Hello guys:

I was just wondering if anyone had applied to UBC Vancouver? Judging from what I read on the admission process in previous years, these days UBC may happen to communicate its first decisions. Well, I submitted my application just before the New Year, but since then the matter did not move forward a step... )
Yet the program seems to be really promising and we can talk it over here)) For instance, since I'm playing with the idea of becoming an academician I find it interesting that UBC insists upon writing serious thesis.
Anyway, any thoughts on this would be appreciated)))

Odd... Anyone? From my perspective the program sounds great, but people still take a keen interest on US and UK and ignore Canada. Why? I take it there must be some reasonable explanation...

Hi V.Sadhwani: nice to see you here)
Basically, all you need to do in order to complete this part of application is to get in touch with any two professors from this list http://www.law.ubc.ca/faculty/faculty.html?bid=6 asking whether he/she agrees to be your prospective supervisor. Then - at least that's what I did - you print a separate sheet listing these two professors and send it together with other supporting documents.
When it comes to choosing a prospective supervisor feel free to contact ANY professor you like: all of them are extremely approachable & very prompt in responding to emails)
Hope it helps)))

P.S. Personally, I'm keen on comparative constitutional law and theory, so this fact has determined my choise of professors.

Hi !

I am currently strongly thinking about applying to UBC for 2012-2014. However, I really don't know where to start when it comes to choosing a supervisor and how to approach them.

I would like to specialize in International Public Law or International Human Rights Law.

How is the competition rate for UBC ? Is it very competitive for LLMs ?

Hi LLMTarget!
If doing theoretical research is of interest for you, UBC would be a great choice at a great price!:) In a nutshell, it is very highly regarded in Canada and known for its research inclination and scholarship. Vancouver is also a great place to live! Yet I'm not sure of the job scenario upon graduation.

Regarding your questions, I should like to say a few things:
1. Supervisor matters. Really. For instance, if the focus of your proposed research does not fit with the Law Facultys supervisory competences - or, say, no professor with similar research interests is available during the time period you will be doing your research - it will dramatically reduce your chances of being admitted. Furthermore, you need to find a supervisor you would feel comfortable with; after all he/she will be your mentor for at least 12-24 months.

To find a professor with similar research interests, just have a look at this page: http://www.law.ubc.ca/faculty/faculty_research.html
Then consult the faculty website and read professor's profiles http://www.law.ubc.ca/faculty/faculty.html. As well as reading the information on the facultys webpages, it is also worth browsing the web as you might encounter a lot of interesting info. On a personal note, when I applied, I didn't care of the personality of my supervisor and, after being admitted, found out that he is a filmmaker, jazz musician and a canadian tv star. I don't mean it's bad, it was just veeeery unexpected.
When it comes to procedural issues, see my comment above. You may also consult the FOGS' page http://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/finding-supervisor

So go for it. Feel free to approach any professor. Yet an old saying puts it that way: every coin has two sides. So while you may choose the most prestigeous and 'cool' professor, the latter might not be interested in you. So once you have identified an academic, you need to persuade them that you are a suitable candidate. So look for the 'mutual love' (have no idea how to put it in other words, sorry:)

2. Hmmmm... competiveness... The only candid answer for it is 'I have no the weak idea')). I know for sure that it's really hard for undergraduates to get into UBC, but I've never talked to LL.M. alumni. Anyway, my sense is that graduate education is stronger than undergraduate education at UBC, as faculty are very invested in their research agendas. Moreover, the LL.M. class seems to be very small (and this is another advantage!) and UBC insists upon writing a serious thesis. So getting into UBC is definitly not a piece of cake. Yet I may be wrong.

Should you have any further questions, for instance regarding some do's and don'ts when writing an email to your supervisor, feel free to ask. I would be happy to help.

P.S. As an aside, currently I'm having a hard time deciding between UBC and other unis. While this dilemma is all about money, my heart entirely belongs to Vancouver:)

Hey LLM Target,
Regarding the entry requirement and its competitiveness, I think a upper second class degree should suffice to gain admission at UBC.

Thank you very much for all these informations.

I'm a bit worried about the competitiveness as I am preparing a dual degree at the moment, and from what I heard, UBC is a very competitve university in Canada. I'm not studying in Canada, I am currently in Europe so I have no accurate perspective as to how hard it is to get into UBC.


Anyway, thank you again for all these informations.
They're very useful !

Can you guys tell me , what is the job prospective or opportunities for foreign student holding LLB(Hons) and keen to pursue LLM from UBC Canada?
Is it possible to get into the legal or other related job market ? Is practicing in Canada is much tougher than then US?

Hi Arishka,

My enquiry refers to your first post on this thread.

When did you finally get an answer from UBC? After all, you wondered why they were taking so long to get in touch with you...

Cheers,