Biomolecular Sciences (PhD)

Entry into the Program requires completion of an M.Sc. in a related discipline (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Medical Sciences, etc) or by “transfer” from the existing M.Sc. programs at the end of the first year of study, upon completion of the M.Sc. coursework and recommendation of the Supervisory committee.  

Admission is conditional to students securing the consent of a faculty member to supervise their research during their PhD studies.

Information and Files for Current Students

• BMS Program Regulations (PDF)
• BMS Student Committee Report Form (Word)
• BMS Comprehensive Exam Format (PDF)
• Student Integrity Policy and Procedures (PDF)
• Grade Appeal Policy and Procedures (PDF)

Entry into Ph.D. studies within the Program can be granted after completion of an M.Sc. in a related discipline (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Medical Sciences, etc) or by “transfer” from the existing M.Sc. programs at the end of the first year of study, upon completion of the M.Sc. course work and recommendation of the Supervisory committee. 

Application Process

Step 1. Contact the Graduate Coordinator and/or individual faculty member about the possibility of becoming a student.  Students are encouraged to consult the faculty list on the Faculty Members tab in order to identify a potential supervisor (i.e. a faculty member they would like to work with).  

Step 2. Click here to submit the online application. Once students have applied, they will receive instructions (typically within 48 hours) from the Office of Admissions leading them to the MyLaurentian portal. Students can access the portal at my.laurentian.ca; sign in credentials will be provided in the correspondence received from the Office of Admissions upon successful completion of an application. The following documents will be required in order to complete an application.

Documents:

• Three Reference Forms (to begin the process at my.laurentian.ca click on "Reference Submission" on the left-hand navigation menu)
• Statement of Interest (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume (to be uploaded via MyLaurentian)
• Official Academic Transcript(s) from all post secondary studies* (Please note that current or prior Laurentian University students do not need to request transcripts)  

*Please note that official transcripts or WES course-by-course (for institutions attended outside of North America) must come directly to the Office of Admissions from the previous post secondary institution by requesting at the time of your application or by contacting the institution's Registrar's Office.

Step 3. Once the Admissions Office receives all information and the application is deemed complete, the application will be forwarded to the department.  An Admissions Committee meets to review the applications.

Step 4. The Admissions Committee will review all applications on file and make a decision regarding the suitability of each applicant.  The Admissions Committee will then make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies at Laurentian University. The Graduate Studies office will verify the dossier and if satisfactory, the Dean of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation to the Office of Admissions at Laurentian University for admission. 

Step 5: If approved for admission, the Office of Admissions will send the student an Offer of Admission via MyLaurentian.  Applicants wishing to accept the offer of admission must indicate their response on MyLaurentian within 3 weeks of receiving the offer. Once the student has accepted the offer, a transition to the registration process occurs.

Students must follow these regulations while in the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Approved Fields of Study

• Cell Regulation
• Structure and Function of Biomolecules

Program

Students are required to take two three-credit courses for the Ph.D. degree, in addition to mandatory seminar-based and thesis courses.

An overall average of at least 70% must be obtained by the students. The courses will be selected from the program in Biomolecular Sciences and from courses offered in the School of Natural Sciences.

Candidates holding a B.Sc. degree must complete:

• Course requirements of an M.Sc. program
• BMOL 6106E     Advanced Topics in Cell Regulation

                OR   BMOL 6301E     Selected Topics in Biomolecular Sciences

• Three credits from other 5000 or 6000 level courses
• BMOL 6005E     Current Topics in Biomolecular Science
• BMOL 6000E     Research Thesis
• Comprehensive examination

Candidates holding a M.Sc. degree must complete:

• BMOL 6106E     Advanced Topics in Cell Regulation

                OR   BMOL 6301E     Selected Topics in Biomolecular Sciences

• Three credits from other 5000 or 6000 level courses
• BMOL 6005E     Current Topics in Biomolecular Science
• BMOL 6000E     Research Thesis
• Comprehensive examination

Program Regulations:

Residency Requirements: Students are expected to complete the Ph.D. program within four years following entry into the program.

The maximum time limit for completing the degree requirements is six years. Students are expected to study full-time, except under

extraordinary circumstances where a person may receive special permission upon petition to the Director of Graduate Studies and Research.

Comprehensive Examination:
Candidates must pass a comprehensive examination within the first two years of entrance to the Ph.D. program. Enrolment for this examination is limited to two consecutive academic terms and requires successful completion of BMOL-6106EL and/or BMOL-6301EL.

Failure to complete this examination within the required time limits precludes continuation in the doctoral program, unless there are valid reasons as determined by the program’s Administrative council. The comprehensive examination does not count as a credit course.

A Comprehensive Examination Committee will be in charge of evaluating the student. This committee will be composed of at least four members of the Biomolecular Sciences Program faculty as chosen by the standing BMS Comprehensive Exam Committee (in consultation with the student).

The comprehensive examination will be administered in two parts:

Part I:  Written examination.  The Comprehensive Examination Committee will create four questions, based on the content of the courses BMOL 6106 OR BMOL 6301. The student will prepare answers to two of the questions.

The comprehensive examination panel will require the preparation of a grant application, in the NSERC or CIHR format, on a topic not directly related to the student’s thesis. The student will choose the topic in consultation with the supervisory committee. The Comprehensive Exam Committee gives the student two grant topics and the student selects one topic. The Comprehensive Examination Committee will determine when the proposal is ready for the oral defence.  The student will be expected to make an oral presentation of the project and answer questions from the Comprehensive Examination Committee. A written evaluation of the student’s performance in the oral portion of the examination will be prepared for circulation to the student, the student’s supervisor and the Director of the Program in Biomolecular Sciences. The committee will assign a grade of pass or fail for each section.  In the case of a failure, the student will be given the opportunity to repeat that portion of the comprehensive examination.  A second failure will be grounds for dismissal from the Ph.D. program.

 
Thesis:
For the Ph.D. degree, either a “standard thesis” or a “thesis by publication” format will be acceptable. The research thesis does not count as a credit course. Students will be required to present a public seminar and subsequently, to undergo an oral defence of their thesis. The thesis defence committee is composed of a chair (non-voting), two members of the program, an examiner external to the program and an examiner external to the university. The thesis supervisor is a member of the committee and is present at the defence, which takes place in camera. The defence committee meets in the absence of the student to discuss his or her performance and to decide if the thesis is acceptable for the degree or if corrections are required before granting final approval.

Core Faculty - Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) Cross-appointed :

• D. Boreham
• N. Khaper
• T. Kovala
• D. Maclean
• A. Moise
• G. Ross 
• J. Scott 
• A. Simard
• Z. Suntres 
• T. Tai 
• S. Tharmalingam 
• C. Thome 

Adjunct Faculty:

• C. Verschoor

Emeritus Faculty:

• H. A. Joly
• C. Lanner
• H. Lee 
• F. Mallory
• L. Wu

Core Faculty:

• A. Scott