PROSPECTIVE MA AND/OR PHD STUDENTS
Thank you for your interest in our department and in this lab. (updated May 2024): Unfortunately I am not accepting graduate students in the current application cycle. See details in FAQ 1 below.
More information about the clinical program can be found here and a description of the graduate program in psychology at UBC can be found here, including information about how to apply. The application process is a formal one, meaning that you need to send a set of specific materials to UBC, and I cannot make a decision about whether to accept you unless you formally apply.
To increase equity and transparency, I strive to give every prospective applicant the same information. For these reasons, I try to provide lots of information on this webpage, and I keep this page updated. I understand that applying to graduate school is quite a process, so I have listed below the answers to the most common frequently asked questions. I encourage prospective students to look carefully at this page in order to gain information about the work in this lab. You are welcome, but not required, to email me to introduce yourself; however, unfortunately I cannot give you feedback about your application before you apply or other feedback that is not on this webpage. This is because again, I am aiming to provide all applicants the same information and to do so in a public way (i.e., on my webpage). However, if you have questions that are not answered on this webpage, please feel free to ask. You are also of course welcome to talk to any of the grad students in this lab at any time about their experiences. However, I encourage you to refrain from emailing them early in the application process. If you application reaches the interview stage, you will have extensive opportunity to meet all of them and get your questions answered.
- Will you be accepting graduate students to begin study in Fall of 2025 (application deadline Dec 1 2024)?
Unfortunately, I am not accepting graduate students in the current application cycle, meaning students who wish to begin study in Fall of 2025.
It is also unlikely that I will be able to accept someone in a formal co-supervision situation, though that would not prevent us from working together in some way informally, should you come here. You are encouraged to apply to whoever would be the best fit for you as a primary supervisor. It is possible to apply to the clinical psychology graduate program with a primary supervisor who is not in the clinical psychology area, however, the faculty in the clinical psychology area have first priority (over faculty not in the area) when it comes to accepting graduate students in the clinical program.
The graduate students for whom I am primary supervisor are typically in the clinical program. If you are interested in being a grad student in a different area of psychology that is not clinical, you are encouraged to apply to work with a faculty member who is in that area of psychology, and you may list me as a co-supervisor if that makes sense given your research interests. It is most likely that this would fit if you are applying to the developmental program.
- What are the current projects in your lab in which graduate students can become involved?
Please see this website under “Current Research”. Graduate students are involved in all of the projects listed in this section.
- What future studies will you be doing in this lab?
Future studies will continue to look at social relationships and interventions for mental health and social issues, among youth with and without ADHD. At the moment we are starting some new projects to examine perceptions of ADHD and treatment decisions among Asian Canadian families, as well as Asian Canadian university students, to help understand services gaps for these groups.
There are also descriptions of existing datasets, such as the PRISM dataset, the Parental Friendship Coaching study, and the MOSAIC study, on this tab. I continue to be interested in social functioning in children, adolescents, and emerging adults, as well as parent and teacher interventions for social problems, so if you are interested in these topics this is also a good match.
- Can you tell me more detail about the research studies you have listed on the website?
Please read the articles that are bolded in the Publications section of this website. In addition, if you come to interview on zoom or in person, this will be a great opportunity to learn a lot more about the various studies going on. If you have specific questions about any study that would determine whether or not you want to apply, then please go ahead and ask!
- Do you interview candidates?
Typically, in a year that I am accepting graduate students, around 70-100 people apply. A short list of finalists (about 4-6) are interviewed over zoom and then a smaller number from that group are invited to come to in-person interviews. The in-person interview is about a 2-day visit that includes meetings with me, other faculty, and lots of graduate students. You will get a really good idea about the program and culture at the interview. We cover the travel expenses for applicants’ in-person interviews. This process does not occur until late December through February.
- What are you looking for in a prospective graduate student?
This program and lab are best suited for students who are predominantly interested in research careers (which could include research about intervention efficacy); students who are predominantly interested in clinical practice would not be happy here. This is because of the high research requirements of this program and publication expectations in this lab. Therefore, an important criteria for judging prospective students is research match. Students who are most prepared for this program have completed an independent research project, such as an honors thesis, manuscript, and/or a conference poster, about an issue related to what we study in lab (and related to what the student is proposing to study in graduate school). It is helpful for the student to demonstrate in their personal statement (a) good knowledge of the specific research literature in the proposed field of study; (b) past experience in that line of research, in the form of an honors thesis, independent poster, or other options; and (c) what projects they want to do in graduate school to build on this literature. In addition, this program offers clinical training so it is useful for applicants to have some clinical experience. This helps students know that they like clinical work, and to be the most prepared to go into our practicum training.
Of course, this is just a list of many ideal qualities. In reality, not all students who apply, or who get interviewed, have done all of these things. Everyone is an individual, and will have had different opportunities in their education and personal life. There is also a place on the application where you are invited to explain any life experiences or hardships you may have had, which will allow us to better understand the rest of your application. You are not required to complete this section of the application. If you do complete it, we will use it to evaluate your application holistically (because we will hopefully better understand the context of the other things on your application).
Research match is more important than is GPA, but better scores can sometimes help an applicant to be more competitive and also to qualify for scholarships. The GRE is optional so if you do not have GRE scores to submit, please do still apply. I take a holistic view of applications and understand that all sources of information have bias.
We are also looking for people who sincerely care about the well-being of children and families, and their fellow lab members. In all our work, we strive for it to have a positive impact on the lives of people. We also aspire to approach our research and treatment with cultural humility, and to break down the structures in society that have resulted in inequity and health disparities. Students who are similarly committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in our program, and in our society, will best fit with our lab.
7. What is the culture of the lab?
This is a great question. I would describe us as definitely food and fun loving, with a hearty sense of adventure. Every member has something unique and delightful about them. Check out the other pages on the website to see the zoo in action. Also see the Our Values tab where we talk about why and how we value diversity, equity, and inclusion.
8. I want to do research in graduate school that is about (autism, homeopathy for ADHD, social problems of children of refugees, etc.); will this be okay?
It is impossible to give a definitive answer without seeing your entire application, but in general, the MA years (first two years) are quite packed with courses and the thesis, so it is more important that you can complete your project on a topic that I know well, and a population where I already have an existing dataset (or data coming in). In the PhD years (after the MA is completed) there is more flexibility for you to branch out in terms of building your own program of research interests. In fact, I encourage you to develop your own study ideas further at that time.
9. Do I need to apply for funding?
There is a minimum funding guarantee for graduate students in this department, and in addition, I typically top up that amount. Vancouver is a lovely, fun, and tasty place to live, but it is quite expensive if you haven’t noticed. If you are admitted, then you will receive this minimum funding regardless. You will also be considered automatically for internal department awards. However, it can help you to have more funding if you receive external awards. For Canadian citizens and permanent residents this is typically tri-agency funds (usually SSHRC or CIHR is the best fit for my research). For international students, please apply for the UBC affiliated fellowships. When you get an offer of admission, I will be able to talk to you in detail about your specific financial package and you will have all the information before you need to make a decision.
10. What if I am an international student?
You are eligible to be a grad student here regardless of your citizenship. My lab has had both international (Malaysia, United States) and domestic students (Canadian citizens and permanent residents, although some are citizens of another country as well). However, all things being equal, it is somewhat easier to get into this lab if you are a domestic student, because there are more funding opportunities. The links here describe funding for international students. Although you will not qualify for the tri-agency fellowships, I advise you to apply for the affiliated fellowships.
One thing that is not obvious to United States citizens is that despite the way that funding and admissions are explained, UBC does not have a terminal master’s program in psychology. Rather, for the typical student applying with a BA/BSc degree, you apply to the “MA program” not the “PhD program”. For your first 2 years you are called a “MA student” and then you will apply to the PhD program here to become a “PhD student”. However, this is a formality because we only accept MA students who we expect to transition directly into our PhD program (and who intend to continue on to our PhD program).
11. Is it required that I am willing to go skydiving or bungee jumping to be in your lab?
No really you don’t. I swear, they all wanted to go. They did make me jump first though, answering the age old question, “if your advisor jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?” with a resounding “YES”.
However, if you do come here, you will have to get yourself an animal onesie.