Applying to the Ph.D. Program as a Western M.Sc. Student

When:

Apply in the fall of your M.Sc. 2 year. You must pay the relevant application fee, meet the same deadline, and use the same official UWO application as all applicants.

Communication with your potential supervisor (who is oftentimes your M.Sc. supervisor) throughout the process is important. You and your potential Ph.D. supervisor should meet to discuss your intent to apply either late in the summer or early in the fall of your M.Sc. 2 year.

Transcripts:

An unofficial version is acceptable.

References:

Two are required; ordinarily one of these will be from your current supervisor, especially if you are planning to continue to work with them as a Ph.D. student.

Statement of Academic Interest: Those seeking to continue study as a Ph.D. student with their current faculty supervisor may ask the supervisor and their area head whether a full Statement of Academic Interest is needed to evaluate their application. The supervisor and area may not require it; if they do not, the graduate admissions committee does not require it. In this case, please upload a note to this effect in lieu of your academic interest statement.

Outcomes

In-house applicants should be aware that they might not receive an offer of admission to the Ph.D. program, despite having paid the application fee. Similarly, having secured a Tricouncil or other scholarship does not guarantee admission.

In-house applicants may be conditionally accepted to the Ph.D. program as early as the conclusion of the usual admissions cycle (i.e., in February). In addition to the supervisor’s and relevant area’s approval, other conditions are:

  1. Successful and timely completion of all M.Sc. requirements, including post-examination thesis revisions, prior to the beginning of the 1st fall term of the Ph.D. program.
  2. Approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee, which will review the student’s record from their time in the M.Sc. program in addition to other application materials.

 

A student cannot be formally accepted into the program until all these conditions are met.