Why study this program?
The Department of Oncology offers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. Applicants with the MSc degree, or a strong undergraduate record, may be accepted directly into the PhD program.
As of July 1, 2013, students may be admitted through one of two specializations: Medical Physics or Cancer Sciences. Programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Cancer Sciences are open to suitable graduates in biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, genetics, physiology, immunology, medical sciences or nutrition. Programs leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Physics are open to suitable graduates in physics, engineering physics, or equivalent programs. Research programs and course selection will have a clear connection and relevance to the field of Oncology.
The Department of Oncology currently has more than 123 faculty with primary appointments and approximately 62 faculty from other departments holding adjunct appointments to its seven Divisions. The Department is located at the Cross Cancer Institute, a comprehensive cancer centre affiliated with the University of Alberta; as well as at the Katz Group Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research and the Medical Isotopes and Cyclotron Facility (MICF). The Department has state-of-the-art facilities in cell imaging, flow cytometry, gene analysis systems, computational drug design, small animal imaging, human imaging and radiation therapy facilities. Faculty are involved in medical education at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and they lead major research initiatives ranging from clinical studies to basic research into the diagnosis, treatment, and molecular causation of cancer. Information on the graduate research programs can be found at www.oncology.med.ualberta.ca. Address all inquiries to the Graduate Program Administrator or to oncolgra@ualberta.ca.
Entrance Requirements
See Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Graduate Program Entrance Requirements .
Medical Physics program has two additional requirements:
- A score of 850 or above in GRE Physics
- Criminal Record Check
Prior to applying for admission, applicants to Cancer Sciences are strongly encouraged to identify a supervisor who is willing to pay their stipend. Applicants to Medical Physics are not required to identify a potential supervisor prior to applying for admission.
For Medical Physics the application deadline is June 1 for Fall admission. There is no winter admission for Medical Physics.
Students are required to complete 33 units in required coursework, 3 units in electives, and a thesis.
Coursework
All of the following courses are required and must be completed in the first year of the program.
- BME 564 - Fundamentals of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI
- ONCOL 550 - Medical Radiation Physics
- ONCOL 552 - Fundamentals of Applied Dosimetry
- ONCOL 554 - Laboratory in Medical Radiation Physics
- ONCOL 556 - Laboratory in Imaging
- ONCOL 558 - Health Physics
- ONCOL 560 - Technology in Radiation Oncology
- ONCOL 562 - Theory of Medical Imaging
- ONCOL 564 - Physics of Nuclear Medicine
- ONCOL 566 - Radiation Biophysics
- ONCOL 568 - Physics of Diagnostic Radiology
- ONCOL 600 [A] and ONCOL 600 [B]
Ethics Requirement
Students must meet the GPS Ethics and Academic Citizenship Training Requirement through the completion of INT D 710 (for both master’s and doctoral students) by the end of the first term of registration in their degree program.
Residence Requirement
The minimum period of residence is two four-month terms of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.
Courses
Graduate courses can be found in Course Listings , under the following subject headings:
Oncology (ONCOL)
Physics (PHYS)
Students are funded by a combination of UAlberta awards, external awards, and supervisor research funding.
For general information, please visit the Tuition and Fees page on the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research site.The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research administers over $29 million each year in scholarships, awards, and financial support for graduate students, as well as financial and loan advising. Additional scholarships are also available for specific faculties and programs.
Please refer to the detailed program information or email oncolgra@ualberta.ca.
General inquiriesPlease check out some of our most frequently asked questions (FAQS) to see if your question has been answered, or contact the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS) during our office hours.
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR)
Killam Centre for Advanced Studies
2-29 Triffo Hall
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E1