Information for International Applicants

Map of the world.

Medical Biophysics defines international applicants as students who are not Canadian citizens or 'permanent residents' (PR).

Academic records will be evaluated to determine their equivalency to a University of Toronto four-year bachelor's degree and a minimum academic standing of B+. For information on International Degree Equivalencies, please visit the School of Graduate Studies database.

Important Notices for all International Applicants

  • The Department welcomes applications from International students and strongly encourages all International students to apply directly to the PhD program. Due to tuition fee differentials, International students accepted to the MSc program will not participate in lab rotations and are required to secure a supervisor before applying to the program.
    • Effective September 2020 the supervisor will be responsible for the payment of the full tuition fee differential for international MSc students.
  • International applicants are highly encouraged to apply for the Fall program start, as this start provides the maximum amount of time for processing of immigration documentation (study permits, etc.), which can take up to 3 months. International applicants may apply for the Winter program start, but please be advised that due to potentially lengthy processing times, issues may arise in securing immigration documentation before the program begins.

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

GRE results are not required for application to graduate programs in the Department of Medical Biophysics.

English-Language Proficiency Testing

If your primary language is not English, and prior degree(s) have been completed at a non-Canadian university where the language of instruction and examination was not English, you must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of the application.

Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months of the submission of an application. Electronically reported scores should be sent directly by the testing agency to the University of Toronto (Enrolment Services). The only test for which the University of Toronto will accept paper scores is MELAB.

Examination Type Required Results

TOEFL (U of T Institutional code: 0982, no need to specify a department)

Paper Based Test & TWE
Overall Score 580
TWE 5

Internet-Based Test IBT
Overall Score 93
Writing/Speaking 22

IELTS (Academic)

7.0 (with at least 6.5 for each component)

MELAB

85

COPE

76 (with at least 22 in each component and 32 in the writing component)

Academic Preparation Course

Final grade of B in Level

Exemptions

Normally, if applicants meet any one of the following conditions, they are not required to submit proof of proficiency in English:

  • Native language is English (language first learned and still used on a daily basis)
  • A Canadian citizen who studied at a Canadian university where the language of instruction is French
  • Has obtained an undergraduate or graduate degree from an institution recognized by the University of Toronto and where the language of instruction and examination is uniformly English (if your transcript does not state this, applicants should make arrangements for an official statement to be sent from their institution confirming the use of English as the language of instruction and examination.) 
  • Completed a degree in one of the following countries: Australia, Barbados, Botswana, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong*, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa**, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America***, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

* Applicants from the Chinese University of Hong Kong are required to provide proof of English proficiency.
** Some applicants from South Africa may be required to provide proof of English proficiency as not all universities teach in English.
*** While textbooks and research materials used at universities in Puerto Rico are often in English, Spanish is the language of instruction in some universities.

Important Program Fee Information for Visa Students

Visa students who have been offered admission into our program are responsible for paying the portion equivalent to the Canadian student tuition fee. The department and supervisor will pay the differential tuition fee and your health insurance. This will be limited to 2 years for a MSc.

Currently, the tuition differential for international students is covered in equal parts by the department and the supervisor (same living allowance for international students). Commencing September 2020, the supervisor will be responsible for the full payment of the tuition differential.

Students are eligible to receive their stipend at the time they start their graduate work in the Department. However, there are occasional delays in payment resulting from external paperwork. Upon arrival, it is recommended that you have at least $3000 CDN to cover your expenses in case your stipend/salary is delayed.

Additional Information

In addition to official transcripts, International students offered admission to the program must submit official copies of their diploma or degree certificate. Official copies must be stamped with the institution's official seal, put in an institutional envelope, sealed and signed by your university's registrar and sent to:

Admission office
Department of Medical Biophysics 
MaRS Centre, PMCRT
101 College Street, Rm. 15-708 
Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7
CANADA