Graduate
Related Links
How to Apply
Please ensure you have met all the program requirements before applying for admission.
Incomplete applications WILL NOT be assessed by the Medical Biophysics Graduate Admission Committee.
1. Undergraduate Degree
Applicants must have completed or be in the final year of a program leading to a 4-year undergraduate degree at a recognized university, and expect to have obtained your degree by the end of the academic year in which application is being made.
2. Admission Average (GPA)
Consideration will be given to applicants with a minimum of a 78% average, but preference given to applicants with a minimum of an A- or 80% average.
For MSc applicants, eligibility is based on the average of the marks from the 3rd and 4th years of their undergraduate degrees using the following criteria set by SGPS:
- all courses with a weight of 0.5 will be counted once when the average is calculated
- all courses with a weight of 1.0 will be counted twice when the average is calculated
- all courses with a weight of 1.5 will be counted 3 times when the average is calculated
Please Note: Admission to the Medical Biophysics Program is highly competitive and possessing the minimum requirements does not ensure an interview or offer of admission.
The following supplemental documents will need to be submitted at the time of application.
Two Reference Letters: (collected electronically upon receipt of application) Reference letters should be from faculty who are familiar with your work. Once your application has been submitted, Western will transmit electronic requests to your referees on your behalf. We recommend you contact your referees to ensure they have received these requests.
Application Fee: of $120.00 Canadian (payable at time of completing online application)
Transcripts: If you have attended or are currently enrolled at any Ontario University or college other than University of Western Ontario, you MUST use the electronic application process in order to request transcripts. Transcripts will be delivered electronically to the Department.
Graduate studies application deadlines
March 31, 2020 (first round considerations for September start, the program will accept complete applications up to June 31, 2020)The above dates are an approximation and may change. Applicants should realize that applications received on or after the deadline may not be approved in time for the desired start date.
**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.
After You Have Submitted an Application
If you require any support during the application process please contact gradapps@uwo.ca or 519.661.2111 x82341.
After you have completed your application and submitted the application fee your application will be received and processed by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The application will be held by this department for assessment of all relevant supplemental materials including references and unofficial transcripts (official transcripts are not required until an offer of admission has been extended, such offer will be conditional on receipt of official documents). Once all materials have been received and your admission requirements have been assessed your completed application file is fowarded to all Faculty members recruiting graduate students in Medical Biophysics.
Should a potential Supervisor be interested in meeting with you to discuss a project in their labratory you will be contacted by the Graduate Recruiter to arrange an Interview and site visit. Skype Interview can also be arranged in cases where an applicant is not readily available for a site visit.
As the Medical Biophysics Graduate programs are not course based, offers of acceptance may be extended as projects become available.
If you are a successful applicant, it will involve the following 5 steps.
1. Determining an applicant's academic eligibility with a degree from a Canadian university.
Although the basic admission requirement set by Western's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) for all graduate programs is 70%, consideration will be given to Medical Biophysics applicants with a minimum of a 78% average, but preference given to Medical Biophysics applicants with a minimum of an A- or 80% average.
For MSc applicants, eligibility is based on the average of the marks from the 3rd and 4th years of their undergraduate degrees using the following criteria set by SGPS:
- all courses with a weight of 0.5 will be counted once when the average is calculated
- all courses with a weight of 1.0 will be counted twice when the average is calculated
- all courses with a weight of 1.5 will be counted 3 times when the average is calculated
The following table demonstrates an example of basic calculations to determine admissibility:
| BSc - Year 3 Fall/Winter |
Course Title | Course No. | Mark | Course Weight |
Calculation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | General Literature & Composition | 020E | 95 | 1.0 | 95 X 2 = 190 |
| Biology | General Biophysics | 302 | 78 | 1.0 | 78 X 2 = 156 |
| Biology for Physicists | Biophysical Analysis | 303 | 79 | 1.0 | 79 X 2 = 158 |
| Biomechanics | Human and Animal Biomechanics | 330a | 80 | 0.5 | 80 X 1 = 80 |
| Physics | Intermediate Physics Lab | 259E | 90 | 1.0 | 90 X 2 = 180 |
| Physics | Intro to Statistical Physics | 343b | 78 | 0.5 | 78 X 1 = 78 |
| Physics | Year 3 Seminar | 379Y | Pass | 0 | not counted - no mark |
| BSc - Year 4 Fall/Winter |
|||||
| Applied Math | Complex Variables | 301a | 79 | 0.5 | 79 x 1 = 79 |
| Differential Equations | Ordinary Differential Equations | 215a | 82 | 0.5 | 82 X 1 = 82 |
| Epidemiology | Medical Epidemiology | 330b | IP | 0.5 | IP |
| Physics | Radiobiology and Radionuclides | 467b | IP |
0.5 |
IP |
| Physics | Quantum Mechanics I | 351a | 78 | 0.5 | 78 X 1 = 78 |
| Physics | Quantum Mechanics II | 352b | IP | 0.5 | IP |
| Physics | Electromagnetic Theory I | 365a | 80 | 0.5 | 80 X 1 =80 |
| Physics | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance | 477b | IP | 0.5 | IP |
| Physics | Honors Research | 491E | IP | 1.5 | IP |
| Physics | Year 4 seminar | 479Y | IP | 0 | IP |
At the time of the application, this student has an interim average of 82.9%. (190 + 156 + 158 + 80 + 180 + 78 + 79 + 82 + 78 + 80)/14 = 1161/ 14 = 82.9%
the divisor of 14 is the sum of the number of times each course is counted (2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1 +1 + 1 + 1 + 1)
Letter grades are converted to a 12 pt scale then the 100% scale using the table shown below, and an average is computed as outlined above.
| Letter Grades | 12 pt Scale | 100% Scale |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 12 | 90 to 100% |
| A | 11 | 85.0% |
| A- | 10 | 80.0% |
| B+ | 9 | 77.0% |
| B | 8 | 73.0% |
| B- | 7 | 70.0% |
| C+ | 6 | 67.0% |
| C | 5 | 63.0% |
| C- | 4 | 60.0% |
| D+ | 3 | 57.0% |
| D | 2 | 53.0% |
| D- | 1 | 50.0% |
| F | -2 | - - - |
- Applicants must have a minimum of 7.0/12 or B- or 70% for admission to a Western graduate program.
- Medical Biophysics applicants must have a MINIMUM 9.4/12 or 78.2% admission average. Preference will be given to applicants with a minimum 10/12 or 80% admission average.
- Please note: SGPS does not permit "rounding off" of grade averages. (e.g. 69.9% will not be rounded off to 70.0% nor will 77.9% be rounded off to 78.0%)
- Applicants who submit an interim transcript with courses marked IP (in progress) must submit a final, official transcript showing degree conferred or granted to the graduate program as soon as that information is available at the end of their academic year.
- For PhD applicants, eligibility is based on the average of the marks from their MSc degree. If a PhD applicant accepts a faculty supervisor's offer then the applicant will be required to submit official transcripts of their entire university education. Preference will be given to PhD applicants with a minimum of an A- or 80% average.
2. Determining an applicant's academic eligibility with a degree from a non-Canadian university.
All international transcripts will be assessed at the graduate program level according to gudelines set by SGPS.
Both Canadian and international transcript assessments done at the graduate program level must be approved by SGPS before an offer for graduate enrollment is issued to the selected applicant on behalf of Western. SGPS's decision is final.
3. Circulation of completed, academically qualified application files to recruiting faculty supervisors.
All applications that are academically eligible are circulated with letters of reference to all faculty supervisors who are recruiting graduate students for Fall Term 2020 admission. If no faculty supervisor shows an interest in an applicant's file then the application does not proceed any further. The applicant will be notified of this.
4. The interview process by phone and/or site visit.
Interviews are arranged by the graduate program only at the request of interested faculty supervisors. Every effort is made to accommodate both the applicant's and the prospective supervisor(s)' schedules. If more than one prospective supervisor requests an interview with an out-of-town applicant then a one or two day interview schedule will be organized to suit all participants. Hotel accommodation will be arranged at the program's expense and the applicant must submit original receipts (car, bus, train, or plane) in order to receive reimbursement for travel expenses. The cost of meals are the responsibility of the applicant.
Applicants should realize that recruiting faculty supervisors request an interview after considering the following criteria:
- academic eligibility
- suitability of the applicant's academic background to the available research project
- evidence of the applicant's ability to be resourceful, self motivated, and with an above average research aptitude, as per their referees' letters of recommendation
The interview process may take as long as a month to organize depending on the faculty supervisors' and applicants' time tables. The letters of offer to successful applicants will be sent as soon as possible after the faculty supervisors have made their recommendations.
5. Letters of offer on behalf of interested graduate supervisors to successul applicants.
We do not offer graduate positions in our program unless a faculty supervisor has agreed to supervise a graduate applicant. At that time, a letter of offer will be sent to the applicant stating:
- the name of the prospective supervisor who is offering a graduate position in his/her research group, and a brief description of a project (if decided)
- that we have recommended the applicant's file to SGPS for admission to our graduate program
- the amount of the graduate stipend that is offered to cover living expenses and tuition support
- any other conditions for graduate enrollment as required
In the case of more than one supervisor offering a graduate position to an applicant, the applicant will be asked to send a list of the prospective supervisors in his/her preference to the Graduate Affairs Assistant. Every effort will be made to match the applicant with his/her first choice but this can not be guaranteed.
6. Institutional approval from Western's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
All faculty supervisors' letters of offer are contingent upon final approval of SGPS. That office will issue an official letter of offer to successful applicants on behalf of the university.
