Graduate and Professional Programs

External/Internal Graduate Scholarships

Each year, undergraduates in their final year of study who wish to pursue graduate studies may apply for external scholarships such as OGS (Ontario Graduate Scholarships), NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada), SSHRC-CGS (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada - Master's), and many others.

For more information regarding Graduate Scholarships, visit the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Graduate and Professional Programs

Theoretical graduate programs, which include a Master of Arts degree (MA), Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), build on the work done during an undergraduate program.

Professional programs for medical careers often require an undergraduate degree and range in length of study. Some programs require applicants to write an entrance exam such as the GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), MCAT (for medical Schools) and DAT (for dentistry schools). After completing your classroom training, you will have to write licensing exams to be able to practice as a Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Audiologist, or Speech-Language Pathologist. To practice nursing in Canada, there is the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) and the purpose of it is to protect the public by ensuring that the entry-level registered nurses possess the competencies required to practice safely and effectively.

The GRE General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study. The GRE Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement in eight specific fields of study and can help forecast a candidate's potential for success in graduate school. Each Subject Test is intended for students who have majored in or have extensive background in that specific area. The Subject Tests are written three times a year in November, December, or April while the General Tests are written year-round at computer-based test centres. GRE test scores are used by admissions panels to supplement undergraduate records and other qualifications for graduate study. The scores provide common measures for comparing the qualifications of applicants and aid in evaluating grades and recommendations. More information is available on the GRE website.

The MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) is a standardized, multiple-choice examination designed to assess problem solving, critical thinking, and writing skills in addition to the examinee's knowledge of science concepts and principles prerequisite to the study of medicine. It is normally written twice per year – approximately late-April and mid-August. It is not recommended that you write the MCAT in April because you are writing final exams for your Western courses. The exam is approximately eight hours long. Since about one-third of the exam is related to physics, it is recommended students have completed Biology 022, Chemistry 020 and 213a/b and Physics 028a/b prior to writing the MCAT. More information and practice questions are available on the MCAT website.

The DAT (Dental Aptitude Test) is held twice a year — in November and February — at various test centres across Canada. The testing program is designed to evaluate general academic ability, comprehension of scientific information, two- and three-dimensional visual perception and manual dexterity. The test is about a half day long and the duration of each component is: (1) carving dexterity test 30 minutes; (2) survey of natural sciences test 60 minutes; (3) perceptual ability test 60 minutes; and (4) reading comprehension 50 minutes. More information is available on the DAT website.

If you are interested in a graduate degree in Health Sciences, here is a summary of a description of the profession, types of jobs available, where the program is offered in Ontario, and the normal minimum admission requirements. Remember that the admission requirements must be confirmed with each university since this information is for 2004. Admission requirements are normally found on each university’s website. You may also have a look at the Office of Health Sciences to find out intformation about health-related programs at Ontario Universities.

Everything you want to know about Canadian Universities and Colleges including programs, facilities, and services is available at the website for the Association of Universities and College of Canada (choose "Canadian Universities" from the top, "Search Academic Programs" on the left hand side, "Database Search"). On this website is an online database of programs at the undergraduate and graduate level in numerous fields of student. You can find Information about Western's graduate programs on their website.

Graduate, professional school, and scholarship applications are involved so it is important you are well aware of the deadlines and how to apply before deciding to do so.