Frequently Asked Questions

No, Mila is not a university and does not grant diplomas. 

Supervision requests at Mila and university admission applications are separate processes that must be completed in parallel. You must be sure to register with the professor's department and affiliated university, even if you have not received confirmation of supervision from him or her.

All research students at Mila are affiliated with one of our partner universities or academic institutions that manage the formal admission process to the PhD program. Mila facilitates the matching of students with potential supervisors through the Mila Supervision Request Form available online from October 15 to December 1. Visit the Supervision Requests page to learn more. 

Please note that the Mila supervision request is one of the steps to be advised by a Mila-affiliated professor. Some professors do not participate in the supervision request process. If you would like to be supervised by a member who is not listed in the Supervision Request form, you can contact this person directly by email.

Keep an eye on each university's admission deadlines to make sure you apply on time:

• Université de Montréal

• McGill University

• Polytechnique Montréal 

• HEC Montréal

Every year, from October 15 to December 1. For more information, visit the Supervision Requests page.

In February or March, though the delay can sometimes extend into April.

Fall, Winter and Summer

From 4 to 5 years on average.

This is possible in exceptional cases, for students who have demonstrated previous research experience.

Normally, if you have a Bachelor's degree from the United States, you must apply for a Master of Science degree in Quebec (MSc). If you are eligible for accelerated entry into the PhD program, you may enter the PhD program after one year of MSc. Recently, it has been possible, in exceptional cases, to enroll directly in the PhD program without a Master's degree (with the number of courses required for the PhD program in this case).

Typically, a PhD in the U.S. takes about the same amount of time as a MSc + a PhD at Mila’s affiliated universities.

Here is a summary of the different paths to the PhD program:

• Master’s degree then PhD
• Master’s degree with fast-track into PhD 
• Direct admission to PhD from Bachelor’s degree

Typically, when students receive a stipend it is paid from their supervisor's research funds in the form of an award or a  scholarship. While the details and components may vary by individuals, academic departments, and universities the student stipends average between the following:

• M.Sc Research: $20K - $27K per year
• PhD: $25K - $31K per year

However, many students receive significantly more than the average. It is therefore recommended that you inquire about the amount your potential supervisor can offer you before accepting any supervision offer.

Furthermore, Mila offers an annual EDI Scholarships Program to ensure the strong participation of women in the AI ecosystem and to encourage diversity as a lever for innovation in research:

• Category 1 — Excellence Scholarships - Women in AI
• Category 2 — Excellence Scholarships  - EDI in Research 
• Category 3 — Emergency Scholarships

To learn more about Mila’s EDI Scholarships Program, click here.

Yes! In fact, we encourage all students to do so. You should discuss with your potential/current supervisor how external scholarships are combined with other awards/stipends.

Example of scholarships students have applied for:

• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
• Fond de recherche du Québec (FRQNT)

Whether your supervisor covers your tuition fees depends on their university’s affiliation, labs and departmental policies as well as various other factors. You should discuss this topic with your potential/current supervisor.

The type of membership (core or associate) determines the level of contribution and involvement expected within Mila as well as the privileges associated with each category of members and the students they supervise.

For example, students supervised by core academic members have access to the following Mila resources:

• Access Mila's computing infrastructure
• A Mila email account (@mila.quebec)
• Several accesses to Mila's digital tools and resources
• Access to a desk space (assigned, or reservation-based) in the Mila academic space
• A magnetic key card to access Mila's physical spaces

Students supervised by associate academic members have access to the following Mila resources:

• A Mila email account (@mila.quebec) with activity restricted to the mila.quebec domain
• Access to most of Mila's digital tools and resources
• Access to a shared desk space in the Mila co-working zone
• A magnetic key card to access Mila's physical spaces

* Students supervised by associate academic members do not have access to Mila's computing infrastructure.

Yes, if you meet the required qualifications.

Yes, we encourage international students to apply.