Admission Requirements

The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences generally follows the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) admission requirements, along with those from the Medical Sciences Graduate Program (MSGP). Specific requirements for our department are as follows:

Academic requirement: Candidates must hold a four-year baccalaureate or it's academic equivalent from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta to enter this program. The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences require a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale based on an equivalent of the most recent two years of coursework of the last 60 course credits.

English Language Proficiency requirement: If applicable, the department requires all applicants to meet the following English Language Proficiency requirements. This is in-line with the current English Language Proficiency requirement as outlined by the FoMD:

  • TOEFL (internet-based) score equivalent of 95; at least 21 per section
  • Academic IELTS minimum score of 7.0; at least 6.5 on each band
  • EAP 550 (EAP 550): Successful completion of the EAP 550 course will fulfill the English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry’s Graduate Programs.
    Conditional Acceptance: If conditional acceptance to the graduate program is granted based on the future completion of EAP 550, the course must be successfully completed before the commencement of the graduate program.

Additional requirements:

  • CV - including publications and previous research experience, if any
  • All graduate students require a supervisor to complete their graduate studies. It is strongly encouraged that prospective students secure a supervisor prior to submitting an application to the department. In addition, we have a pre-screening process in place to help prospective students to determine their eligibility to submit a full application. Please contact our Graduate Program Administrator to begin the pre-screening process. Please note: Although strongly encouraged, neither of these steps are a requirement to submit an application. All submitted applications will still be reviewed. If a supervisor has not been identified prior to application submission, applications that meet the minimum criteria will be circulated amongst available supervisors who have the capacity in their lab. The supervisors must have demonstrated that they have sufficient funding to provide salary support and operating funds for a minimum of two years.
  • Letter from prospective supervisor - includes commitment statement (agreed to take on said student); letter should also state ability to provide stipend support (amount, length of time), and a comment about whether differential fees will be supported and by whom, with grants listed.
  • Supervisor Confirmation and Applicant Funding Information form
  • Final official transcripts and degree certificates from all post-secondary institutions attended (Please visit the FGPS page for the Application Requirements for Academic Documents)
  • The names and email address of three academic references

Please contact our Graduate Program Administrator to begin the pre-screening process before submitting an application through the GSMS portal.

Application Deadlines:

  • International Students (Including Study Permits):
    • Must provide all required admission documents at least four months prior to the start of the term they are applying for (Winter, Fall) in order to allow sufficient time for processing your application and obtaining Study Permits and Visa applications
  • Domestic Students (Including Permanent Residents):
    • Must provide all required admission documents at least two months prior to the start of the term they are applying for (Winter, Fall) in order to allow sufficient time for processing your application.

For further details on general FGPS graduate program requirements, see Section 5: Admissions, in the FGPS Graduate Program Manual.