We welcome applications from all individuals who meet our minimum admission requirements. Admission to our department is dependent on availability of supervisors and funding. Although an applicant may meet the minimum GPA requirement, admission is not guaranteed.
Minimum Admission Requirements
Minimum admission requirements are an undergraduate degree with a grade-point average of 3.2 (B+) in the last two years of undergraduate (or graduate) work at the University of Alberta or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
English is the primary language of instruction at the U of A and all applicants must be proficient in English. Applicants with degrees/qualifications in a language other than English need to demonstrate a minimum TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper based) or a total score of 88 with a score of at least 20 on each of the individual skill areas (internet-based).
Finding a supervisor
For admission to our department, please directly contact supervisors in our department who you would like to work with. A supervisor is a faculty member who mentors a graduate student in their MSc or PhD thesis work.
You do NOT need to apply to our program before you begin contacting supervisors. Success in graduate school is dependent on an excellent match between the graduate student and the supervisor. We therefore strongly encourage you to follow these guidelines in your search for the right supervisor:
- View the supervisors’ profiles online. Read a couple of their publications to familiarize yourself with their work. Then decide if their research fits with your background and research interests.
- Write a brief email to them indicating your awareness of their research and how it fits with your interests. Be specific, refer to their publications, possibly even propose a new research question based on your reading of their papers.
- Your email should let them know your intention to apply to their graduate program and interest in working with them.
- Tell them a couple of strong points about your background and, if applicable, who you have worked with on previous research projects. This is to make sure the supervisor understands why they would want to work specifically with you.
- Be realistic. If you cannot make a case for the connection between your own background/interests and your prospective supervisor's research, it is unlikely they will see a match.
If you find a suitable supervisor who has funding available and has expressed an interest in working with you, you proceed to complete an official application. Based on this application, Dr. Esther Fujiwara, Graduate Program Coordinator, will recommend you to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) for enrollment into the MSc or PhD program. The final decision on admission will be made by the FGSR.
Note again here: Meeting minimal entrance requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.
Official Applications
You submit your official application to Tara Checknita, Graduate Program Administrator.
Official application material include:
A current curriculum vitae, all original transcripts, a letter of intent
Three letters of reference
Original copy of test results from TOEFL examination (where applicable)
Application Deadlines
Canadian applicants:
- September admission: July 1
- January admission: November 1
International applicants:
- September admission: May 1 (China & Nigeria April 1)
- January admission: September 1 (China & Nigeria August 1)
Financial Assistance
Students who are accepted into the program are encouraged to apply through their prospective supervisors for studentships from agencies such as the Alberta Innovates Health Solutions and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
For further information please contact:
Tara Checknita, Graduate Program Administrator
Department of Psychiatry
1E1.01 WMC
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2R7
Phone: (780) 492-7604
FAX: (780) 407-6804
tara.checknita@ualberta.ca