Guidance
Congratulations and Welcome to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UBC!
For international students please visit http://students.ubc.ca/international/prearrival.cfm for important information before your arrival. You can also download the International Student Handbook or pick up a copy at the International House after you arrive on campus. There are also several copies available at the reception in the main office.
Feel free to email if you have any questions or request to Graduate Student Secretary at secgrad@mech.ubc.ca . If you need to contact our Graduate Advisor, Dr. S. Rogak, please email him at rogak@interchange.ubc.ca.
The following list outlines important information that must be taken care of prior to/upon your arrival to UBC :
1. Visit the Student Service Centre
2. Register Courses
3. Apply Health Insurance
4. Apply SIN
5. Research Assistantships (RA) appointment
6. Teaching Assistantships (TA)
7. Purchase Extra insurance
8. Sign up for Safety Course
9. Request office space and Keys
10. Mail
First, create your Campus-Wide Login(CWL). After logging on the Student Service Centre, you can:
- Register for courses
- Review your financial situation (Payments are due May, September and January)
- Review your awards and fill in the acceptance form
- Update your personal information
A list of courses offered at UBC can be found under Registration in SSC.
If you cannot register in the course online (the course may be full, restricted or undergraduate level), please submit the change of registration form to Graduate Secretary.
Course change & withdrawal dates
All M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. students are required to register for thesis course all year around in order to maintain your full-time student status. Similarly, MEng students are required to register for project course all the time. Please review Course Registration for more information
Once you are registered, you can obtain a UBC card and U-pass from the UBC Bookstore - bring a photo ID and your student number.
Soon after your arrival to Canada, you’re required to apply for MSP by submitting the application and visa copy. MSP waiting period is 3 months which will be covered by iMED ( the mandatory basic health insurance program. iMED also will cover your trip (ten or less days) to Canada. The arrival date must be within the coverage dates.
What is iMED?
http://www.international.ubc.ca/handbook.cfm?page=insurance&view=imed
Please refer to http://www.david-cummings.com/imed/forms/ for coverage date, date change, opt-out, etc.
What is the BC Medical Plan(MSP)?
http://www.international.ubc.ca/handbook.cfm?page=insurance&view=msp
What is the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan?
http://www.ams.ubc.ca/healthplan
What is Social Insurance Number (SIN)?
SIN is required if you are expected to work on campus as RA, TA, or receive a major scholarship to be paid through UBC Payroll system.
How to apply for SIN:
1 – Submit the Employment Contract Form to Graduate Secretary.
2 – Submit the application form and all the supporting documents (including the form stated above) to the HRDC centre.
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/en/sin/apply/how.shtml
The center nearest to UBC Campus is:
Vancouver Human Resources Center
125 East 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC. V5T 1Z3
Phone: 604-872-7431 Fax: 604-666-1205
Hours: 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Other locations:
http://www1.servicecanada.gc.ca/cgi-bin/hr-search.cgi?ln=e&pv=BC&ct=Vancouver
3 – Submit a SIN confirmation receipt to the department receptionist for your appointment.
Remember that SIN and Study Permit have expiry dates and must be renewed at least 3 months in advance. The ultimate responsibility for maintaining up-to-date documents lies with the student. Remember also that it is your responsibility to ensure that your passport remains current.
A majority of MECH graduate students are offered RA by their supervisors. Such assistantships are funded by research grants for specified projects which virtually always constitute thesis projects. A RA may be held in conjunction with Teaching Assistantship or scholarship.
How to set up your RA appointment:
1. Apply for a SIN (please refer to the information above)
2. Ensure all your information in the Student Services Centre is up-to-date (e.g. current address, phone number, etc)
3. Ensure you have completed the Department Safety Training Requirement.
4. Ensure all followings have been submitted to the department:
5. The first pay check needs to be picked up at the payroll office in person. Please bring your UBC card for ID verification. RA and TA are paid semi-monthly (in the middle and end of the month).
Note:
RA appointment may take up to five business days after all information was received. Incomplete documents may cause a delay payment.
After the first appointment was made, you will able to request:
Direct Deposit http://www2.finance.ubc.ca/payroll/forms/index.cfm
Payroll Deduction http://www.students.ubc.ca/finance/download/fees_tuitiondeferral.pdf
Require assisting in undergraduate laboratories, tutorials, and marking. These may be held in conjunction with other assistantships or scholarships. Assignments are based on 4 hours of work per week and remuneration is approximately $1,500 per term.
See details on the VISTA.
The department has a policy that all students, both Graduate and Undergraduate, must have accident insurance. In fact, we do not allow anyone to use the workshop without insurance. However, even if you never use the workshop, you must have insurance to cover you in case of an accident while working in a research lab or some similar activity.
Student Accident Insurance is an additional insurance that provides additional medical coverage for UBC students and post-doctoral fellows performing course work related activities in environments where the risk of injury is greater than in a classroom, e.g., laboratories, clinical practice, field work. It provides a $50,000 maximum benefit for death or dismemberment and a $5,000 excess medical coverage, e.g., ambulance, prescription drugs.
Students must have the BC Medical Plan or its equivalent from another province in place (basic medical care) in order to be eligible for the Student Accident Insurance.
The cost to enroll in the Student Accident Insurance program is $7 per student per year, and can be paid at the reception in the main office.
THIS COURSE IS REQUIRED FOR ALL INCOMING GRADUATE STUDENTS.
General safety training & quiz are available online (on the VISTA). You should try to get your CWL and take the training and pass the quiz before you arrive on the campus so that there will be no delays in gaining access to your lab space or in beginning studies.
Keys, Fobs, and Alarm codes will not be authorized until safety training is fully completed and all required supporting documents submitted to the Department Reception desk.
Office space and Keys - please complete the office request form and submit to Mech office. Due to limited space are available in the department, M.Eng students are not normally assigned to an office.
Keys can be issued for the areas in which you are authorized to work, upon completion of a Key Request Form available at the Mech Reception desk. The authorized form must then be taken to the Parking and Access Control office located at General Services and Administration Bldg . A deposit of $20.00 is required when first requesting keys.
Any postal mail deliver the office will be put in the alphabetical boxes located outside the main office. Messages for you may also left there so please check your box at least once a week. Cheques and registered mail will be held at the reception and a student name will be posted on the chalk board across from the mail box. Please DO NOT have personal mail sent to the department.
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Last reviewed 
6/18/2010 10:41:46 AM