Application Process

MSc Program(s): January 15 for admission the following Fall.

PhD Program:     January 15 for admission the following Fall.

All applicants (Canadian/Permanent Residents and International) must submit all required documents in support of the application to the Department of Family Medicine via the application portal no later than February 1st. Learn more about the application, supporting documents and the application system in the How to Apply section.

Admission Requirements

Our Graduate Program is dedicated to a holistic and comprehensive review of submitted applications. Though this review is grounded in key requirements, meeting these requirements does not guarantee your admission. Admission to our programs is limited, and acceptance is on a competitive basis.

• High academic achievement: Admission to McGill Graduate Programs requires a minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.  Our admitted students generally have a CPGA of 3.4 and above, on a 4.0 scale. 
• Proof of competency in oral and written English: The primary language of instruction at McGill is English. International students who have not received their instruction in English, or whose mother tongue is not English, must pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 567 (paper-based test) or 86, with each component score not less than 20 (internet-based test). The TOEFL institution code for McGill University is 0935. Alternatively, students may submit International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores with a minimum overall band score of 6.5. Original score reports must be submitted (photocopies will not be accepted).

For overseas applicants: During the application process, applicants' transcripts from their respective universities are converted to the McGill equivalent CGPA.

How to apply

For detailed instructions on how to apply and how to upload required supporting documents, please see: https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply-now

Application Form and Fee:

All applicants must apply via uApply, McGill’s online application form for graduate studies. For detailed instructions on how to apply, how to upload required supporting documents, and confirmation of the application fee, please see:

https://www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/submit-your-application

When applying, ensure you select either:

• MSc in Family Medicine, (and your option of choice, if applicable) or;
• PhD in Family Medicine and Primary Care

Supporting Documents

• Curriculum Vitae: Please upload the latest version of your resume, which should include a listing of previous research experience and publications, if applicable. All relevant research experience should be included in the submitted CV.
• Personal Statement: Applicants must submit a personal statement in which they:

1.  describe their background and reasons why they are applying to the desired program;
2.  describe their research interests and, if they have identified a potential supervisor or faculty working in their area of research;
3. describe how they hope to contribute to, and impact, the discipline of family medicine;
4. describe future plans upon graduation from the desired program.

The statement should be no more than two (2) pages long. Applicants are welcome to include any details or context that they would like to be considered by the admissions committee. Previous applicants have included information such as notes about grade scheme in previous universities, lived experience that they deem relevant to their academic trajectory, etc.).

• Letters of Reference: Two (2) letters of reference must accompany any application to our program. These letters must be current (no more than 6 months old). Letters must be on letterhead and are required to be uploaded to the admissions processing system. Applicants are strongly encouraged to request references from academic, or other professional employers, who can evaluate their potential for graduate studies and research, and who can attest to the applicant’s research skills. Referees will also be asked to rank each applicant and to provide a size of the comparison group (i.e. out of 50 supervised students).
  • Any applicant haven undertaken previous graduate studies (whether at McGill or elsewhere) should make sure that one of the letters of reference is from their prior graduate supervisor. Please note: On the application form, applicants must provide the names and email addresses of referees. McGill will contact these referees and invite them to upload references on their behalf (along with the instructions on how to upload the documents). Neither of these reference letters should be from the proposed supervisor.

• Official Transcripts: Applicants must submit one (1) official copy of all transcripts for each post-secondary degree undertaken (Quebec students need not submit CEGEP transcripts). The transcripts must present evidence of academic achievement that meets the program’s requirements.
  • McGill Graduates: Official transcripts are not required for any studies conducted at McGill University (students may upload a Minerva copy of their McGill transcript with their application).
• Writing sample (for PhD program only): Applicants to our PhD program must upload a writing sample for the Admissions Committee to review, preferably a thesis, or a published article

All supplemental application materials and supporting documents must be uploaded directly to the application portal, the McGill online admissions processing system (complete instructions here). Please do not send any supporting documentation directly to the Department of Family Medicine.

Supervisor:

The matching process between supervisor and applicant is an essential part of acceptance into our program. Applicants do not need to have identified a supervisor before submitting their application. However, it may be useful to review our directory of Program Supervisors to see how your research interests align with expertise in the program.

Once your application is complete, a member of our team will notify selected applicants about the matching process between Supervisor and Applicant.

Application Review:

Our program evaluates applicants holistically and, beyond admission requirements, takes into account alignment of research interests with potential supervisors. To help inform our assessment, applicants who meet admission requirements will have the opportunity to be selected to participate in an English-writing exercise.

Results

You will be informed of your acceptance/non-acceptance within approximately 4 weeks from the application closing date. Your official acceptance/non acceptance letter will come from the 'Graduate and Postdoctoral Office' of McGill University.