Frequently Asked Questions

All MEL and MHLP programs are offered as 12-month full-time programs. The following two programs also offer a part-time option over 24 months:

• MEL in Urban Systems
• MHLP in Clinical Education

The MEL and MHLP degrees start in January each year and end in December. There is no fall intake for these programs, which means it is not possible to begin your studies in September. Your program will begin with a three-day orientation before the start of classes.

The UBC MEL and MHLP degrees are delivered in-person at UBC’s Point Grey campus in Vancouver, British Columbia. On-campus learning allows you to take advantage of the many professional development opportunities and industry networking events built into the program. None of the courses are offered online.

Your class size will depend on the number of students enrolled in your specific MEL or MHLP specialization, and could range from five to 30 students. Some of your engineering or health-care courses may also include students from other graduate programs. Your business leadership courses bring together students from all MEL and MHLP programs and range in size from 70 to 100 students.

Most PhD programs are looking for students who have completed a research-based master’s degree rather than a professional graduate degree like the MEL or MHLP, which do not require you to conduct or publish your own independent research. That said, we have had students continue on to do a PhD after completing the program.

All full-time Master of Engineering Leadership and Master of Health Leadership and Policy students are eligible to apply for and receive a post-graduation work permit (PGWP). Part-time students are not eligible.

Graduates of the UBC MEL and MHLP programs can qualify for the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) if they secure a full-time job offer for at least one year in a skilled occupation.

The BC PNP offers a fast-track immigration option for international graduates holding select master’s degrees from BC institutions. You can access a full list of programs that are eligible for the BC PNP, including all MEL and MHLP degrees, at the provided link.

No. Most health-care professionals will be considered for the MHLP in Seniors Care or MHLP in Clinical Education. Approximately half of the current MHLP students are nurses, with others working as pharmacists, social workers, physiotherapists, psychologists and physicians, to name examples. However, only clinicians or practicing health-care professionals are eligible to apply for the Clinical Education specialization.

No. While the majority of the current MEL students are engineers, other technical professionals are eligible to apply for the MEL depending on the specific program. MEL students include environmental scientists, architects, developers and urban planners, to name examples. Check the program you would like to study for its specific eligibility requirements.

No. We do not require you to submit a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test score as part of your application to the UBC MEL or MHLP.

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is exclusively for registered nurses who want to advance their nursing knowledge and clinical skills so they can step into specialized and advance practice nursing positions. In comparison, the Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) accepts students from a range of health care professions who want to develop their health care leadership skills and move into leadership positions within Seniors Care or Clinical Education.

At UBC, the MSN is taught through the School of Nursing within the Faculty of Applied Science. The MHLP is a hybrid degree, with classes taught by leading instructors from the Faculty of Applied Science and the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, and its emphasis is on helping the next generation of leaders develop both health-care and business knowledge.

The MSN requires a thesis or scholarly practice advancement research project, completed with the support of an academic supervisor. In contrast, the MHLP is course-based and does not require a supervised research project.

Learn more about the MSN and the MHLP in Seniors Care and MHLP in Clinical Education.

The UBC Master of Health Administration (MHA) is designed for clinicians, managers, researchers and other health care professionals to develop core competencies and leadership skills related to health care. In comparison, the UBC Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) is designed for practising health-care professionals who want to develop their health care leadership skills and move into leadership positions within Seniors Care or Clinical Education.

The MHA is a 42-credit degree with 24 weekend courses that span the health care sector and includes health policy, systems and management. The MHLP is a 30-credit program with specialization courses specific to Seniors Care or Clinical Education. Both the MHA and the MHLP include courses taught at the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

The MHA requires students to complete a capstone project and work one-on-one with a faculty supervisor to explore and report on a health administration issue of interest to them. In contrast, the MHLP is course-based and does not require a supervised advanced research project.

Learn more about the UBC MHA program and the MHLP in Seniors Care and MHLP in Clinical Education

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) accepts professionals from all backgrounds and focuses on developing students’ business management and leadership skills. The degree prepares students to become leaders in any industry, depending on their professional experience. At UBC, MBA specializations include Technology & Analytics Leadership, Finance, Product & Service Management, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

In comparison, the Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) is designed specifically for practising health-care professionals and focuses on developing students’ health care leadership skills. The MHLP offers two specializations, Seniors Care and Clinical Education, enabling health-care professionals to deepen their expertise and step into leadership positions within the realm of seniors care or as clinical educators after graduating.

The MBA is taught at the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, with 100% of the course content made up of business courses. The MHLP is a hybrid degree, with classes taught by leading instructors from the Faculty of Applied Science and the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. The MHLP focuses on developing clinical and business knowledge for the next generation of leaders in health care, with approximately 60% of the course content focusing on health care leadership and 40% of the course content made up of business leadership courses.

Both the MBA and the MHLP are completely course-based and do not include any research components.

There are also important differences to consider in tuition fees between the MBA and the MHLP.

Learn more about MBA and the MHLP in Seniors Care and MHLP in Clinical Education.

A Master of Business Administration (MBA) accepts professionals from all backgrounds and focuses on developing students’ business leadership and management skills. The degree prepares students to become leaders in any industry, depending on their professional experience. At UBC, MBA specializations include Technology & Analytics Leadership, Finance, Product & Service Management, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

In comparison, the Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) is designed specifically for practising professionals within engineering or professionals working in other industries related to their specialization of interest, such as environmental science, architecture or planning. The MEL cohort is made up entirely of technical leaders with professional experience as engineers, planners, architects and environmental scientists.

The MEL has five different specializations: Clean Energy Engineering, High Performance Buildings, Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, Sustainable Process Engineering, and Urban Systems. Within each specialization, MEL students will hone their technical skills while developing key business knowledge that will prepare them to be change-makers in their industry.

The MBA is taught at the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, with 100% of the course content made up of business courses. The MEL is a hybrid degree with classes taught by leading instructors from the Faculty of Applied Science and the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. The MEL focuses on developing technical and business knowledge, with approximately 60% of the curriculum focusing on sector-specific technical skills development and 40% of the course content made up of business leadership courses.

Both the MBA and the MEL are completely course-based and do not include any research components.

The MBA is a 16-month full-time program with an August intake. The MEL is a 12-month full-time program, with 24-month part-time options available for Urban Systems only. Both the full-time and part-time programs have a January intake.

There are also important differences to consider in tuition fees between the MBA and the MEL.

Learn more about the MBA and MEL.

The Master of Engineering (MEng) accepts students with or without professional experience, including students applying directly after completing an undergraduate engineering degree. The program is taught wholly within UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science and emphasizes advancing students’ technical knowledge.

In comparison, the Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) requires applicants to have three or more years of industry experience before they are eligible to apply. The MEL is a hybrid degree with classes taught by leading instructors from the Faculty of Applied Science and the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business. The MEL focuses on developing students’ technical and business knowledge, with approximately 60% of the curriculum focusing on sector-specific technical skills development and 40% of the course content made up of business leadership courses.

The MEng offers eight different specializations: Biomedical Engineering, Chemical & Biological Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Geological Engineering, Mechatronics Design, Mining Engineering, and Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering.

The MEL also has five different specializations: Clean Energy Engineering, High Performance Buildings, Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, Sustainable Process Engineering, and Urban Systems.

The MEng is a 12-16 month program, depending on your chosen specialization, with an annual September intake. The MEL is a 12-month full-time program, with 24-month part-time options available for Urban Systems only. Both the full-time and part-time programs have an annual January intake.

Learn more about your graduate academic opportunities in the Faculty of Applied Science.

The Master of Applied Science (MASc) is for engineering graduates with or without professional experience, seeking a research-based program. The MASc is often a stepping-stone towards a PhD for students who want to conduct their own research and write a thesis.

By contrast, the MEL is designed specifically for practising professionals who have at least three years of professional experience in engineering or in other industries related to their specialization of interest, such as environmental science, architecture or planning. The MEL is focused on synthesizing business and technical skills for practising engineers who want to become leaders in their field and do not plan to advance their career in academia.

The MASc focuses on thesis-based research, completed with the support of an academic supervisor. In contrast, the MEL is completely course-based and does not require a supervised advanced research project. The MEL also has five different specializations: Clean Energy Engineering, High Performance Buildings, Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, Sustainable Process Engineering, and Urban Systems.

The MASc is taught entirely through UBC’s Faculty of Applied Science. The MEL is a hybrid degree with classes taught by leading instructors from the Faculty of Applied Science and the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC’s Sauder School of Business.

The MEL focuses on developing students’ technical and business knowledge, with approximately 60% of the curriculum focusing on advancing students’ sector-specific technical skills and 40% of the course content made up of business leadership courses.

The MASc is a 24-month full-time program with a September intake. The MEL is a 12-month full-time program, with 24-month part-time options available for Urban Systems only. Both the full-time and part-time programs have a January intake.

Learn more about your graduate academic opportunities in the Faculty of Applied Science.

Part-time study options are offered in the following programs:

• UBC Master of Engineering Leadership (MEL) in Urban Systems
• UBC Master of Health Leadership and Policy (MHLP) in Clinical Education

The part-time option is offered over 24 months rather than 12 months for the full-time option.

Generally, you will complete your business leadership classes and two technical or health-care courses in the first year of the program. In the second year, you’ll typically complete the remainder of your core engineering or health-care courses.

The Master of Engineering Leadership is a comprehensive professional graduate degree. The program is demanding and requires you to attend classes and events, work on group projects, study and complete assignments outside of class time.

For our full-time 12-month programs, we do not recommend working while studying, as it will likely hinder you from achieving your academic goals.

Further, in August, all UBC MEL students must take APPP 504: Business acumen for technical leaders. This intensive three-week course requires daily attendance.

MEL students who want to continue working may want to consider part-time studies. The part-time study option makes it more feasible to work part-time. Part-time options are available for Urban Systems.

If you’re considering working while studying, this comprehensive article will help you understand both the benefits and considerations of managing a healthy work-life-study balance.

The Master of Health Leadership and Policy is a comprehensive professional graduate degree. The program is demanding and requires you to attend classes and events, work on group projects, study and complete assignments outside of class time.

The program is offered in a stacked schedule, with full-time students typically attending classes for two full days per week. This provides some flexibility for health care professionals to continue part-time work or casual work. For example, you might work one or two days a week when you are not on campus.

The part-time program is more flexible, and students attend courses for two half-days per week. Part-time options are available for Clinical Education.

Part-time students often work up to a 0.8 schedule, or four days a week, throughout their 24-month program.

In August, all MHLP students must take APPP 504: Business acumen for technical leaders. This intensive three-week course requires daily attendance. If you chose to work while studying, you will need to book these three weeks off work.

If you’re considering working while studying, this comprehensive article will help you understand both the benefits and considerations of managing a healthy work-life-study balance.