Prospective Graduate Students

Thank you for your interest in joining my group as a graduate student! Generally, I am looking for motivated students with undergraduate or master's degrees in Computer Science or Computer Engineering that have a strong background in systems research and applied formal methods.

If you are considering applying, please read the following information carefully.

Note: I am not discussing applications outside the official process and I will ignore applications or requests sent to me directly via e-mail.

I'm happy to discuss questions about my research. If you have a specific research question, please feel free to send me an e-mail.

Prospective MSc and PhD Students

This section applies to you if you are a prospective MSc and PhD students who is interested in joining my group. If you are already a graduate student at another institution and would like to spend some time at UBC, see at the bottom of this page.

There are three main graduate programs at UBC CS:

• Masters Programm
• PhD-Track Programm
• Doctoral Program

Application Process for Graduate Students

Please note that UBC has an online application system through which you must apply. The application deadline is December 15th (double check on the website). If you like to work with me, please select my name as a potential supervisor in the application form and select "Systems" as the geneal area of interest. I and other faculty members in Systopia will make an effort to read your application.

I cannot and will not review or respond to applications received by e-mail.

Please note that the department receives more than 2000 applications each year, so going through all of them takes some time. While I cannot guarantee when precisely you will hear back, you can expect to receive a response sometime in April.

Students are generally admitted by the department, and not by me. There is a committee that reviews applications for prospective MSc and PhD students. Thus, I cannot guarantee admission even if your profile matches my research interests perfectly.

Please also note that I cannot discuss your application outside of the official application process.

Useful Resources

If you consider applying, please read through the following resources carefully. They provide you with a sense of the overall application process, the requirements and also available financial support.

• Prospective Students web pages: UBC Graduate School and UBC Computer Science
• Graduate Admissions
• Eligibility Requirements
• English Proficiency Requirements

Financial Support and Cost Calculators:

• Financial Support
• Application Fee Waivers
• UBC Cost Calculator

Some tips for applications

Here are some hints and tips that you may find useful when applying. These are aspects that I am looking for in an application. Other faculty members may have different opinions.

Before You Apply

Have a look at my publications and read a few abstracts and at least one paper in full. This will give you a sense of the type or research that I am doing and will help you to identify matching interests. This is important, as you will need to write a statement of intent (see below). Try to identify a few research questions that you find interesting and align with my general research areas.

Statement of Intent

The department has guidelines on how to write a statement of intent with information on what to include. You are applying to a research program, so the statement of intent should demonstrate that you know what research is, including what research you have done and what research you would like to do in the future (of course this should align with my research interests).

Be specific: identify research questions that you find interesting and engage with them in your statement of intent and how they fit with the research program of me (or potentially also other faculty members in Systopia). "I like to do research in systems" is not specific. What area specifically and why? Clearly identify potential overlap of interest between you and your prospective supervisor(s). We frequently co-supervise students -- however, identifying too many potential supervisors of vastly different research areas may not be fruitful -- narrow your scope!

Interviews

You may get an invite for an interview. This is a good sign, as it means that your application has made it to the last round of considerations. You will receive more information about this once you reached this step.

If you got an offer

Please reach out to me if you have any questions and concerns about the offer. The offer letter typically also includes information about the financial support and stipend that you will receive.

Note, that Vancouver is pretty expensive. So, please checkout and apply for graduate housing. (Note some residence are year-round -- this is what you want. While others are only available during the winter terms -- this is not what you want.) UBC also has a limited number of housing for families.

Visiting International Research Students

If you are already a graduate student at another institution and would like to do a research visit in my group, then follow the following steps:

1. Read the information provided by the program website carefully,
2. Discuss the matter with your home institution and your supervisor, then
3. Send me an e-mail (ideally using your institutional e-mail address). Please include a brief description of your research interest and your CV.