Graduate students are admitted to the Faculty in one of the following categories:
Regular
Students may be admitted to a program leading to the Master's or doctoral degree, provided admission qualifications are met.
Interdisciplinary Degree
A student wishing to pursue a thesis-based degree in an area not sufficiently represented by one graduate program may be admitted both to a home program and a conjoint program in an interdisciplinary area of study, if one exists. The student should submit an application form and fee, along with official transcripts and letters of reference to the intended home graduate program. The prospective home program will liaise with the conjoint program. Contact the prospective home graduate program for further details.
Special Case Admission
Special case admission may be used when resources are available to admit a student to undertake graduate studies, but no appropriate program exists. Contact the relevant department for details.
Qualifying
A student who meets the qualifications for admission but lacks the necessary background for a graduate program in a chosen area of specialization may be admitted as a qualifying graduate student. Upon satisfactory completion of a qualifying year, the student may be transferred to regular student status. Qualifying graduate students must be full-time registrants in either a Master's or a doctoral degree program. Qualifying status will not be granted for a period exceeding one year.
Because a qualifying student is required to take more courses in a degree program than a regular graduate student, a qualifying student in a thesis-based degree program will be assessed an extra year of full program fees. A qualifying student in a course-based program will pay tuition fees for the extra required courses on a per-course basis. Tuition fees for courses taken during the qualifying year will not count toward the tuition fee for the degree program.
Conditional Admission for Language Upgrading
An international student holding a scholarship from his/her government may be offered admission into a graduate program conditional on successful completion of the English for Academic Purposes program. In order to be admitted, the student must successfully complete Tier 3 of the EAP program by achieving a grade of "B" or higher in EAP 190 and a grade of "C" or better in all other EAP courses. Programs may require a higher level of achievement, which will be set out in the letter of conditional admission. Eligible students who are offered conditional admission must complete the EAP program within one year; after this time the conditional offer of admission is revoked.
Visiting
A student who is registered in a graduate degree program at another university that does not have an exchange agreement with the University of Calgary, and who wishes to engage in course work and/or research at the graduate level at the University of Calgary for credit at his/her home university may be admitted as a visiting graduate student. A visiting student must submit a completed Visiting Student Application form and the application fee. Visiting students apply to specific graduate programs, and the files are forwarded to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in the normal way. Visiting students pay all applicable general and tuition fees. Visiting students are normally permitted to spend a maximum of one year at the University of Calgary. It should be noted that admission as a visiting student does not guarantee later admission to a graduate program at the University of Calgary.
Exchange
General
The University of Calgary has reciprocal exchange agreements with other institutions. Graduate students from these institutions may engage in course or research work at the University of Calgary for credit at the home institution.
An exchange student must submit the appropriate application/approval form (http://www.grad.ucalgary.ca//forms/registration).
An exchange student pays tuition fees at the home institution when this is written into the specific exchange agreement, and applicable general fees at the University of Calgary.
If there is no reciprocal fee agreement, the exchange student pays applicable tuition and general fees at the University of Calgary.
Exchange student status does not guarantee admission to graduate programs at the University of Calgary. An exchange student who wishes to apply to a graduate program at the University of Calgary must do so in the usual manner.
Western Deans’ Agreement
The Western Deans’ Agreement covers graduate students from the following universities:
Athabasca University
British Columbia Institute of Technology
Brandon University
Concordia University College of Alberta
Royal Roads University
Simon Fraser University
University of Alberta
University of British Columbia
University of Calgary
University of Lethbridge
University of Manitoba
University of Northern British Columbia
University of Regina
University of Saskatchewan
University of Victoria
A graduate student registered in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at one university may apply for student status at a university listed above by completing the appropriate application that requires the approval of the Graduate Director, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies at both the student’s home and host universities. Applications should be received in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the host institution three months before the beginning of the term at the University of Calgary.
The student pays tuition and general fees at the home university and applicable general fees at the host institution.
The student is responsible for arranging for an official transcript to be sent from the host institution to the home institution when the course(s) has been completed.
Each home institution has regulations regarding the maximum number of transfer credits permitted. Further information is available at http://www.grad.ucalgary.ca//policies/westerndean.
Canadian Graduate Student Research Mobility Agreement
The Canadian Graduate Student Mobility Agreement, initiated by the Canadian Association of Graduate Schools (CAGS), encourages graduate student mobility within Canada in order to foster the exchange of ideas, specialized training, research collaboration, and interdisciplinarity. Graduate students, who must be registered full-time and paying fees at a participating home university, may register as "visiting graduate research students" at another participating university. No tuition fees will be charged to visiting graduate research students, provided they are not taking courses at the host institution. Incidental fees may be charged. A faculty member at the host institution must agree to supervise and take responsibility for the visiting graduate research student during his/her stay. It is recognized that it is the responsibility of the visiting student to find a supervisor at the host institution.
For further information, see the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.
Admissions