Requirements / Do I Qualify

Master of Bioinformatics (M.Binf.)

Students entering the M.Binf. program will have completed an Honours Bachelor’s degree with a minimum admission average of B (75% and higher) in the last two years of full-time equivalent study in a life sciences-related discipline, including, but not limited to:

  • Biology
  • Molecular biology and genetics
  • Biochemistry
  • Biomedical sciences
  • Biophysics
  • Biotechnology
  • Microbiology
  • Food science
  • Agriculture
  • Nutrition

Additionally, all applicants must have taken at least one prior university course in genetics or molecular biology and at least one university course in statistics or biostatistics.

Applicants whose first language is not English require a minimum TOEFL score of 93 with a minimum score of 22 in each of the four categories, or a minimum IELTS score of 7.0, with a minimum of at least 6.5 in each component. For the DuoLingo English Test, applicants must achieve a minimum of 120 in each of the four categories, and a minimum total of 130.

Students from undergraduate programs in the physical or computational sciences will be considered for admission if they are considered to have sufficient biological background.

Applications to the M.Binf. program completed by the first deadline will be automatically considered for the Dan Ashlock Memorial Scholarship in Bioinformatics, promoting excellence in the M.Binf. program.

*Please read Frequently Asked Questions to obtain further information on the M.Binf. program.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Bioinformatics

Students entering the M.Sc. program will have completed an Honours Bachelor’s degree with a minimum admission average of B (75% and higher) in the last two years of full-time equivalent study in any of the following or related fields:

  • Life sciences
  • Physical sciences
  • Statistics
  • Mathematics
  • Computational sciences

M.Sc. applicants must indicate an agreed advisor at the time of application. Prospective students interested in the M.Sc. program should commence discussions with faculty well in advance of applying. Offers of admission will only be issued in cases where a member of Bioinformatics Graduate Faculty has agreed to be the advisor.

*Please read Frequently Asked Questions to obtain further information on the M.Sc. program.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Bioinformatics

Students entering the Ph.D. program will have completed a Master's of Bioinformatics, an M.Sc. in Bioinformatics, or a Master's in a related discipline with a minimum average of A- (80% and higher). Applicants without a Master's degree (i.e., direct entry) will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Bioinformatics graduate program committee. It is recommended that applicants with a Master’s degree contact the Bioinformatics graduate coordinator before submitting an application to the University.

Ph.D. applicants must indicate an agreed advisor at the time of application. Prospective students interested in the Ph.D. program should commence discussions with faculty well in advance of applying. Offers of admission will only be issued in cases where a member of Bioinformatics Graduate Faculty has agreed to be the advisor.

*Please read Frequently Asked Questions to obtain further information on the Ph.D. program.

Other Requirements for M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs

  • If your first language is not English, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test. Please refer to the list of acceptable tests and scores. For applicants who speak English as a second or additional language, you may request consideration for a waiver of the English language requirement if you have successfully completed a Bachelor's or Master's university degree in English in Canada. In all other situations, an English proficiency test score is required with your application.
  • Graduate Record Examination (general) is not required.

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