Pre-MM Checklist

What to Complete and When

ARE YOU READY FOR THE MM?

What better way to find out than go through a checklist?

DO NOW
Task Description
1. Read through all sections of this program site - the more you know, the better prepared you will be!
2. Obtain Study Permit (if needed) - see Study Permit section below
3. Find housing (if needed) - see Housing section below
4. If you are arriving from out of province or out of country, sign up for the BC Medical Services Plan as soon as you arrive in BC. (see Health Care Coverage section below)
5. Read and review the material on the Pre-MM Academic Prep section
6. Moved, changed your email address or phone number? Update contact information on the Student Service Centre and let us know about any email address change.
7. Complete and submit on-line Personal Information Release form (updated June 14, 2019)
8. Review and make note of Program Opening dates/times - attendance is mandatory so mark it in your calendar!
9. Join the Class of 2020 MM Facebook group and start getting to know each other.

10. Take the TCPS 2: Course on Research Ethics and send a copy of the completion certification to askmm@sauder.ubc.ca. Completing this certificate is mandatory for all RHL Graduate Students.

Already completed the course? Great!  You don't have to re-take it but do need to submit a copy of the certificate to askmm@sauder.ubc.ca

(NOTE: this course is free of charge)
11. Review the Indigenous Peoples of Canada section on Canvas. You can find it under the "Living in Vancouver" section.
TO DO IN AUGUST
Task Description
1. Review course outlines for Period 1 and complete any pre-readings.
NOTE: Updated outlines for Period 1 might not be posted until August. Subsequent Period outlines will be posted approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the start of that Period.
2. Get settled in Vancouver prior to the start of the program on August 26, 2019. If you are new to Vancouver, it is advised to arrive one month in advance to secure housing, set up all your utilities and accomplish everything to ensure a successful start to the program.
3. Obtain and activate your Graduate Student UBCcard before you start the MM program.
See section below for details on how to activate.  NOTE: You need the card to enter the graduate classroom area, MM lounge and breakout rooms.
4. Create Sauder Computer Lab EAD (Enterprise Active Directory) account (see section below)
5. Review the following Robert H. Lee Graduate School Academic Regulations:
6. Complete the Excelling with Integrity module on Canvas by Wednesday, August 21, 2019.
7. Review the Indigenous Peoples of Canada section on Canvas. You can find it under the "Living in Vancouver" section.
8. Fill out any forms required for MM Program Opening and bring on Monday, August 26, 2019.
9. Attend MM Program Opening from Monday, August 26 to Thursday, August 29, 2019
NOTE: Attendance is mandatory for all students
10. Review the Canvas tutorial on where to find things on your MM Class of 2020 site.

Study Permit

You must have a valid study permit in order to attend classes at UBC. It is not permissible to attend classes on a visitor’s visa.

Navigating another country’s immigration system can be challenging, and most international students must apply well in advance for their study permit. Check your immigration documents to make sure that they are accurate and valid, and note when they need to be renewed. More information on these topics can be found at:

If you have questions or concerns during this process, contact UBC International Student Advisors.

Housing

ON CAMPUS

If you are planning to live on-campus it is highly recommended that you apply for housing immediately as it is very competitive to get in.

On campus housing is at a premium as there are typically 40,000 students returning to UBC every school year. Therefore, for the best chance of living on campus, UBC recommends that you apply for on-campus housing at the time of your application to your program or as quickly as possible thereafter.

NOTE: You may find when you apply for residence on campus that you are placed on a wait list. If you are placed on a wait list, check with UBC Housing about the likelihood of obtaining housing for September. Wait lists can move very quickly nearer to the beginning of term so don't panic if you are on one. Wait lists are unpredictable so you may want to investigate alternate housing (on or off campus) prior to August in order to be settled before the start of the program.

When applying to live on campus, as a graduate student your best option is to apply for year-round housing. If you apply for Winter Session only you will compete with all undergraduate students who have priority for this group. Please see the main UBC webpage for on-campus accommodation for Graduate Students including year-round and family accommodation. This includes:

September-April Housing (not advisable)

This type of housing is aimed at undergraduate students who typically study from September - April each year. As the contract length and the age of student living in this type of housing does not fit with the UBC MM Program schedule and student body, the following September - April residences are NOT recommended for UBC MM students:

  • Totem Park
  • Place Vanier
  • Ritsumeikan-UBC House
  • Walter Gage

Graduate Student Colleges (year-round)

UBC has two residential graduate colleges that offer accommodation dedicated to graduate students, visiting scholars, and postdocs:

Alternative On-Campus Options

There are some alternative housing options located on campus, but not operated by UBC Student Housing and Hospitality Services.

OFF CAMPUS

Living off campus is a great option for opening up to experiences outside of UBC. There are several communities in the area that have a number of housing options such as in-house suites, apartments, and shared accommodation. Transportation to and from the campus is easy if you find somewhere within a 1/2 hour commute.

Selecting your neighborhood: Neighborhood cultures, living costs and transit routes are important factors when looking for housing. Vancouver is in general a safe city to live in but, as in any big city, you need to be aware of your surroundings and select accommodations and a location you are comfortable with. It is strongly advised to research and visit any area you are not familiar with before committing to renting a place.

Resources:

BEWARE OF SCAMS

As you may know, Vancouver has a very competitive housing market. While our students are typically able to find appropriate accommodations on- or off-campus and have rarely come across scams, it is important to be aware that they do exist.

Some warning signs of rental scams according to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, include:

  • The monthly rent is much less than the current market rate
  • You're asked to leave a deposit without any formal rental agreement or lease in place
  • You're asked to send a security deposit to a landlord outside the country
  • You're offered a unit but no one does a background check on you
  • When you ask about the apartment, you get an email that sends you to a website asking for personal or financial information
  • Ads that show pictures of the outside of the property only, or pictures that don't match the actual property
 COMMERCIAL RENTAL SERVICES

For a fee, these services will provide you with a list of vacancies that meet your criteria. These are often advertised in the rental listings section of newspapers. They can be helpful if you need to save time, but there is a charge for the service.

RENTAL LISTING WEBSITES
SHORT TERM ACCOMMODATION

Short-term Off-Campus

Options for staying off-campus include but are not limited to:

Short-term On-Campus

On-campus short-term accommodation is difficult to find if you are not scheduled to move into one of the on-campus residences at the beginning of the school year. There are only a few options available:

Please note that the RHL Graduate School does not recommend any specific commercial enterprises, but provides these lists of local services for information only.

Health Care Coverage

Find out what kind of health insurance you need and how to enroll. All UBC students are required to have basic and extended health insurance.

BC MEDICAL SERVICES PLAN (MSP)

Everyone living in British Columbia for more than six months is required to enroll in the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP), the provincial government program that provides basic medical benefits

  • You must apply for MSP as soon as you arrive in British Columbia.
  • There is a 3 month waiting period before MSP coverage will start so you must ensure you have basic health insurance for those first 3 months in British Columbia.

NOTES:

  • Students with existing coverage from another Canadian province or territory do not need to apply for MSP.
  • MSP premiums are NOT included in your tuition and fees.
EXTENDED MEDICAL PLAN

All students (both international and domestic) are automatically enrolled in and pay for the AMS/GSS extended medical plan. For more details on the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan, including the claim forms, visit studentcare.ca or the Health & Dental Plan Office (Room 3500, third floor of the Student NEST, 6133 University Blvd).

Opting Out: Students with equivalent health and dental coverage through a private plan (parent, spouse or employee plan) can opt out of the AMS/GSS Health & Dental Plan.

If you’re an international student with questions about MSP or your equivalent private insurance, please contact International Student Development for more information at 604-822-5021 or isa@students.ubc.ca.

Graduate Student Card

OBTAINING OR RENEWING A CARD

As a member of the MM program, you are now considered a graduate student at UBC and will need to obtain a graduate student UBCcard to replace your undergraduate card.  The graduate student card will be encoded to allow you access to the graduate breakout rooms and other graduate student areas at the Sauder School of Business.

STEPS TO ACTIVATE YOUR UBCCARD
  1. Wait until the RHL Graduate School has registered you in courses. Registration will be done for you by the RHL Graduate School by early July and an announcement will be posted out once complete.
  2. If you have an expired/existing UBCcard: Bring your old card to the UBC Access Desk located at the UBC Bookstore (6200 University Boulevard). To obtain your graduate card, you must identify yourself as a Sauder graduate student.
  3. 24 hours after you obtain your card, it should automatically be activated and give you tap access to the MM student lounge and Graduate Breakout rooms within Sauder.
  4. If you experience any difficulties or have any questions, contact the Office Admin desk at 604-822-1386 or access@sauder.ubc.ca.
LOST/STOLEN UBCcard

Lost or stolen UBCcards must be reported IMMEDIATELY. UBC departments (including the Bookstore, Library, Food Services, Housing, Athletics and others) assume no responsibility for fraudulent use of your UBCcard before the Lost or Stolen Card Notification Form is submitted and processed by the UBC Carding Office.

UBC Enterprise Active Directory (EAD) Account

There are two small computer labs in the basement of the Sauder School of Business that are used for some MM courses.

All students must activate their UBC Enterprise Active Directory (EAD) account immediately so they are able to easily access the computers in the lab as soon as the program starts in June.

The EAD login ID is students’ CWL username with “.stu” added to the end (e.g, if your CWL is joesmith, your student EAD login ID would be joesmith.stu).  Please note that you will have to change your CWL password in order to activate your EAD account.

TROUBLESHOOTING

If you need assistance with any of the above, or have any questions or feedback, please contact the Canaccord Learning Commons Service Desk

David Lam Library 2nd Floor
604.822.9400
clchelp@sauder.ubc.ca