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Admission Requirements

In order to be eligible for unconditional admission to the MA ALS program a student must have obtained an undergraduate degree from a degree-granting institution with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (a B, or good, overall grade). Applicants whose undergraduate degree was obtained from a degree-granting institution outside of Canada must submit an International Credential Evaluation Certificate (Comprehensive), available from the BC Institute of Technology (please see further details, below, under the heading “Application Procedure”).

Applicants with an undergraduate degree GPA falling short of 3.0 may be admitted on a conditional basis if the other elements of their applications are sufficiently strong, and depending on the number and strength of applications we receive in a given year. Applications from students meeting the undergraduate GPA requirement will be preferred. If a student to whom this applies is admitted on a conditional basis, they will be required to maintain a 3.0 GPA in each course in the first Fall and Spring terms.

We may also make a conditional offer of admission to students currently in the last term (as of the February application deadline) of their undergraduate degree if the other elements of their application are sufficiently strong. If a conditional offer of admission is made on this basis, it will be conditional on the applicant successfully obtaining their undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 prior to the beginning of the first term for which the conditional offer of admission is made (a conditional offer of admission made on this basis in Spring of 2024, for example, will be conditional on the applicant’s completing their degree with a minimum GPA of 3.0 prior to the beginning of the Fall 2024 term).

The MA ALS program generally receives a significantly higher number of applications each year than we have seats available in the program and applications received in a given year are assessed in relation to one another.  This means that meeting the undergraduate GPA requirement will not guarantee that you will receive an offer of admission.

When making our application decisions we take all aspects of an application into account This includes an applicant’s educational background and performance; professional experience and written references; and achievement on the LSAT test (please see the information below under the heading “Application Procedure” regarding materials that must be submitted as part of an application to the MA ALS program). Please note that we do not have a minimum LSAT score required for admission. To facilitate access to legal services across the province, we also encourage applications from individuals located in British Columbia outside of the lower mainland (and geographic location is taken into account together with all other elements of an individual’s application).

Application Procedure

Applications for admission to the MA ALS program for a Fall 2025 start date will be submitted using the SFU GoGrad application submission platform https://gograd.sfu.ca/apply/.  Applications for the MA ALS program will be accepted through the SFU GoGrad portal between November 1st to February 1st. For detailed information regarding the GoGrad application process please review the information available at https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/applying/gograd.html

The following supporting documents must be included with your application (see  https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/applying/gograd.html for instructions re submission). Please ensure you give yourself adequate time to assemble the documentation required:

  • You must upload an unofficial transcript (scanned, saved, etc.) for each post-secondary institution you have attended with your application. Please note, if you receive an offer of admission, you will be required to submit an official transcript for each post-secondary institution you have attended (your official transcripts are required only if you receive an offer of admission; your unofficial transcripts are required with your application). If you have a degree in progress, your offer of admission letter will confirm if that degree must be awarded before you begin your studies at SFU. If the degree must be completed, do not send your official transcript from that institution until your degree is awarded and appearing on your transcript. More detailed information about submitting transcripts can be found on the GO Grad application page:  https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/applying/gograd.html;
  • Your resume (maximum 2 pages);
  • The "statement" required is a statement of why you are interested in the program (maximum 250 words);
  • An Essay is not required for this program;
  • No research information is required for this program;
  • No interview notes are required for this program;
  • If applicable, an English language test score.  Information regarding English language requirements can be found here: https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/applying/requirements.html#english;
  • An International Credential Evaluation Certificate (Comprehensive), available from the BC Institute of Technology, must be submitted for transcripts obtained from a non-Canadian educational institution; for more information please visit https://www.bcit.ca/ices/. The BCIT ICES Comprehensive evaluation is the only one that is accepted for students with international degrees looking to apply for admission to the MA-ALS program; and,
  • You are required to write the LSAT and have your score submitted to us as part of the application process. To register for the LSAT, and to review writing dates and details, please visit www.lsac.org. We will only accept LSAT scores that are forwarded directly from the Law Schools Admissions Council (LSAC). LSAT scores provided directly by applicants (and not by the LSAC) will not be accepted. In order for us to receive your LSAT score from LSAC, you must complete an “Authorization for Release of LSAT Score Report” prior to writing the LSAT and submit the completed “Authorization for Release of LSAT Score Report” (as an email attachment) to crimugrd@sfu.ca  The subject line of this email must include your name and the date when you will be writing the test.  SFU will then submit this Authorization to LSAC after your test date; this will enable us to receive your score. We will accept score for LSATs written in February 2025 at the very latest; the deadline to register with LSAC to write the February 2024 LSAT exam is December 2024.

Referees should be made aware of the following: The British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act allows an applicant to have access to the information contained in his/her letters of reference where that can be done without disclosing the identities of the referees who supply a reference in confidence.  It is understood between Simon Fraser University and yourself that the letter of reference is supplied in confidence unless you state otherwise.

Please note, an application fee must be paid at the time you submit your application.  Further information will be available on the SFU GoGrad application website.  Application fees are set by the Dean of Graduate Studies Office and are subject to change every year.  The application fee is non-refundable.

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