PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology

Admissions Prerequirement

The Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at the University of Western Ontario accepts students proceeding to the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. Applicants must hold an honours degree or equivalent, in a Life or Allied Health Science, or a degree in Dentistry, Medicine or Veterinary Science. An applicant with a general degree is usually required to spend one year in appropriate course-work before being allowed to register as an M.Sc. student. The minimum standard for admission is a 80% (A-) average for the most recent two years of undergraduate study, or the most recent 10 full senior level courses taken. Meeting the minimum requirement does not guarantee admission.

PhD Research in areas of Cell Biology, Cancer, Neurobiology/Neuroscience, Cardiovascular Disease

Application Procedure

Please note: The Department cannot pre-evaluate copies of transcripts to ascertain if you should apply to our program. A complete application must be submitted for review. Applicants are responsible to ensure that a complete application package is submitted. Incomplete applications WILL NOT be assessed by the Graduate Program Committee.

Prior to applying, ensure you have the following documents/information ready:

  1. Two Reference Letters. Referee responses should come from faculty who are familiar with your work. SGPS will contact your references directly via email. Applicants need to supply each referee's name and email address that is associated with the University they reside at. 

  2. Application Fee 

  3. Statement of Interest (maximum 2 pages in length). 

  4. Academic CV

  5. Official transcripts. Unofficial digital transcripts are OK for the purpose of submitting an application. Only students offered admission will be required to have their official transcript sent from the your previous University's Office of the Registrar to SGPS directly. 

  6. English Language Proficiency (ELP) score (if required).

Application Deadlines:

  • February 1 (for a May or September start date)
  • June 1 - pending spots remaining (for a September start date)
  • October 15 (for a January start date)

*Applications received close to or on the deadline may not be approved in time for the desired start date.

*Positions are not regularly available for summer/winter terms. Acceptance notifications for the fall term begin in March and continue until July 31st.

*Note for International Students: Application deadlines do not take into account the time needed to obtain a Study Permit. International applicants should allow a minimum of two terms prior to the proposed start date of their graduate program to obtain Student Authorization.

Graduate Program Start Dates:

  • Fall Term - September 1
  • Winter Term - January 1
  • Summer Term - May 1

Application Process:

Applications CANNOT be considered until a fully completed application package is received by this Department.
The Graduate Committee will review applications and applicants will be informed in writing regarding admissibility.
Final admission to the RESEARCH area in Anatomy & Cell Biology depends on the applicant identifying a faculty member willing to supervise and financially support the MSc candidate for a minimum of two years and also approval from the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students are advised to talk with and visit the laboratories of potential supervisors.

Please review the Research of Faculty members for information regarding areas of research and supervision possibilities.

Applications and all other inquiries should be addressed to:

Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology
The University of Western Ontario
Medical Sciences, Room 443
London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C1
Phone: 519.661.3014
Fax: 519.661.3936
Email: anatomy@uwo.ca

Information regarding scholarships, thesis regulations and the graduate calendar may be found on the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies website.

Applications From Overseas

Applications from countries other than Canada are encouraged. However, the fees for non-resident students are approximately two and a half times higher than those for Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Bursaries are available, which reduce the fees to the level paid by Canadian residents. Such bursaries are awarded, on the basis of merit, by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

If your first language is NOT English you must include official proof of proficiency in English. Anatomy & Cell Biology accepts both The International English Lanuage Testing System (IELTS) the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The IELTS overall score must be a minimum of 7, with no individual test component below 7.  The TOEFL overall score must be a minimum of 92, with no individual test component below 20. TOEFL and IELTS scores should be sent electronically to the University of Western Ontario, School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Code 0984).

University regulations prohibit the acceptance of students who have not attained this standard. The Department requires that students from other countries provide documentary evidence of adequate financial support for the duration of their studies

Residence Requirements

For qualified applicants, the usual period of study for the M.Sc. is two years (minimum one year), and for the Ph.D. from two to four years (minimum two years after an M.Sc. or 3 years after an honours degree).