Pharmacy graduate program admissions frequently asked questions

What is the length of the program?

The MSc and PhD in Pharmacy programs do not follow a fixed schedule, but there are regulations regarding minimum enrollment requirements and time limits for program completion.

Do you accept students for admission in the winter term?

At the University of Waterloo, the calendar year is divided into three academic terms. The School of Pharmacy accepts applications for admission to our MSc and PhD programs in all three terms. 

No, we do not waive application fees.

If you are not able to obtain any of your required application materials by the deadline, you should apply for the following term.

• Applicants are advised to begin their application at least one month ahead of the application deadline, to ensure they have time to obtain their student ID and upload all required supporting documents to Quest, and to give referees time to submit their reference form ahead of the deadline.
• Applicants are responsible for following up with their referees to confirm completion of the reference form.
• Applications that are incomplete after the application deadline (including those that are missing any references) will be denied unless a potential supervisor has informed the pharmacy graduate coordinator that they are considering the applicant for admission.

At the application stage, you only need to submit your unofficial transcript(s). However, if you are admitted, you will be required to submit your official final transcript(s) as a condition of admission before starting your program. Please be sure to include the grading scale or transcript legend when uploading your transcript.

Do I have to find a supervisor to apply?

Applicants to our graduate programs are not required to find a supervisor prior to submitting an application. However, we strongly encourage MSc and PhD applicants to review the research profiles of potential faculty supervisors and contact the individual(s) they wish to work with to see if they have the resources, capacity and interest to consider them for admission to their research group before submitting the online application. 

The department does not keep track of who is accepting students since this information changes frequently and depends on their capacity. Specifically, if they have the time and funding available to support additional students. It is up to applicants to reach out to the supervisors they wish to work with to see if they are taking students. 

You do not need to have a supervisor secured to apply. However, admission to our graduate programs is highly competitive, and faculty members receive a large volume of similar inquiries. Rather than sending generic emails to multiple faculty members, we recommend that serious applicants take a more targeted approach. When reaching out to potential supervisors. it is important to clearly articulate and highlight how your experience and interests align with their research. Focus on making a meaningful connection and demonstrating why you would be a strong fit for their research group. It is up to you to make yourself stand out from the other applicants. 

What average do I need to gain admission?

Admission to our programs require a minimum 78% average in the final two years of a four-year Honours Bachelor of Science or equivalent program (for MSc) or a 78% overall standing in a two-year thesis-based Master of Science or equivalent degree in a relevant field (for PhD). Applicants with international credentials should consult the international admissions equivalencies for eligibility guidelines.

Generally, we are referring to the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. However, students who have an eligible Bachelor's level degree in other areas (e.g. BMath) are welcome and encouraged to consider graduate studies in Pharmacy.Interested applicants should reach out to their preferred supervisor to discuss how their background aligns within the the research conducted within the supervisor's group and within the School.

Refer to the linked international admission equivalencies information.

The Graduate Studies Admissions office regularly updates the online list of universities exempt from ELP requirements. If your country or institution is not listed, you will need to submit results from an accepted ELP test.

Exceptions to the ELP requirement will only be considered on a case-by-case basis, and only if requested by a faculty supervisor who endorses the application. In these cases, conditional admission may be considered. The department will not consider exceptions outside of this process.

Prospective applicants who do not meet the minimum ELP requirements may wish to consider completing the English for Academic Success program before submitting an application.

Do you require graduate record examination (GRE) scores? 

No, we do not require GRE scores. However, if you submit them, they may be included in assessment of your overall application, which may or may not be to your advantage. 

How many applicants are accepted each term?

There is no set number of admissions per term for the MSc and PhD in Pharmacy programs. Offers of admission are based on a variety of variables, such as:

• whether the faculty member has the funds to support a student 
• whether the faculty member is taking new students
• whether the faculty member is interested in supervising the applicant
• the number of applicants within a given term
• the number of applicants thatstand out as exceptional from among the cohort of applicants to our programs for the term to which a candidate applies 

Applicants should not expect a response before the application deadline for their chosen term. Early submissions may be reviewed if time permits or at the request of a faculty supervisor.

Applications that do not meet minimum admission requirements will be denied immediately. Eligible applications will be reviewed further by potential supervisors. If no supervisor is available by the end of the review period, the application will be denied.

Application deferrals are only permitted when there is a clear indication from a research supervisor that they intend to accept the applicant, and where there is a delay in receiving research funding, or other acceptable and unforeseeable circumstances arise.