Qualified students will be accepted into the M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. programs from undergraduate engineering programs, from honours mathematics and physical or biological science programs, as well as from clinical professional programs (M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M.).

An on-line application can be found at: http://dalgrad.dal.ca/prospectivestudents/

The Application Package

Admission Requirements

Where to send your application

Scholarships and Fees

Submission Deadline

Additional Information

The Application Package

We prefer that applications be submitted using the Dalhousie Online Application System, although we will also accept hardcopy applications.   A complete application package consists of:

1. An Application fee ($70 Cdn).

2. Official academic transcripts, which are usually sent to us directly from the university, or you can include them with your application letter (sealed by the originating University).

3. Two letters of recommendation, from referees who can attest to your potential as a researcher.  We prefer that these letters be submitted via the  electronic application system.  In this case you need to provide the email addresses of your referees.  The referees will be sent an email and directed to a secure website to complete the reference form. Please note, Dalhousie University will only accept electronic references from university email addresses (ie not Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail). Please allow 5 business days after submission for the referees to be contacted by our system.  Should you choose not to use the electronic submission system, signed, sealed, reference letters written on official university letterhead should be mailed by the referee to the departmental address given below or included with your hardcopy application package. 

4. An application letter outlining your past research experience, general research interests and/or a research project of the type you wish to pursue. The names of two or more potential thesis supervisors (selected from the Faculty Web Page) is reccomended to be included in your letter. It is helpful to contact potential supervisors, and they will require your GPA, experience and interest.

5. Results of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) if your mother tongue is not English. A minimum score of 600 is required for a paer-based exam, 250 for a computer based exam, or 100 for an internet-based exam.. Where TOEFL is not available, the following tests will be accepted: MELAB (minimum score 90); and IELTS (minimum score 7.5).

Optional Application Material:

(The following are not prerequisites for a successful application, but are considered helpful).

- Results of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) scores, if you have not graduated from a Canadian University.

- The abstract from your honours thesis and/or copies of papers published or in preparation.

Admission Requirements

MASc Admission Requirements:

Candidates must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.  Students can be accepted into the M.A.Sc. program from any of:

(i) a B.Eng. or B.A.Sc. from an accredited undergraduate engineering program.
(ii) a 4-year B.Sc. in the physical sciences (e.g. Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, etc) with research experience.
(iii) a 4-year B.Sc. in the biological sciences (e.g. Physiology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Immunology, etc.) with research experience.
(iv) M.D., D.V.M., D.D.S., or equivalent.  

• In some cases additional undergraduate course work may be required prior to entry into the program. This will depend on the nature of the research thesis to be undertaken. Any such requirements will be developed in consultation with the school.
• A minimum of 2nd year undergraduate calculus (equivalent to Dalhousie University's MAT 2001.03 and MAT 2002.03) plus linear algebra and/or statistics, and one year of physics and chemistry will normally be required. 
• A minimum mid-B average (equivalent to GPA >= 3.4 out of 4.3, or 3.0 out of 4.0) during the student's undergraduate course work is required plus normally a minimum average of A- (GPA = 3.7 out of 4.3, or 80%) over the last two years will be required, plus demonstrated ability to communicate and write in English (consistent with the entry requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, i.e. TOEFL > 600).
• GRE Aptitude and Advanced scores in one of the sciences are recommended for all applicants whose undergraduate work has been completed outside Canada.

PhD Admission Requirements:

Candidates must satisfy the general requirements for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Students can be accepted into the Ph.D. program from an accredited Master's program, or in exceptional cases by direct transfer from the M.A.Sc. program after completion of five half-classes and success in a Ph.D. Transfer Examination.

           In some cases additional undergraduate course work may be required prior to entry into the program. This will depend on the nature of the research thesis to be undertaken. Any such requirements will be developed in consultation with the school.

            A minimum of 2nd year undergraduate calculus (equivalent to Dalhousie University's MAT 2001.03 and MAT 2002.03) plus linear algebra and/or statistics, and one year of physics and chemistry will normally be required.

              A minimum mid-B average (equivalent to GPA >= 3.0 out of 4.3, or 3.4 out of 4.0) during the student's undergraduate course work is required plus normally a minimum average of A- (GPA = 3.7 out of 4.3, or 80%) over the last 2 years of courses including Masters courses will be required, plus demonstrated ability to communicate and write in English (consistent with the entry requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, i.e. TOEFL > 600).

   GRE Aptitude and Advanced scores in one of the sciences are recommended for all applicants whose undergraduate or previous graduate work has been completed outside Canada.

Where to send your application

Send your completed application form, fee (payable to Dalhousie University) and all other application material directly to: Sandra Pereira

Mrs. Sandra Pereira
Administrative Assistant
School of Biomedical Engineering
Dentistry Building, Dalhousie University
5981 University Avenue
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada, B3H 1W2
Telephone: (902) 494-3427
Fax: (902) 494-6621
E-mail: bme@dal.ca

Selection:

All applications are reviewed first by the graduate coordinator, to determine whether the applicant meets the school's standards and to locate a potential supervisor and possible funding. In consulting with the Faculty members the graduate coordinator will make a recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for acceptance or rejection, including any required conditions of admission. You will normally be informed of this recommendation. This does not, however, constitute official acceptance into the graduate program. Official acceptance is achieved when the school's recommendation has been approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and a formal letter of acceptance is issued by the Registrar's Office.

The first round of acceptances is normally completed by the end of January. However, the application process can continue well into the summer, until all positions are filled.

Scholarships and Fees

Financial aid is considered at the same time as admission, and a separate application is not necessary. Virtually every student accepted into our graduate program will receive a stipend derived from faculty research grants. Full time graduate students are supported by research and teaching awards. Minimum stipends are $17,500 per year for MASc students and $19,000 per year for Ph.D. students. Awards may be higher depending on qulifications and supervisor, and students with Scholarhsips will usually receive top-ups. Stipend support is normally available for a maximum of 2 years for a Master's and longer for Ph.D. students. Financial support is not normally available for part-time students. Due to the stiff competition, applicants are encouraged to also seek funding from external sources that may be available.

Students are responsible for paying their own tuition fees. Annual University tuition fees are higher in the first year for the MASc program and for the first 2 years of a PhD program but then decrees subtantially. Complete fee information for all programs is available at through Dalhousie's Online Fee Calculator. Students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents must in addition pay a differential fee. If appropriate, students are encouraged to apply for permanent residency to take advantage of lower fees. Furthermore, visa students must pay a health insurance fee.

Canadian and International applicants are elegible for funding support through

• School of Biomedical Engineering NSERC CREATE Medica Device training program, awards at $17,300 and $21,000 with top-ups often available.
• Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation Scotia Scholarships at  $10,000/yr for MASc and PhD
• The Killam Pre-doctoral Scholarships at $25,000 and $20,000 per year at PhD and MASc levels
  

Also Canadian citizens and landed immigrants (permanent residents) are eligible for the following: 

• Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PostGraduate Scholarships (PGS). The current annual value of the NSERC awards is $17,300 for Master's students and $21,000 for Doctoral students. The current annual value of the special NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships is $17,500 for Master's students and $35,000 for Doctoral students.
• Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Industrial PostGraduate Scholarships (IPS). These awards are currenly valued at $21,000 (Master's or Ph.D) with $15,000 awarded from NSERC and $6000 annually from an industrial partner organized by the student and supervisor and industry partner.
• CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral Research Award and CIHR Canada Graduate Scholarship Masters Research Award valued at between $35,000/yr  and $17,500/yr respectively
• Students in the PhD program conducting studies in chemistry, physics, electronics or computer science as part of their BME studies may be eligible for the Sumner Fellowships valued at $6000/yr
• Women applying to the PhD program are eligible for the Eliza Ritchie Doctoral Entrance Scholarship ($24,000/yr)
• More details on funding opportunities are available from the Faculty of Graduate Studies Awards website
  

Tuition fees are still to be paid by the student but external scholarship support (NSERC PGS, NSERC CREATE, NSHRF etc.) is earned tax-free. Other scholarships are available from a number of private foundations and charities, and more information is available from our graduate coordinator or your thesis supervisor.

Although the School of Biomedical Engineering does not offer an undergraduate program, we encourage graduate students to serve as demonstrators or teaching assistants (TA) in an undergraduate department. Students will have to apply for such positions with the undergraduate program with which they are most familiar. TA wages are in addition to the scholarships outlined above and are for a maximum of 13 weeks per semester. TA's are also available within the department for graduate courses BMNG5210 and BMNG5120.

Submission Deadlines

Deadline for Submission of Application Material for a Sept 1st start.

For a September 1st start, the University deadline for receipt of completed applications (including all supporting materials) is June 1st for Canadians and April 1st for non-Canadians. All applications will be considered for financial support from the department; however, due to the limited number of positions and stipends available, it is in your best interest to complete your application well in advance of these dates. Applications and supporting documents received after April 15th can result in rejection of suitable applicants if all available positions in the Department have been filled.

Applicants who wish to be considered for University-level scholarships must complete their application by January 15.

- A few applications may be considered for January 1st start, but should be received usually 3 months in advance.

Registration:

Most students register and begin the program during the first week of September. Students may; however, register and begin research during the period from May 1st to September 1st. An early arrival is recommended for students who need to find housing.

Time Commitment:

If admitted,about 2 years will normally be necessary to satisfy the requirements of the M.A.Sc. program and 3 to 4 years to satisfy the requirements of the Ph.D. program. Transfer without penalty from the M.A.Sc. program to the Ph.D. program is possible at about the 1-year mark for qualified students.

Additional information

For more information about the program, contact the Graduate Coordinator or Sandra Pereira at the address above. For speciifc questions concerning MSc or PhD research contact the faculty. For more information about studying at Dalhousie University, stipends, housing etc. see the School of Graduate Studies website and the guide from the Registrar's Office. For more information about Biomedical Engineering studies in general, refer to other pages on this site or to Wikipedia,.