There are three pathways for admission to the PhD program:
Students who have achieved an ''A-minus'' (80%) average or higher during the last two years of full-time study while completing a four-year honours BSc program (or its equivalent) and who provide evidence of research aptitude and potential based on laboratory research experience may apply to enter the PhD program directly, or
An MSc student may apply to transfer to the PhD program before completing the MSc degree. To be eligible for transfer, the student must have completed a high quality undergraduate degree with a grade average of B+ or higher. Before applying for transfer to the PhD program students must complete MCB*6500 MSc Research Topics in Molecular and Cellular Biology plus an additional course with at least 0.5 graduate course credit, attaining an overall A minus average (at least 80%). Applications for transfer must be approved by the end of the fourth semester in the MSc program.
Applicants may have completed a recognized Masters degree in a relevant discipline with a minimum academic standing of ''A-minus'' (80%).
Each applicant must obtain the support of a faculty member willing to serve as their thesis advisor and list them accordingly on their application for admission, at the time of its submission.

All components of the application, including transcript(s), graduate certificate(s), grading scale(s), language test results, assessment forms, a statement of interest, must be uploaded no later than two months after an application is submitted through the OUAC portal. Applications that are incomplete after this time period will be closed. International English Language Testing System (Academic) (IELTS) 6.5 , Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and (TOEFL Special Home Edition (iBT)) 89 A minimum score of 21 must be achieved in each of the four categories (listening, speaking, reading, writing)