STEP 1: Do I meet the admission requirements?

Academic Requirements

You should hold a bachelor's degree in chemistry or its equivalent from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta, or expect to complete the requirements for such a degree before beginning graduate work. Because grading systems differ widely among universities, it is difficult to give "hard-and-fast" rules, but generally the minimum requirements stipulated by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research are:

Canada and USA

• 3.0 on a 4.0-point scale (University of Alberta grading system)
• Approximately 75%
• B (second class)

United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand

• Upper second class honours degree

Africa, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh

• First class bachelor's (and master's degrees if available)

Other International Countries

• Excellent academic standing; better than 80%, or equivalent (3 out of 4, 4 out of 5)

These are guidelines only; each application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

English Competency Requirement

The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR) requires that you have a good command of the English language if your native language is not English. If you are an international student from a university which has not been exempted from the English competency requirement by FGSR (write to the graduate coordinator if you are unsure), you should take one of the following exams in the country of your residence: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). If your institution has been instructing its students in English, then a letter from that institution stating "the medium of instruction is English" would be helpful in our considerations.

The minimum requirements to be considered for admission to the Department of Chemistry and to be eligible for a Teaching Assistantship (TA) are:

• TOEFL score of 570 (paper-based), 230 (computer-based), or 88 total (internet-based, 20 per section)
• PTE Academic score of 59 overall
• IELTS band score of 6.5 overall

This is important. Your graduate teaching assistantship is your main source of income, so you must meet the Department of Chemistry's minimum standards.

Please view the instructions under the category that applies to you:

• Canadian Applicants
• USA Applicants
• International Applicants