Admission to a Master’s Program
The minimum University requirements for admission to a master’s program are as follows.
a) a bachelor's degree from Simon Fraser University or its equivalent from a recognized institution;
b) a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0/4.33 (B), or a grade point average of at least 3.33/4.33 (B+) based on the last 60 credits of undergraduate courses. All graduate work is also considered. Individual graduate programs may set a higher admission grade point average;
c) submitted evidence, usually references from qualified referees, of the student’s ability to undertake advanced work in the area of interest. In addition, some programs also require completion of entrance examinations such as the GMAT and GRE, and/or the submission of other material.
In exceptional circumstances, a student may be admitted with lower formal qualifications than in (a) or (b) when there is significant professional experience relevant to the proposed area of scholarship.
Students must satisfy any further requirements set by the graduate program committee. Students whose native language is not English may be required to satisfy the University and the graduate program committee as to their capability in English.
English Language Competence
English is the language of instruction and communication at the University. Accordingly, an applicant whose primary language is not English must demonstrate command of English sufficient to pursue graduate studies in the chosen field. Applicants normally will be required to achieve a minimum score of 7.0 on the International English LanguageTest System (IELTS - the academic NOT the general test) with a minimum of 6.5 in each section. The Test of English as a Foreign Language(TOEFL) may be used as an equivalent test provided a score of 93 or better is achieved with a minimum of 20 in each section (TOEFL-internet based exam), or TOEFL 580 and the Test of Written English(TWE) 5.0 (paper-based). All test scores are valid for a period of two years from the date of the test. Some graduate programs have higher English Language Proficiency requirements as described elsewhere in this Calendar.
International applicants whose primary language is not English will not be required to complete an English-language test if they have completed a degree at an institution where the language of instruction and examination was in English in a country where English is the primary language.
An applicant requesting a waiver of the English language proficiency test should do so in writing and submit it with their application. The dean of graduate studies, in consultation with the department, will make determinations in these cases. It should be noted that in order to maintain a high academic standard, very few waivers are granted. Therefore, it is recommended that those applicants whose primary language is not English submit an English language proficiency test with their application.
