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Graduate Science Education Office
Location: Health Sciences Centre, Room G341A
Fax: 403.210.8109
Web page URL: cumming.ucalgary.ca/gse

1. Degrees and Specializations Offered

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), thesis-based
Master of Science (MSc), thesis-based
Master of Biomedical Technology (MBT), course-based
Master of Disability and Community Studies (MDCS), course-based*
Master of Pathologists' Assistant (MPath), course-based
Master of Precision Health, course-based

Graduate Diploma in Precision Health, course-based
Graduate Certificate in Precision Health, course-based

*Applications to this program are currently suspended until June 2023.

Programs offering thesis-based MSc and PhD:

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Cardiovascular and Respiratory Sciences
Community Health Sciences
Gastrointestinal Sciences
Immunology
Medical Science
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Neuroscience

Joint programs, offered with other Faculties:

The Cumming School of Medicine and the Haskayne School of Business offer a combined Master of Biomedical Technology/Master of Business Administration (MBT/MBA) program. Contact either program for further information.

Students in the Cumming School of Medicine and the Departments of Anthropology and Archaeology may choose an interdisciplinary specialization in Biological Anthropology. For further information on the Biological Anthropology specialization, see Interdisciplinary Specializations.

The Faculty of Kinesiology, the Cumming School of Medicine and the Schulich School of Engineering co-lead the multi-faculty Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program. For further information, see Biomedical Engineering program description.

In addition, the University of Calgary offers the joint Leaders in Medicine Program leading to MD/Master's or MD/Doctoral degrees. Students applying to the MD/MSc or MD/PhD program must apply individually to each program and complete a supplementary application for the Leaders in Medicine Program. Further information regarding the Leaders in Medicine Program is provided under the Combined Degrees section in this Calendar.

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations, the Cumming School of Medicine graduate programs require:

a) Qualifications

Master of Science

  • Four-year BSc degree or equivalent
  • A minimum admission grade point average of 3.30 (on the University of Calgary four-point system; equivalent to a "B+") based on the last two years of the undergraduate degree consisting of a minimum of 60 units.

Doctor of Philosophy

  • MSc degree, or relevant master’s degree, recognized by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, or transfer from MSc program, or, in exceptional cases, BSc degree or equivalent.
  • A minimum admission grade point average of 3.30 (on the University of Calgary four-point system; equivalent to a "B+") based on the last two years of the undergraduate degree consisting of a minimum of 60 units and any master’s course work if applicable.

b) English Language Proficiency

For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in the English language:

  • a minimum TOEFL internet based score of 105 (with no section less than 20), or
  • a minimum IELTS overall band score of 7.5 (with no individual band less than 6.0), or
  • a CAEL overall score of 70 (with no section less than 70), or
  • a minimum PTE academic version score of 75.
  • This requirement can also be met by completing the Academic Communication Certificate with a minimum grade of "A-" in each course.

c) Immunizations

All students in graduate programs in the Cumming School of Medicine are required to complete a series of immunizations and diagnostic tests as outlined on the Student Immunization Worksheet.

Throughout their graduate program, students are required to ensure that immunizations are current and provide proof of updates to the Cumming School of Medicine. Failure to do so may result in students being removed from the program until such time as adequate proof has been provided. Please note that requirements may change during the program as determined by Alberta Health Services guidelines. Contact your Graduate Program Administrator for more information.

d) Additional Requirements

Refer to the individual program entries for additional program admission requirements.

3. Application Deadline

See ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/explore-programs for individual programs' deadlines.

4. Advanced Credit

Applicants must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring the grade point average to a required level for admission. Any credit to be given for courses completed will be included in the letter of offer for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Refer to individual programs for additional advanced credit information.

5. Program/Course Requirements

Refer to individual program information.

6. Additional Requirements

Research Integrity Day

Research Integrity Day is a Research Ethics session offered several times each year. All graduate students in the Cumming School of Medicine are required to attend Research Integrity Day in the first year of their program as part of their course requirements. See the Graduate Science Education cumming.ucalgary.ca/gse/current-students/research-integrity-day-requirement for details and to register for the Research Integrity Day session.

Sex and Gender Training Module

The inclusion of Sex and Gender in Research programs is becoming more prominent. All graduate students in the Cumming School of Medicine are required to complete one of the CIHR sex and gender online training modules found at discoversexandgender.ca within the first year of their program.

Refer to individual program information for any additional requirements.

7. Credit for Undergraduate Courses

Refer to individual program information.

8. Time Limit

According to the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations, maximum completion times are:

  • Six years for a course-based master’s program
  • Four years for a thesis-based master’s program
  • Six years for a doctoral program
  • Six years for the MD/master’s program
  • Eight years for the MD/PhD program

For specific program expected time to completion, please refer to individual program information.

9. Supervisory Assignments

Supervisors and supervisory committees are assigned according to the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations (see Academic Regulations) and are approved by the Graduate Program Director of each program. Master of Science students in the Leaders in Medicine Program must have supervisory committees constituted according to the regulations of the graduate home program. Both master’s and doctoral students will also be evaluated and advised by a Joint Liaison Committee composed of the Associate Dean (Graduate Sciences Education) and the Associate Dean (Undergraduate Medical Education).

For specific program supervisory assignment information, please refer to the individual program entry.

10. Research Proposal Requirements

Refer to the individual program sections.

11. Required Examinations

Candidacy

Refer to the individual program sections.

Thesis Examinations

All students in thesis-based programs (MSc and PhD) must successfully pass the Final Thesis Oral Examination. The examination will consist of a public seminar followed by an open oral examination.

For Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations, see Thesis Examinations.

For specific program examination information, refer to the individual program descriptions.

12. Financial Assistance

Students in thesis-based graduate programs will receive a graduate stipend as outlined in the Cumming School of Medicine Funding Policy and can be found at cumming.ucalgary.ca/gse/current-students/scholarships.

Students are expected to apply to external agencies for financial support from scholarships or studentship awards and for University of Calgary Scholarships (see Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar). Possible sources of financial support are listed on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website: grad.ucalgary.ca/awards.