Program Requirements
Admission to the PhD is dependent on the recommendation of the Graduate Coordinating Committee. The requirements for this degree consist of course work, completion of a research project, and preparation of a thesis.
For doctoral students in Cancer Sciences, course requirements are recommended by the supervisor and supervisory committee based on the background of the student and the area of research to be undertaken. For students entering the PhD program after a BSc degree, the minimum course requirement is ★12 in graded graduate-level courses chosen from the approved course listing, or approved equivalent. For students entering the PhD program after a MSc degree, in the same discipline the minimum course requirement is ★6 in graded graduate-level courses chosen from the approved course listing, or approved equivalent. As with the Master’s program, students are required to enrol in a lecture based course and a seminar course – normally ONCOL 520 or ONCOL 524 and ONCOL 660 /ONCOL 661 , in the second year. Students are also required to attend ONCOL 661 /ONCOL 660 during all years of their program and to give at least three seminars (usually one per year) through ONCOL 660 .
Cancer Sciences PhD students are required to take a candidacy exam consisting of a written grant proposal and an oral defence of the proposal including peripheral areas. Students must prepare a thesis describing the results of their research, and be examined orally by a committee formed according to Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research regulations.
The minimum period of residence is two academic years of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.
Doctoral students in Medical Physics are required to have completed a minimum of ★33 after an Honors BSc degree from the University of Alberta or equivalent. The ★33 are those courses required for the MSc program in Medical Physics listed in The Degree of MSc (Oncology) [Graduate] . An undergraduate course, either BME 320 or BME 321 , must be completed any time during the program. PhD students must also complete additional courses depending on their subspecialty: Radiation Oncology Physics subspecialty, ONCOL 693 ; Radiological and Nuclear Medical Physics subspeciality, ONCOL 692 ; and Magnetic Resonance Physics subspecialty, ONCOL 690 and ONCOL 691 .
Students must pass an oral candidacy examination consisting of a defence of the research proposal including general medical physics. Once these requirements are successfully completed, the student’s research is presented in the form of a thesis which must be defended before a final examining committee. The minimum period of residence is two academic years of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.
Students in Oncology are required to take a candidacy exam consisting of a written grant proposal and an oral defence of the proposal including peripheral areas. Students must prepare a thesis describing the results of their research, and be examined orally by a committee formed according to Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research regulations. The minimum period of residence is two academic years of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.