Physiology: Physiology MSc

Master of Science

Program Description

The MSc program provides advanced training in physiology, with an emphasis on gaining experience in conducting research using modern experimental methods under the direct supervision of a member of the department’s graduate faculty. Students will complete coursework, attend and give presentations of scientific work, submit a written thesis based on original research, and defend the thesis at an oral examination. It is not required that the thesis work be published or represent a finished research project, but it must show the student’s mastery of specific techniques, their application to a specific problem, and a scholarly understanding of the research subject. Through this program, students will broaden and deepen their knowledge of physiology and its current scientific literature. They will learn and practise scientific skills of critical thinking, devising research questions, and communicating scientific ideas orally and in writing.

Students may begin in Fall, Winter, or Summer.

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of Physiology's additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Admission is based on academic record, an essay summarizing background strengths and scientific aims, a curriculum vitae (CV), and at least two confidential letters of reference.

  • Applicants must have an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university with an average of at least A– in the last two years of study and with courses such as biology, biochemistry, calculus, organic and physical chemistry, general physics, and physiology.

  • Physical-science-stream students from undergraduate programs in physics, mathematics, engineering, and other sciences are encouraged to apply to the MSc program.

  • Applicants who were educated outside Canada, whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English, must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through the successful completion of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with the following minimum scores:

    • Internet-based TOEFL: 100/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

    • Other English proficiency tests are acceptable. Please consult the Physiology website for departmental standards.

Program Requirements

All students are required to:

  • Take 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in physiology courses, with the following guidelines:

    • 0.5 FCE in PSL1000H0 MSc Seminars in Physiology (Credit/No Credit), mandatory for all graduate students in Physiology

    • 0.5 FCE in physiology graduate-only courses

    • 0.5 FCE with a choice of (i) a physiology graduate-only course or physiology joint graduate-undergraduate course (preferable option) or (ii) a course taken in another department (rare choice).

  • Select courses in consultation with the supervisor and/or advisory committee. See the Physiology website for details.

  • Complete and defend a research thesis acceptable to the graduate department.

  • Do one of the following within 12 to 18 months in the MSc program:

    • Write and defend an MSc thesis and graduate.

    • Write and defend a thesis and go on to the PhD program.

    • Transfer from the MSc into the PhD program. Transfer is encouraged for students who have made substantial progress in their research and have demonstrated the desire and potential to meet the requirements of a rigorous research training program. Such students will have fulfilled all course requirements for the MSc with at least an A– average and have demonstrated potential for publication of their work. There must be a clearly identified program for future research that continues, or is consistent with, work already underway. Too large a project for the MSc is not a reason for transfer to the PhD.

Program Length

6 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: F/W/S/F/W/S)

Time Limit

3 years full-time

0 Course that may continue over a program. Credit is given when the course is completed.