Doctoral (PhD) Dentistry
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Application Information | Requirements | Documents | Selection | Program Information
Conduct research in biomechanics, biomaterials, oral infections, systemic and oral disease interactions and more!
Our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Dentistry program is research-oriented, consisting of didactic courses, original research carried out under supervision, and the preparation and completion of a thesis.
This program is not a clinical program leading to specialization and is unrelated to licensure.
Application Information
Applications are submitted prior to the Fall or Winter term admission is sought. Late applications will not be considered.
Once you submit and pay for your application, you can use the to:
- check the status of your application
- determine if references have been received
- change referees
- upload documents
To access the portal, please sign in using the e-mail address and password initially used when you created your account.
Application DATES
Fall (September) Admission
Applications open: January 1
Application Deadline: May 1
Winter (January) Admission
Applications open: May 1
Application Deadline: July 1
Admission Requirements
All applicant must meet the eligibility requirements established by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Medical Sciences Graduate Program Committee, and Graduate Dentistry Program Admission Subcommittee.
Master's Degree & GPA
Successful completion of a 4-year undergraduate degree, in any discipline, and a Master's degree with a minimum admission GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0 or equivalent, from a recognized institution.
A Master's degree is required, except in exceptional cases, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Admission GPA is calculated using:
- the last 60 units of graded coursework complete, or;
- the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework
For education completed outside of Canada, see the Minimum Academic Requirements by Country for equivalent qualifications.
English Language Proficiency
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 equivalent from an institution recognized by the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥, in which the language of instruction is English, or;
- Minimum scores on an approved English language test described in the table.
- Test scores must be valid and verifiable. Test scores cannot be more than two years old.
Unofficial test results can be submitted initially. If admitted, official test results must be issued directly from the testing office to the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
| Accepted English Tests | Minimum Scores |
| TOEFL Internet-based | Overall Score of 95 with with at least 21 on each subsection |
| IELTS Academic | Overall score of 7.5 with at least 6 on each band |
| MELAB | Overall score of 91 |
| CAEL | Overall score of 70 with at least 70 on each subtest |
Required Documents
Documents must be received by the appropriate application deadline (May 1 or July 1). Applications missing required documents will not be considered for admission.
Applicants should submit supporting documents through the .
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.
Official documents (transcripts, degree certificates, etc.) will be required upon receiving the conditional offer of admission letter. Documents must be sent directly from the post-secondary institution to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office.
Degree certificates must accompany transcripts that do not clearly indicate that a degree has been conferred/awarded/granted and the date.
Degree certificates must include:
- date of conferral
- registrar's signature
- post-secondary institution stamp or seal
Stronger consideration may be given to those that provide such ranking.
The letter can be either be:
- uploaded to GSMS as a single PDF document
- sent directly from the dental school to dentgrad@ualberta.ca
A Curriculum vitae (or resume) which includes:
- education
- qualifications
- publications
- community involvement
- previous professional and research experience
Applicants must provide the names and contact information of three referees who need to provide a recommendation letter. At least two referees must be professional references.
Once you submit and pay for your application, your referees will receive a notice from GSMS requesting that their reference be submitted within two weeks of receiving the request.
You can check whether reference letters have been received or change a referee through the .
Applicants must identify the following prior to submitting an application:
- a willing faculty supervisor
- a potential thesis topic
- potential funding
Potential supervisors are listed in the section below.
Once your Supervisor is confirmed, the Applicant/Supervisor Checklist should be completed and submitted with the application. Please note that this form requires the signature of the confirmed supervisor.
To be considered for admission to our PhD programs, applicants must demonstrate a minimum of $25,000 in secured stipend funding for each year of the first four years of the program.
The funding may come from a supervisor or external professional, national, international, or academic bodies.
Verifiable proof of funding must be provided. This documentation should clearly outline the sources and amount of available funding.
Admission Selection
Enrollment is limited. Applications are reviewed by the Dentistry Admissions Subcommittee.
Admission will be based on demonstrated:
- academic excellence
- evidence of previous research experience
- letters of recommendation
Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Admission to the PhD Dentistry program is dependent upon the recommendation of the Dentistry Admissions Subcommittee, Mike Petryk School of Dentistry Graduate Committee, and the Medical Sciences Graduate Program Committee.
The final admission decision is made by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
Program Information
Program Length & Residency
The maximum time permitted to complete the program, as set by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, is six years. The time required to complete the PhD program will vary; however, four years is considered the average.
The School requires that students reside in Edmonton for a minimum of two years. Residency for the remainder of the program is dependent on discussions with your Supervisor, research requirements, and course offerings (some students may be asked to take courses outside the Department, and those courses may not be offered online). Oral examinations may be required to be held in-person.
Program Requirements
- Complete a minimum of 12 units of graded coursework, consisting of 6 units in required courses and 6 units in elective courses.
- Course requirements are recommended by the Supervisor and Supervisory Committee based on the background of the student and the area of specialization to be undertaken in the thesis research.
- Successfully complete a Candidacy examination
- Complete and successfully defend a thesis
- Participate in and attend the Discovery Dental Sciences Seminars
- Participate in and attend the Graduate Student Research Day
Cost
Information about tuition and fees can be found on the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies website.
Students should be prepared to financially support themselves for the duration of their program. Applications for funding through scholarships and studentships may be available on a competitive basis and are encouraged prior to or during the program.
Information on the cost of living in Edmonton can also be found here.
Potential Supervisors
For detailed contact information for each faculty member, please visit Our Researchers page.
- Dr. Maryam Sharifzadeh-Amin (Program Director)
- Dr. Khaled Altabtbaei
- Dr. Ava Chow
- Dr. Tarek El-Bialy
- Dr. Carlos Flores- Mir
- Dr. Manuel Lagravere Vich
- Dr. Hollis Lai
- Dr. Prasanna Neelakantan
- Dr. Paul Major
- Dr. Camila Pacheco-Pereira
- Dr. Minn-Nyoung Yoon
Apply Now
Applications are open from January 1 to May 1 in the year prior to the Fall term admission is being sought.
Applications are open from May 1 to July 1 in the year prior to the Winter term admission is being sought.