Admissions Process

Application Process

All applications must be submitted through Dalhousie’s online application system. Please carefully follow the steps outlined on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

University Admission Deadlines:

• For September admission -- international students (April 1)/Canadian students (June 1)
• For January admission -- international students (August 31)/Canadian students (Oct 31)
• For May admission -- international students (December 31)/Canadian students (Feb 28/29)

Please note that the department needs to receive your complete application at least one month prior to the University deadlines above in order to process and review your application.

Identifying a supervisor 

Admission to our graduate programs is contingent upon securing a faculty member who is willing to supervise your graduate research. You are strongly encouraged to contact potential supervisors before or during your application process.

How to find a supervisor:

• Visit our faculty directory to explore current faculty members who share your research interests.  
• Read a few of their publications to learn more about their area of study and to determine if they have the right expertise for the project or subject area you plan to focus your thesis work on. 
• If you find a good match, send them a clear and concise email expressing your interest in applying and seeking supervision.  Feel free to include your research interests, transcripts and a CV, so they can better assess your background and experience.

If you do not identify a supervisor during your application, your file will still be reviewed. If deemed academically qualified, it will be circulated to our faculty members for consideration, and if any are interested in supervising you, they will contact you.

Required supporting documents

1.      Transcripts 

Applicants to the MSc program must have a 4-year bachelor’s degree, and applicants to the PhD program must have a 4-year bachelor’s degree and a thesis-based MSc degree. The Departmental minimum GPA is 3.3/4.3 (77-79%) over the last 60 credits or about 2 years of your program, most accepted students have a GPA of 3.7/4.3 (80-84%) or better. 

We accept unofficial transcripts for the initial review. If you are accepted for admission, your final and official transcripts will be required within 90 days of the start of your program. Transcripts should be sent directly from each post-secondary institution you have attended. You can find more information about transcript submission here.

2.      Reference letters 

Two letters of reference are required for admission into a graduate degree. These letters are normally required to be from academics familiar with your work. You’ll be asked to provide your referees' contact information when completing the online application. The system will email them a secure link to upload their letter.

Dalhousie University will only accept university, teaching hospital, and government email addresses (i.e. not personal email addresses, such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, or business addresses). Please allow five business days for your referee(s) to be contacted by our system. If you made an error in the submission of an email address, please contact eref@dal.ca.

3.      Statement of research interest 

Maximum length 1 page. Outline the area(s) of research you would like to pursue and how it fits with the research activities in the Department. 

4.      Statement of research experience 

Maximum length 1 page. Outline the research projects you have participated in, including your specific contributions and the methods/techniques that you have learned. 

5.      Curriculum Vitae

Outline your educational background, research experience and training, awards received, publications, etc. that are relevant to your application. Please ensure that timelines are complete and that your roles and responsibilities in your positions are clearly stated.

6.      Proof of English language competency (if applicable)

International students are required to provide official testing scores sent directly from the testing institute; a high score will be beneficial. It is possible to have this requirement waived if you completed your degree at a recognized university where the language of instruction is English, and in a country where English is one of the official languages.

We are currently accepting unofficial copies of your English language test results for the purpose of evaluating your application. Any admission decision is subject to a review of official test reports by Dalhousie University before an official program start date.

The minimal requirements for the Department of Microbiology & Immunology to consider your application are one of the following: