Program

Applications are accepted year-round. Students may begin their program in January, May or September each year.

Please note that we are not accepting applications to the postgraduate diploma at this time.
ProgramExpected LengthProject and/or thesisCourse based
M.Sc.2 years
Ph.D.4 years

Research and postgraduate teaching in toxicology is coordinated and led by the Toxicology Centre, with substantial participation from members of the University's Toxicology Group. The Toxicology Group is an interdisciplinary body under the umbrella of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies that consists of faculty members from many university departments, as well as scientists from various government research institutions located on or near campus. Most Toxicology Group faculty are available to serve as supervisors for prospective students.

The interdisciplinary nature of the program provides students with a diverse array of potential research opportunities in toxicology. Prospective students can apply to the program from such varied undergraduate backgrounds as agriculture, biology, chemistry, ecology, environmental sciences, medicine, physiology, pharmacology, toxicology, and veterinary medicine, to name but a few.

Research supervisors

We recommend that you contact the faculty that are doing research in an area that interests you before beginning a formal application.

Name Research areas
Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism, Drug Discovery, Natural Products, Ontogeny of Systemic Clearance, Drug and Nutrient Transporters
Engaged Scholarship, Indigenous Communities, Water and Health, Health Risk Assessment, Management, Communication, Arts-based Knowledge Mobilization
Pesticide exposure, Cholinesterase inhibition in birds, Immunotoxicology, Diagnostic veterinary toxicology
Ecotoxicology; Exposure and risk assessment modelling; Effects of contaminants in aquatic organisms
Disease; health; mercury; metals; spectroscopy; toxicology
Biological effects of environmental stressors; Environmental risk assessment; Aquatic ecology/fish biology; Development of bioanalytical techniques
Molecular & cellular mechanisms underlying pathological & toxicological effects of contaminant exposure, changes in endocrine & immune function
Interactions between physiological control and environmental alteration of developmental and reproductive processes in vertebrates.
River deltas as complex social-ecological systems; Freshwater food webs; Contaminant biomagnification; Stable isotope analysis in ecology
Analytical and environmental chemistry; Aquatic and wildlife toxicology; Ecological risk assessment; Human impacts on northern ecosystems
Xenobiotic metabolism of naturally occurring phenols; reactive intermediates; radiochemistry; biological chemistry probe design
Mining impacts; Metal bioavailability and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems; Sediment contamination; Water quality assessment; Pesticide ecotoxicology
Agriculture; birds; ecology; ecophysiology; ecotoxicology; environment; environmental pollution; industrial pollutants; insects and insectivores; migration; pesticides; river; water; wetlands
Animal Physiology; Environmental Toxicology; Impacts of Industrial Metal Pollution; Metal Bioavailabilty and Toxicity; Physiology of Metal Uptake and Homeostasis
X-ray absorption spectroscopy; X-ray fluorescence imaging; arsenic; environment; health; mercury; metals; selenium; stroke; synchrotron
Soil ecotoxicology, investigation of trace contaminant effects in northern terrestrial ecosystems using molecular tools
Biology of pulmonary intravascular macrophages; Environmental pulmonary toxicology; Cell and molecular biology of lung inflammation focusing on mechanisms of neutrophil and monocyte migration into inflamed lungs
Herbicide persistence and toxicity in northern soils and vegetation; Soil amendment technology and practices for remediation and restoration...
Tobacco smoke and air pollution effects on cardiovascular disease; pathophysiological mechanisms, animal models, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Mechanisms of action of genotoxic chemicals and cellular responses to DNA damage.
Protein and amino acid metabolism in humans and animals investigated using stable isotope methodology; effects of drugs on protein metabolism, ...

Tuition and funding

Funding

All graduate students are guaranteed funding if accepted into the program. Minimum stipends are $19,200 for master's students and $22,200 for doctoral students.

Graduate students at USask can receive funding from a variety of sources to support their graduate education.

Tuition

Thesis or project-based master's program

Graduate students in a thesis or project-based program pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program.

Term Canadian students International students
September 1 - December 31, 2024 $1,726.00 CAD $3,883.50 CAD
January 1 - April 30, 2025 $1,726.00 CAD $3,883.50 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2025 $1,726.00 CAD $3,883.50 CAD
Total per academic year $5,178.00 CAD $11,650.50 CAD

Doctoral program

Doctoral students pay tuition three times a year for as long as they are enrolled in their program. Both international and domestic Ph.D. students pay the same rate.

Term
January 1 - April 30, 2025 $1,726.00 CAD
May 1 - August 31, 2025 $1,726.00 CAD
September 1 - December 31, 2024 $1,726.00 CAD
Total per academic year $5,178.00 CAD

Student fees

In addition to tuition above, students also pay fees for programs like health and dental insurance, a bus pass, and other campus services. The amount you need to pay depends on if you are taking classes full time or part time, and if you are on campus or not. The table below assumes you are on campus full-time.

Fall 2024 Winter 2025 Spring 2025 Summer 2025
Student fees $504.45 CAD $666.08 CAD $35.00 CAD $35.00 CAD

Tuition information is accurate for the current academic year and does not include student fees. For detailed tuition and fees information, visit the official tuition website.

Admission requirements

  • A four-year honours degree, or equivalent, from a recognized college or university in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study
  • A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units)
  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English"

  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English
  • A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. 60 credit units)
  • A four-year honours degree, or equivalent, from a recognized college or university in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study

  • Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.
  • A master’s degree, or equivalent, from a recognized college or university in an academic discipline relevant to the proposed field of study
  • A cumulative weighted average of at least a 70% (USask grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. coursework required in master’s program)

Application process

Find a supervisor

Using the list above, find a potential supervisor, read about the work they are currently doing and their past publications. If you think you'd like to work with them, contact them and describe your research interests and past academic experience. If they are accepting students, they will instruct you to begin a formal application.

Submit an online application

Before beginning your online application, be sure that you have carefully reviewed all program information and admission requirements on this page.

During the application, you'll be asked for:

  • Personal information such as your name, address, etc.
  • Contact information of your three referees
    • For your letters of recommendation, two of your referees must be academic contacts, and the third may be academic or professional
  • Your complete academic history from all previous post-secondary institutions

The application takes about 30 minutes to complete. You may save your application and return to it later.

At the end of the application, you will need to pay a non-refundable $120 application fee. Your application will not be processed until payment is received.

Submit required documents

Once you've submitted your online application, you will have access to upload your required documents, and provide the contact information for your references. To do this, go to the "Supplemental Items & Documents" tab in your application, and upload the documents outlined below.

Preliminary Statement of Marks

  • Once you have submitted your application for admission and paid the application fee, you will be required to upload unofficial PDF copies of your academic transcript(s) from each post-secondary institution attended. This requirement will appear as Preliminary Statement of Marks or Additional Prelim. Statement under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.
  • The uploaded transcript can be an unofficial copy of the transcript issued by the university or college, and must include a grading key/legend.
  • All pages of a transcript must be uploaded as a single PDF document.
  • Uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial or preliminary. Official copies of your transcripts will be required only for applicants offered admission. This requirement will appear as Post-secondary Transcript under admission requirements on your Application Summary when you check your application status.

Uploading documents

Post-secondary Transcripts

If you receive an offer of admission, you will then be required to have your official post-secondary transcripts sent (by mail in a sealed envelope directly from the institution) to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building, 110 Science Place 
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

  • Transcripts usually indicate the institution’s name, grading scheme (typically on back of transcript), your name, course names, numbers, credits, and the grades you have received. Depending on the country or institution, some features may not be available.
  • Transcripts in languages other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation.
  • If you are a current University of Saskatchewan student completing your undergraduate program then a letter of completion of degree requirements will be required from your college.

Proof of English language proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.

For students who are required to provide proof of English proficiency:

  • It is your responsibility to have completed an official and approved test with the appropriate score before the application deadline.
  • Tests are valid for 24 months after the testing date and must be valid at the beginning of the student's first term of registration in the graduate program.
  • Applicants will be required to upload a PDF copy of any required language test score. Uploaded test scores will be considered unofficial or preliminary.

Uploading documents

If you receive an Offer of Admission you may be required to have your official language test scores sent to the address below. Please do not send official documents until we request them.

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Room 116 Thorvaldson Building - 110 Science Place
Saskatoon, SK CANADA S7N 5C9

In addition to the above official documents, please upload a current curriculum vitae or resume as well as a statement/letter of intent indicating your experience and/or interest in the field of toxicology.

Contact

Toxicology Centre
44 Campus Drive
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5B3

Graduate Chair
Tim Jardine
Email: tim.jardine@usask.ca

Graduate Co-Chair
Dr. David Janz
Email: david.janz@usask.ca

Graduate Administrator
Katherine Raes
Email: katherine.raes@usask.ca
Telephone: 306-966-2795