Precision Health - Prospective Student FAQ

Our program only offers a September intake for new admissions. The application opens each year on September 1st and closes on May 31st.

Fall 2024 admissions: The application Portal will open on September 1, 2023 and will close on May 31, 2024.  The completed admission application (including all supporting documents) is due on May 31, 2024. Due to the volume of applications we receive we cannot grant extensions beyond this date.

If we are currently accepting applications, please follow the below steps:

• You can access the portal by clicking the “online application” link found under step 3 of “Start your application” on the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ Apply Page.
  • Note: you require an eID account to complete the application.
• Once in the Student Admissions for Graduate Studies portal, you can find our programs listed as:
  • Medicine - Precision Health Graduate Certificate
  • Medicine - Precision Health Graduate Diploma
  • Medicine - Master of Precision Health Degree
• After you’ve submitted an application, you can upload your unofficial transcripts, prerequisite proof, CV, and vision statement through your Student Centre.
  • Please do not provide us with any application related documents via email unless explicitly requested by the program.

See the rest of our Frequently Asked Questions for more details.

Our minimum requirements for admission are:

GPA: The credential that we make a GPA calculation on will depend on which program you are applying for:

Graduate Certificate Program: A minimum of 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.

Graduate Diploma Program: A minimum of 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 point system in the University of Calgary Graduate Certificate in Precision Health.

Master's Degree Program: A minimum of 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 point system in the University of Calgary Graduate Diploma in Precision Health.

Required Documents:

• Transcripts
• A current C.V.
• (Certificate only) Vision Statement: This should be a document no more than one page in length (single spaced, maximum 500 words) outlining career goals and how the Precision Health program will help to achieve them

English Language Proficiency:An applicant whose primary language is not English must fulfill the English language proficiency requirement. Please see the English Language Proficiency section for further details

Unfortunately no. Due to the limited number of seats in our program, and the high number of applications that we receive, meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee you will receive an offer of admission to our program.

• Outside North America: find the grade equivalency and minimum GPA requirement for your country here.
• North American institutions: we are generally seeking a "B+" average for a letter score, or 78% as a percentage. 

Please note:

• Do not attempt to convert your GPA to a 4.0 scale
• Transcripts frequently include an institution's grading scale and that is the one we will use when looking at your application. If your institution's grading scale is not included on your transcripts, it is helpful to include the Grading Scale as part of the document you upload.

You will only need to upload an unofficial copy of your transcripts as part of the admissions process. If you receive an offer of admission then we will require you to submit official copies prior to the Fall term that you are beginning your studies. The deadline date and location to send your official transcripts will be listed in your admission letter.

An applicant whose primary language is not English must fulfill the English language proficiency requirement. If your degree was taught only in English, and this is listed on the transcript and can be verified through the WHED database, we can waive the test requirement. Otherwise you will need to send us one of the following test results:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt) score of 105.
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.5 (minimum of 7.0 in each section)
• Pearson Test of English (PTE)  score of 75, or higher (Academic version).
• Canadian Academic English Language test (CAEL) score of 70 (minimum 70 in each section)  
• Academic Communication Certificate (ACC) score of A- in each course.
• Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency minimum score of 200.
• Duolingo English Test and obtaining a minimum score of 145* (with no sub-score below 125*). (temporary until Fall 2024 intake)

Submitting Official Proof of English Language Proficiency and other Test Scores 

Arrange for the agency where you completed your test to send an electronic copy of your official score report to the University of Calgary. The information you supplied in your online application is not considered official, but will assist the Department in evaluating your application until the official score is received.

•    Duolingo - Instructions to share Duolingo scores can be found on their website.
•    IELTS - Instructions to share IELTS scores can be found on their website.
•    TOEFL - Instructions to share TOEFL scores can be found on the ETS website. Ensure you indicate the Department Code associated with your program of interest. Department codes for TOEFL can be found in the TOEFL Information Bulletin. The University of Calgary institution code is 0813.
•    GRE - Instructions to share GRE scores can be found on the ETS website. Ensure you indicate the Department Code associated with your program of interest. Department codes for GRE can be found in this document. The University of Calgary institution code is 0813.
•    PTE - Instructions to share PTE scores can be found on their website.

No, we do not require these test scores and do not use them as part of our admissions evaluation.

In general, the answer is no. These requests must go through the Faculty of Graduate Studies and are very rarely approved.

The Graduate Certificate in Precision Health is part-time and takes one year to complete. This is one course each semester over the four standard semesters (i.e., fall, winter, spring and summer).

Once you have completed the Certificate and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, you may choose to continue in the Diploma and then Master's programs.  Each program is part-time, takes one year to complete, and requires completion of one course each semester over four semesters.

Yes. The Certificate, Diploma, and Masters in Precision Health are all online programs. We do not offer an in-person method of instruction.