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Applications open: May 1

Applications close: September 1

For admission to the Fall term in the year following application submission.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all required documents are received by the application deadline noted above. Applications missing any required documents at the time of the deadline will be rejected. 

Once you submit and pay for your application, you can use the  (Not Bear Tracks) to check the status of your application, determine if references have been received, replace referees, and upload documents. To access the portal, please sign in using the e-mail address and password initially used when you created your account.

Meet the eligibility requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, the Medical Sciences Graduate Program Committee, and the Graduate Orthodontic Program Admission Subcommittee (see below). The Graduate Orthodontic Program Admissions Subcommittee reserves the right to use its judgement concerning unique situations. 

While a qualifying academic record is necessary, it does not ensure admission. Due to limited enrollment (up to 4 new graduate students per year) and a high volume of qualified applicants (around 50-60 per year), admission is highly competitive. Only a limited number of applicants are offered interviews (8-12 per year). 

Consideration will be given to academic achievement, active community engagement, strong letters of recommendation, and compelling communication skills (during the interview). 

Completion of a DDS Degree + Minimum GPA

The Mike Petryk School of Dentistry requires the completion of a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or equivalent degree, with a minimum admission GPA of 3.4 on a 4-point scale or equivalent.

The admission GPA will be calculated using the last *60 of graded coursework completed or the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.

Dental Experience + Licensure

Applicants must have completed at least two months of clinical experience as a licensed dentist or in a clinical graduate/postgraduate program at the time of application. 

At the time of application, no more than three years may have elapsed since the applicant last provided clinical care as a licensed dentist or in a clinical graduate/postgraduate program.

Although a current ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥n dental license is not a requirement to apply, completion of the National Dental Examining Board of Canada's (NDEB) Certification Process is an asset.

English Language Proficiency (ELP)

English is the primary language of instruction and communication at the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥. All applicants must demonstrate satisfactory English language proficiency prior to admission either by:

• Possession of an undergraduate degree or its academic equivalent from an academic institution recognized by the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, in which the language of instruction is English, or;

• A satisfactory score on an approved English language examination as described below.

  • TOEFL internet-based minimum score of 95 and the following minimum score on each of the individual skill areas:

    • Listening - 22

    • Reading - 22

    • Speaking - 26

    • Writing - 24

  • IELTS (Academic) minimum score of 7.5 with at least 7 on each band

  • CAEL minimum score of 70 with at least 70 on each subtest

Test scores must be valid and verifiable. Test scores cannot be more than two years old.

Unofficial test results may be submitted for application purposes. If admitted to the program, official standardized test results must be issued directly from the testing office.

All required documents must be received by the application deadline.

Applicants should submit supporting documents through the online application portal. Please confirm that your documents meet the Application Requirements for Academic Documents. Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Applicants are required to submit the following:

• Unofficial transcripts of all academic work in progress or completed at all post-secondary institutions attended.

• Degree Certificates must accompany transcripts that do not clearly indicate that a degree has been conferred/awarded/granted and the date on which the degree was conferred. Degree certificates must include the date of conferral, the registrar's signature, and a post-secondary institution stamp or seal. Documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.

• If available, a letter from your Dental School noting your graduation ranking (it should include the number of students in your graduating class and your ranking within the class) is expected. Stronger consideration may be given to those who provide such a ranking. The letter can be either uploaded directly to your online application as a single PDF document, or the Dental School can send the letter directly to dentgrad@ualberta.ca.

• Letter(s) of good standing from current and all previous licensing bodies. For candidates not licensed yet but in a GPR program, a letter from the Program Director stating they are in good standing with no professional conduct issues is required. The letter (s) can be either uploaded directly to your online application as a single PDF document, or the licensing bodies can send the letter(s) directly to dentgrad@ualberta.ca.

• Proof of English Language Proficiency.

• Please provide the names and contact information of three professional referees who need to provide their recommendation letter before the stated due date. A specific format needs to be used. 

• Curriculum vitae (resume), which includes education, qualifications, publications, community involvement, and previous professional and research experience.

• Letter of intent (up to three double-spaced pages) describing why you wish to pursue graduate studies at the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥.
  

All available full-time faculty members of the Graduate Orthodontics Program will review applications for the MSc in Medical Sciences (Orthodontics). A defined number of applicants decided before the application cycle ends will be granted interviews. Applicants who will be interviewed will be advised of the arranged interview time by e-mail (at least two weeks in advance). Interviews will take place in person at the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ North Campus. No online interview request will be granted.

The Graduate Orthodontic Program Admissions Subcommittee includes available full-time Orthodontic Academic Staff, an Orthodontic Graduate Student, and Orthodontic Support Staff, an Affiliate Academic Staff, and a Community Orthodontist.

Interviewed candidates will be ranked (including any PhD applicant who was also selected to be interviewed) and offers of admission made based on the number of available spots. If an admission offer is declined, the next rank-ordered candidate will be offered admission until all spots are filled or the rank-ordered list is exhausted.

Admission to the MSc in Medical Sciences (Orthodontics) depends on the recommendation of the Graduate Orthodontic Program Admission Subcommittee and the Medical Sciences Graduate Program Committee. The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies office makes the final decision.

Candidates should be prepared to financially support themselves for the duration of their selected program, although limited funding from scholarships and studentships may be obtained on a competitive basis.

Information on the tuition and fees for Graduate students can be found on the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Website.

A tuition fee of $19,867.96 per year and an equipment and instrumentation rental fee of $13,225.00 per year are required in addition to regular non-instructional fees, which can be accessed here. The total Program cost at this time is approximately $38,000 per year, which includes the clinical tuition equipment and instrumentation rental fee noted above. 

*Please note that all fees are subject to change. 

Cost of Living

Edmonton offers a moderate cost of living when compared with other major cities in Canada.

U¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ no longer provides cost of living estimates for graduate students but you might still be able to find useful information by using the instead.

Orthodontics Faculty Members

Faculty contact information can be found under Our Researchers.

• Dr. Manuel Lagravere Vich (Program Director)
• Dr. Carlos Flores-Mir
• Dr. Tarek El-Bialy
• Dr. Giseon Heo
• Dr. Paul Major 

Program Information

Completion of the following courses is required:

• DENT 530 (Orthodontic Techniques & Biomechanics)
• DENT 532 (Growth and Development)
• DENT 546, 547, 548 (Orthodontic Seminars)
• DENT 512, 513, 518 (Orthodontic Clinics)
• DENT 560, 561 (TMD/Orofacial Pain Seminars)
• DENT 565 (Evidence-Based Dentistry)
• DENT 567, 568 (Systematic Reviews in Dentistry)
• DENT 607 (Advanced Oral Radiology)
• OBIOL 500 (Oral Biology I)
• OBIOL 501 (Oral Biology II)
• DENT 551 (Introduction to Applied Statistics)
• DENT 552 (Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis)
• DENT 646, 647, 648 (Orthodontic Seminars)
• DENT 612, 613, 618 (Orthodontic Clinics)
• DENT 746, 747, 748 (Orthodontic Seminars)
• DENT 712, 713, 718 (Orthodontic Clinics) 
  

More courses may be taken over and above what is required for the program based on requirements set by the supervising committee. Any courses being taken over and above what is required for the program should be registered for with the assistance of the Graduate Program Administrator. 

The minimum time required to complete the MSc is three years. The maximum time permitted to complete the program, as set by the Faculty of Graduate & Postgraduate Studies, is four years. Students are required to reside in Edmonton for the entirety of their clinical program.

Clinical Assessment

Oral clinical case-based assessments are completed during the clinical training. Full-time academic staff will assess diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment skills. Feedback from this assessment will identify weak areas in the student’s progress and permit the development of specific improvement objectives before the following oral clinical case-based assessment. Failure to overcome the limitations will require the student to extend their program or may imply a failing grade in the clinical course(s).

An Education and Research license from the College of Dental Surgeons of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ (CDSA) is required for the duration of the program. This documentation is due before starting the program in the fall term. Candidates who possess a full CDSA license do not need to obtain additional licensure.

Research