Are you an international student thinking to apply to a graduate program in the Department of Physics at Carleton University?
We encourage potential international graduate students to apply to our degree programs in Physics at Carleton University. If you are interested, please consult our Graduate School’s website for general information for international students, and the minimal admission requirements for each country.
Some specific academic requirements for entry into an MSc (Physics), PhD (Physics) or MASc (Biomedical Engineering) are listed here. Please note that our medical physics program is a graduate degree in physics and therefore an undergraduate degree or certificate in radiologic technology (imaging or cancer therapy) is inadequate preparation and such applicants will not be considered.
Proficiency in the English language: Carleton is an English-language institution. If your first language is not English, you will need to show results from a standard testing service. The minimum language requirements for admission to Carleton University are given given here (See Section 3.6). We cannot consider applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements.
Admission of international students to Physics is a very competitive process. We seek applicants with outstanding grades and strong potential for research in physics. The application requirements include transcripts, a resume and statement of interest by the candidate, and confidential letters of reference which must address both academic and research ability. The letters of reference are submitted directly by your referees to the University via our website. All components of the application will be carefully evaluated.
Checklist on whether you are eligible to be considered for admission:
- do you meet the academic entrance requirements, both in terms of grades and preparedness to do a graduate degree in physics, as given on this page?
- do you meet the language-proficiency requirements as given on this page?
If you answer YES to BOTH questions, you are eligible to apply and your application will be considered. To apply, go to our main application website and click on the "Apply Now" button at the bottom of the page. You will be taken to our Graduate School's central application web page, where you can "request application account". There is a fee to apply. Application deadlines are given here.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Q: Do you fund international graduate students? A: Yes, all admitted graduate students are fully funded to cover their tuition and living expenses through a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, scholarships, and (for PhD students) International Doctoral Tuition Support (IDTS).
- Q: Which programs accept international students? A: While all our PhD programs accept international applications, the MSc application is open to international students who are interested in experimental particle physics (ATLAS, DEAP, EXO, etc.). For all fields, international students with an external scholarship are welcome to apply. If you have any questions, please contact Physics Department Grad Supervisor grad-supervisor
physics [dot] carleton [dot] ca . - Q: Do I need to find a supervisor before I can apply? A: It is not necessary to find a supervisor before applying.
- Q: Do I need to do a GRE test before I can apply to a graduate program in the Carleton University Department of Physics? A: No. We will base our admission recommendations on your academic transcripts and your letters of reference.
- Q: Can you review informally my transcript/academic record and tell me if I am eligible to apply to Carleton University? A: We receive many enquiries to review resumes and transcripts on an ad hoc basis. It is very difficult to respond to all these requests due to the volume received. Applicants are invited to do a self-assessment to make sure they meet the minimum admission qualifications (listed above) before applying.
- Q: Is it possible to start a graduate degree in the winter or summer terms? A: Admission normally is for the fall term, which is the assumption behind the scheduling of progressing courses. However, depending on the circumstances, admission in other terms may be possible.
- Q: Who should I ask to be a referee for my application? A: Suitable referees include current or past professors or research project supervisors who can comment on your potential for research. If these are not available, substitutes could be referees who supervised you in industrial or co-op placements. If you have no research experience at all, your application will not likely be competitive for the MSc or MASc, and certainly not for the PhD, so please consider this before going to the time and expense of applying.
- Q: Do I need to convert for you my overall grade-point average from the value as given by my university to the GPA scale used at Carleton University? A: No. We have conversion tables and will do this ourselves.
- Q: Do I need to provide official transcripts when I apply? A: No. For the initial application, scans of transcripts are sufficient. However, should you be offered admission, you will need to forward official transcripts to the university.