Additional requirements

What you need

As a rule, most of our successful applicants have a strong academic background in basic science such as a B.Sc. honours degree with courses in microbiology, immunology, cell biology, biochemistry, molecular genetics, etc. They also tend to have some relevant research experience such as an honours degree, summer research positions or co-op work terms.

Academic excellence

The Department of Microbiology and Immunology has admission standards that exceed the minimum admission standards set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. You will need a minimum GPA of 3.3 (B+ average) over your last 20 credits. Most of the students we accept have a 3.7 GPA or higher (A- average or better) on their last 20 credits. You will also need two letters of reference; one of which should be from the supervisor of your undergraduate or honours research project.

Apply early

New students can begin September 1, January 1 or May 1. Year round, each application is reviewed as it is received. We usually recommend applying three months before the date you wish to start so as to allow yourself time to coordinate with a potential supervisor.

For a September start, it's a good idea to get your application in early in the new year once you have received your fall semester grades. Early application and identification of potential supervisors will increase the number of choices available to you.