The Departments minimum admission requirements are a 4-year undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last 60 units of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (see
). Any one of the following is acceptable:
A minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (internet-based) of:
For tests written before January 21, 2026:
90 overall with a score of at least 21 on each of the individual skill areas
For tests written on or after January 21, 2026:
4.5 overall with a score of at least 4.5 on each of the individual skill areas
an equivalent score on an English Language Proficiency test approved by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies
Applicants must identify a potential supervisor willing to provide supervision.
The Department of Biological Sciences offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. It strives to develop scholars familiar with literature in their field, capable of identifying new problems and new directions of endeavour in their field, and competent with the methods of data collection and analysis essential to do research. Students will fulfil these objectives through several forums: a supervised research program, coursework, participation in seminar programs, and defending their dissertation. The Department has research laboratories and instructional facilities for 250300 graduate students. There are facilities for digital image processing, electron and confocal microscopy, analytical chemistry, molecular biology, fermentation, biotechnology, DNA synthesis and sequencing, cultivation of microbial cells and cells of yeasts, plants, insects and mammals. Facilities include large holding tanks for aquatic animals, and controlled environment rooms including an extensive greenhouse complex. Extensive reference collections are available for research with microfungi, vascular and cryptogamic plants as well as vertebrates and invertebrates, including major collections of fishes, fossil plants and vertebrates, insects and parasites. All potential applicants are encouraged to first correspond with academic staff in whose research laboratories they might want to study. Additional information is found at Biological Sciences (see Graduate Studies For Applicants).