Transfer to PhD Degree Requirements

Transfer to the PhD program requires successful completion of the following:

• Submission of a transfer request to SFU Faculty of Graduate Studies within the first 6 terms of the master's program, as per Graduate General Regulation (GGR) 1.3.7b. In accordance with GGR 1.12.1, initial enrolment in the doctoral program will be the initial enrolment as a master's student

and

• MBB 806-3 PhD Graduate Research Candidacy Examination

Continued enrolment in the MBB PhD program is conditional upon successful completion of MBB 806. Enrolment in MBB 806 requires approval from the student's supervisory committee, based on suitable academic and research performance.  Once approval has been granted, MBB 806 must be completed in the 6th term. Only if MBB 806 is not available during the 6th term, it may be taken the following (7th) term. Regardless of when MBB 806 is taken, the transfer request to SFU Graduate Studies must be submitted within the first 6 terms. Failure to meet this deadline may jeopardize approval of the transfer to the PhD program.

Please note: MBB 806 is only offered in the Fall and Summer terms. If MBB 806 is not completed in the mandated time or not completed with a minimum B+ grade, students will complete their thesis projects as MSc graduate students, or leave the MBB graduate program, as decided by the student's supervisor.

Students applying for a transfer must have completed 75% of the MSc course work and a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5.

Students who transfer from the Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Master of Science program will achieve a minimum total of 15 units, by completing all of:

• MBB 801-3 Student Seminar in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
  
• MBB 803-1 Department Seminar Series – must be taken twice
  • This course must be taken at the first opportunity in the graduate program for two consecutive offerings (Spring and Fall, or Fall and Spring).
  • Only students who started their graduate program in the Spring 2022 term or later may take this course for credit.
• MBB 806-3 PhD Graduate Research Candidacy Examination

and one unit of MBB colloquium by completing one of *:

• MBB 821-1 Cell and Molecular Biology Colloquium
  
• MBB 841-1 Genomics and Bioinformatics Colloquium
  
• MBB 861-1 Biomolecular Structure and Function Colloquium

and another six units selected from other graduate courses, chosen in consultation with the supervisory committee and which can include appropriate courses from MBB and/or other departments.

* As of Fall 2026 - Instead of offering three courses per year with distinct topics, the department is moving to a single Colloquium course which will be offered in Spring of each year, MBB 821 Molecular Biology & Biochemistry Colloquium. As the new course will not be finalized until Fall 2027, it will be offered as MBB 841 (Genomics Colloquium) in Spring 2027.