Graduate Applicant FAQ

Periodically, we have graduate student vacancies in our department, and are actively seeking qualified applicants to our program.

1) What kind of graduate degree can I get at the U of R?

The primary emphasis of our department is Subatomic Physics. As a result of this deliberate selection and focussing of efforts, we are able to ensure that each student receives the best possible education, and faculty are able to give personalized instruction in an encouraging and productive environment. We offer the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in both Theory and in Experiment. Please consult our Research Page and institutional affiliations.

There is also an adjunct faculty member at Campion College who conducts research in Observational Astronomy. Students working with him may receive the M.Sc. degree in Physics.

2) Is financial support available?

Yes! Students admitted into the physics graduate program are automatically considered for financial support (no separate applications are required).

Financial support is available in the form of graduate teaching or research assistantships, graduate scholarships and fellowships awarded by the university, as well as research assistantships paid from the supervisor's external research grant. Research supervisors may exceed our minimum support level, depending on the academic status of the student and the program year. The level of assistance may also be higher if the student holds an external scholarship.

We strive for our graduate students to become active research participants in the broader scientific community. Therefore, financial assistance is normally provided by the supervisor's research grant and the university towards other expenses associated with the student's education, such as travel and tuition for topical summer schools, conferences and workshops, and consultations with international research collaborators.

Our university also has comparably low graduate tuition rates in Canada. Please select Candian or International Student when you arrive at that page.

3) What is Regina like? Would I like it there?

Regina has a population of 200,000 and is the local provincial capital. Partly because it is a capital city, Regina is known for a list of cultural activities which is far more encompassing than one would normally expect for a city of this size. There are many festivals throughout the year, including folk music, and international culture. There is a science museum with IMAX theatre, art gallery, symphony, and opera, the Globe theatre - Canada's only permanent theatre-in-the-round, the Saskatchewan Roughriders CFL team, and a major casino. Regina is also noted for having more brewpubs per capita than any other city in Canada.

Located in a prairie setting, much effort has gone into developing the natural beauty of the area, including Wascana Lake in the center of the city. The university itself is located in a 2000 acre urban park, one of the largest in Canada. As a result, Reginans have easy access to rowing and sailboarding on Wascana Lake in the summer, skating and cross-country skiing in Wascana Centre in the winter. The climate is continental, with dry, cold winters, and sunny, hot summers. The Canadian government's climate severity index, a rating of the physical and psychological rigors created by the year-round climate, gives Regina a rating on par with Montreal.

For more information, click the U of R's Future Student page or the City of Regina page.

4) What are your admission requirements?

A B.Sc. Honours degree in physics or engineering physics is required for admission to the M.Sc. program. The criteria for admission are a combination of grades, recommendations, and overlap of research interests with the department. Applicants must have an academic average greater than 75%. Canadians (only) with an average less than this will be considered for probationary acceptance (without financial support).

Applicants for the Ph.D. program from Canada or the U.S. must have a M.Sc. degree. Applicants from elsewhere are usually registered in the M.Sc. program first, so that they can adjust to local conditions, and their education level evaluated more fully. Depending on this result, they may have the opportunity to transfer to the Ph.D. program with little delay in their progress.

Foreign applicants should arrange to write the GRE Physics Subject exam as well as the TOEFL. The minimum TOEFL score is 580 (paper-based test) or 237 (computer-based test), or 88 (internet-based test, with a minimum of 22 in the speaking and writing components). The GRE Physics Subject exam is helpful in our evaluation of foreign transcripts, the standards of which vary widely. The department does not have a set required minimum score, as other considerations, such as the applicant's stated research interests, or outstanding transcripts and recommendation letters are also taken into account in the acceptance decision, and may outweigh the GRE score in the final evaluation.

5) How do I apply?

Please consult our Future Graduate Students web page.