Entrance Requirements
The Department’s minimum admission requirements are a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or equivalent plus an admission GPA of at least 3.0 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution. The admission GPA will be calculated on the last ★60 of graded coursework completed, or on the equivalent of the last two years of full-time graded coursework.
A master’s degree is expected, but does not guarantee acceptance into the PhD program. Applicants without a master’s degree may be considered for admission provided equivalency in prior relevant education and experiences as approved by both the Periodontology Graduate Program and the Graduate Studies Committee of the School of Dentistry.
Where applicable, applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency (refer to English Language Requirement ). Any one of the following is acceptable:
- TOEFL (internet-based) minimum score 95 and the following minimum score on each of the individual skill areas: Listening 22, Reading 22, Speaking 26, and Writing 24.
- CAEL minimum score of 80 with at least 70 on each subtest;
- or an IELTS (Academic) minimum score of 7.5 with at least 7 on each band.
All applicants are also required to submit the following:
- a current curriculum vitae
- a statement of intent
- three letters of recommendation (two must be professional)
- An official letter from their dental school noting their class ranking upon graduation from dentistry is recommended.
- Completion of at least one year of experience as a licensed dentist prior to the start of the program is preferred.
- Preference will be given to candidates who have successfully completed the National Dental Examining Board of Canada’s (NDEB) Certification process.
- Applicants must have a license to practice Dentistry in Alberta, or must have passed the NDEB examination of Canada.
- Applicants who are not licensed but in a Canada/USA accredited GPR program are required to obtain a letter from the Program Director stating they are in good standing with no professional conduct issues.
- A personal interview is required for short-listed applicants. These applicants will be advised of the arranged interview date by e-mail.
- Identify a suitable supervisor to provide support.
Admission is dependent upon the approval of the Graduate Periodontology Admissions SubCommittee, the Department of Dentistry’s Graduate Studies Committee and the Medical Sciences Graduate Program Committee.
For applicants that are not licensed by Alberta Dental Association and College (ADA&C), a condition of admission is for candidates to obtain registration on the Education and Research Register from the ADA&C by August 1 prior to starting the program in the fall term. Applicants who already possess a full license from the ADA&C do not need to obtain additional licensure.
Program Requirements
Students are required to complete a minimum of ★73.5 in required coursework. The program also consists of a clinical component, seminars, and a thesis. Student progress will be monitored through an annual written and/or oral internal or external assessment. Feedback from this assessment serves to identify areas that require additional attention by the student. The assessment will permit the development of specific clinical and/or didactic improvement objectives before the next annual assessment.
The clinical requirements involve successful completion of a selected number of teaching cases. Clinical training will not start until defined research milestones are attained and the candidacy examination is successfully passed. Clinical training will start in September immediately after these conditions are met.
The program of study is determined in consultation with the supervisor and supervisory committee. The research component will be exclusively performed during the first two years.
Students enrolled in the PhD in Medical Sciences - Periodontology will not have the option of transferring to the MSc in Medical Sciences - Periodontology program but may switch to the MSc in Medical Sciences - Dentistry or MSc in Medical Sciences - Oral Biology.
Length of Program
The time required to complete the PhD will vary according to the previous training of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken.
Six years is considered normal. After six years a formal extension request to The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is needed.
Fees
In addition to the yearly tuition assessed for students enrolled in the program, there are additional costs associated with CPR training, sedation training (IV sedation), equipment and instrumentation rental fees for periodontal graduate students. All costs are estimates and subject to change and can be affected by economic conditions such as exchange rates. Students pay the fees in effect at the time of registration.
Students are responsible for purchasing intra-oral camera equipment. We will make recommendations for the preferred camera body, macro lens and ring flash systems.
Use of loupes is highly recommended in clinics.