PhD in Biological Sciences

Academic regulations

Academic regulations for graduate and postdoctoral studies (page in French)

Students are advised to submit a complete application as early as possible as applications will not be considered if the program's capacity has been reached.

Studies in this program are governed by the educational regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and the following provisions:

1. Admission requirements
To be admitted as a regular student to the PhD (Biological Sciences) program, candidates must:

• Meet the general admission requirements (section XX) of the “Règlement pédagogique de la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales” (educational regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies).
• Have an MSc (Biological Sciences) or a master's degree in a relevant discipline or show proof of equivalent education.
• Have obtained a grade-point average at the graduate level of at least 3.3 out of 4.3 or the equivalent.
• Demonstrate good knowledge of French, English and any other language deemed necessary for their research.

1.1 Admission requirements - Direct entry to PhD in Biological Sciences
To be admitted as a regular student to the PhD (Biological Sciences) program, candidates must:

• Meet the general admission requirements (section XX) of the “Règlement pédagogique de la Faculté des études supérieures et postdoctorales” (educational regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies).
• Have a specialized BSc (Biological Sciences) or a bachelor’s degree with a major or a minor in biology or an undergraduate degree that adequately prepares them for their chosen area of study or show proof of equivalent education.
• Have obtained a grade-point average of at least 3.6 out of 4.3 or the equivalent at the undergraduate level, unless (upon approval from the Dean) the student has sufficient experience or education further to the undergraduate level demonstrating the skills required for a PhD program.
• Demonstrate good knowledge of French and English.

1.2 Additional documents to submit with your application

• Letter of acceptance from a research supervisor
• Financial plan (fill out the Financial Resources form) (in French only)
• Curriculum vitae
• Three letters of recommendation – these letters are only required for candidates who have not completed their Master's in Biological Sciences at Université de Montréal
• Outline of a research project (200 to 500 words)

2. Duration of program
The maximum length is 15 sessions (five years) for full-time students, excluding preparatory or “on leave” sessions. This deadline may be extended by one year with the permission of the department director.

3. Comprehensive exam
Students must take the written and oral components of the comprehensive exam by no later than the end of the sixth session of the program (seventh session for direct entry), and preparatory or “on leave” sessions are excluded in the calculation of this deadline. If the exam is deferred, the deadline will be extended by six months. The exam dates are set by the program director.

For the Museum Studies option, the comprehensive exam must be related to the field of museum studies.