Admission to the PhD program normally requires at least honours ('B' or a 73% average), in a recognized baccalaureate program as well as a recognized MSc degree. Transfer from the MSc program to the PhD program will be considered for a student who has achieved excellent standing at the honours baccalaureate level, and who has demonstrated a superior performance and particular aptitude for research during the first three semesters of the MSc program. In exceptional cases, students with an 'A-', (or a minimum average of 80%) standing in a baccalaureate program and a demonstrated aptitude for research may be granted direct entry into the PhD program.

Course requirements are specified by the student's advisory committee and include the seminars. The qualifying examination should be completed no later than the end of the third semester for students entering after completing the MSc degree and the fifth semester for students entering directly after completing a baccalaureate degree. For students transferring from the MSc to the PhD degree, the examination will be completed before the end of the semester following that in which the transfer was approved.

The PhD research project is intended to give the student further, more intensive experience than that of an MSc program. In addition, the student must develop the ability to generate innovative research ideas and implement them through carefully designed experiments. The student is expected to develop and demonstrate a high degree of scholarship and expertise in the chosen specialty, and to exert critical judgement. The research must also yield results which, in the opinion of the examination committee, warrant publication in reputable scientific journals appropriate to the area of specialization.