After Submitting Your Application

So What Happens After I Submit My Medical Biophysics Graduate Application?

The information outlined on this web page will provide you with an overview of our graduate recruitment process.This information may be subject to change without notice depending on changes in official policies at the graduate program and/or the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies levels.

If you are a successful applicant, it will involve the following 5 steps ....

Step 1: Determining an applicant's academic eligibility with a degree from a Canadian university.

Step 2: Determining an applicant's academic eligibility with a degree from a non-Canadian university.  

Step 3: Circulation of completed, academically qualified application files to recruiting faculty supervisors.  

Step 4: The interview process by phone and/or site visit.  

Step 5: Letters of offer on behalf of interested graduate supervisors to successul applicants.  

Step 6: Institutional approval from Western's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

STEP 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:

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.

• 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.

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STEP 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.

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STEP 3:

Circulation of Completed 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 Summer and Fall Term 2012 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.

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STEP 4:

The Interview Process

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.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing by June 30, 2012.

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STEP 5:

Letters of Offer on Behalf of Interested Graduate Supervisors

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
• 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.

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STEP 6:

The Role of Western's School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) in Our Final Selection of Successful Applicants

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. It is important to contact the Graduate Affairs Assistant with your current address information should it change. Otherwise, you may not receive the letter in time to respond by the deadline.

• You will also be required to submit TWO sets of "official transcripts" of your entire university education to the Medical Biophysics graduate office showing previous degrees completed/conferred BEFORE you begin your first term as a graduate student. The term "official transcripts" means the successful applicant must make arrangements to have all previous university transcripts sent to the Medical Biophysics graduate program directly from the Registrar's office of the applicant's previous university or universities. Transcripts stamped "Issued to Student" or electronic copies will not be accepted as official documents.
• The only exception to this rule pertains to applicants whose university education thus far has been at Western. SGPS will accept unofficial transcripts that Western's graduate programs have printed using the Registrar's database.
• Successful applicants offered admission to the Medical Biophysics graduate program through SGPS will not be allowed to defer their offer of enrollment. They will be required to re-apply to the graduate program in time for initial enrollment in the next term of their choice.
• Preference will be given to qualified 2012 applications received by these specified DEADLINES. 
  
  

Questions should be directed to: askMBP@schulich.uwo.ca

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GRADUATE PROGRAM

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

NSERC Undergraduate Research Awards Competition
Application Deadline: Monday, January 14th, 2013, at 4:00 p.m

The 2013-14 OGS/QEIIGSST Scholarship Application Is Now Available On-line
The deadline to submit finalized applications on-line is February 1st, 2013 at 4 pm  

2013-14 OGS/QEIIGSST Application Handbook for Students

CIHR Master's Awards Application Process
Master's Awards On-line Deadline: January 11th, 2013

Winter Term 2013
Classes Start: Jan. 7th
Classes End: April 11th 
Exams Start: April 14th
Exams End: April 30th

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