How to Apply

Submitting Your Application

In order to apply to graduate studies at Western, it is important that you understand the essential elements of the Western graduate school application. No application will be considered until it is complete. The responsibility rests with the applicant to ensure that all documents (e.g., transcripts, letters of recommendation, test results such as TOEFL scores, GRE scores) are submitted by the program’s deadline for application.

Application Deadlines	Fall Term	Winter Term	Summer Term
Master's (Domestic)	July 1	November 1	March 1
Master's (International)	March 1	N/A	N/A
Doctoral (Domestic)	July 1	November 1	March 1
Doctoral (International)	March 1	N/A	N/A

The Application

The application process begins with the receipt of the application along with all application requirements. In order to be considered for admission to our graduate program, the following information must be submitted and on file for consideration in the department by the stated application deadline. These documents become part of Western's files and will not be returned to or copied for the applicant. All application requirements, aside from the application, must be submitted directly to our program. Transcripts and test scores must be official.

To apply for admission, a completed application must be submitted, providing Western with the following:

Biographical information
Contact information
Statement of academic intent (if applicable)
Academic background
Electronic transcripts from Ontario universities/colleges
Professional background (if applicable)
References
Proficiency in English Scores, if applicable (You must have the testing service send your score electronically to Western.)
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Western's TOEFL ID is 0984.
- The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of the British Council.
- The Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) of the University of Michigan.
- The Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL Assessment).
Test Scores (GRE) (if applicable). Western's GRE ID is 0984.
Application fee

Additional Content

In addition to the application, please provide the Department of Chemistry with the following:

A photocopy of each of your university degrees, if they have been conferred
Curriculum vitae or resume
Any format is acceptable. Please include details that may highlight your research potential or research achievements, such as publications and presentations (include full author lists and titles). For any thesis work that is in progress or has been completed, include the title of the thesis and the supervisor(s). Finally, indicate the disciplines of chemistry that you're interested in pursuing your graduate program in, for example, organic, analytical, etc.
Landing papers (if applicable)
For landed immigrants only, please include a photocopy of both sides of your landing papers. If you are applying to be a Canadian landed immigrant, but have not been granted landed-immigrant status, you will need to apply as an international applicant.
Proof of English proficiency (if applicable)
Both landed immigrants and international applicants require proof of English proficiency. An official copy of your TOEFL score, on an exam taken in the last two years, is required. Western's TOEFL institution code is 0984, department 62. Click on Do I Qualify on the left for more details.
The test of English proficiency can sometimes be waived for applicants who have completed at least two years of undergraduate or graduate education at an English-speaking institution, or for applicants who have worked in an English-only research environment for at least two years. If you believe that you meet these requirements, please indicate this in your application. If we feel that you do need to write a test of English proficiency, we will contact you by email.

These documents must be mailed directly to the department.

Transcripts

To support your application, you must forward one official academic transcript* from each post-secondary institution attended. These documents should be mailed directly to the programs at Western to which you are applying.

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 may 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 graduate program(s) you are applying to at Western 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.)

All documents and transcripts submitted to The University of Western Ontario become the property of the University and will not be returned.

Electronic References

Upon receiving an application from OUAC, our electronic Reference System will obtain referee information and send reference form information directly to your referees. Submission of the reference will, in turn, be collected electronically and distributed alongside the application once it arrives at Western. No paper reference letters are required.

Access to the reference system can be found online. You will require your Login ID and Access Key as provided to you in an email titled "Your Application to Graduate Studies; Important Information," which should arrive 2-3 days after you’ve submitted your application. Accessing the Reference System will allow you to makes changes and updates with regards to your referees.

Readmission/Reactivation

Students who have voluntarily withdrawn or who have been withdrawn and wish to complete their program must formally re-apply for admission via our application. Credit for previous work completed must be approved by the program and SGPS.

Admission Decision

Applicants who have been offered admission to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies can accept or decline their offers of admissions online through the Western Student Center.

Login into the Student Center with the information provided with your Western Personal Computer Account and locate the Admissions grid
Select "Accept or Decline" to begin the decision process