Admission Requirements

General

Applications for admission are first received by the Graduate Admissions and Records Office. This office evaluates each applicant's transcripts to determine admissibility to the program. After this determination, the application is forwarded to the School of Public Administration for consideration by the department's Admissions Committee. The Admissions Committee is comprised of faculty and administrators.

Admission to Master's Programs

To be eligible for admission, students must:

• Have an undergraduate degree with a minimum B+ (6.0) average (75-79%) in the last two years (30 units) leading to the undergraduate degree. Applicants to the online program with four or more years of relevant professional experience whose grade point average is below B+ may be considered.
• Fill out an application form online <applybc.ca> or download the Faculty of Graduate Studies application form <registrar.uvic.ca/grad> and submit a hard copy by mail.
• Provide two Assessment Reports from academic referees. If it has been more than five years since you last attended a post-secondary institution, we recommend that you include three Assessment Reports from current or former employers in place of academic referees. To strengthen your application, we recommend that your referees attach a Letter of Reference in addition to the Assessment Report.
• Submit official copies of relevant transcripts.
• Submit a professional résumé.
• Submit a Letter of Intent describing why you are seeking an MPA and how the degree relates to your career plans, personal values and goals.

Applicants are encouraged to assemble all of the required application elements, as well as other relevant evidence of suitability for admission (e.g., academic records from non-degree courses), and submit them to the Graduate Admissions Office as a complete package. At minimum, to ensure that all documents are added to the correct application file, applicants should ensure that all online and hard copy documents submitted are under the same name and clearly indicate whether they are applying for the On Campus or the Online program.

The School's Admissions Committee assesses an applicant's ability to successfully complete the MPA program. Admission decisions are based on an evaluation of the Letter of Intent, the Academic Assessment forms or non-academic letters of reference, the applicant's academic record, applicable test scores and experience (paid or voluntary). The admission process is competitive; therefore, ensure that all your documentation is complete.

Deadlines

• December 15 for International Students.
• January 15 for Domestic applicants. Applicants with a first class (A minus) average over the last two years of their undergraduate and graduate course work, as applicable, and whose applications are COMPLETE BY JANUARY 15 are automatically considered for University Graduate Awards.

Admission to PhD Program

To be eligible for admission, students require:

• a master's degree in a related discipline, with a minimum grade point average of A- (7.0) in the last two years of academic work; and
• demonstrated research potential.

Candidates are also strongly encouraged to apply for external funding and should indicate on their application where they have applied for such funding.

To apply for the program, students must:

• Fill out an application form online at <https://applybc.ca>.
• Provide two Assessment Reports from academic referees. If it has been more than five years since you last attended a post-secondary institution, we recommend that you include three Assessment Reports from current or former employers in place of academic referees. To strengthen your application, we recommend that your referees attach a Letter of Reference in addition to the Assessment Report.
• Submit official copies of relevant transcripts.

Applicants must assemble all of the required application elements, as well as other relevant evidence of suitability for admission (e.g., academic records from non-degree courses), and submit them to the Graduate Admissions Office as a complete package.

In addition to the documentation required by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the School of Public Administration requires that applicants submit a professional resume, as well as a letter of intent which provides an overview (up to a total of five single-spaced pages) of:

• the two fields in which the student plans to specialize;
• a proposed area for dissertation research illustrating the problem to be studied, possible literature and the general approach;
• the names of faculty identified as possible research supervisors; and
• a list of applications submitted for external funding.

The Admissions Committee assesses an applicant's ability to successfully complete the PhD program. Admission decisions are based on an evaluation of the applicant's academic record, the Academic Assessment forms (included within the application package), applicable test scores, the overview, and the availability of appropriate faculty expertise to match the applicant's chosen research area.

All short-listed candidates will be interviewed (by teleconference or in person) by a faculty admissions committee.

Deadlines

• December 15 for International Students.
• February 15 for applicants who wish to be considered for University Graduate Awards. All applicants with a first class (A minus) average over the last two years of their undergraduate and graduate course work, as applicable, and whose applications are COMPLETE BY FEBRUARY 15 are automatically considered for these awards.
• March 15 for Domestic applicants.

Admissions to the PhD program will be undertaken on a biennial basis. For the next term of entry, please consult the School's website at <publicadmin.uvic.ca/phd>.

Admission to Graduate Professional Certificates

To be eligible for admission, applicants must have:

1. a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent from another country) from an accredited and recognized institution. (Note that for the Graduate Professional Certificate in Library Sector Leadership, a Master's is preferred.)
2. a grade point average of 5.0 (B) in the last two years (30 units) leading to the baccalaureate degree.

In addition, applicants must submit official transcripts, a professional resumé and a letter of intent that explains how this program relates to their career plans, and their personal and professional values and goals. Finally, applicants must have two assessment forms or letters of reference sent directly to the Graduate Admissions and Records Office.

Application Deadline for Cultural or Library Sector Leadership programs

Please view the information at <publicadmin.uvic.ca/gradcerts> for current information on application deadlines.

Admission to Graduate Certificate in Evaluation —Additional Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Graduate Certificate in Evaluation, applicants must have:

• An undergraduate degree (or equivalent from another country) from an accredited and recognized institution.
• A grade point average of B (5.0) in the last two years (30 units) leading to the undergraduate degree.
• The equivalents of Research Design: Critical Appraisal of Information (ADMN 502A); Introductory Descriptive and Inferential Statistics (ADMN 502B); and Introduction to Economics for the Public Sector (ADMN 310 or ADMN 509).

Application Deadline for the Evaluation program

March 1

International Applications

The Graduate Admissions and Records office provides a step-by-step application guide, including application forms for international students, available at: <registrar.uvic.ca/grad>.

Applicants who do not possess a Canadian undergraduate degree will be required to write and submit official results for the GMAT. International students whose first language is not English are required to provide test results for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum score for the TOEFL is 610 on the paper-based test and 102 on the Internet-based test.