Equitable and Inclusive Admission

UCalgary is committed to establishing an equitable, diverse and inclusive campus that is accessible to all

Students have diverse identities, backgrounds and experiences that have shaped their opportunities. The Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process recognizes and acknowledges this. This admissions process will consider factors that may have impacted a student’s access, opportunity and ability to succeed. We invite you to share any experiences that you feel may have impacted your academic success. This could be extracurricular activities, work experience, social barriers, marginalization and systematic discrimination. We also commit to review applicants fairly and inclusively. All students should feel valued, respected and supported.

We strive to remove barriers that have been, and continue to be, encountered by members of equity-deserving groups including, but not limited to, women, Indigenous peoples, visible/racialized minority persons, persons with disabilities and LGBTQ2S+ persons.

Equitable and inclusive pathway

A student’s application will not be delayed or negatively impacted by adding the equitable and inclusive pathway. Students who apply with Equitable and Inclusive qualifications will first be considered through the competitive admission process and may be considered for additional pathways:

Admission to their first-choice degree program
Admission to their first-choice degree program through bridging with possible additional requirements
Admission to another degree program aligned with their interests
Admission to Open Studies

Want examples of criteria for the equitable and inclusive admission pathway? Visit our academic calendar

Undergraduate applicants

How to apply under this process

Step 1: Apply for admission

Apply

As a Canadian citizen or permanent resident applying to an undergraduate degree program from high school or as a transfer student from another post-secondary institution, you apply for admission using the online application (see: how to apply).

Indicate

You must indicate that you’re applying under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process in the “Additional Information” section at the end of the application.

Step 2: Complete a personal statement

You must complete a personal statement that outlines your special circumstances, personal achievements and educational goals. Download the personal statement form.

Upload your personal statement via the upload link under Admissions in your MyUCalgary Student Centre.

The deadline to submit your personal statement is:

March 15 for fall and summer undergraduate admission
September 15 for winter undergraduate admission
February 15 for spring undergraduate admission

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must meet these criteria:

ELA 30-1
Two 30-level required courses
Personal statement
Canadian citizenship, permanent resident or refugee status

Admission under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process is not available in the following programs:

The Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) program offered by the Faculty of Medicine

Important notes about this process for undergraduate applicants

Submitting the required information and documents doesn’t guarantee admission to the university. Admission decisions made under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process are final and cannot be appealed.

Equitable and Inclusive admission decisions are normally made between May 1 and June 30 for fall admission.

University Entrance Program (UEP) and Open Studies applicants

How to apply under this process

Step 1: Apply for admission

Apply

As a Canadian citizen or permanent resident applying to an University Entrance Program or the Open Studies, non-degree holder route, you apply for admission using the online application (see: how to apply).

Indicate

You must indicate that you're applying under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission process in the "Additional Information" section at the end of the application.

Step 2: Complete a personal statement

Complete and upload your Personal Statement that outlines your special circumstances, personal achievements and educational goals. Download the personal statement form.

Upload your Personal Statement via the upload link under Admissions in your Student Centre.

The deadline to submit your Personal Statement is:

August 10 for fall term UEP and Open Studies admission
December 10 for winter term UEP and Open Studies admission
April 10 for spring term UEP and Open Studies admission
June 10 for summer term UEP and Open Studies admission

Important notes about this process for UEP and Open Studies applicants

The Equitable and Inclusive Admission process applies to new/incoming students only. If you’re a change of program applicant and you have questions about having exceptional circumstances considered, please connect with the faculty to which you are applying.

Connect with your faculty advisor to find out more

If you are applying under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process as a result of being impacted by sexual violence, please note that we have dedicated sexual violence support on campus. We recommend that you seek support and advice on this process from their office before submitting your application. It can be difficult to know what to share and in appreciating that this is a very sensitive matter, we want to ensure that you feel confident regarding your safety during this process. You can contact the sexual violence support team by emailing svsa@ucalgary.ca or through the sexual violence support webpage.