UBC’s Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA) is a premier professional public policy program at a top-tier university that attracts expert faculty and leading students from around the world.
The MPPGA Program Office is committed to working with top candidates for whom financial considerations are a concern.
Tuition and Fees
For students starting in September 2024, tuition is $51,388.80 CAD total for domestic students and $94,427.30 CAD total for international students.
Payment Schedule
Tuition is paid in five installments over 20 months: Three are paid in the first year of study (September, January, and May) and two are paid in the second year (September and January). This means that 60% of your tuition amount is due in the first year. Installment amounts are $10,277.76 CAD for domestic students and $18,885.46 CAD for international students.
Fees*
Full-time graduate students can expect to pay approximately $1,116.60 per year in student fees (including the U-Pass) and $338.00 for the AMS/GSS Extended Health Plan. Most of these fees are mandatory, but some have opt-out provisions. All student fees are charged and payable annually, with the exception of the U-Pass, which is charged in three installments payable in September, January, and May. International Students may also pay an additional fee for temporary medical coverage:
Please see a listing of Student Fees in the UBC Calendar.
*Fees, including tuition, program, course, special, and student society fees, are approved by the UBC Board of Governors following consultation with students and are subject to change. Tuition fees are annually reviewed by the Board of Governors. In recent years, tuition increases have been 2% for continuing domestic students and between 2% and 5% for continuing international students.
Other costs
The Global Policy Project (GP2) in your second year will provide opportunities for you and your team to engage with policy makers and civil society on real world problems. Some of these projects will be locally based while others may involve national or international travel. Students will have the opportunity to rank their projects of choice prior to being placed on teams and should be prepared to cover part of the travel costs for their field work.
Funding
Sponsorship Billing
Some UBC students have a portion of their UBC fees paid by a sponsor such as an Indigenous community, employer, or government agency. This is called sponsorship billing. To have an organization sponsor your studies at UBC, they will have to meet the required criteria and apply before the deadline. For any changes to the sponsoring agency or amount sponsored, you will need to submit a new form.
Canadian Loans
If you are a Canadian student, please visit Government of Canada’s website for information about student loans and funding opportunities. For BC residents, please visit Student Aid BC for province-specific information.
U.S. Loans
If you are an American student, the MPPGA program has been approved for U.S. Direct loans to assist students to pay for their post-secondary education. Please visit UBC’s Student Services – Finances for more information.
Internal Awards and Scholarships
Each year, MPPGA Domestic Student Entrance Scholarship and MPPGA International Student Entrance Scholarship are offered to exceptional Canadian and international students entering the MPPGA programs at UBC. The entrance scholarship will be assigned to qualified students in 5 installments with satisfactory progress in the first year of the program, the same as the tuition payment schedule: 3 in the first year (September, January and May) and 2 in the second year (September and January). The number and level of the scholarships awarded each year vary, depending on available funding. In recent years, awards for high ranking applicants have ranged from $5,000-$30,000.
No separate application is required – admission records and Personal Profiles are reviewed after admission to the MPPGA program to determine scholarship eligibility and competitiveness. Apply for admission by the application deadline to be considered for the entrance scholarships.
Awards are made available annually by the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs program to outstanding students in the first year of the program, on the basis of exceptional academic performance in first-year core courses. This award is made on the recommendation of the MPPGA program, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Both international and domestic students are eligible.
A fellowship of $15,000 has been made available annually through a gift from the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) in memory of Phil Lind (1943–2023) for an outstanding student entering the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs (SPPGA).
Over the course of his career, Phil (B.A. 1966, J.D. 2002) worked with Ted Rogers to build a small radio and cable company into Rogers Communications Inc., and held several key positions including Vice-Chairman on the Board of Directors. As the founder and long-time Chair of CPAC, Phil gave Canadian voters unprecedented insight into democratic proceedings through House of Commons and other public policy programming. This long-standing commitment to supporting democratic debate, as well as a desire to recognize the importance of Canada-U.S. relations and his deep connection to UBC, led to the establishment, in 2015, of the ongoing Phil Lind Initiative, which invites prominent U.S. scholars, writers, and intellectuals to the SPPGA to share ideas with the UBC community.
The award is made on the recommendation of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. No separate application is required.
The Climate Adaptation, Resilience and Empowerment (or CARE) Program is a new innovative partnership with Sciences Po in Paris, the University of Toronto, and the University of Guelph. The goal of CARE programming is to support the next generation of climate-conscious global leaders with the knowledge, skills and experience to generate hands-on solutions to address the climate crisis.
As a part of this program, the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs awards an annual scholarship, which serves to build a sound intellectual grounding in environmental sustainability and energy transition issues, to the most meritorious, French student pursuing the Masters in Public Policy and Global Affairs in the Resources, Energy, and Sustainability stream. Each scholarship recipient will receive €26,500 per year (converted to CAD) towards tuition and living expenses, plus a modest contribution for travel.
The award is made on the recommendation of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. No separate application is required.
Awards totalling $1,750 have been made available through an endowment established by Dr. Yosef Wosk, OC, OBC (B.A. 1971), along with additional gifts from family, friends and colleagues, in memory of Stephen Owen, KC, PC (1948–2023) for second-year graduate students in the Master of Public Policy and Global Affairs program who demonstrate a commitment to public service through community engagement, a spirit of challenging and advancing social justice initiatives, and a commitment to pursuing a career in public service.
Stephen (LL.B. 1972, LL.M., M.B.A.) was a lawyer, politician and civil servant who held numerous positions throughout his career including Ombudsman for BC (1986–1992), Head of the Commission on Resources and the Environment (1992–1995) and Deputy Attorney General for BC (1995–1997). He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra (2000–2007) and held federal cabinet positions in three ministries: Western Economic Diversification, Public Works and Government Services and Minister of State for Sport. Following his political career, he became Vice-President, External, Legal and Community Relations at UBC. This award honours his unwavering dedication to the public good and to public service.
The awards are made on the recommendation of the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.