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Top Universities for Masters in Biotechnology in Canada

The biotechnology sector of Canada significantly contributes to the innovation economy of Canada, making it one of the most rapidly developing industries in the country. The domain encompasses career options in production, manufacturing and development. There are both small and medium scale companies involved in biopharmaceuticals, pharmaceuticals and medical devices and diagnostics; besides there are global players investing in the biotechnology industry of nizagara Canada, catering to both domestic and international markets. As per the cumulative job market research of Canada, 33% of the total biotech employers have reported significant skill shortages with at least 20% vacancies in most of the companies. More than 50% of trained immigrants who are currently working in Canada are from the biotechnology industry with two-thirds of them holding a Master’s degree in the subject.

According to PayScale.com, the annual average salary of biotech employees ranges from Canadian Dollar (CAD) 38,000 to 75,000 depending on their job responsibilities and years of experience. There are several areas of roles in Biotechnology which include microbiologist, agricultural engineer, soil and plant scientist, food scientist, biomedical engineer, botany specialist and many more. In order to pursue any of the specialised roles, a master’s degree in Biotechnology is a mandate and Canada houses premium research universities, laboratories and over 400 biotechnology companies working in the core sphere, thus launching students in this leading-edge field like no other.

Although Canada boasts of a plethora of excellent biotech institutes; here’s a list of top five!

University of British Columbia (UBC)

Courses Offered:

Courses Offered:

  • Chemical Biotechnology
  • Computational Approaches in Biochemistry
  • Gene Biotechnology
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Nucleic Acids: DNA/RNA Structure and Function
  • Signalling
  • Advanced Topics in Lipid Biology
  • Epigenetics
  • Advanced Biochemistry and Molecular Energy 

Tuition Fee: CAD8,270 per year (approximately); merit-based scholarship or/and monthly stipend offered to deserving students

Criteria for Admission:

  • Bachelor’s or any other degree equivalent
  • GRE score
  • TOEFL/IELTS score

University of Toronto (UoT)

The University offers a 2-year master’s programme that combines technical learning with business exposure and is incorporated with work experience of 8-12 months in the relevant industry organised by the Institute for Management & Innovation at the University of Toronto, Mississauga.

Courses Offered:

  • Molecular Biology Lab; Protein Chemistry Lab
  • Business – Fundamentals of Managerial Concepts; Society, Organizations and Technology
  • Biotechnology in Medicine
  • Seminar – Bio partnering I & II
  • Molecular Biology Lab; Protein Chemistry Lab
  • Biotechnology and Drug Manufacturing
  • Business courses – Effective Management Practices
  • Protein Chemistry Theory
  • Biotechnology in Agriculture & Natural Products.
  • Work Term – Co-op placement in industry or university-based biotechnology laboratory

Tuition Fee: CAD 47,109 (Annual programme fees of CAD 44,940 added with university health insurance plan fees and incidental, system access as well as ancillary fees)

Criteria for Admission:

  • Bachelors or any other degree equivalent
  • GRE score
  • TOEFL/IELTS/COPE/MELAB/University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Academic Preparation course

McGill University

The Biotechnology programme offered by McGill is not thesis-based as opposed to the traditional thesis programme; rather it is course and lab-based included with an internship experience in a standardised research laboratory.

Courses Offered:

  • Topics in Biotechnology
  • Biotechnology Management
  • Biotechnology Laboratory 1 & 2
  • Bioinformatics
  • Genetics and Bioethics
  • Research Projects

Tuition Fee: Annual fee of approximately CAD 4456 with additional lab fees of CAD 1026

Criteria for Admission:

  • Bachelors or any other degree equivalent (CGPA of minimum 3.2/4)
  • GRE score
  • TOEFL/IELTS score

McMaster University

This programme is completely research-based and thesis-based and the aspirants are expected to defend their theses as a part of the curriculum.

Courses Offered:

  • Special Topics in Bacterial Cell Surfaces
  • Colloquium – Scientific Communication
  • Special Topics in Proteins
  • Topics in Molecular Biology
  • Special Topics in Microscopy and Photonics
  • Computational Biochemistry
  • Special Topics in Microscopy and Photonics

Tuition Fee: CAD 46,143.73 (Approximate annual course fee structure)

Criteria for Admission:

  • Bachelors or any other degree equivalent (Average grade requirement: B+ (8.5/12) in Biochemistry
  • TOEFL score (Minimum score requirement is 580 – Paper-based, 237 – Computer-based)
  • Or
  • IELTS score (Academic version; overall score requirement is 6.5)

Saskatchewan University

The Biotech Master’s programme in Saskatchewan can be pursued in many specialized fields like Applied Microbiology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Biology, Biological Engineering and Anatomy & Cell Biology. The three major areas of research interest include:

  • Medical Imaging & Diagnosis or Intervention (MRI, synchrotron imaging, imaging process)
  • Bio-Medical Science (biomechanics, bioinformatics, injury)
  • Bio-Engineering (tissue engineering, biomaterials, drug delivery)

Tuition Fees:
Approximate annual fees of CAD 6537

Criteria for Admission:

  • Bachelors or degree equivalent in the core or allied field of Biomedical Engineering
  • Minimum cumulative average of 70% in the last two education years
  • TOEFL/IELTS score

Apart from these 5 best institutions that top the list, there are many other universities in Canada offering research-oriented, comprehensive and world-class biotechnology programmes such as University of Calgary, University of Alberta, Lakehead University, University of Manitoba, York University and the list goes on…

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