Dean of Graduate Studies > Future Students > Application Process

Application Process

This online application system is for use by applicants applying to Graduate Diplomas, Master's and Doctoral programs.

  • Applicants who wish to take one or more courses as non-degree students should contact the department and graduate program directly.
  • Students who wish to take courses through the Western Deans Agreement should complete the WDA form (available from their home university) and submit it first to their home university.

(High School students and Post-Secondary Transfer Students applying for Bachelor's degrees should go to Post-secondary Application Services of BC

1. Using the online application system

  • In order to use the online application system, you will need to pay a non-refundable application fee of $90 CAN (students with Canadian transcripts) or $125 CAN (students with international transcripts) by credit card (MasterCard or Visa).
  • An application that is not submitted within 28 days or by the application deadline — whichever comes first — will be cancelled.
  • The full application fee is due in 7 days after your application is submitted and your application will not be considered until the full payment has been received.  To make an online payment, log onto your account and click on Self Service > Campus Finances > Make a Payment.  If you are unable to pay the application fee by credit card, see How to Pay Your Fees for alternative payment methods.
    • If you would like to pay in person, go to Student Services at the Burnaby campus. Please specify that your payment is for your application fee (otherwise it may end up in your student account).
  • If you are applying as a non-degree or exchange student, or would like to reinstate your previous program of study, please contact the department to which you intend to apply.

2. Plan and prepare

  • Check the university admission requirements
  • Check the website of the department of your choice of study for the application deadline, supporting documents and any requirements that must be fulfilled prior to submitting an application.
    • Transcripts must be mailed to your destination department directly.
    • Some departments may accept copies of transcripts with your application, and will require the official transcript to be received after admission. Please consult departmental staff.
    • At this time, we are unable to accept EDI transcripts from BC colleges.
  • Supporting documents to support admission applications will be retained for three terms following the term to which application is made.
    • If you are admitted, application forms and supporting documents are retained for the duration of your graduate program.
    • If you are not admitted, your application forms, transcripts and other materials related to applications will be retained for three terms.
    • Irreplaceable documents will be returned to you if requested at the time of application.
      • The office which holds the irreplaceable material will return the material as soon as possible, upon request, and no later than six months after your degree completion or last registration.
    • All other documents become the property of the University.
  • If you are applying as an international student, check the admission guide for international applicants

3. What you will need to apply online

  • Credit card (MasterCard or Visa) to pay the application fee
  • Test scores (if required by department)
  • List of 3 referees who can comment on your academic and/or professional skills and prior experience
    • Please enter your referees' email addresses very carefully. They will receive an email message with a link to upload their confidential reference letters for you. If their email address is incorrect, they will not receive the request.

4. If you encounter problems, check your computer settings

Windows Users:

  • Internet Explorer with the following browser settings:
    Turn off Pop-up Blocker
    Internet Explorer -> Tools -> Pop-up Blocker -> Turn off Pop-up Blocker.
  • Mozilla Firefox with the default browser settings.

Mac Users:

  • Safari with the following browser settings:

    Set browser cookies to "Always"
    Safari menu -> Preferences -> Security -> Accept Cookies -> Always

    Turn off Pop-up Blocker
    Safari menu -> unselect Block Pop-up Windows

5. Once you've applied: Status of your application

  • To check the status of your application, login at https://go.sfu.ca/goprd/gradapplication.html with your User ID and password and select 'View Application Status' from the Application Services page. Through the Application Services page, you can also update your personal information and review the status of documents that are required for evaluation of your application (eg. test scores, transcripts, references, etc.). The information displayed here is updated as items are received.
  • After you have submitted your application, please review your checklist for your document due dates.
  • You will also be notified in writing by the Registrar of Graduate Studies if you have been accepted into a program and the conditions of your acceptance.
  • Please accept or decline the offer as soon as possible by informing us in the online application system and/or contacting the department in person.
  • Note: Official letters of acceptance are only valid for the academic year indicated in the letter. If you are unable to accept in the term offered, the department reserves the right to reconsider your acceptance.

Useful Links

Supporting Documents

After you have paid your application fee, you will need to upload your supporting documents to the application system.

Transcripts
Your uploaded transcripts will be considered unofficial copies. You must arrange for official transcripts to be sent to your department in sealed envelopes directly from the institutions you have attended. If you have up-to-date sealed transcripts in your possession, you may send one per institution directly to your destination department of enrollment — see list of all SFU graduate programs.

Referees
The referee system is online. When you submit your application, your referees are emailed a secure link where they are able to enter or upload a confidential reference for your application.

Please note: SFU's graduate programs will accept documents sent via Interfolio.

Current SFU Students

If you are a current SFU Master's student who is applying to a PhD program, the application fee will automatically be waived.

Residences

If you're planning to live in SFU's Residences, please apply to Residence at the same time as you apply to your graduate program. For the Fall term, their application deadline is usually February 28.

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Defences and Events

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  • Joshua Newman, PhD Thesis Defence, Political Science
    5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    May 22, 2013
    Location: SFU Harbour Centre, The Repap Policy Room (1425) Title: The Governance of Public-Private Partnerships: Success and Failure in the Transportation Sector Abstract Since the economic crises of the 1970s, the political climate in many developed countries has been reoriented from a focus on the public provision of goods and services to an emphasis on curbing government spending, reducing taxes, and limiting bureaucracy. As a consequence, alternative service delivery arrangements, in which non-government entities and private sector corporations are involved in public service delivery, have become increasingly popular in the last 30 years. The term “governance” is now commonly used to signify this shift away from a traditional hierarchical mode of government to a more horizontal environment of policy formulation and implementation. For many supporters of alternative service delivery, increased freedom for the private sector is regarded as the key to successful governance. Public-private partnerships (P3s) are a family of alternative service delivery mechanisms that allow the private sector to finance, own, and deliver goods and services to the public through long-term contractual arrangements with governments and other public sector agencies. P3s fit comfortably into the logic of alternative service delivery, which implies that by removing some – but not all – elements of the public sector and replacing them with some – but not all – aspects of the private sector, a balance between public sector accountability and private sector efficiency can be struck. However, this presents an inherent conflict, as the public sector is viewed simultaneously as the problem and as the solution to improving public service delivery. This inherent conflict in governance arrangements can sometimes lead to governance failure, a phenomenon that is not sufficiently understood. First, I show that governance failure can have negative consequences for the state and society. Then, I examine two case studies in P3 delivery of transportation infrastructure, the Canada Line in Vancouver, Canada and the Sydney Airport Link in Sydney, Australia, to determine how governance failure occurs and how it can be avoided. These two cases have similar technical parameters and political motivations, but in the Canadian case, where the public sector demonstrated policy leadership through the fostering of policy networks, through bounded-rational policy learning, and through a collaborative institutional approach to project implementation, successful governance was achieved. By contrast, the Australian case, in which the government was not substantially engaged in the partnership, resulted in governance failure. From an analysis of these two cases I conclude that public sector policy leadership is essential to the prevention of governance failure.
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