Faculty Admissions

General Requirements and Procedures for All Graduate Students

The minimum general and academic requirements for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies include:

1. a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent degree from another country) from an accredited and recognized institution
2. a grade point average of 5.0 (B) in the work of the last two years (30 units) leading to the bachelor’s degree. Please note that individual academic units often set higher entrance standards.
3. satisfactory assessment reports
4. the availability of an appropriate supervisor within the academic unit concerned
5. the availability of adequate space and facilities within the academic unit concerned.

Entry Points

Students may enter the Faculty in September, January, May or July; however, some programs have restricted entry points. Academic unit’s calendar entries should be consulted for details.

Application for Admission

There is an application fee of $100 if all post-secondary transcripts come from institutions within Canada and $125 if any post-secondary transcripts come from institutions outside of Canada. It is non-refundable and can not be credited towards tuition fees. Applications will only be processed after the application fee has been received.

Application materials are kept on file for one year, and may be reactivated on request within that year and by submission of a new application and application fee. Payment must be made online at time of application using either Visa or Mastercard.

Applications for admission should be submitted as early as possible through the University of Victoria website. No assurance can be given that domestic applications received after May 31 or international applications received after December 15 can be processed in time to permit registration in the following Winter Session (Fall term). Individual academic units may have different deadlines which are posted on the program academic unit entry in this calendar. All new applicants will be considered for University of Victoria Fellowships or Graduate Awards by the academic unit they are applying to. Funds are limited so applicants wishing to be considered for Fellowships and Awards are encouraged to have all application materials submitted to the Graduate Admissions and Records Office as soon as possible, and no later than the application deadline for the academic unit.

Important Application Information

Requirement to Disclose Information

Applicants are required to provide the information necessary for the University record. This includes disclosing all secondary and post-secondary institutions where any course registrations were made, and arranging for all official transcripts to be sent directly to Graduate Admissions and Records. Applicants who fail to meet these requirements may lose transfer credit and/or have their admission and registration cancelled.

University's Right to Refuse Applicants

The University reserves the right to refuse applicants for admission on the basis of their overall academic record, even if they technically meet the published admission requirements.

University's Right to Limit enrolment

The University does not guarantee that students who meet the minimum published requirements will be admitted to any faculty, program or course. In cases where the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number that can be accommodated, the University reserves the right to set enrolment limits in a faculty or program and to establish admission criteria beyond the minimum published requirements set out in this section.

Submission of Transcripts

Documents will not be returned. They become the property of the University of Victoria. If a student’s originals are irreplaceable, the student should submit copies for review purposes. Original documents will be required before a full offer of admission is given. Documentation from applicants who are not admitted or who do not take up an offer of admission will be kept on file for one year.

Applicants who have attended other post-secondary institutions must arrange with those institutions to forward one official transcript directly to the Graduate Admissions and Records Office.

An official document bears an original university seal or stamp. It must be received in an envelope that has been clearly sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution. Unless the documents are only available in English, the official original language document accompanied by a certified literal English translation is also required. Submission of University of Victoria transcripts is not required.

Applicants must submit evidence of their ability to undertake advanced work in the area of interest in the form of two assessment reports or letters of reference, submitted directly to the Graduate Admissions and Records Office from qualified referees.

Applicants who have all materials submitted to the Graduate Admissions and Records Office by February 15 will be guaranteed consideration for University of Victoria Graduate Fellowships. Completed applications received after February 15 may be considered for UVic Fellowships at the discretion of individual academic units unless academic units set earlier deadlines.

Application materials are verified on a routine basis. If the Graduate Admissions and Records Office receives evidence that any documentation submitted as part of the application has been forged or falsified in any way, the applicant will be permanently banned from the University of Victoria. A warning will also be circulated to all other Canadian universities.

English Competency Requirement

Applicants for admission whose first language is not English and who have not resided in Canada or any country where English is an official language of the country (as determined by the Graduate Admissions and Records Office) for at least three consecutive years immediately prior to the beginning of the session applied for must demonstrate competency in English. For a complete listing go to <registrar.uvic.ca/admission-checklist.html>. Applicants holding a recognized degree from a country where English is an official language of the country are exempted from the English Competency Requirement.

Most applicants qualify by providing results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score is 575 on the paper-based test or an overall score of 90 on the Internet Based TOEFL (IBT), with the following minimum section requirements: Listening 20; Speaking 20; Reading 20; Writing 20.

An overall score of at least Band 6.5 with no score of less than 6.0 on each academic component of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or a score of 90 on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) will be accepted as an alternative to a TOEFL score of 575/90. Official test score reports must be sent directly to the University of Victoria by the testing agency. Individual academic units may require a score higher than the Faculty of Graduate Studies minimum; applicants should check with the relevant academic unit.

Upon the recommendation of the academic unit offering admission, completion of the University Admission Preparation Course offered by the University of Victoria English Language Centre with a minimum score of 80% will be accepted in lieu of the above standardized English competency tests. University Admission Preparation is the highest level in the 12-Week program (ELPI) offered in January, April and September each year. The same course is offered in a 4-week intensive format each summer. Specific admission requirements for UAP are outlined in the website. The 12-week program is full-time and applicants enrolled are not eligible to be registered in any other course.

This program is designed to prepare students to study at an English-speaking university by developing the necessary skills for a non-native speaker to participate in an academic setting with confidence. Visit the English Language Centre website for more information: <www.uvcs.uvic.ca/aspnet/ProgramDetail/code=ELPIUAP>.

Examinee’s score records and photocopies are not acceptable. Scores from tests taken more than two years prior to application are not acceptable.

GMAT and GRE Requirements for Graduate Studies

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is prepared and scored by Education Testing Services (ETS), Princeton, New Jersey, and the Graduate Management Admission Council. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is prepared and scored by the GRE Board and ETS. GMAT and GRE requirements are prescribed by individual academic units. In some instances, completion of the examination is mandatory. Applicants are advised to check academic unit entries for detailed information. However, the Faculty of Graduate Studies reserves the right to require a GRE score (on Advanced and Aptitude Tests), for any applicant. Voluntary submission of a GRE score may facilitate the admission process.