Admissions

APPLICATION DEADLINES:

Full details on deadlines for the application porocess are listed in the UVic Calendar.

Applicants requiring financial support: 1 February
North American: 31 May (for Sept. entry)
Overseas: 15 December (for Sept. entry)

1. How do I apply?

You should review the application process checklist.

How to Apply for Graduate Admission

Evaluations are time consuming. However there are many things an applicant can do to make sure that the shortest time possible is required.

Read the following instructions carefully:

Complete the Graduate Studies Online Application
Fill in your application form clearly and completely. This includes disclosing all post-secondary institutions where any course registrations were made. Failure to disclose may result in having your admission and registration cancelled.
The application fee requirement cannot be waived. If you need to make arrangements for someone else (possibly a friend or family member) to pay the application fee contact the Graduate Admissions and Records office for more information.
Ask each of your referees to complete and return the Confidential Assessment form to you in sealed envelopes signed across the back seal. Do not open these envelopes.
Ask all institutions you have attended to send you a copy of your transcript in sealed envelopes stamped by the institution seal across back seal. Do not open these envelopes. In the interest of time, you may provide us with copies of transcripts in your possession in order that we may start the evaluation process.
Ensure that all documents are submitted under the same name. By using our routing slip, information can be easily matched with your application. If documents are received with alternate spellings or different names, delays will undoubtedly occur.
Mail or courier your documents to the Graduate Admissions and Records Office. Your documentation package should include:
- Routing slip
- 2 Confidential Assessment forms in sealed and endorsed envelopes
- Official transcripts in sealed and endorsed envelopes
- Any other documents requested ie. letters of intent, copies of TOEFL score, unofficial copies of transcripts
Submit your application early. The majority of applications are received within two weeks of the deadlines. Processing is much slower at these times.

2. Do I need an undergraduate degree in Sociology to do a Master's degree?

All incoming master's students must fulfill the requirements expected of undergraduate Honours students in this Department. Students without the prerequisites for the graduate courses they need to take will be required to take the prerequisites as part of their degree program.

3. Do I need a Master's in Sociology to do a PhD in Sociology?

Admission to the PhD program normally requires a master's degree in Sociology or a related social science discipline with a minimum average of 7.0 to 7.5 (A- to A) in graduate courses. To be admitted to the program, an applicant must have excellent letters of reference, present a clear statement of research interests and submit an example of strong scholarly work.

4. How many students are admitted each year?

Typically, between 8 and 10 master's students are admitted to the program each year.

5. What are the GPA requirements?

Admission to the master's program requires a bachelor's degree, with a minimum overall average of B+ (6.0) in the final two full years of credit units or undergraduate work.

Admission to the PhD program normally requires a master's degree in Sociology or a related social science discipline with a minimum average of 7.0 to 7.5 (A- to A) in graduate courses.

6. Is a written statement of purpose required?

Yes, the department requires this as part of your application package.

See Graduate Admissions and Records for more details.

7. Is the GRE necessary and what is the minimum score required?

GRE is not necessary for our department.

8. What are the Language Proficiency requirements for the University of Victoria?

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 575 on the paper based test.

9. What are the institutional codes for the GRE and TOEFL exams?

Institutional code for GRE is 7554 and 0989 for TOEFL.

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10. How many transcripts need to be submitted?

Details of required documents are listed on the Faculty of Graduate Studies - Submission of Documents website.

11. Will I be considered for financial assistance?

Not all MA students can expect to be funded. As well, the Department normally funds MA students only in the first two years of their program. To qualify for second-year funding, a student needs to make adequate progress in the first year. Generally, this means completing six courses with a GPA of 6 or better.

All doctoral students are funded at a minimum level of $12,000 for each of three years. The Department strives to support its doctoral students with funds approaching $17,000 for each of these years. Sources for funds can include teaching and research assistantships, grants and fellowships from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, external grants and fellowships, and sessional teaching work for doctoral students in their third or fourth years of study.

All eligible students are encouraged to apply for funding from provincial, federal and external sources.

You can get more information on the Faculty of Graduate Studies site.

12. Who should provide assessment reports or letters of reference?

On the forms provided, you must obtain reports from two professors or other academic authorities who are familiar with your work. Applicants to the MEd program must supply references from field supervisors. Letters of reference may be supplied in lieu of assessment reports. Students will not be permitted to see these documents.

13. Where should documents be sent?

All documents should be sent to:

Graduate Admissions and Records
University Centre
University of Victoria
PO BOX 3025, STN CSC
Victoria BC V8W 3P2 Canada

14. How do I check the status of my application?

Once we have received your application and application fee, you will be advised if there are any outstanding items required to complete your file. Once your file has sufficient information for evaluation, a Graduate Admissions and Records Officer will review it to determine if you meet the minimum requirements for the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Once this is confirmed your file will be forwarded to the specific program department for their assessment. You will be advised of the decision as soon as possible, but in some cases this may take many weeks.

All applicants can check the status of your application using WebView, the online student records system. You will need the UVic student number you received during the application process to check your application status.

Once you have been accepted to your program and authorized to register, you should review the registration information for Continuing students.