Graduate Programs

Time for completion of a Master's degree in the Department of Biology is typically 2 to 2.5 years. The Master's program requires a total of 30 credit hours, 10-16 credit hours of which are course work, and 14-20 credit hours are research (BIOL 901). One potential program scenario consists of:

1) BIOL 8xx (3 credit hours)
2) BIOL 8xx (3 credit hours)
3) BIOL 887 (2 credit hours)
4) BIOL 888** (2 credit hours)
5) BIOL 901 (Biology Research; 20 credit hours)

**Students register in BIOL 888 twice for a total of 2 credit hours; however students are required to attend all BIOL 888 seminars that are offered when they are in residence. BIOL 888 is offered in the Fall and Winter semesters.

The Biology MSc program requires a minimum of two 3 credit hour courses (for 6 credit hours in total) in addition to the various seminar requirements (which officially count towards the "coursework"). The two traditional-type courses are a minimum requirement, and depending on the background preparation of the student additional courses may be needed. Additional graduate-level courses (BIOL 8XX) would decrease the credit hour requirements for BIOL 901 (total credit hours remain at 30).

Time for completion of a Master's degree in the Department of Biology is typically 2 to 2.5 years. The Master's program consists of 9-15 credit hours of course work, and 15-21 credit hours of research (BIOL 901).  Total = 30 credit hours.

1) BIOL 8xx* (6-12 credit hours)
2) BIOL 887 (1 credit hour)
3) BIOL 888* (1 credit hour)
4) BIOL 888** (1 credit hour)
5) BIOL 901 (Biology Research; 15-21 credit hours)
6) Exit seminar based on thesis research (0 credit hours).

*800-level courses from any unit; courses from outside of Biology require the approval of the supervisory committee and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

**Students register in BIOL 888 twice for a total of 2 credit hours; however, students are required to attend all BIOL 888 seminars that are offered when they are in residence. BIOL 888 is offered in the Fall and Winter semesters.

Typically, the PhD program is entered following the completion of a Master's program, and requires approximately 5 years for completion. The PhD program consists of a minimum of 10-16 credit hours of course work and 44-50 credit hours of BIOL 901 (total of 60 credit hours). One potential program scenario consists of:

1) BIOL 801 (3 credit hours)
2) BIOL 802 (3 credit hours)
3) BIOL 887 (2 credit hours)
4) BIOL 888** (2 credit hours)
5) BIOL 901 (Biology Research; 50 credit hours)

**Students register in BIOL 888 twice for a total of 2 credit hours; however students are required to attend all BIOL 888 seminars that are offered when they are in residence. BIOL 888 is offered in the Fall and Winter semesters.

Additional graduate-level courses (BIOL 8xx) would decrease the credit hour requirements for BIOL 901 (total credit hours remain at 60). For PhD students, BIOL 801 must be completed within three semesters of the start of the program and BIOL 802 must be completed within four semesters.

Typically, the PhD program is entered following the completion of a Master's program, and requires approximately 5 years for completion. The PhD program consists of 10-16 credit hours of course work and 44-50 credit hours of research (BIOL 901). Total = 60 credit hours.

1) BIOL 801 (3 credit hours)
2) BIOL 802 (3 credit hours)
3) BIOL 887 (1 credit hour)
4) BIOL 887 (1 credit hour)
5) BIOL 888* (1 credit hour)
6) BIOL 888* (1 credit hour)
7) BIOL 8xx** (0-6 credit hours)
8) BIOL 901 (Biology Research; 44-50 credit hours)
9) Exit seminar based on thesis research (0 credit hours)

*Students register in BIOL 888 twice for a total of 2 credit hours; however, students are required to attend all BIOL 888 seminars that are offered when they are in residence. BIOL 888 is offered in the Fall and Winter semesters.

**800-level courses from any unit; courses from outside of Biology require the approval of the supervisory committee and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

Note: BIOL 801 and 802 compose the two parts of the PhD comprehensive exam.  BIOL 801 must be completed within three semesters of the start of the program and BIOL 802 must be completed within four semesters.

In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may transfer into the PhD program without completion of a Master's degree. In these cases, the PhD program consists of 16-22 hours of course work and 66-74 hours of BIOL 901 (total of 90 credit hours). One potential program scenario consists of:

1) BIOL 8xx (3 credit hours)
2) BIOL 8xx (3 credit hours)
3) BIOL 801 (3 credit hours)
4) BIOL 802 (3 credit hours)
5) BIOL 887 (2 credit hours)
6) BIOL 888** (2 credit hours)
7) BIOL 901 (Biology Research; 74 credit hours)

**Students register in BIOL 888 twice for a total of 2 credit hours; however students are required to attend all BIOL 888 seminars that are offered when they are in residence. BIOL 888 is offered in the Fall and Winter semesters.

Additional graduate-level courses (BIOL 8XX) would decrease the credit hour requirements for BIOL 901 (total credit hours remain at 90). For students who transfer from the MSc to the PhD programs, BIOL 801 must be completed within two semesters of the transfer, and BIOL 802 must be completed within three semesters.

In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may transfer into the PhD program from a Master's program without completion of the Master's degree. In these cases, the PhD program consists of 13-22 hours of course work and 68-77 hours of research (BIOL 901). Total = 90 credit hours.

1) BIOL 801 (3 credit hours)
2) BIOL 802 (3 credit hours)
3) BIOL 887 (1 credit hour)
4) BIOL 887 (1 credit hour)
5) BIOL 888* (1 credit hour)
6) BIOL 888* (1 credit hour)
7) BIOL 8xx** (3-12 credit hours)
8) BIOL 901 (Biology Research; 68-77 credit hours)
9) Exit seminar based on thesis research (0 credit hours)

*Students register in BIOL 888 twice for a total of 2 credit hours; however, students are required to attend all BIOL 888 seminars that are offered when they are in residence. BIOL 888 is offered in the Fall and Winter semesters.

**800-level courses from any unit; courses from outside of Biology require the approval of the supervisory committee and the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.

Note: BIOL 801 and 802 compose the two parts of the PhD comprehensive exam.  These two courses must be completed within three semesters of transfer to the PhD program.

While the Biology Dept. does not have a formal Co-op program at the graduate level, MSc students in the Faculty of Science may opt to include up to two one-semester Co-op work terms (SCI 601, SCI 602) in their programs.  The Co-op work terms should be planned in consultation with the student's supervisor(s), and the student's academic unit must approve the program (via the Graduate Studies Work Placement Application).  Work Term placements are arranged via the U of R Co-op Office.  SCI 601 and 602 are zero-credit-hour courses and do not contribute to the course requirements of the MSc program.  Additional information about Graduate Co-op is available at the Co-op section of the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research website.

The Biology Department does not have application deadlines for graduate studies. Applications will be considered at any time during the year, but admission is restricted to the beginning of a regular semester or session (January, May, September).

Finding a supervisor is the first step in getting started in a graduate program (the graduate programs in Biology are exclusively thesis-based, and each program requires a researcher who acts as supervisor). We highly recommend that, prior to formally applying for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research (FGSR), prospective graduate students should identify a potential supervisor with whom they share research interests. The research interests of potential Biology supervisors can be found on our People pages. Once you've identified faculty, associate or adjunct member(s) with whom you share research interests, contact those persons directly to inquire if they are currently looking for new graduate students; describe your research/education background (you can include copies of university transcripts if you'd like), research interests, and attach a CV/résumé. Depending on your research interests, there may also be potential supervisors in the Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry or the Faculty of Kinesiology & Health Studies. Graduate applications that do not have a supervisor lined up are circulated through the Biology Department, but these applications are typically not successful (because a supervisor cannot be identified), thus we strongly suggest that prospective graduate students don't apply for entry into the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research until they've lined up a supervisor.

Applications are submitted online via the website of the Faculty of Graduate Studies & Research (FGSR); please allow several weeks for the processing of applications. This website also has useful information about admission standards, thesis requirements, and many other topics related to graduate programs at the University of Regina.

The Future Students section of the FGSR website has detailed information about the admissions process.  This section includes the Eligibility Requirements for admission, including minimum GPAs for degrees from different countries. For applicants that must provide evidence of English language proficiency, the IELTS minimum requirements are an overal score of 6.5, with no band lower than 6.0. English language proficiency tests other than IELTS are also accepted; the complete list is available here, as are the exemption criteria for English language proficiency tests.

Neither a GRE test result nor a formal WES evaluation of educational credentials are required for application to the Biology graduate program, but GRE results and WES evaluations may be submitted as part of the application (this is completely optional).

In general, the minimum academic requirements for entry into a Master's program, for both domestic and international students, are either: 1) a four-year Bachelor's degree, or 2) a three-year Bachelor's degree plus a Master's degree (a limited number of three-year Bachelor's programs are accepted as equivalent to four-year programs). The grade point average (GPA) in a bachelor's degree must meet the minimum specified by FGSR.

Lastly, we receive many more inquiries and applications each year from excellent candidates than we have positions available, which means that meeting the minimum FGSR admissions requirements does not guarantee admission into a Biology graduate program; we strongly recommend finding a research supervisor prior to applying for admission via FGSR.