of all transcripts, in addition to a copy of the transcripts you upload in the online application system.

If your university only issues one original copy of transcripts/degree certificates, further instructions can be found on the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

If you have International Transcripts, please ensure you follow all instructions (including the instructions for official English translations.)

Yes. You must provide official transcripts from each post-secondary institution you attended.

No, you do not need to provide official transcripts for your studies at UBC. However, you must provide official transcripts for all other post-secondary institutions you attended.

When you apply, you arrange for official transcripts which are current at the time of your application. In other words, the transcripts you send us may not be final yet. The admissions committee can use the transcripts we have on hand to evaluate your application. If the admissions committee approves your application, you are recommended for admission, and at that point we have still not received your final transcripts, you may receive "Conditional Admission" pending the receipt of your final transcripts and diploma.

No, your documents do not all have to arrive at the same time. We compile your application materials as they arrive. However, they all must arrive by the indicated deadlines. If your question is not answered here, please refer to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies application FAQ page for additional information.

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