PhD in Neuroscience
Why study this program?
NMHI offers a PhD program that is designed to offer students broad training in various experimental and theoretical aspects of neuroscience while maintaining a research program that may be more specialized. Students have the opportunity to draw on the expertise of researchers and clinicians.
The PhD program accepts students with a wide variety of undergraduate degrees. Students who already possess a Master's degree in an appropriate subject will be considered for entry into the PhD program.
More information about applying to the University of Alberta as a Graduate Student is available on the Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies website.
Prospective students wishing to apply to the NMHI graduate student program must ensure that the following steps are taken and conditions are met:
- A supervisor and funding has been secured. It is the student's responsibility to contact potential supervisor's directly. Please do not begin your application to the program without supervisor and funding confirmation.
- Admission criteria has been met (see below).
- The student has applied to the program through the admissions portal.
- Our Director of Graduate Studies and Neuroscience Graduate Program Committee (NGPC) will review the application. If approved, it will be submitted through the admissions portal.
Supporting Documents required for admission
- Three academic references
- Statement of research
- Curriculum vitae
- All transcripts
Evaluation of Applications
All applications will be reviewed by the NMHI Director of Graduate Studies and the Neuroscience Graduate Program Committee (NGPC). Applications being considered for acceptance will be forwarded to the prospective supervisor who will confirm that funding is available. If all admission requirements have been met, the application will be sent to Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) for further processing.
The final admission decision is made by GPS. Applicants should note that possession of the minimal entrance requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Information provided in the completed application, the availability of resources and the identification of an appropriate supervisor will all factor into the final decision.
Grade Point Average
The minimum GPA for students who have completed post secondary education in Canada or the United States is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale based on at least the last 20 courses or 60 course credits (or U of A equivalent).
Minimum GPA requirements for applicants from other countries must be equivalent to a 3.0 based on at least the last 20 courses or 60 course credits (usually the last 2 years of study).
Students who do not meet the minimum requirement cannot be considered.
GPA and other application requirements are the same for both the MSc and the PhD, unless otherwise noted.
Supervision
As the NMHI's Neuroscience Graduate Studies program is thesis-based, applicants must first have a supervisor and funding in place before they begin their application. The application will then be reviewed by our Neuroscience Graduate Program Committee (NGPC).
Acceptance by a supervisor does not guarantee admission into the NMHI. The final decision is administered by Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).
English Language Proficiency
English Language Proficiency for Applicants whose first language is not English.
As English is the primary language of instruction at the University of Alberta, all applicants must be proficient prior to admissions. Minimum requirements of the proficiency exams include:
- TOEFL (internet-based):
- For tests written before January 21, 2026: A minimum overall score of 95 with a minimum of 21 on each individual skill area.
- For tests written on or after January 21, 2026: A minimum overall score of 5 with a minimum of 4.5 on each individual skill area.
- IELTS: A minimum overall band score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each band.
Students will not be required to take an English language proficiency test under one of the following conditions:
- Their institution is included in Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies exemptions list.
- They have completed a post-secondary degree in the United States or Canada, even if the student's first language is not English.
- Their institution's language of instruction is English. An official letter stating that this is the case must be sent from the institution directly to the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute.
Course Prerequisites
Please see our Calendar.
Applicants to the MSc program are expected to have completed the following courses or their equivalents: ZOOL 342, NEURO 371 OR PHYSL 371, PHYSL 372. Students deficient in this area may be expected to take these courses as extra-to-degree.
For applicants external from the University of Alberta, please specifically identify the courses in your transcript to be considered by the Neuroscience Graduate Program Committee (NGPC). These courses can be identified in your Statement of Interest.
Applicants to the PhD program who do not have a sufficient Neuroscience background may be required to take additional courses to ensure an adequate background. These will be considered extra-to-degree.
Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents
Application deadlines are two months prior to the term start date:
- July 1st for September/fall term admission
- November 1st for January/winter term admission
USA and International Students
Application Deadlines are four months prior to the term start date. Applicants are advised to submit their applications well before the deadline, as processing and wait times for international documents are increasing.
- May 1st for September/fall term admission
- September 1st for January/winter term admission
What are the admission requirements and how do I apply?
What you need to know about applying to the Neuroscience Graduate program can be found in the Applying to the Program and Admissions Criteria & Requirements sections. The graduate program administrator will submit the application to Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies on the applicant's behalf when the following requirements are met:
- Admission criteria has been met.
- A supervisor has been secured.
- Funding has been secured.
- The application has been approved by the members of the Neuroscience Graduate Program Committee.
For general information about applying to graduate studies at the University of Alberta, please visit the Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
What are the deadlines to apply?
Please see the Application Deadlines sectionfor more information.
Do I require a biological sciences undergraduate degree in order to apply?
Students with a wide variety of undergraduate and post-graduate degrees apply to and are admitted to the neuroscience program. If applicants are accepted to the program, but lack sufficient neuroscience background, they may be required to take one or more undergraduate courses (as extra to degree) which will provide a stronger knowledge base.
If you are unsure if you would qualify, please email our Student Program Administrator at nmhiedu@ualberta.ca.
Can I be admitted directly into the Neuroscience PhD program if I already have my Masters?
Students with a Master's degree may be eligible to apply directly to the PhD program. To learn more, email our Student Program Administrator at nmhiedu@ualberta.ca.
Contact Us
If you are still unsure or have a specific questions, please email our Student Program Administrator at nmhiedu@ualberta.ca.
Neuroscience graduate students are eligible to receive numerous University of Alberta and external funding agency scholarships. It is the student's responsibility to investigate all scholarships available. Students are expected to apply for scholarships.
As the NMHI's Neuroscience Graduate Studies program is thesis-based, applicants must have a supervisor and funding in place before applying to our neuroscience program. To facilitate this, it is required that applicants contact potential supervisors directly to request supervision and secure funding.
Acceptance by a supervisor does not guarantee admission into the NMHI. The final decision is administered by Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).