Admission Requirements
MSc Physics
The general admission requirements for a master's degree at Carleton are listed here by our Graduate School.
Applicants for MSc in Physics should have an Honours BSc in Physics or a BEng in Engineering Physics. A Combined Honours BSc degree is usually also appropriate preparation. These include Hons BSc Physics + Math, Hons BSc Physics + Computer Science, Hons BSc Physics + Chemistry, and Hons BSc Physics + Biology.
Applicants with a BEng degree that is not in Engineering Physics are not usually prepared for graduate studies in Physics, because typically these programs do not include physics after the first year. Applicants with this type of background who are interested in medical physics might wish to consider the MASc Biomedical Engineering program.
Applicants interested in the MSc Physics program in medical physics should note that an undergraduate degree in medical radiation technology or in clinical radiation physics is insufficient preparation. Students studying medical physics at Carleton require core undergraduate physics as a foundation.
Master's applicants with a strong academic record, but lacking the equivalent of the final year of Honours BSc in Physics, such as graduates of a BSc Major in Physics, may be considered for a Qualifying Year. This consists of two terms of courses at the senior undergraduate level, to fill gaps in physics education. There is no financial support. Towards the end of Q-year, one applies again for MSc studies. Please note that if the Q-year has been successfully completed, one should be able to submit a stronger application, but there is no guarantee of admission into the MSc. Refer also to item 2.3 of the Graduate Calendar regulations.
Students in our master's program, who excel in their first year courses and show strong research ability, are invited to fast-track directly into the PhD typically after 12 months.
For the official description of the program requirements for MSc in Physics, with specialization in either particle physics or medical physics, please refer to the Graduate Calendar here.
PhD Physics
The general admission requirements for a doctoral degree at Carleton are listed here by our Graduate School.
Applicants for a PhD in Physics should have a Master's degree in Physics. If your Master's is from another field within physics than the one you are interested in at Carleton, e.g. you are applying to particle physics from a different background, please go ahead and apply. Should our admissions committee consider you admissible and if we are able to identify a thesis supervisor, the committee will decide whether to offer you PhD admission with a requirement for extra courses, or whether to offer MSc admission instead.
Applicants for the PhD holding a master's degree in Physics, but whose undergraduate degree curriculum would have been considered insufficient for admission to the Carleton Physics MSc program, might not be sufficiently prepared for the Carleton PhD program. Such applicants may be asked to take additional courses to fill gaps in their preparation.
For the official description of the program requirements for PhD in Physics, with specialization in either particle physics or medical physics, please refer to the Graduate Calendar here. Scroll down to reach the PhD section.
MASc Biomedical Engineering
Refer to the OCIBME site at ocibme.ca.
English Language Ability - Graduate studies in particle physics and medical physics are offered at Carleton University which is an English-language institution. Our institution's minimum requirements are given by our Graduate School here.
Information for International Students - It can be a great adventure to go to another country for graduate studies. The presence of international students can enrich the learning experience for everyone. There is significant competition for entry to our programs, however, especially by international students. We are able to consider only the most accomplished applicants. Click here for more information.
There is general information for international students provided by our Graduate School here.
Financial Support - Application for internal Carleton awards is automatic and you do not need to do this as part of your application. If you are eligible, it will strengthen your application significantly if you apply for scholarships such as NSERC PGS (national) and OGS (provincial). Please see our department's page for graduate applicants on Funding and Awards.
The Graduate Calendar - The Graduate Calendar is the official document which defines all of our programs. Our programs often evolve from one year to the next. For the duration of their program, a student's program's rules are those defined in the version of the calendar in effect at the time of admission. The current version of the calendar is found at calendar.carleton.ca/grad/.
Further questions? - If you have further questions about our program, please contact the faculty member responsible for the program by emailing grad-supervisor
physics [dot] carleton [dot] ca. Please note: we receive many enquiries to review resumes and transcripts on an ad hoc basis. Due to the volume received, we cannot respond to all of these. If you think you meet our qualifications, please start the application process and proceed to the no-fee prescreen stage.
If you have further questions about the logistics of applying, please contact the graduate administrator by emailing Temi [dot] Guoti
carleton [dot] ca.