Pathologists' Assistant - Prospective Student FAQ

Our program only offers a September intake for new admissions. The application opens each year on September 1st and closes on February 28th.

Fall 2024 admissions: The application Portal will open on September 1, 2023 and will close on February 28, 2024.  The completed admission application (including all supporting documents) is due on February 28, 2024. Due to the volume of applications we receive we cannot grant extensions beyond this date.

If we are currently accepting applications, please follow the below steps:

• You can access the portal by clicking the “online application” link found under step 3 of “Start your application” on the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Apply Page.
  • Note: you require an eID account to complete the application.
• Once in the Student Admissions for Graduate Studies portal, you can find our program listed as: Medicine - Pathologists' Assistant
• After you’ve submitted an application, you can upload your unofficial transcripts, prerequisite proof, and CV through your Student Centre.
  • Please do not provide us with any application related documents via email unless explicitly requested by the program.

See the rest of our Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Our minimum requirements for admission are:

GPA: A minimum of 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.

Minimum Education: A BSc in Biological Sciences or Equivalent. Please see the "I don't have a BSc in Biological Sciences. Can I still apply?" section for further details.

Documents:

• A current C.V.

Two Reference Letters: Please see References section for further details.

English Language Proficiency:An applicant whose primary language is not English must fulfill the English language proficiency requirement. Please see the English Language Proficiency section for further details

Unfortunately no. Due to the limited number of seats in our program, and the high number of applications that we receive, meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee you will receive an offer of admission to our program.

• Outside North America: find the grade equivalency and minimum GPA requirement for your country here.
• North American institutions: we are generally seeking a "B+" average for a letter score, or 78% as a percentage. 

Please note:

• Do not attempt to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale
• Transcripts frequently include an institution's grading scale and that is the one we will use when looking at your application. If your institution's grading scale is not included on your transcripts, it is helpful to include the Grading Scale as part of the document you upload.

We do require applicants to have a minimum 4 year degree in order to apply for admission. If you hold a 3 year degree then you are not eligible to apply for admission unless you also hold a Masters degree.

We do consider students who hold a degree in a subject other than Biological Sciences. We have had students come into our program with diverse backgrounds. Our admissions committee will be looking at your application as a whole, which includes your GPA, references, CV, and your responses to the application questions.  You can consider your strength in all of these different areas when determining if you would like to apply to the program.

We require two academic references as part of the application package. The references you select must be able to speak to your ability to undertake work at the graduate level.

All references must be sent from a verifiable institutional or business email address. We cannot accept non-verifiable references sent from gmail, hotmail. etc.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies has created a document on how to find good references that you may wish to refer to.

You will only need to upload an unofficial copy of your transcripts as part of the admissions process. If you receive an offer of admission then we will require you to submit official copies prior to the Fall term that you are beginning your studies. The deadline date and location to send your official transcripts will be listed in your admission letter.

An applicant whose primary language is not English must fulfill the English language proficiency requirement. If your degree was taught only in English, and this is listed on the transcript and can be verified through the WHED database, we can waive the test requirement. Otherwise you will need to send us one of the following test results:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt) score of 105.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.5 (minimum of 7.0 in each section)
• Pearson Test of English (PTE)  score of 75, or higher (Academic version).
• Canadian Academic English Language test (CAEL) score of 70 (minimum 70 in each section)  
• Academic Communication Certificate (ACC) score of A- in each course.
• Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency minimum score of 200.
• Duolingo English Test and obtaining a minimum score of 145* (with no sub-score below 125*). (temporary until Fall 2024 intake)

Submitting Official Proof of English Language Proficiency and other Test Scores 

Arrange for the agency where you completed your test to send an electronic copy of your official score report to the University of Calgary. The information you supplied in your online application is not considered official, but will assist the Department in evaluating your application until the official score is received.

•    Duolingo - Instructions to share Duolingo scores can be found on their website.
•    IELTS - Instructions to share IELTS scores can be found on their website.
•    TOEFL - Instructions to share TOEFL scores can be found on the ETS website. Ensure you indicate the Department Code associated with your program of interest. Department codes for TOEFL can be found in the TOEFL Information Bulletin. The University of Calgary institution code is 0813.
•    GRE - Instructions to share GRE scores can be found on the ETS website. Ensure you indicate the Department Code associated with your program of interest. Department codes for GRE can be found in this document. The University of Calgary institution code is 0813.
•    PTE - Instructions to share PTE scores can be found on their website.

No, we do not require these test scores and do not use them as part of our admissions evaluation.

In general, the answer is no. These requests must go through the Faculty of Graduate Studies and are very rarely approved.

The expected time commitment for our program is two years of full-time study.

No, we do not offer an online version of our program. It must be completed in person.

Our program’s current tuition costs are listed here and are listed under the section "Excluding programs listed below, all other master's course-based, diploma, and certificate programs. All costs are listed in CAD $

In addition to course-based tuition rates, program-specific tuition is charged in each term in which a student is registered. Please see the additional term tuition here under the Master of Pathologists' Assistant section of the chart.

Students are also assessed General Fees in addition to their tuition fees.

Please note: Each academic year, graduate student fees may be subject to increases. Please note that these totals are estimates and if there are discrepancies between the FAQ page and the University Calendar, please use the University Calendar for reference.

Fall 2023 Tuition Information

1. Tuition for Canadian/Permanent Residents

   • Tuition per 3-unit course - $923.79
   • Additional term based tuition:
     • Each Year 1 Term (Fall & Winter) $5,492.78
     • Each Year 2 Term (Fall & Winter & Spring) $3,661.86

   Therefore, the tuition totals per program are:

   • Master of Pathologists' Assistant (51 units + Term Based Tuition) - $37,675.57 (not including general fees)

2. Tuition for international students

   • Tuition per 3-unit course - $2,375.67
   • Additional term based tuition:
     • Each Year 1 Term (Fall & Winter) $11,539.77
     • Each Year 2 Term (Fall & Winter & Spring) $7,693.18

   Therefore, the tuition totals per program are:

   • Master of Pathologists' Assistant (51 units + Term Based Tuition) - $86,545.47 (not including general fees)

You can take a look at the program's course requirements in the University of Calgary Graduate Calendar. Program/Course Requirements on the linked page.

Currently there is no financial assistance offered in this program.

Federal legislation stipulates that only certified consultants may offer advice about immigration issue. Students who have been accepted to the University of Calgary will have access to International Student Services (ISS) at the University of Calgary, who are certified in this area. Please see the following websites for more details:

• Study permits
• Post-Graduate Work Permits

Our office is not able to provide any information or advice on these matters ourselves.