Admissions for International Applicants

All applicants must:

  • Hold one of the following degrees: B.Sc., M.Sc., M.D., D.D.S/D.D.M or D.V.M
  • Have a background in one or more of the following disciplines:
    1. Health Sciences, e.g., pharmacology, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, cell and molecular biology
    2. Biotechnology
    3. Biomedical engineering
    4. Pharmaceutical sciences
    5. Chemistry
    6. Physical Sciences

Admission to the program is based on the applicant’s:

  • Academic record (3.00/4.00 or 3.20/4.00 in the last 2 years of study)
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation
  • Interviews with members of the Graduate Training Committee
  • Test scores (when applicable)

Deadlines

*Applications are deemed “complete” when the application and all supporting documents have been received. Review of applications occur immediately after the checklist is complete. Applicants may be asked to complete three (3) individual interviews with members of the Graduate Training Committee. Therefore, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applicants from Montreal will complete their interviews in person. Applicants applying from outside of Montreal will complete their interviews by Skype. If you are conditionally accepted to the program, the conditions are to find your own supervisor and funding.

 

Intake Applications Open Application Deadline - International Application Deadline - Domestic (Canadian, Permanent Resident of Canada)
FALL September 15 of year preceding the program start year January 15 May 15
WINTER February 15 of year preceding the program start year July 15 of year preceding the program start year October 15 of year preceding the program start year
SUMMER N/A N/A N/A

 Please note that applications submitted after the deadline may not be considered for admission.

Requirements

Applications will be considered when the following documents have been uploaded to your application:

**The TOEFL or IELTS is mandatory for all applicants who have completed their studies outside of North America and who's language of study was not in English (proof must be submitted of English as the language of instruction). 

**The GRE (General Test):This test is no longer required. Please note: Once you apply your checklist might still  indicate GRE but it is not required. 

  • Completed official online application
  • All transcripts from undergraduate or graduate degrees (even if the degree is not completed)(The transcripts of your current studies do not need to be "final" transcripts. We require grades up until the semester currently in progress at the time of application and a requirement for admission, if accepted, would be to provide final transcripts with the date of graduation). The transcript must be translated if it is not in English.
  • Your CV
  • A Personal Statement 
  • Two (2) confidential letters of recommendation preferably from professors or research-related employers. There is no "standard form" and letters should be on letterheard and signed. The UApply system will automatically send an email to your referees instructing them to upload their letters directly to your application. *** PLEASE NOTE: The email addresses for your referees must be from institutions or corporations (i.e. @mcgill.ca; @concordia.ca, etc). Email addresses from hotmail, gmail, yahoo, etc. will not be accepted.)

**Permanent Residents: Please note that if your studies were completed outside of North America, you will require TOEFL or IELTS.

Minimum Requirements for TOEFL/IELTS:

TOEFL: 86 (each component no less than a score of 20)

IELTS: 6.5

 

Tips for Contacting a Supervisor

Please read before contacting potential supervisors:

Keep in mind that most potential supervisors will receive many inquiries throughout most of the year. It is important that your application makes an impact, against a background of many similar applications. The following guidelines may be helpful:

  • Only contact supervisors whose research you are genuinely interested in. A potential supervisor would expect you to have read at least a few papers from their lab, and to describe in your email what you find particularly interesting about their research. Explain what you believe you could contribute to the lab in terms of knowledge, skills, etc.
  • State which university you are from.
  • State whether or not you have already applied to or been conditionally accepted into the relevant graduate program at McGill, e.g. Pharmacology or Integrated Program in Neuroscience. (We refer to "conditional" acceptance because acceptance is contingent on, for example, there being a faculty member who agrees to supervise you).
  • State your degree(s) or degree program, and your cumulative grade point average (cGPA) in relation to the maximum attainable at your university (e.g. 3.8/4.0 or 3.9/4.3). If you do not have a North American-style cGPA, provide the equivalent information.
  • Briefly indicate what your career goals are (to the extent that you can at present).
  • Some, but not all, professors would prefer you to attach your CV and a transcript (an unofficial transcript is OK). Better to err on the side of caution and include them.
  • Spell-check your text.
  • Sign your letters or end your email with name and contact information.

 

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