Graduate students at the Vancouver School of Economics benefit from our small cohort sizes. Our students develop strong supervision relationships with our high-quality faculty and have extensive opportunities for joint research projects. Our graduate programs offer diverse specializations, and students enjoy a well-organized program of study.

Why Graduate School at the VSE
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Training in an array of theoretical, empirical, and policy-related fields

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MAs secure positions at the Bank of Canada, Statistics Canada, KPMG and more

75+%

PhD graduates achieve academic research positions (tenure-track)

Master of Arts in Economics

Learn how to apply economic theory and research through our Master of Arts (MA) program.
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PhD in Economics

Our PhD program provides extensive opportunities for supervision with quality research faculty, joint research and student-faculty interaction, and a diverse offering of specializations for thesis work.
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Highlights

Research and Facilities

  • Our research faculty hold grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and other funding agencies, resulting in numerous opportunities for experience as research assistants for our MA and PhD students.
  • The school houses the Centre for Labour Studies and manages the British Columbia Inter-University Research Data Centre. Hence, unique training opportunities and access to data and computing resources are available to our students.
  • Our computer lab is exclusive for graduate students, and our lounge offers a comfortable space to chat and work with colleagues and faculty over coffee.
  • The UBC Library collection numbers over one million volumes; in terms of economics material, the holdings are extensive in serial publications and post-war literature.

Student Life

  • The Graduate Student Centre, of which all graduate students are members, is nearby and has facilities for social activities.
  • The VSE holds regular social activities during the year. These include the grad student welcome party in September and the school’s holiday party in December. Members of our school also participate in intramural sports and the annual Walk for Joy.