To receive application materials, please write to:

Mrs. Sandra Pereira
Administrative Assistant
School of Biomedical Engineering
Dentistry Building, Dalhousie University
5981 University Avenue
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada, B3H 3J5
Telephone: (902) 494-3427
Fax: (902) 494-6621
E-mail: bme@dal.ca

Application forms can also be downloaded from:
http://www.registrar.dal.ca/forms/

A Complete Application Consists of:

1. Application fee ($70 Cdn).

2. Official academic transcripts, which must be sent to us directly from the university.

3. Two letters of recommendation, these must be sent to us directly from the referees.

4. A letter outlining your past research experience, general research interests and/or a research project of the type you wish to pursue. The name of one or more potential thesis supervisors (selected from the Web Page) may be included in your letter.

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. Where TOEFLis not available, the following tests will be accepted: MELAB (minimum score 90); and IELTS (minimum score 7).

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.

- Curriculum Vitae

Where to Send Application Material:

Send your completed application form and fee to: Office of the Registrar, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4H6 and a copy to Mrs. Mansfield.

All other application material, should be sent directly to: Mrs. Mansfield (see address above). It may be helpful to fax copies of your application material (902-494-6621). However, your application will not proceed to the University level until the official copies are received.

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 for 2004-5 are $17,000 per year for MASc students and $19,000 per year for Ph.D. students. Stipend support is normally available for a maximum of 2 years. 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 (2004-5) are $7,410 in the first year for the MASc program and $7,713 in the first year for the Ph.D. program. Lower, post-program fees apply in the second year onward for the MASc program and in the third year onward for the Ph.D. program. Complete fee information for all programs is available at: https://as01.ucis.dal.ca/stdacct/fees.cfm. Students who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents must in addition pay a differential fee. Furthermore, visa students must pay a health insurance fee.

Canadian citizens and landed immigrants are eligible for Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Scholarships and CIHR Doctoral Research Awards. The 2004-5 annual value of the NSERC awards is $17,300 [PGS M] and $21,000 [PGS D] for Master's and Doctoral students respectively. The 2004-5 annual value of the special NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarships is $17,500 for Master's students and $35,000 for Doctoral students. The CIHR doctoral research awards are valued at $21,000 per year plus a $1,000 travel award. In either case, tuition fees are still to be paid by the student. After acceptance by the Department, prospective graduate students of exceptional ability may become candidates for special scholarships, such as the Killam Pre-doctoral Scholarships (2005-6 value $19,000 per year for Master's students and $23,000 per year for Ph.D. students); the Killam scholarships are open to all students and special considerations are available for visa students. Similar 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 have 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 a minimum of $10 (demonstrators) to $15 (TA) per hour for 45 or 90 hours per semester (approx. 12 weeks).

Deadline for Submission of Application Material:

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.

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, 2 to 2.5 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 more information about studying at Dalhousie University, stipends, housing etc. see the School of Graduate Studies website.  For a list of important dates and deadlines see the Registrar's Office website.  For more information about Biomedical Engineering studies in general, contact the Biomedical Engineering Network.