At Western we offer services and programs that enhance our graduate students’ experiences and provide a supportive and stimulating academic environment. We offer a blend of structure and flexibility allowing our graduate students to develop personally and professionally in an enriching and collaborative environment. This includes:

• A commitment to providing the best graduate student experience
• Excellent funding to graduate students, including guaranteed minimum annual funding for all doctoral students of $12,000 plus tuition
• First-class research facilities and infrastructure
• Research collaboration agreements on every continent, including Antarctica
• The fifth-largest academic library system in Canada, available anywhere, anytime via the Western Libraries’ website at www.lib.uwo.ca
• Western makes the highest per capita investment in public research of any university located in one of Canada’s 10 largest cities
• More than 65 Canada Research Chairs among Western’s faculty members
• More than 50 doctoral and 70 master’s programs
• Five interdisciplinary programs; nine collaborative programs
• Direct-entry PhD programs
• Eleven faculties and three affiliated University Colleges (Brescia, Huron, King’s)
• Affiliations with Robarts Research Institute, London Health Sciences Centre and Lawson Health Research Institute

Most importantly, we recognize the importance and value of our graduate students and know that a highly talented and diverse student body can significantly enhance the character and quality of our academic community. 

Tours of Western are available year round. To book a tour of the campus go to our Campus Tours Booking Form. Be sure to indicate to your tour guide that you are a prospective graduate student prior to the start of your tour.

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Facilities, Faculty and Research

As one of Canada's largest research-intensive universities, first-class research facilities and infrastructure are available to all of our graduate students.

Graduate Faculty

Recognized by their peers as leading experts in their fields, Western's graduate faculty members are committed to the highest standards in teaching, conducting research and mentoring graduate students.

Graduate faculty members may teach graduate-level courses, supervise graduate students, and serve on doctoral and master's thesis committees. For detailed information on the various faculty members at Western and their fields of expertise, please visit department websites. You can also contact departments directly to find out which faculty members are working in your field(s) of interest.

Research

With annual research expenditures of more than $209 million, Western makes the highest per capita investment in public research of any university located in one of Canada's 10-largest cities. The University is committed to providing superior support for both individual scholars and large interdisciplinary groups, while firmly establishing an entrepreneurial research culture that encourages the practice of innovation across the campus.

Support for Researchers

Research funding at Western and its affiliates reached $209 million in 2007-08, 9th highest in Canada. Researchers at Western and its affiliates generated more than $31 million in research contracts withindustry.  In addition to being affiliated with Lawson Health Research Institute and London's extensive hospital system, Western is home to The Research Park in London and Sarnia, and to a number of innovative research facilities and centres that are unique in the world, including:

• The Biotron Experimental Climate Change Research Facility
• The Centre for Brain and Mind
• The Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory
• The Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes
• The Advanced Facility for Avian Research (AFAR)
• The Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion, Western's first LEED-certified ‘Green Building'
• The Don Rix Protein Identification Facility
• The National Centre for Audiology
• The Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network
• The Centre for Science and Values
• The Centre for American Studies
• The International Centre for Olympic Studies

Robarts Research Institute

One of Canada's leading centres for medical research, Robarts is a tight-knit community of interdisciplinary researchers with the shared goal of improving human health. Home to world-renowned scientists in biological, clinical, and technological research, Robarts provided mentorship and training for 148 Western graduate students in 2007-08. Although physically located within the Institute, Robarts grad students are enrolled within various programs at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry

Lawson Health Research Institute

As the research institute of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care, London, and working in partnership with The University of Western Ontario, Lawson Health Research Institute is committed to furthering scientific knowledge to advance health care around the world.

Lawson is one of the largest hospital-based research institutes in Canada and a major teaching and training environment for tomorrow's scientists. Our ‘bench to bedside' philosophy means our researchers focus their efforts on the development of new knowledge that can be applied directly to patient care within the hospitals. Through collaboration and the sharing of their discoveries, Lawson researchers make a difference in patients' lives every day.

WORLDiscoveries

Western, including Robarts Research Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute have formed a technology transfer consortium called WORLDiscoveries that encourages the entrepreneurial research culture in London and seeks to develop small- and medium-sized enterprises in the region. Technology transfer initiatives play a significant role in job creation and economic development by turning research and development into practical applications and products that can be commercialized through industry.

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About London

London, Ontario, Canada's tenth largest city is a cosmopolitan centre with a population of more than 400,000. It is located approximately two hours driving distance from Toronto, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan. London is called The Forest City in reference to its numerous, beautiful pathways and acres of rolling parkland. Its tree-lined boulevards and green parks invite cyclists and pedestrians to discover the charms of the city, built at the fork of the Thames River.

Seasons

We experience four distinct and beautiful seasons. Temperatures range from a summer average of 26°C (79°F) to a winter (January) average of -6°C (21°F). Winter, spring, summer, or fall, London is always busy with community events. Skiing and snowboarding are easy to find as Boler Mountain's ski and tubing hill is located right in London, while skating is always popular at local outdoor and indoor ice rinks. London is also close to several beaches including Grand Bend and Port Stanley.

Activities

London is brimming with activity. Boasting everything from concerts at the John Labatt Centre to exhibitions at Museum London, theatrical productions at The Grand Theatre and a large assortment of restaurants and pubs, the Forest City has something for everyone. Whether you enjoy shopping, movies, theatre, dancing, or sporting events, there is no lack of activities in London. Year-round, London has numerous festivals and cultural and community events, including Snowfest, Sunfest, Rock the Park, London Film Festival and World Beat and Jazz weekends. London is considered a sporting hub and has hosted the Scott Tournament of Hearts, the 2006 Summer Paralympics and the World Lacrosse Championships. London is also home to the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights.

Travel

Located in the centre of southwestern Ontario, traveling from London to Toronto, Windsor, Buffalo, or Michigan is easy. As well, WestJet, Air Canada, Jazz and Northwest Airlines offer direct flights from London to Winnipeg and Calgary and have many connections to other Canadian destinations. If you want to travel to warmer climates or exotic places, the London International Airport has flights to Mexico, Cuba and several locations in Europe.

Comparative Cost of Living

Important factors in deciding where to attend graduate school are the location and the cost of living in that community. Not only is London a vibrant cosmopolitan centre, but it offers many of the same benefits of a large city without the high cost of living. For example, compared to London, the monthly cost of a 2-bedroom apartment is 19.3 per cent higher in Ottawa, 31.1 per cent higher in Toronto, 34.7 per cent higher in Vancouver and 37.6 per cent higher in Calgary.

In order to achieve the same quality of life in other major cities as you would have in London, the universities in other centres would have to provide more funding to their graduate students.