Entrance Eligibility

Master's Programs

Applicants are normally required to have completed a four-year baccalaureate degree, or its academic equivalent, from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta. An admission grade point average of 3.3 on most 4-point grading systems or B+ on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years of full time study (or equivalent) is required.

Doctoral Programs

Applicants are normally required to have completed a research-based master's degree, or its academic equivalent (see below), from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta. An admission grade point average of 3.3 on most 4-point grading systems or B+ on most letter grading systems, based on your most recent two years of full time study (or equivalent) is required.

For admission to our Doctoral Program, we do not automatically recognize course-based or professional degrees such as MPH (Masters of Public Health), MD (Doctor of Medicine), PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy), etc. as eligible to enroll. However, such non-research based degrees may be reviewed by members of the Research Training Committee, taking into account research experience and track record. The outcomes of this review can be: recommendation for admission directly to our PhD program, recommendation for admission into our MSc program with evaluation for transfer after 1 year (see criteria for transfer of program), or rejection of the application. In all cases, the final decision on admission comes from FGSR.

Some students applying for entrance into our PhD program may be required to enroll in the MSc program first. At the end of the first year, students with satisfactory progress may apply for a change of category to PhD. These applications are adjudicated by the Program Director and/or the Research Training Committee and if successful, will be forwarded to FGSR with a recommendation for transfer to the PhD program. This allows students to proceed to a PhD degree, receiving credit for work done in the first year of the MSc program.

The application for change of category also applies to students admitted to the MSc program, who, after the first year of study, wish to proceed to a PhD.

Department of Medicine Additional Program Admission Requirements

Provide proof of English language proficiency. This can be:

  • a degree or its academic equivalent from an institution recognized by the University of Alberta in which the language of instruction is English; or
  • a minimum overall Academic IELTS score of 7.0, with a minimum of 6.5 on each band.

You must have an approved supervisor who has confirmed their willingness to supervise you. All supervisors must provide a stipend to graduate students (see our student funding policy)

Current University of Alberta Staff Members

University of Alberta employees (whether academic staff, support staff, or other staff) may be considered for admission to graduate programs provided that any conflict of interest between the individual's roles as a staff member and as a graduate student will be absent or minimal. Please review section 5.22 of the Grad Program Manual for eligibility considerations for current U of A staff members.
In addition, prospective Department of Medicine students cannot have their direct employment supervisor serve as their program supervisor, whether employed by the university or another employer.