Admission Requirements and Application Procedure
Domestic Applicants
Applications are now available online . Application deadlines are as follows:
November 1 st for January admission
March 1 s for May admission
June 15 th for September admission
Admission Requirements – Domestic Applicants
No application will be considered until it is complete. The responsibility rests with the applicant to ensure that all documents (i.e. transcripts, letters of reference, test results) are submitted by the program’s deadline for application.
Completed applications will be evaluated by the program, which makes the admission decision. The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies sends out offers of admission and handles all administrative aspects of registration.
For admission to the Master’s program, applicants must have or expect to receive a four-year B.Sc. degree from an accredited university and provide evidence of scholarly achievement. The program requires at least a 78 % overall average in the last two full-time years of the undergraduate degree.
For admission to the Doctoral program, applicants must possess a Master’s degree from an accredited university, and provide evidence of promise of aptitude and success in research. The program requires at least a 78% average in the Master’s degree. In some cases, a student’s advisory committee may recommend a transfer from the Masters to the Doctoral program on the basis of the student’s scholarly achievements and research progress.
The minimum academic standard required for admission by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to the M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs is 70%, however, funding is only guaranteed to students who are admitted with, and maintain, a B+ (78%) average.
Students will only be accepted for graduate studies in the Department of Biology if a supervisor has been secured. Although applications are processed centrally, applicants are encouraged to contact individual full-time faculty members and adjunct members to discuss their research interests and possible research projects where applicable. However, individual faculty members do not directly admit students. The research interests of our full-time faculty and adjunct faculty can be found here . Some graduate positions are also posted on the Department of Biology web page under 'Positions Available' . Some of our faculty supervise students in the Graduate Programs in Environment and Sustainability and Neuroscience .
Application Requirements
The online graduate application will provide Western with the following:
- Biographical information
- Contact information
- Statement of academic intent
- Academic background
- Electronic transcripts from Ontario universities/colleges (see below for information on transcripts)
- Professional background (if applicable)
- Referee information (2 references collected electronically upon receipt of application)
- Application fee
Additional application requirements to be sent directly to the program:
- CV (listing past work experience, publications, awards/scholarships, certificates, etc).
- Publications (if applicable)
- Photocopy of post-secondary Diploma(s)
- Landing papers (if applicable)
- For permanent residents of Canada only, please include a photocopy of both sides of your Permanent Resident Card or a photocopy of your Record of Landing. If you are applying to be a permanent resident, but have not been granted landed-immigrant status, you must apply as an international applicant.
* One official academic transcript from each post-secondary institution attended
- Past or current students of The University of Western do not need to provide transcripts for their academic history at Western. This information will be obtained internally.
- If you have attended or are currently enrolled at any Ontario university or college other than The University of Western Ontario you MUST use the electronic application process in order to request transcripts. These transcripts will be delivered electronically to each of the programs to which you are applying.
- All other transcripts must be forwarded in hard copy to the Department of Biology to complete your application.
* Western considers a transcript official only if it is received in a university envelope that is sealed and signed on the flap by the official person in the office issuing the transcript. If the transcript and degree certificate are not in English, a certified translation must also be included. (Non-English transcripts from institutions within Canada do not require a translation.)
Communications
Once you have applied online you can expect the following communications.
Referee receives the following communications:
- initial request to complete recommendation form on applicant’s behalf
- thank you communication from SGPS upon receipt of recommendation
Applicant receives the following communications:
- confirmation e-mail regarding receipt of online application
- confirmation that recommendation form has been completed and submitted
- communication that recommendation form has not been completed with option to submit additional referee information
Applicant receives the following communications from the Department of Biology:
- all inquiries regarding application to our program
- updates on the status of your application
Graduate Handbook
Graduate students and their supervisors are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Graduate Handbook ( Part 1: Biology Graduate Program Regulations ; Part 2: Graduate Students & the Department ). This handbook provides a run-down of everything you need to know about being a graduate student in this department, from requirements for your program of study, to services and facilities offered by the department.
