PhD Track

The PhD Track Program is intended for exceptional undergraduate students with demonstrated research potential. Students interested in the PhD track should identify one or more faculty members as potential research supervisors as part of their application.

How to apply

Apply to our MSc Program making sure to check the option “Would you like the option to be fast tracked into the PhD program?"  Make sure to select a supervisor or supervisors from the list of supervisors

PhD Track Program

Key Program Benefits

  • Competitive funding package
  • One-on-one mentorship by world-leading faculty members
  • Interact with amazing fellow graduate students
  • Apply directly from BSc accelerated and guaranteed transfer to PhD after one year (subject to satisfying program requirements)
  • Supportive environment: graduate student parental leave, collegial department, universal health care system
  • Modern facilities, right in the center of a vibrant campus in a cosmopolitan city

Program Summary

Course requirements for entire program

  • Year 1
    • Mathematical statistics (560/561)
    • Consulting (550)
    • Probability (547C)
    • Directed research studies (548C/D, 2 semesters: T2 and summer of Y1)
    • Master’s research project (589, Y1 summer)
  • Year 2
    • Consulting (551)

  • 15 credits of electives before completion of comprehensive exam (can be taken in Y1 and Y2)

Qualifying for the PhD program

  • Students must pass their Year 1 required courses with an average of 85 or higher
  • Students must complete a Research Proficiency Evaluation at the end of their first summer

Compared to the standard PhD Program, students are not required to take 548A/B, they are replaced by the two semesters of 548C/D and summer RPE

Research Proficiency Evaluation

Instead of using 548A/B for PhD qualification, students take the Research Proficiency Evaluation (RPE). Students complete this process after their first year.

Description of the RPE:

  1. Create a supervisory committee (Y1, term 1)
    • 1 primary supervisor (who should already be identified at the time of admission)
    • 2 other committee members, just like a standard PhD committee
  2. Formulate an RPE project (Y1, term 2) during 548C
  3. Complete the RPE project (Y1, summer)
    • Students have 3-4 months to work on the project scoped in 548C
    • This work will be funded by an RA under the student’s supervisor
    • Student enrolls in STAT 589 (MSc Project) and STAT 548D 

  4. RPE evaluation (Y1, end of summer)

    • The exam is based on a similar format as the PhD comprehensive exam, but with expectation commensurate with the shorter time scale
    • Student prepares a short written report (~15-20 pages) on their research
    • Student presents for 30 minutes on their research, outlining motivation, context, significance, contribution, etc.
    • The committee questions the student for 30 minutes following the presentation
    • The RPE outcome is decided by the committee. Possible outcomes are:
      • Unconditional pass
      • Conditional pass, with specific steps to be undertaken by the student within a specific time, to be checked by the supervisor
      • Failure with the possibility to retake within four (4) weeks
      • Failure, at which point the student is automatically transferred to the MSc program. (Note that this is failure to advance to the PhD, but does not constitute failure of the STAT 589 MSc project.)
      • Failure with program exit (failure of the STAT 589 MSc project)