The minimum requirements for admission to the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry’s (FoMD’s) Graduate Programs (See FoMD Graduate Programs ) are outlined below. Admissions to FoMD graduate programs are made on a competitive basis. Though an applicant may satisfy the minimum admission requirements, acceptance into a graduate program is not guaranteed. The decision to admit an applicant to a graduate program is made by the department and program.
Graduate program entrance requirements for FoMD Graduate Programs are defined at two different levels:
Students are required to familiarize themselves with the graduate program entrance requirements at both levels and supplemental information provided by individual FoMD Graduate Programs.
Minimum AGPA: See GPS Academic Requirements
Exceptions: Clinically-related graduate programs, course-based programs, and certificate programs may have higher AGPA requirements.
NOTE: TOEFL iBT Home Edition has been temporarily suspended for meeting English-Language Proficiency for admission to the 2027/28 academic year.
The minimum English language proficiency test scores required for admission into the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry’s Graduate Programs are:
Clinically-Related Graduate Programs: English language proficiency requirements are set by the respective program.
Applicants for admission must have obtained a University of Alberta baccalaureate degree or an equivalent qualification from another recognized academic institution.
Qualified applicants with a three-year undergraduate degree from a Bologna-compliant or another recognized research-intensive university will be considered for admission in the standard way.
Applicants will not be admissible to a doctoral degree program at the University of Alberta if they have previously obtained a similar or identical degree.
Except in the case of freestanding graduate certificates (see below), the minimum Admission Grade Point Average (AGPA) required for admission to a graduate program is 3.0, equivalently, a letter grade B, on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent standing. Many graduate programs have higher minimum AGPA requirements.
The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of course weight of graded coursework completed at the time of application, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
In exceptional cases, applicants who do not meet the minimum admission requirements but who have demonstrated significant life experience may be considered for admission. Admission on the basis of life experience requires the recommendation of the department offering the program and is subject to approval by the Dean, GPS.
Certificates: Applicants for admission into freestanding graduate certificates normally will have obtained a University of Alberta baccalaureate degree or an equivalent qualification from another recognized academic institution, for which an official transcript will be required. Admission will not be subject to a minimum GPA calculation unless such a minimum threshold is specified by the program.
Admission to a second freestanding certificate offered by the same department will not require a new application if the application is received within twelve months of the completion of the first certificate.
NOTE: TOEFL iBT Home Edition has been temporarily suspended for meeting English-Language Proficiency for admission to the 2027/28 academic year.
Since English is the primary language of instruction and communication at the University of Alberta (except for Faculté Saint-Jean), proficiency in English is a prerequisite for graduate admission.
All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission either by:
Notwithstanding the above, graduate programs reserve the right to require a further demonstration of English language proficiency.
The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies recognizes five English language examinations:
GPS considers English language examination scores to be valid for two years from the date of the exam.
The GPS minimum acceptable scores are:
Individual graduate programs may require higher scores.
In exceptional circumstances, and on the recommendation of an academic unit, the Dean of GPS may consider an applicant who holds a degree(s) from an institution where English is not the primary language of instruction but who has demonstrated English language proficiency through one or more of the following:
The English Language School in the Faculty of Education offers EAP 550 (Academic English for Graduate Admission) which may provide an alternate method of satisfying the GPS minimum acceptable score.
Applicants interested in this course must contact their prospective graduate program to verify language proficiency requirements.
If applicable, departments may consider the following options in utilizing EAP 550 to satisfy the English language requirement for an application for admission:
In no case will the applicant be registered in GPS until the EAP 550 course has been successfully completed.
The Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, offers graduate programs leading to the MSc and PhD degrees in cell biology. The Department provides a world-class training environment in a range of areas including organelle biogenesis and disease, neurobiology, virology, cancer apoptosis and signal transduction, proteomics, molecular evolution, RNA biology, chaperones and pathogen-host interactions. Through an independent research program, complemented by seminars and formal coursework, students are trained to identify important problems, critically analyze scientific information and effectively communicate their results. The Department of Cell Biology is endowed with state of the art equipment needed to perform experimental work in modern cell biology. Research funding is primarily from agencies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Detailed information on the graduate program can be found on the Department of Cell Biology website Address all inquiries to the Graduate Program Administrator, Department of Cell Biology.