Academic Programs and Research


Equity and Diversity – Broad focus

The Centre for Culture, Identity and Education (CCIE) is a cultural studies research centre that focuses on exploring various facets of and developments in the comprehensive issue of identity and its educational implications in local and international cultural contexts.

The Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (IGRSSJ) works to highlight the significance of research in women’s and gender studies and feminist research across all fields. It encourages UBC faculty, graduate students, and others to meet in multidisciplinary groups for discussion and research in these areas, and brings UBC researchers together with activists and researchers at other institutions in Canada and abroad.

Department of History research and teaching specializations fall in 14 broad research clusters: Global History, Maritime History, and the History of Empire; History of Religion; History of Science, Technology and Medicine; Politics, Political Culture and State Power; Ethnicity, Race and Nationalism; Gender, Sexuality, and the Body; Migration, Borderlands, and Transnational History; Culture/Power/History; First Nations, Aboriginal, and Indigenous History; Environmental History; International Relations; History of Children and Youth; Law and Society and Communities.

The Law and Society Minor is a multi-disciplinary program, situating the study of legal structures, rules, and institutions within their full social, historical, economic, and political contexts.

The Liu Institute for Global Issues conducts and facilitates research on global issues, mobilizing knowledge into solutions and policy. Its current focus is on advancing sustainability, security, and social justice: understood as moving toward economic, social, and environmental interactions that promote the well-being of people in ways that are just, equitable, and sustainable.

The Department of Sociology research and teaching specializations fall in seven broad areas: Environment, Community and Social Movements; Family and Life Course; Gender and Sexuality; Health and Healthcare; Knowledge, Culture and Power; Race, Ethnicity and Immigration; Work, Economy and Globalization.

School of Social Work
Based on a commitment to fundamental social work values and a vision of social justice, UBC’s School for Social Work prepares social workers for generalist and advanced professional practice. We promote the scholarly generation of critical transformative knowledge through research and study relevant to social work theories, and practices, social development and social administration.

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Indigeneity

UBC has academic programs and concentrations specifically addressing Aboriginal topics and many courses with significant Indigenous content. For the most current list of courses at UBC that are known to include Indigenous content, click here

The Indigenous Portal is a comprehensive website that offers information for Aboriginal students; on Aboriginal academic programs and events; a list of Aboriginal faculty; links to faculty, student and community research; community and youth programming; Aboriginal alumni; information about the First Nations House of Learning and the Xwi7xwa library; and the UBC Indigenous Strategic Plan.

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Disability

The Institute of Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry is a home for a community of clinicians and scientists who are fully committed to a re-examination of the field of mental health and mental illness and to seeking new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of some of the most challenging issues in modern medicine.

The Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship (CIC) of the UBC School of Social Work is committed to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families. By improving access and quality of services and supports, inclusion in community life will be enhanced. As well, the broader barriers to full social inclusion will also be addressed.
The Special Education program in the Faculty of Education – Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education concerns the education of students with exceptionalities, such as students with visual impairments, developmental disabilities, emotional or behavioural disorders, learning disabilities, gifts and talents, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Faculty are committed to promoting practices that facilitate inclusion, empowerment, and self-determination of individuals with disabilities and other special needs in home, school, and community settings.

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Family

The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) is the focal point for early child development research in British Columbia.

The Department of Sociology offers a minor in Family Studies, that allows students to explore the changes in the family unit and individuals within that unit over time. Particular attention is paid to the changing composition and increasing diversity among families over the life course and to variations both cross-nationally and historically in public policy and professional practice related to families and their members.

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Gender

The Centre for Feminist Legal Studies (CFLS) provides opportunities for students, scholars and the wider feminist legal community to come together, build networks, collaborate on research and exchange ideas. The work of the CFLS has been significant in ensuring that feminist and social justice issues remain visible at the Allard School of Law, and that the law school remains connected to the larger community.

The Centre for Race, Autobiography, Gender and Age fosters interdisciplinary critical race and feminist scholarship with a focus on auto/bio/graphy in its broadest interpretation. RAGA also works collaboratively with community organizations to promote social change based on principles of equity and social justice.

Institute of Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice (GRSJ) faculty, programs and courses are at the forefront of innovative, intersectional feminist, queer, trans* and post-colonial studies, and advance knowledge within and across traditional state borders.

Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice Studies provides students with an understanding of global and local social justice issues from a variety of perspectives.  Areas of study include:  critical race theory, indigenous studies, family, migration, sexuality, social policy, community action, cultural studies and new media.

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Race and Ethnicity

The African Studies Minor in the faculty of Arts offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of Africa, as well as the African diaspora.

The Center for Asian Legal Studies in the Faculty of Law is the largest group of academics teaching and researching Asian legal issues in Canada with a focus on the law and legal culture of China (including Taiwan), Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, with a particular emphasis on Indonesia and Vietnam.

The Institute of Asian Research is a leader in research and teaching that combines interdisciplinary perspectives with deep knowledge of Asia to contribute to policy issues and public understanding.

The Centre for Culture, Identity and Education (CCIE) is a cultural studies research centre that focuses on exploring various facets of and developments in the comprehensive issue of identity and its educational implications in local and international cultural contexts.

The Institute of European Studies is part of the University of British Columbia’s ongoing mission to advance international knowledge and research about Europe. Emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach, the Institute promotes an exchange of ideas, students and scholars between Canada and Europe, and provides a forum for public debate on European issues through research seminars, workshops, lecture series and international conferences.

The Centre for India and South Asia Research (CISAR) is a research facility at The University of British Columbia (UBC). CISAR brings together faculty, research associates, and graduate and undergraduate students with an interest in the cultures, historical evolution and contemporary developmental challenges of the subcontinent. CISAR is part of the Institute of Asian Research

The Centre for Korean Studies is a leader of Korean studies in Canada with its vibrant programs of research and teaching, community involvement and international exchange. It was established to facilitate research on Korea through multidisciplinary approaches.

The Center for Intercultural Language Studies is a cross-campus centre for research, outreach, and collaboration on issues broadly connected to language, culture, and education.

The Centre for Race, Autobiography, Gender and Age fosters interdisciplinary critical race and feminist scholarship with a focus on auto/bio/graphy in its broadest interpretation. RAGA also works collaboratively with community organizations to promote social change based on principles of equity and social justice.

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Religion

Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies offers a unique opportunity to explore the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean and the Near East. Our remarkably diverse faculty includes world experts who both teach, and conduct path-breaking research on, the archaeology, history, languages, literatures, and religions of ancient Egypt, the Near East, Greece and Rome, including Judaism, Christianity, and early Islam.

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Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Critical Studies in Sexuality (CSIS) courses and events highlight inter-and transdisciplinary advances in knowledge occurring in the various areas of scholarship pertaining to gender and sexual diversities as these modes of inquiry intersect with the many academic areas studied in the Faculty of Arts and elsewhere.

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