BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES BISI

Contact Info

Location

Biological Sciences Building, Room 188

Faculty number

(403) 220-6623

Fax

(403) 289-9311

E-mail address

kbarron@ucalgary.ca

Web page URL

http://www.bio.ucalgary.ca/

1. Degrees and Specializations Offered

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Master of Science (MSc), thesis-based

Areas: Biochemistry and Structural Biology; Botany; Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology; Ecology; Zoology

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to Faculty requirements, the Department requires:

(a)A minimum grade point average of 3.20 on a four point scale over the last two full years or equivalent

(b)For students required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a TOEFL score of 580 (written test) or 237 (computer-based test) or an IELTS score of 7.5

(c)A concise statement outlining the applicant's research interests and reasons for wishing to attend the University of Calgary

3. Application Deadline

Deadlines for submission of complete applications for students with international transcripts:

1 May for September admission

1 September for January admission

1 January for May admission

Deadlines for submission of complete applications for students with Canadian or US transcripts:

15 June for September admission

15 October for January admission

15 March for May admission

4. Advanced Credit

Not applicable

5. Program/Course Requirements

In addition to Faculty requirements, the Department requires:

(a)Completion of a minimum of one full-course equivalent for both the Master of Science and doctoral programs. Students transferring to a doctoral program will be required to take a minimum of one half-course in addition to work already completed. Please note that graduate courses must be chosen in consultation with the supervisor and approved by the Graduate Coordinator. Course requirements may include courses offered by other departments.

(b)Completion of the appropriate number of Research Seminar courses in addition to (a) above

(c)Presentation of a Departmental seminar on the results of the thesis research

6. Additional Requirements

None

7. Credit for Undergraduate Courses

Credit may be given for courses taken below the 600-level. At least one half of a graduate student's coursework must be at the 600-level or higher and only where appropriate to a student's program may credit be received for courses numbered 500-599.

8. Time Limit

Expected completion time is two years for the Master of Science degree and four years for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Maximum completion time is four years for the Master of Science degree and six years for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

9. Supervisory Assignments

Applicants normally contact specific faculty members about possible supervision. The Department does not accept students unless at least one faculty member has indicated a willingness to act as supervisor. The supervisor, in consultation with the student, selects an Advisory Committee consisting of the supervisor and at least two other faculty members, one of whom must be from a Division other than the student's or from outside the Department.

10. Required Examinations

The doctoral candidacy examinations have a written component followed by an oral component. Doctoral candidates are given three weeks to complete three substantive essays in answer to questions, which focus on the student's field of specialization, submitted by their candidacy committee. One week after the submission of the answers, the oral component will take place.

Students who enter directly into a doctoral program after completion of an MSc must complete their candidacy examination within 28 months of initial registration. Students who have transferred into a doctoral program from a Master's program must complete the candidacy examination within 36 months of initial registration in a graduate program.

Final thesis oral examinations are closed.

11. Research Proposal Requirements

Both Master of Science and doctoral students must present a written research proposal to their supervisory committees no later than twelve months after initial registration in program.

12. Special Registration Information

A request for transfer of program from the Master of Science program to the doctoral program may be made no later than twenty-four months after initial registration. Students who transfer will be required to take one additional half-course, regardless of course work completed before the transfer, and are expected to meet the 36-month deadline for the candidacy examination.

13. Financial Assistance

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Students applying for the Open Scholarship Competition must submit their scholarship applications to the Department by 24 January 2005.

14. Other Information

None

15. Faculty Members/Research Interests

The research interests of current faculty members can be found at http://www.bio.ucalgary.ca/graduate/index.html. A graduate flyer is available from the Department upon request.