Governor General’s Gold Medal – MASc/PhD
One gold medal is awarded to the student who has achieved the most outstanding academic record as a doctoral student. A second gold medal is awarded to the graduate student who has achieved most outstanding academic record as a Master’s student completing a thesis. This is an opportunity to honour the best in the graduating class within the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, as there is only one award for more than 2,000 Master’s graduates and one award for more than 500 doctoral graduates. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General of Canada by participating educational institutions, along with a personalized certificate signed by the Governor General. There is no monetary award associated with the medals.
Eligibility:
Students must have submitted the final copy of their thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
Application package must include:
- Application form filled out by the student
- Copy of External Examiner’s report on doctoral dissertation (for PhD applicants only – Master’s applicants do not need to provide an equivalent document)
- Letter of support from thesis supervisor (The letter of support must be sent directly from the supervisor to admissions@mech.ubc.ca)
- All undergraduate and graduate transcripts
- UBC transcript: The “Academic History” document requested from your graduate program. Official transcripts ordered from Enrollment Services are also acceptable. Workday/SSC grade summary page is not acceptable.
- Other transcripts: Official transcripts are required for any undergraduate and/or graduate study from institutions other than UBC.
- Transcripts must be complete and up to date – issued in 2024W Term 2 if currently registered, or after the last term completed if not currently registered.
Application Deadline:
- Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 4 pm PT (submit your application package to admissions@mech.ubc.ca)
For eligibility requirements and application procedures, please visit: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/governor-generals-gold-medal
Martha Salcudean Prize in Mechanical Engineering
PhD students who apply for Governor General’s Gold Medal will automatically be considered for the Martha Salcudean Prize in Mechanical Engineering. Prizes totaling $1,000 have been made available annually by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in memory of Professor Martha Salcudean (FRSC, OC, OBC) (1934-2019) for outstanding Ph.D. students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering who have written a strong doctoral dissertation. Professor Salcudean was born in Romania, and was a survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. She emigrated from communist Romania to Canada in 1975, and was a professor at the University of Ottawa before arriving at UBC. Professor Salcudean served as Head of the UBC Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1985 to 1993, and was integral to the growth of the department. She was an internationally distinguished researcher recognized for her contributions to metallurgy and pulp and paper processes.
- Eligibility : Mechanical Engineering students must have submitted the final copy of their PhD thesis to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies between between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
- Note: Students who apply for Governor General’s Gold Medal will automatically be considered for the Martha Salcudean Prize in Mechanical Engineering and no extra application will be required.
- Evaluation criteria: The award(s) will be given to the student(s) who has achieved an outstanding academic record as a doctoral student(s), as assessed through the applicant’s submitted materials to the Governor General’s Gold Medal.
- Value: Each award is valued at $1,000. The prize is contingent on a candidate who is outstanding in the above criteria, and may not be awarded every year.
If you have any questions, please reach out to admissions@mech.ubc.ca.