FAQ – PHD

• Applications are submitted online: http://graduate.carleton.ca/apply-online/
• Once an applicant has submitted their online application and paid the non-refundable application fee of $100, Carleton will email instructions on how to access Carleton Central and the applicant will be assign a User ID.
• A complete list of admission requirements can be found here
• The following documents are required for the application:
  • Transcripts (all post-secondary transcripts are required)
  • Letters of Reference (3 required – letters of reference should be submitted by former professors, preferably project/thesis supervisors).
  • Statement of Intent (It is critical that the Thesis Research Proposal (Statement of Intent) and Supervisor Agreement Form must be uploaded to the application.  All applications that do not have a supervisor agreement, will be automatically declined).
  • CV/Resume (an up-to-date CV and Statement of Experience)
  • Language Proficiency (ESL test scores are required if applicable) – full details here

Yes, all applicants must seek out a thesis supervisor from the Department of Health Sciences who will commit to supervising you. The application process requires that the prospective student and supervisor draft a proposal of the research thesis project to be included in the application package.

In general, we encourage prospective students to take initiative and to reach out to individual faculty whose research aligns with the student’s background, previous training and research interest. There has to be an alignment between the student and the faculty. You can find the list of core faculty and their research programs at our web site https://carleton.ca/healthsciences/faculty-and-research/ .

When emailing a prospective supervisor, you must include 1) an up-to-date CV, 2) an unofficial transcript, 3) a statement of skills/experience relevant to the prospective supervisor’s research, and 4) a brief statement about why the student is interested in working with the supervisor. Also, if you are interested in the Data Science specialization, you must indicate this in your email, and be sure to ask your prospective supervisor if they are able to take on a student with the data science specialization.

This email will provide the faculty with a better understanding of who you are and what background you have. Please note that if you do not hear back from a faculty member, it is possible that they are not interested, or they are not accepting new students at this time.

The statement of intent is to be written in consultation with the proposed faculty supervisor from the Department of Health Sciences.  Please see the forms page for the Thesis Research Proposal (Statement of Intent) and Supervisor Agreement Template for HS MSc and PhD.  This 1-page document must include: 1) an abstract of the proposed PhD research thesis program (background/rationale, research question(s), aim(s) and 2) supervisor information (name, contact information and statement from the proposed supervisor acknowledging commitment to supervise and fund the student for the proposed thesis program. Both proposed supervisor(s) and student must sign the form.

All applicants must have a minimum Grade Point Average of 9.0/12.0 (B+ average) over the last 2 years of full time study, to be considered for the program.  However, the program is highly competitive and thus most of our successful applicants will have a GPA closer to a 10.0 (A-).

GRE scores are not required for applications to the graduate programs in the Department of Health Sciences.

Official transcripts (and/or WES evaluations) are not required at the time of the application.  Applicants must scan copies of their original transcripts and upload them to their online application.  If an applicant is successful, a conditional offer of admission will be given, and candidates must make arrangements to have officially conferred degrees and transcripts (or WES evaluations) sent directly to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs prior to enrollment in their graduate program.

Applicants who have been in the work force for a number of years may choose to provide professional referees.  Keeping in mind that academic references are typically preferred, as there are questions on the referee form that refer to the applicants skills and experience as an academic student.

Graduate student status is determined at the time of the application and most of our students will be admitted on a full-time basis.  From time-to-time students have been approved for part-time status, and this has been granted on a case-by-case basis, determined in consolation with their thesis supervisor at the time of the application..

Admission into the PhD in Health Sciences is entirely dependent on the needs of our faculty members, and the available positions in their research labs.  Admission numbers will vary from year to year, depending on our faculty needs.

All applicants must have completed masters degree to be considered for the program.  Typically applicants will have completed a Masters of Science degree in a relevant field (e.g. Science, Life/Health Sciences, Psychology, Biostatistics, or related discipline), however a MSc is not mandatory.  Because of the interdisciplinary nature of our department, prospective applicants are encouraged to discuss their academic background and eligibility with their prospective supervisor. The background and experience of our faculty members is quite diverse, thus the admission requirements of our applicants will vary depending on the needs of their supervisor.

This should be discussed with your prospective supervisor, as each supervisor will have unique requirements.

At the time of the application, all successful domestic candidates will be considered for a departmental scholarship, and entrance scholarship (for those with a GPA of 10.5 or above) as well as consideration for TA and RA awards.

Funding opportunities should be discussed with your prospective supervisor.

Students are also encouraged to apply for external awards (i.e. OGS, NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC) prior to, or while enrolled in the program.  Students can also consider applying for internal awards.  If accepted into the program, the department will keep you abreast of these opportunities as they become available.