Applying for grad studies

Follow these steps before you apply for grad studies. Admissions to graduate programs are highly competitive, as there are a limited number of spaces. There is no general right of admission, so it's best to be as prepared as possible.

Requirements

Ensure you meet admission requirements for the Faculty of Graduate Studies and your program.

Deadlines

Review the application deadlines for your graduate program.

Documents

Plan 2-6 months to prepare required documents. International students may need longer.

UCalgary has over 225 graduate credentials in 13 faculties. Find the right one for you. Explore programs

Start your application

Identify the admission category that applies to you and follow the steps below.

If you are thinking of working with an agent, please note that only applications made through the official UCalgary web application will be considered for admission. If successful, an offer will be sent directly to you from the university and made available in the Student Centre. The university does not release admission information to third parties, including agents.

Regular students

Apply as a regular student if you wish to gain admission to a program leading to a graduate-level certificate or diploma, a master’s or a doctoral degree.

1. Collect your documentation
   • Check your program requirements to find out which documents and forms you will need to prepare.
   • See the program's list of required documents for submission details.
   • Prospective doctoral students with funding from the China Scholarship Council: see additional information.
2. Gather references (if required)
   • Contact past professors for potential references. We will invite your referees to complete an online reference form after you submit your application.
   • Some course-based programs do not require references, please see specific admission requirements if you are unsure.
3. Begin your application
   • Create an eID to log in. If you already have an eID, you can begin your online application.
   • Once you begin, remember to click 'Save & Continue' often to ensure your application is saved.
4. Submit your application
   • Pay your application fee:
     • $125 for Canadians or Permanent residents
     • $145 for International Students
   • Learn about payment options here

Visiting student researchers (VSRs)

Apply as a visiting student researcher if you are a graduate student from another institution interested in conducting research at the University of Calgary for credit towards your degree. Admission to the University of Calgary as a Visiting Student Researcher is at the discretion of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

• Visiting students are normally permitted to attend UCalgary for up to 12 months.
• It is strongly recommended to align the start of your study period with the start of an academic term at UCalgary. The academic term start dates are:
  • Fall term - September 1
  • Winter Term - January 1
  • Spring Term - May 1
  • Summer Term - July 1​​​​​​
  1. Identify a supervisor in your graduate program of interest Contact your graduate program of interest and notify your prospective supervisor of your intention to apply as a Visiting Student Researcher.
  2. Begin your Visiting Graduate Studies application
     • Create an eID to log in and begin your online application.
     • Once you begin, remember to click 'Save & Continue' often to ensure your application is saved.
  3. Submit your application
     • Deadlines to apply are:
       • Mar. 1 for Spring session (May to Jun.)
       • May 1 for Summer session (Jul. to Aug.)
       • Jul. 1 for Fall session (Sep. to Dec.)
       • Nov. 1 for Winter session (Jan. to Apr.)
     • Pay your application fee:
       • $125 for Canadian or Permanent residents
       • $145 for International Students

  Exchange students and visiting course-based students

  Apply as an exchange or course-based visiting student if you are a graduate student from another institution interested in taking UCalgary courses for credit towards your degree.

  1. Check to see if your institution has an exchange agreement with UCalgary
     • Please search here to see if your home institution has an active exchange agreement with the University of Calgary.
  2. If your home institution has an active exchange agreement with UCalgary:
     • Contact iexch@ucalgary.ca to express your interest in coming to the University of Calgary as an exchange student and for next steps on how to apply.
     • Contact mba.exchange@ucalgary.ca if you are interested in applying to the Haskayne MBA International Summer Program.
     • Western Dean’s Agreement students apply by completing the WDA Authorization and Course Registration form and submitting it to graduate@ucalgary.ca at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the course.
  3. If your home institution does NOT have an active exchange agreement with UCalgary:
     • Apply as a course-based Visiting Student.
     • Create an eID to log in and begin your online application. Once you begin, remember to click 'Save & Continue' often to ensure your application is saved.
     • Deadlines to apply are:
       • Mar. 1 for Spring session (May to Jun.)
       • May 1 for Summer session (Jul. to Aug.)
       • Jul. 1 for Fall session (Sep. to Dec.)
       • Nov. 1 for Winter session (Jan. to Apr.)
     • Pay your application fee:
       • $125 for Canadian or Permanent residents
       • $145 for International Students

  ​For current University of Calgary graduate students who would like to attend another institution as an exchange student, go here.

  Joint thesis-based graduate students

  Joint thesis-based graduate students study and perform research at the University of Calgary and one other institution. The University of Calgary may be either the home or collaborating institution. Joint thesis-based graduate students must have a supervisor at each institution, and spend a minimum of 6 months for PhD programs and 4 months for thesis-based Masters programs, physically at the collaborating institution. Joint thesis-based graduate students will graduate from their home institution and the degree parchment will include the name of the collaborating institution.

  Students interested in applying to a joint degree program:

  1. Admission and enrolling
     • Students enrolling in a joint degree program must first be accepted to a thesis-based program at their home institution. They must also meet the admission requirements of the collaborating institution and be recommended for the joint degree by their program at their home institution.
  2. Find a supervisor
     • Working with your supervisor at your home institution, find a supervisor from your collaborating graduate program of interest.
  3. Arrange a joint degree agreement
     • If your home institution does not already have a joint agreement with the collaborating university, work with your faculty to initiate one.

  Interdisciplinary students

  Interdisciplinary degrees allow you to pursue thesis-based research (master's, PhD) in a research area that does not fit within a single graduate program.

  1. Apply in writing
     • Email the home program and copy to the conjoint program. This can be done prior to admission​.
  2. Find two supervisors
     • You will need a supervisor in the proposed home program and a co-supervisor in the conjoint program.
  3. Apply for admission (see steps for regular students) Pay your application fee:
     • $125 for Canadian or Permanent residents
     • $145 for International Students
  • Provide an abstract of your research proposal and rationale for interdisciplinary work.

  Interested in completing two graduate credentials at the same time? Learn about concurrent registration

  Required documents

  Please note: required documents vary from one program to another. Your program may not require all of the documents listed below, or may require one or more documents not listed here. Please check your program requirements for a complete list of relevant documents.

  Unofficial transcripts

  All transcripts uploaded by the applicant are considered “unofficial transcripts”.

  Once your application has been submitted, you will be required to go to your online Student Centre and upload transcripts from each of the post-secondary institutions you have attended. If your transcript is in a language other than English, also upload an English translation completed by a Certified Translator.

  International students are required to include provisional and degree certificates/diplomas (where applicable/available) along with your transcripts.

  Transcript file(s), including English translations and/or degree certificates (if applicable), must be amalgamated into one PDF file per institution, and clearly outline the following:

  • terms
  • institution grading scale
  • course weight (units/credits)
  • grade

  Official transcripts

  Unless your program instructs otherwise, please do not request official transcripts from the post-secondary institutions you have attended at the time of application. If your application is successful, final official transcripts will be requested with your offer of admission.

  After you have received an offer of admission:

  Official transcripts must be sent directly from all post-secondary institutions you have attended (even if you did not graduate) to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

  Transcripts can be sent by email to gradtranscripts@ucalgary.ca or by mail to the following address:

  Faculty of Graduate Studies
  MacKimmie Tower, Second Floor
  2500 University Drive NW
  Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  T2N 1N4

  Please note that email transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution's transcript office (see related FAQ). Hard copy transcripts must be in an envelope sealed by the issuing institution. Learn more about transcripts.

  Self-Calculated GPA

  Some programs require that applicants calculate their grade point average for a previous degree. Learn more about how to complete this calculation.

  Curriculum vitae

  Some master’s and doctoral programs require a current version of your curriculum vitae.

  Reference letters

  Contact your referees and ask if they would provide a letter in support of your application. It is customary to give them at least one month’s notice.

  Study proposal

  A study proposal provides a clear description of the research or study area that you would like to pursue. Many successful applicants take approximately one month to research and write the proposal.

  Writing sample

  Some graduate programs require a writing sample. A sample must be something you have written yourself, independently in an undergraduate or graduate class.

  English Language Proficiency tests

  Applicants whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement for academic purposes by taking English Language Proficiency (ELP) exams. ELP scores must be received directly from the test score agency. We are unable to accept test results sent directly from applicants as official documents.

  For information on how to share your score to University of Calgary, please see the following links:

  • The International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
    • The University of Calgary institution code is 139719
    • The University of Calgary institution code is 0813, and include the code appropriate to the graduate program, as listed on the TOEFL website.

    Standardized tests (GMAT, GRE, etc.)

    Check your program requirements to know which tests you will need to take and the minimum score required to be considered for admission. The time to schedule and successfully complete these tests varies, and so you will need to plan accordingly.

    Document translation

    If your original documents are not in English, you must request a second set of documents to be given to a translator for a notarized word-for-word English translation. Send the translated copy to your graduate program in addition to your official documents.

    Program documents

    After you submit your online application, you will receive an email with your UCID number and instructions on how to access your Student Centre, where you will find a to-do list for providing program-specific supporting documents.