Prof Pam Ratner tells you why Indian students should choose to study at the University of British Columbia
What kind of programmes does the University of British Columbia (UBC) have to offerIJ
We have programmes that cover all health professions, engineering and law. At the undergraduate (UG) level, we have programmes in sciences, arts and business. We have 13,000 international students. This is the third largest in North America in numbers.
What about Indian studentsIJ
Among the international students, Indian students are the largest. They have an Indian Students’ Association and are very active in the university. As of last year, we had around 900 students with Indian citizenship. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they have come directly from India. This year, we have seen a rise in numbers. This can be attributed to the safety standards Canada offers. We are an ethnically diverse and inclusive society. Besides, our programmes are excellent. We are rated among the top 30 in the world in almost all our programmes. But we would like to see more Indian students.
Why do students prefer to take up Arts at UBCIJ
That’s because we have a School of Economics and we specialise at the UG level. Our Bachelor of International Economics course is very popular as is Bachelor of Media Studies. We have a large faculty of Arts and Indian students have diverse interests.
Why should Indian students study at your universityIJ
We can give a three-year work permit following graduation. Canada has actively put together an opportunity for international students to be able to work once they graduate. Once a student obtains a study permit, he is allowed to work within the university or outside it for 20 hours a week while studying. Once the course is completed, the student is allowed to stay back and work on the same work permit for three years.
What about scholarshipsIJ
We have a scholarship fund for international students. Some of this is for students with excellent academic achievements and the other is what we call “hybrid scholarships” that based on merit and are need-based. This year, this fund is CAd 19-20 million. So some students will have their full cost of education provided for and others, depending on their needs — partial.
Do Indian students face adjustment problemsIJ
It is an adjustment for all international students who come here in the first year. We do a few things to ease their way. We have student residences on campus. We guarantee that for the first year, these students get housing here. Being with people helps. We have advisors who help international student settle in — how to set up a bank account, etc. We have one of the largest orientation programmes — two-week long.
Is there a limit to the number of international student intakeIJ
The Government asks us to keep a certain number of seats for domestic students (Canadians). We fill these seats first. The faculties then see the capacity that they have to educate beyond these numbers. They will set a count and we then give these numbers to the Admissions Office. The number is limited because there is only so much space that we have.
What is the fee structureIJ
International students have to pay a lot more. If a domestic student pays CAD 5,000, an international student will pay CAD 35,000 at UG level. Therefore, to attract international students we offer scholarships.