Neuroscience (Integrated Program)
About the Integrated Program in Neuroscience
Montreal is home to the largest concentration of neuroscientists in North America. Neuroscience research at McGill University is internationally renowned, and its Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN) provides graduate training in this outstanding research environment. With approximately 650 M.Sc. and Ph.D. students and more than 230 supervisors, the IPN is the largest interfaculty graduate program and one of the largest neuroscience graduate programs in North America.
Neuroscience training within the IPN spans the full spectrum of research fields, from cellular and molecular neuroscience to behavioural and cognitive neuroscience. In addition to laboratory research, the IPN offers an extensive range of courses, hosts an annual mcgill.ca/ipn/events/ipn-retreat, and maintains a seminar program to facilitate communication between students in different neuroscience disciplines. Neuroscience trainees from McGill have gone on to successful careers in academia and industry.
A prospective graduate student must identify a supervisor, selecting from one of several research streams which span the full spectrum of neuroscience research. A student with a bachelor's degree may apply to the M.Sc. program; it is common to fast-track to the Ph.D. program if suitable progress is made. Students with M.Sc. degrees may apply directly to the Ph.D. program. IPN also offers a Ph.D. Rotation program each September.
General
- Students must select an Advisory Committee, in conjunction with their thesis supervisor. This committee will consist of the thesis supervisor and two (maximum three) other individuals who will participate in discussions with students about their research program.
- All Ph.D. students are required to complete a candidacy examination before the end of Ph.D. 3. The exam serves to evaluate the students' ability to perform original scholarship and to demonstrate their suitability for a Ph.D. degree. An M.Sc. student may be eligible to transfer to the Ph.D. program without submitting a master's thesis by taking the Transfer Seminar/Candidacy Exam. This exam is allowed if the master's CGPA is 3.5 or higher and if the student's Advisory Committee recommends the student as an appropriate candidate for Ph.D. studies. M.Sc. students who wish to pursue a Ph.D. degree, but who have not obtained the minimum 3.5 CGPA in their M.Sc. coursework while in the IPN, must submit a master's thesis and apply for the Ph.D. level afterwards.
- Students are required to submit a written thesis proposal (18 months after the start of the program for M.Sc. students, and at least one month prior to the candidacy exam for Ph.D. students). This document must state the research question, present the hypothesis being tested, review the relevant literature, summarize the methodology used, and present the research data to date. This proposal will then be orally presented to the student's Advisory Committee members, who will review the written proposal and communicate their recommendations to the student.
- Students will present a formal seminar on their research work prior to writing their thesis. This presentation will be attended by the student's Advisory Committee who will report their impressions and recommendations to the student.
- Before final thesis submission, Ph.D. students must successfully complete an oral defence, which is a final, in-depth, formal presentation of their research.
- An annual oral informal presentation of research work accomplished will be presented to the student's Advisory Committee.
- The Graduate Program Committee has instituted a mentorship program by which each student will be matched with a specific member of the Committee. The Program Mentor ensures that the student, the supervisor(s), and other members of the Advisory Committee are aware of and meet key milestones, in a timely manner, throughout the course of the student's graduate study.
- All incoming students are required to take the workshops on Responsible Conduct of Research. These will be included as part of the milestones for annual progress reports.
Master of Science (M.Sc.) Neuroscience (Thesis) (45 credits)
The M.Sc. program offers opportunities to a great diversity of individual interests and backgrounds, and prepares our students for scientific careers in neuroscience and related fields. Programs leading to an M.Sc. degree require the completion of intensive academic and research training.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Neuroscience
The IPN offers a highly competitive Ph.D. program that prepares students for successful scientific careers in the field of neuroscience. Over half of the students registered in the neuroscience graduate program at McGill University are in the doctoral stream.
Neuroscience (Integrated Program) Admission Requirements and Application Procedures
Admission Requirements
General
Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, from a recognized institution in a field related to the subject selected for graduate work, and must display an adequate background in basic sciences.
The applicant must present evidence of high academic achievement. A standing equivalent to a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0 is required by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies; however, the Integrated Program in Neuroscience (IPN) seeks applicants with a higher academic standing, and thus, requires a minimum CGPA of 3.3
Applicants to graduate studies whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction or from a recognized Canadian institution (anglophone or francophone), must submit results of a TOEFL or IELTS exam with their application. Consult the Integrated Program in Neuroscience's website for details.
M.Sc. Degree
Bachelor's degree with adequate background in basic sciences, or an M.D.
Ph.D. Degree
Applicants must hold a graduate-level degree in a field related to neuroscience or have an M.D. degree, preferably with postgraduate training. Applicants will also be considered for admission if enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine & Master of Surgery with Ph.D. (Joint M.D.,C.M. & Ph.D.) program through the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University.
Students currently registered in the Master's in Neuroscience may be permitted to transfer to the Ph.D. program without submitting a master's thesis. Applicants are expected to have attained a high scholastic standing equal to, or greater than, the minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.5 out of 4.0 in all levels of study. In exceptional circumstances, a student may enter the Ph.D. program directly from their undergraduate degree if a CGPA of 3.7 is attained and if the student already presents extensive research experience.
To meet incoming students' diversity of individual interests and backgrounds, a graduate program is designed for each student at the time of entry. As part of the admission process, each applicant will identify, with the participation of the prospective thesis supervisor and the Graduate Studies Committee, a research thesis topic and the coursework required to complete the training deemed necessary for the degree. These decisions become an integral part of the graduation requirements for the student.
Application Procedures
McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply.
See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.
Additional Requirements
The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- Letters of Recommendation (two)
Consult the Integrated Program in Neuroscience's website for further details.
Application Dates and Deadlines
Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the IPN and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.
Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.
Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.
Location
Irving Ludmer Pavillion, Room 302
1033 Pine Ave. West
Montreal QC H3A 1A2
Website: mcgill.ca/ipn