NOTE: The requirements to fast-track have been updated and the changes will go into effect for students who start their M.Sc. degree in Fall 2022 or later.
For students first enrolled in Fall 2022 and onwards:
Students who are registered in the M.Sc. program in Experimental Medicine in Fall 2022 or after have the option to fast-track to the Ph.D. program only upon receiving a score of “pass” of the new format of the oral comprehensive exam. Students who have shown superior research progress and who meet the following requirements may take the oral comprehensive exam in order to determine eligibility to fast-track:
- The student has completed or is in the process of completing the 9 course credits required and has a cGPA of not less than 3.5 in their M.Sc. studies to date (Note that if the student is still in the process of completing the required course credits, the file will be judged on the student's record to date (both undergraduate and graduate) and the plausibility of the student meeting the cGPA requirement for fast-tracking.
- The student has had their first annual Thesis Committee meeting and has obtained a favorable assessment from the committee. The student MUST have informed the committee of their interest to fast-track to the Ph.D. program IN ADVANCE (i.e. at the time when the notice of the meeting is sent to all committee members).
Upon approval by the committee, the student will be allowed to proceed to the oral comprehensive exam, which will take place in 12 months. In addition to the regular thesis committee members, the student and supervisor should identify an additional committee member who MUST be from outside the Department of Medicine of McGill University who will participate in the oral comprehensive exam. Subsequently, the academic advisor will ask each committee member to give the student topics/questions/keywords that they will be expected to know at the oral comprehensive exam. Detailed guidelines for the updated oral comprehensive exam can be found here.
For additional information on the fast-track option for students first enrolled in Fall 2022, please refer to the timeline for the updated Fast-Track option, from admission to the oral comprehensive examination 
Fast-Track Timeline Updated 2022 Please note that only M.Sc. students who PASS the oral comprehensive exam at the first attempt will be allowed to fast-track to become Ph.D. candidates. For students who do not pass the oral comprehensive exam, a follow-up thesis committee meeting should be scheduled no sooner than 4 months and no later than 6 months to assess the student’s progress and suitability to start writing their MSc thesis. An M.Sc. student who does not pass the oral comprehensive exam and who is not allowed to fast-track still has the option to re-apply to enter as a PhD student, after final submission of the M.Sc. thesis.
For students that fast-track to PhD, the following documents must be sent to ExMed prior to transfer to PhD2 status:
- a Confirmation of Supervision Form (PDF) signed by both the student and supervisor
- a "Research Project Proposal" Form:
Research Project Proposal Form - an updated letter of understanding
For additional information, please refer to the timeline for the Fast-Track option, from admission to the oral comprehensive examination: Fast-Track Timeline Updated 2022
For students enrolled PRIOR to Fall 2022:
Students who are already registered in the M.Sc. program in Experimental Medicine may transfer to the Ph.D. program by applying to the Graduate Admissions Committee. This option is open to students who have shown superior research progress and who meet the following requirements at the time of application:
- The student has completed or is in the process of completing, at the time of application, the 9 course credits required and has a cGPA of not less than 3.5 in his/her M.Sc. studies to date (Note that if the student is still in the process of completing the required course credits, the file will be judged on the student's record to date (both undergraduate and graduate) and the plausibility of the student's meeting the cGPA requirement for fast-tracking. Also, students who wish to fast-track for the January semester must have completed at least 6 of the 9 course credits in the terms previous to the fall term in which they apply.
- The student has had his/her first annual Thesis Committee meeting and has obtained a favorable assessment from the committee. The student MUST have informed the committee of his/her intention to fast-track to the Ph.D. program IN ADVANCE (i.e. at the time when the notice of the meeting is sent to all committee members). Information regarding annual meetings can be found under Guidelines (PDF). It should be emphasized that fast-tracking represents a serious long-term commitment by both student and supervisor and, to warrant a favorable assessment, the Thesis Committee must judge that the student has a good understanding of the scope of his/her project and knowledge of background material to complete a Ph.D. The Committee will review the application to judge the likelihood of successful completion as a Ph.D. thesis. The decision to promote a student will be based on the student’s performance in course and seminars, progress in research, as well as the supervisor’s recommendation.
To fast-track, the student must contact the Division to notify us that they meet all of the criteria and intend to apply to fast-track, (DO NOT APPLY WITHOUT FIRST HAVING NOTIFIED US!). The Division will then create a profile on uapply and then notify you via e-mail to submit an application via uapply. This will make it possible for the student to apply to fast-track without having to once again submit all required documentation normally required. Once notified that he/she may apply, the student can then go to www.mcgill.ca/uapply. Note that the deadlines are the same as those for new students. Additional details about the application deadlines is available here.
The following documents must be submitted to our office (via e-mail) by the deadline:
- a letter of support from the student’s supervisor which details the student’s research progress and which recommends the student’s promotion to the Ph.D. program
- the minutes of the Thesis Committee meeting which recommends the student for fast-tracking
- a Confirmation of Supervision Form (PDF) signed by both the student and supervisor
- a "Research Project Proposal" Form: Research Project Proposal Form
Please note that NO EXCEPTION can be made to these deadlines.
Following acceptance of the application by the Committee, the student will be transferred to the Ph.D. program at the Ph.D. 2 level. The student will be expected to complete 9 additional credits (in order to bring their total credits to 18).
For additional information, please refer to the timeline for the Fast-Track option, from admission to the oral comprehensive examination: Fast-Track Timeline