McGill.CA / Division of Clinical and Translational Research / Graduate Studies

Programs

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Experimental Medicine (Thesis)

Description:

Applicants for the M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine (Thesis) must hold either an M.D. degree, a B.Sc. degree, or the equivalent. The graduate training offered is wide-ranging and addresses experimental aspects of medicine in such diverse areas as:

endocrinology;
hematology;
cardiology;
oncology;
gastroenterology;
genetics;
infectious diseases.

This thesis program may lead to careers in industry, or serve as a stepping stone to further graduate studies.

For additional information, please refer to the timeline for the M.Sc. Program from admission to final thesis submission: PDF icon M.Sc. Timeline

Residency requirement (For further information on Tuition & Fees, please refer to the following link): 3 terms

Required Courses

Courses may be taken outside the department, including graduate and upper-level (500-level) undergraduate courses in medical and allied sciences.

A statistics course ( EXMD 634 - Quantitative Research Methods ) is highly recommended for all students who have not already taken one. 

Students should complete the 9 credits of required course work during their residency terms (first three terms of study).

 9 credits
Thesis Credits
EXMD 690 Master's Thesis Research 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 692 Master's Thesis Research 3 9 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 693 Master's Thesis Research 4 12 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 694 Master's Thesis Research 5 12 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


​
NOTE: The thesis credits listed above may be added all in the same term (preferably in your third term), must be added only once, no duplication permitted. You should not register for the thesis credits if you plan to fast-track to the Ph.D. program. Thesis credits do not constitute actual courses, you do not need to attend any further classes; the actual thesis is the work for these credits.		 36 credits
    Total: 45 credits

Note : All students entering with only a Bachelor’s or M.D. degree will be admitted to the M.Sc., with the option of fast-tracking to the Ph.D. program (upon fulfillment of conditions described in the program guidelines).

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Experimental Medicine (Thesis), Bioethics Option

Description:

Applicants for the M.Sc.  Experimental Medicine (Thesis), Bioethics Option program must hold an M.D.; a Nursing degree; a Physical and Occupational Therapy degree; and/or any other professional health training degree. Students who do not fit these criteria may be considered for admission on an individual basis. The objectives of this research-stream program are to allow students to conduct innovative research in relation to a bioethical issue pertinent to health care, and to acquire a working knowledge of bioethical issues from the current viewpoint of other relevant disciplines such as law, philosophy, and religious studies.

The curriculum is composed of required courses (6 credits) offered in the Department of Equity, Ethics and Policy, Bioethics courses (6-credit minimum) offered by the base faculty or department, and any graduate course required or accepted by a base faculty for the granting of a master’s degree, for a total of 21 credits. A minimum of 45 credits is required including the thesis. The research culminates in the preparation of a thesis.

Residency requirement (For further information on Tuition & Fees, please refer to the following link): 3 terms

For further information regarding this program, please refer to McGill’s Department of Equity Ethics and Policy

Required Courses
BIOE 680 Bioethical Theory 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


BIOE 681 Bioethics Practicum 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 6 Credits
Required course work 12 credits of courses at the 500-level or higher in the base program, chosen in consultation with research supervisor and GPD. 12 Credits
Elective courses 1 or more 3-credit course from the following:
Bioethics elective courses:
CMPL 642 Law and Health Care 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


PHIL 643 Seminar:Medical Ethics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


RELG 571 Ethics, Medicine and Religion 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


PPHS 624 Public Health Ethics & Policy 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


General elective course:
HGEN 660 Genetics and Bioethics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 3 or more Credits
Thesis
BIOE 690 M.Sc. Thesis Literature Survey 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


BIOE 691 M.Sc. Thesis Research Proposal 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


BIOE 692 M.Sc.Thesis Res Progress Rep 6 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


BIOE 693 M.Sc. Thesis 12 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


​
NOTE: Thesis credits do not constitute actual courses, you do not need to attend any further classes; the actual thesis is the work for these credits. They can be taken at any time during the program, as long as they are completed before the Initial Thesis Submission. Must only register for the above courses once, no duplication permitted.		 24 credits
    Total: 45 credits

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Experimental Medicine (Thesis), Digital Health Innovation (DHI) Option

Description:

The M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine (Thesis), Digital Health Innovation (DHI) Option focuses on the basics of clinical epidemiology, medical artificial intelligence, clinical innovation, and applied data science, including the use and generation of digitized health and social data using specialized software. Fundamentals of current AI applications in medicine, methods to employ big data in clinical tool development, mathematical principals underpinning digital health and big data, and design thinking methodology in clinical innovation. High volume streams of clinical and health-related data from clinical systems, wearables and social media.

During the first year of the Digital Health Innovation Option, students will take courses full time. M.Sc. thesis research will take place in the second year of the program.

*Please note that the M.Sc. Experimental Medicine, Digital Health Innovation Option accepts applications for Fall admission only.*

Residency requirement (For further information on Tuition & Fees, please refer to the following link): 3 terms

Required Courses

EXMD 601 RealWrldAppsofDataSci&Infrtcs 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 634 Quantitative Research Methods 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXSU 500 AI in Medicine 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 9 Credits
Complementary courses

1 course from the following :

EPIB 600 Clinical Epidemiology 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 600 Principles of Clinical Resrch 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

1 course from the following:

EXMD 630 DevlgDgtlInnovs for HlthImpact 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXSU 620 Surgical Innovation 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 6 Credits
Elective courses

6 credits of courses at the 500-level or higher approved by the DHI Director, Dr. Robyn Tamblyn

 6 Credits
Thesis 

EXMD 693 Master's Thesis Research 4 12 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 694 Master's Thesis Research 5 12 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

NOTE: Thesis credits do not constitute actual courses, you do not need to attend any further classes; the actual thesis is the work for these credits. They can be taken at any time during the program, as long as they are completed before the Initial Thesis Submission. Must only register for the above courses once, no duplication permitted.

 24 credits
    Total: 45 credits

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Experimental Medicine (Thesis), Environment Option

Description:

The M.Sc. Experimental Medicine (Thesis), Environment Option is a research program offered in collaboration with The Bieler School of Environment. As a complement to the unit’s expertise, the program considers how various dimensions (scientific, social, legal, ethical) interact to define environment and sustainability issues. Applicants for the M.Sc. Experimental Medicine, Environment Option must meet the requirements for the M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine as well as those set out by The Bieler School of Environment for their graduate option. Acceptance into the option will be based on a student's academic experience and performance; availability of a School of Environment accredited supervisor or co-supervisor; the proposed research; and plans for funding as articulated by the supervisor(s). The Environment Option is aimed at students who wish to use interdisciplinary approaches in their graduate research on environmental issues, and who wish to benefit from interactions that will occur as they are brought into contact with students from a wide range of disciplines through structured courses, formal seminars, and informal discussions and networking. The graduate option in Environment provides students with an appreciation for the role of science in informed decision-making in the environmental sector, and its influence on political, socio-economic, and ethical judgments.

Students who:

  • are currently registered in the regular M.Sc. in Experimental Medicine; or
  • have received confirmation of acceptance from the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office or whose applications are under consideration within the Department

May add the Environment Option to their current program. In order to do so they must submit the following documents to The Bieler School of Environment for review:

To learn more about this option, please click here.

Note that in all cases where a student is admitted to the Environment Option, he/she will have to complete the required and complementary course credits required for this program, and this whether or not they have already completed the required course credits for the regular M.Sc. program in Experimental Medicine.

*Please note that the M.Sc. Option in Environment will NOT be offered in 2025-2026.*

Residency requirement (For further information on Tuition & Fees, please refer to the following link): 3 terms 

Required Courses
ENVR 615 Interdisc Appr Environ&Sustain 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 3 Credits
Electives One or both of the following courses (3 to 6 credits):
ENVR 610 Foundations of Environ Policy 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ENVR 614 Mobilizing Res. for Sustain. 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer



If taking only one of ENVR 610 / ENVR 614, 3 credits must be taken from:
ENVR 585 Readings in Environment 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ENVR 630 Civilization and Environment 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ENVR 680 Topics in Environment 4 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


or 3 credits at the 500 level or higher recommended by the Advisory Committee and approved by the Environment Option Committee

Plus 
9 credits of courses at the 500-level or higher, chosen in consultation with research supervisor.(s).Courses may be taken outside the department at the 500 level or higher in medical and allied sciences*.
* Students must get approval of GPD for courses at the 500 level or higher from other Allied Health Sciences.		 15 Credits
Thesis
EXMD 690 Master's Thesis Research 1 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 693 Master's Thesis Research 4 12 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 694 Master's Thesis Research 5 12 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer



NOTE: Thesis credits do not constitute actual courses, you do not need to attend any further classes; the actual thesis is the work for these credits. They can be taken at any time during the program, as long as they are completed before the Initial Thesis Submission. Must only register for the above courses once, no duplication permitted.		 27 Credits
    Total: 45 credits

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Experimental Medicine


Description:

Applicants for the Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine must normally hold an M.Sc. degree. The one exception is the possibility of direct entry offered to candidates having demonstrated academic excellence, i.e., a CGPA of 3.7 or more out of a possible 4.0 throughout their undergraduate studies. The training is in the conduct of research in a wide range of medical specialties. The method of instruction consists of a combination of in-class and practical training, as well as exposure to international conferences and guest seminars. Success is ultimately determined by the preparation and defense of a thesis. This program may lead to research careers in industry, government, or academia.

For additional information, please refer to the timeline for the Ph.D. Program from admission to final thesis submission: PDF icon Ph.D. Timeline

Residency requirement (For further information on Tuition & Fees, please refer to the following link):
If admitted at the Ph.D. 2 level, 2 years (4 terms)
If admitted at the Ph.D. 1 level, 3 years (6 terms) 

In the doctoral program, students must be registered on a full-time basis for one more year after completion of the residency (i.e., Ph.D. 4 year) and pay the fees accordingly before continuing as Additional Session students until completion of the program. It is expected that, at this stage, all the coursework and comprehensive examinations will have been completed and the student will be engaged in thesis preparation.

Comprehensive Exam
EXMD 701 Comprehensive Oral Examination
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

(0 credits)		 0 Credits
Required Course Work

Entering with Master’s (12 cr.)

Entering with B.Sc. or M.D. and having been fast-tracked (18 cr.)

Courses may be taken outside the department, including graduate and upper-level (500-level) undergraduate courses in medical and allied sciences.

A statistics course ( EXMD 634 - Quantitative Research Methods ) is highly recommended for all students who have not already taken one. 

Students should complete the 12 or 18 credits of required course work during their residency terms (first four terms if admitted at PhD 2, and first 6 terms if admitted at PhD 1).

 12-18 Credits
    Total: 12-18 Credits

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Experimental Medicine, Environment Option

Description:

The Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine, Environment Option is a research program offered in collaboration with The Bieler School of Environment. As a complement to the unit’s expertise, the program considers how various dimensions (scientific, social, legal, ethical) interact to define environment and sustainability issues. Applicants to the Ph.D. Experimental Medicine, Environment Option must meet the same qualifications as those for the M.Sc. Environment Option, the only difference being that they must hold an M.Sc. rather than simply a B.Sc. For further details, please see the section above regarding the M.Sc. Esperimental Medicine, Environment Option.

Students who:

  • are currently registered in the regular Ph.D. program in Experimental Medicine; or
  • have received confirmation of acceptance from the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office or whose applications are under consideration within the Department

May add the Environment Option to their current program. In order to do so they must submit the following documents to The Bieler School of Environment for review:

To learn more about this option, please click here.

Note that in all cases where a student is admitted to the Environment Option, he/she will have to complete the required and complementary course credits required for this program, and this whether or not they have already completed the required course credits for the regular Ph.D. program in Experimental Medicine.

*Please note that the Ph.D. Option in Environment will NOT be offered in 2025-2026.*

Residency requirement (For further information on Tuition & Fees, please refer to the following link):
If admitted at the Ph.D. 2 level, 2 years (4 terms) 
If admitted at the Ph.D. 1 level, 3 years (6 terms)

In the doctoral program, students must be registered on a full-time basis for one more year after completion of the residency before continuing as Additional Session students until completion of the program.

Comprehensive Exam
EXMD 701 Comprehensive Oral Examination
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

(0 credits)		 0 Credits
Required courses
ENVR 615 Interdisc Appr Environ&Sustain 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 3 Credits
Electives One or both of the following courses (3 to 6 credits):
ENVR 610 Foundations of Environ Policy 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ENVR 614 Mobilizing Res. for Sustain. 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer



If taking only one of ENVR 610 / ENVR 614, 3 credits must be taken from:
ENVR 585 Readings in Environment 2 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ENVR 630 Civilization and Environment 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


ENVR 680 Topics in Environment 4 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


or 3 credits at the 500 level or higher recommended by the Advisory Committee and approved by the Environment Option Committee

Plus
An additional 12 credits, at the 500 level or higher, are required for students admitted to Ph.D. 2, i.e. students entering the program with a prior Master's degree.
An additional 18 credits, at the 500 level or higher, are required for students admitted to Ph.D. 1, i.e. students entering the program with only a B.Sc. or M.D. degree and who have been either admitted directly or fast-tracked to the Ph.D.

Course choices should be made in consultation with research supervisor.(s). Courses may be taken outside the department at the 500 level or higher in medical and allied sciences*.
* Students must get approval of GPD for courses at the 500 level or higher from other Allied Health Sciences.		 18 - 24 Credits
    Total 21- 27 Credits

Graduate Diploma in Clinical Research


Description:

The objectives of this program are to give students exposure to both theoretical and practical issues relevant to the conception and conduct of a clinical research study, as well as allowing them to put these principles in practice by participating in an ongoing clinical trial. The core element of the diploma is the Practicum in Clinical Research. It is an active “clerkship” or “intern/resident-type” participation in an ongoing clinical trial and/or research program. Six 1-credit workshops will be provided by experts in the academic, industrial, and government sectors, and cover wide-ranging issues pertinent to the conduct of clinical research. The training provided qualifies students to manage and design clinical research studies in both academic and industrial settings.

Residency Requirement: 30 credits (Students must be registered for at least one of the required courses in each of the consecutive terms until a student graduates, if not, the student will be expected to be registered as a non-thesis extension status for that term and pay the fees accordingly. Further information on the tuition fees can be found at the following link (the M.Sc. Non-Thesis Extension must be chosen in the program section): here 

Required courses

6 one-day workshops (usually held on Fridays):

Offered in the Fall terms: 

EXMD 618 Workshop in Clinical Trials 2 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 619 Workshop:Clinical Trials 3 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

Offered in the Winter terms:

EXMD 617 Workshop in Clinical Trials 1 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 620 Clinical Trials and Research 1 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 625 Clinical Trials&Research 2 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 626 Clinical Trials&Research 3 1 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

PDF icon Outline Workshops 2023-2024

Note that the workshops listed above may not count for credit towards the M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Experimental Medicine.

 6 Credits
Electives 2 courses from the following departments (500 level or higher):

- Pharmacology & Therapeutics
- Epidemiology & Biostatistics
- Experimental Medicine

Courses from other Applied Health Sciences departments may be considered but require approval of the Graduate Diploma coordinator, Dr. Bertrand Jean-Claude.		 6 Credits
Practicum
EXMD 627 Practicum in Clinical Research 18 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

PDF icon Practicum Outline

 18 Credits
    Total: 30 credits

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GRADUATE DIPLOMA IS CONSIDERED A PART-TIME PROGRAM AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CANNOT BE ADMITTED TO THIS PROGRAM.

Graduate Certificate in Regenerative Medicine


Description:

Stem cells represent a new and critical therapeutic modality with applications across the biomedical spectrum. An understanding of the biology of stem cells, their uses in diagnostic and therapeutic applications, the practicalities of generating them, using them and in their clinical translation will benefit students across many biomedical departments. Further, our understanding of disease and our ability to treat it both suffer from our inability to model and understand subclinical progression. Although we can now screen thousands of compounds in a high throughput format, we do not use cell-, tissue-, or disease-relevant models in such screens resulting in reduced success in developing new drugs. This graduate certificate will explore the combination of stem cell-based model systems for designing more effective screens and therapies for disease that can capture both disease progression and therapeutic success.

Residency Requirement (For further information on Tuition & Fees, please refer to the following link): 15 credits (Students must be registered for at least one of the required courses in each of the consecutive terms until a student graduates, if not, the student will be expected to be registered as a non-thesis extension status for that term and pay the fees accordingly. Further information on the tuition fees can be found at the following link (the M.Sc. Non-Thesis Extension must be chosen in the program section): here

Required courses

FMED 525 Foundations of Translation Sci 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HGEN 675 Stem Cell Biology 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


PHAR 508 Drug Discovery and Develop. 3 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 9 Credits
Electives

6 credits from the following courses:

CHEE 512 Stem Cell Bioprocess Eng. 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 501 Clin App of Regenerative Med 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


EXMD 505 Dir Read in Regenerative Med 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer


HGEN 660 Genetics and Bioethics 3 Credits
    Offered in the:
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Summer

 6 Credits
    Total: 15 credits

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IS CONSIDERED A PART-TIME PROGRAM AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS CANNOT BE ADMITTED TO THIS PROGRAM.

Special Students - Non-Degree Status


Students who wish to take graduate level courses (600 level or higher) without being enrolled in a degree program can do so as "special students". Special students are limited to a maximum of two (2) courses per term (6 credits), with a cumulative maximum of twelve (12) credits.

This Division can only consider applications for those wishing to follow graduate level Experimental Medicine courses.

Acceptance as a Special Student does not guarantee acceptance into our programs, irrespective of the mark(s) achieved in the course(s) taken as a Special Student, and any Special Student wishing to be considered for one of our graduate programs must apply for it specifically. In the event that a Special Student earns admission into one of our graduate programs, the Division is not obligated to recognize credits earned as a Special Student towards the completion of the degree.

Eligibility

Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of Canada. They must have successfully completed an undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences, with a minimum cGPA of 3.2 on a scale of 4.0.

Application

In order to apply for Special Student status, a candidate must submit an application, accompanied by the same supporting document as for all other programs, except for the following:

  1. When completing the application form, please enter “Special Student” in the box marked “Degree or Diploma for which you are applying” and enter the course number(s) in the box marked “Proposed Field of Concentration”.
  2. Letters of recommendation are not required; but could be helpful in the evaluation of the application.
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