Medical Science
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Program overview
For over 40 years the graduate program in Medical Science has prepared students for independent scientific careers in academic and non-academic settings. Graduates of the doctoral program have a strong record of excellence in obtaining post-doctoral positions often leading to faculty appointments or jobs in industry at leading institutes across Canada and around the world.
One of the University of Calgary's largest graduate programs, Medical Science offers specializations ranging from cancer biology and critical care to molecular and medical genetics (but training is not limited to these specialties). Our program is supported by collaborations with related programs throughout the Cumming School of Medicine and the University of Calgary.
Specializations
- Cancer Biology
- Critical Care Medicine
- Joint Injury & Arthritis Research
- Biomedical Ethics
- Pathologists Assistant
- Physiology
- Surgery
- Biomechanics
- Molecular & Medical Genetics
- Mountain Medicine and High Altitude Physiology
Outcomes and next steps
Academic researchers, education, medicine, government agencies, health organizations, and the private sector/industry; biotechnology start-up companies, clinical trials, research-oriented positions in pharmaceutical/biotech companies and Fortune 500 businesses.
A PhD in medical science is usually considered a final degree; many graduates pursue post-doctoral research.
Degree at a glance
Completion requirements
Thesis-based
Courses
Three courses
Program requirements
Class delivery
Classroom
Commitment
Four years full-time; six years maximum
Supervisor
A supervisor is required; potential supervisors must be listed when applying to the program
Fees and funding
Flat annual fee; guaranteed funding
Related programs
If you're interested in this program, you might want to explore other UCalgary programs.
Supervisors
A supervisor is required for this program. Students are required to identify potential supervisors when applying to the program.
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Kunyan Zhang
- Molecular Evolution, Molecular Epidemiology, Virulence and Pathogenesis of MRSA
accepting inquires
Nils Daniel Forkert
- Medical Image Processing
seeking students
Paul Mains
- Developmental genetics, Molecular and Medical Genetics, Embryology, C. elegans, Molecular Biology, Cytoskeleton
unavailable
Pierre-Yves von der Weid
- The lymphatic system and its roles in inflammation and inflammatory diseases
unavailable
Quan Long
- Bioinformatics
- Statistical Genetics
- Data mining
- Multi-scale -omics integration
seeking students
Randal Johnston
- Molecular Biology of Cancer and Genomics
accepting inquires
Additional supervisors may be available. Contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies for more information.
Completion requirements
Courses
Topics will be determined according to the student's research area.
Research Ethics
Students are required to attend Research Integrity Day sessions in the first year of their program.
Candidacy
Students will complete both oral and written candidacy exams.
Seminars
Students will participate in a research in progress semina and journal club relevant to their program.
Research Proposal
Students must defend a written research proposal to their supervisory committee.
Thesis
Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.
Admission requirements and information
Requirements for the Medical Science Program
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
An MSc or other relevant Master's degree.Work samples
<p>None</p>Documents
None
Reference letter
TwoTest scores
NoneEnglish language proficiency
An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in one of the following ways:
- TOEFL score of 105 (Internet-based) or 600 (paper-based). Our institution code is 0813.
- IELTS score of 7.5 (Academic version).
- MELAB score of 86, or higher.
- PTE score of 75, or higher (Academic version).
- Tier 3 of the International Foundations Program with minimum grades of A,A,A (Writing & Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Listening Comprehension & Oral Fluency)
Deadlines
For admission on May 1
Canadian and permanent residentMarch 1 Application deadline
InternationalDec. 1 Application deadline
For admission on July 1
Canadian and permanent residentMay 1 Application deadline
InternationalFeb. 1 Application deadline
For admission on September 1
Canadian and permanent residentJune 1 Application deadline
InternationalApril 1 Application deadline
For admission on January 1
Canadian and permanent residentOct. 1 Application deadline
InternationalAug. 1 Application deadline
If you’re not a Canadian or permanent resident make sure to read and learn about international specific requirements
Tuition fees and funding
All graduate students must pay general fees each year, as well as program fees.
Fees
Estimate for full-time students
Canadian and
permanent resident
International
student
General fees
12 months of study
$1,830 CAD
$1,830 CAD
Program fees
First 12 months of study
$5,593 CAD
$12,695 CAD
Total fees
For first year of studies
$7,423 CAD
$14,525 CAD
What are annual continuing fees?
Domestic Continuing Fees: $1,627 CAD
International Continuing Fees: $3,693 CAD
until they pass their candidacy exam
Funding availability
All students who are accepted into the Medical Science PhD program will receive a minimum stipend of $23,000.
Fees listed here are estimates only, and have been rounded to the nearest dollar. These amounts should not be considered accurate. All amounts are in Canadian Dollars.
Fees are subject to change.
For more details and the most accurate information go to the Academic Calendar
For more general information, see our Fees and Funding Guide
Highlights of the Medical Science Program
Kristen Barton researches inflammation control in knee injuries
Vanier Scholar examines how to delay osteoarthritis following knee injuries
Stint as hospital intern awakens a passion for medicine
UCalgary Leaders in Medicine student Ann Zalucky combines her interest in medical research with entrepreneurship
Medical students compete in Three Minute Thesis
Ann Zalucky and Akash Fichadiya share their research in UCalgary's Three Minute Thesis competition
Learn more about this program
Cumming School of Medicine
Health Sciences Centre
Foothills Campus, University of Calgary
Calgary, ABT2N 4N1
Medical Science- Graduate Studies
Health Sciences Centre, Room HSC G347A
3330 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, ABT2N 4N1
403.220.6852
Go to our contact page and connect with the right person to answer any questions you might have
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