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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.

Once you submit and pay for your application, your referees will receive a notice from the online application system requesting that their reference be submitted within two weeks of receiving the request.

NOTE: Students enrolled in the PhD in Orthodontics program will not have the option of transferring to the MSc in Orthodontics program.

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 & Master's Degree and Minimum GPA

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

A Master's is required except in exceptional cases, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

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.

For education completed outside of Canada, see the Minimum Academic Requirements by Country for equivalent qualifications.

Dental Experience and 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 80 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¥.
  

• Applicants to the PhD Orthodontics program must identify a willing faculty supervisor, a potential thesis topic, and potential funding prior to submission of your application. Please use the Potential Supervisors listed in the section below to secure a supervisor with whom you have common research interests. Please note that it is beneficial to include a research proposal when contacting individual faculty members. Once you have confirmed a Supervisor, you are required to complete the Applicant/Supervisor Checklist and submit this as part of your application. Please note that this form requires the signature of your confirmed supervisor.

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 Studies and Postdoctoral Studies office.

All available full-time faculty members of the Graduate Orthodontics Program will review applications for the PhD 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 MSc applicant who was also selected to be interviewed) and offers of admission made based on the number of available spots. If determined eligible for admission, the candidate will be offered a second interview with the Department of Dentistry Graduate Studies Subcommittee. This subcommittee also has to support admission. 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 PhD 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 $13,752 per year and an equipment and instrumentation rental fee of $13,225 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 $30,000 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.

Program Information

• DENT 542 (Research Methodology) 
• DENT 543 (Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis)
• DENT 635 (Seminars in Oral Health I)
• DENT 636 (Seminars in Oral Health II)
• 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 maximum time permitted to complete the program as set by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies is six years. Students are required to reside in Edmonton for the entirety of their clinical training. Residency for the remainder of the program is dependent on discussions with your Supervisor, requirements of research, and course offerings. Oral examinations may be required to be in person. 

Research

Students are required to complete research, usually within the established research focus of the program, and to complete a paper format thesis. Students should have their research results ready to submit to peer-reviewed journals for publication. It is anticipated that all student research projects will result in publication. Students may also have an opportunity to present their research results at an international scientific meeting prior to completion of the program.

Most of the research will be completed, and the student has to pass the PhD candidacy examination before starting the clinical training component. The thesis supervisory committee may determine what additional milestones will need to be met prior to beginning the clinical portion of the program.

Clinical Assessments

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.

 Ffaculty 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