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Admissions
 Admission Guidelines
How to apply
Deadline
Financial aid
Application inquiries
Admissions FAQ
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Admission Guidelines
Admission to the Graduate Program is based on the following criteria:
1) availability of supervisor
2) linguistic background (as described below)
3) GPA (see SFU Graduate General Regulations)
4) strength of reference letters
5) quality of writing sample
6) quality and appropriateness of proposal
For admission to the MA program, students must be able to demonstrate an adequate background in linguistics. Students having little or no academic preparation in linguistics will not be admitted to the program. In most cases, we require applicants to have completed significant course work covering core areas in linguistics. These requirements include an introductory course in linguistics, courses in phonetics, phonology, syntax, morphology and semantics.
In exceptional circumstances, it may be possible to admit students who do not meet the above requirements. We understand that courses like the above may not be available at all universities. In this case, the admissions committee may stipulate a number of courses that must be taken by the student beyond the basic requirements for the degree. Students admitted under such circumstances should expect to take an additional year or two to complete their programs.
Admission to the PhD program presupposes the above plus an MA degree in linguistics. Students are expected to have taken graduate-level courses in phonology and syntax as well as to have developed an area of specialization as demonstrated by a thesis, project, or extended course work.
For the university admissions guidelines, please visit:
Prospective students page, prepared by the Dean of Graduate Studies Office.
You can also download a useful guide for students thinking of applying to graduate school:
A Guide for Potential Graduate Students, prepared by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies.
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How to Apply
1. Fill in the online application form: http://www.sfu.ca/gradstudents/applicants/index.html
At the end of the online application process, you will be asked to submit an application fee of $75.00 CDN by credit card. Note that you must pay by credit card (Master Card or Visa) in order to use our online application system.
2. In addition to completing general application form (1 above), students must submit the following supporting documents directly to the department.
Department of linguistics form
Official post-secondary transcript(s)
Transcripts in languages other than English or French must be accompanied by an English or French translation provided by a certified translator. Photocopied transcripts or those printed from a university web site are not permitted.
3 letters of reference
Arrange for three confidential referee reports to be mailed directly to us by the referees. Forms are available for this purpose, but letters of reference may be sent instead by regular mail.
1 writing sample
This should preferably be a thesis, project, or paper written for a linguistics course. Students should not submit co-authored papers.
Applicants whose primary language is not English must also take an English Language Proficiency Test (TOEFL or IELTS) and meet the university requirements. This test must include a writing component.
Note that test results must be sent directly to Simon Fraser University Graduate Studies from the original source. However, if available, photocopies of test results should be included with your document package. Test scores are valid for two years from test date.
Address:
Graduate Studies Program
Department of Linguistics
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6 Canada
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Deadline
The online application as well as all supporting documents must be received by the department by February 1.
If you wish to be nominated for an entrance scholarship, you are strongly encouraged to submit your application for admission to the Linguistics Department by January 15. If your application is submitted after this date, the chance of being considered for the entrance scholarships decreases.
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Financial Aid
Financial aid is available to deserving students in good academic standing in the form of scholarships, fellowships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships and sessional appointments.
Entrance Scholarships
Entrance scholarships are available through university-wide competition. The award values range from $15,000 to $18,000 each for the first year of graduate studies.
If you wish to be nominated for an entrance scholarship, you are strongly encouraged to submit your application for admission to the Linguistics Department by January 15. If your application is submitted after this date, the chance of being considered for the entrance scholarships decreases.
Graduate Fellowships
Graduate Fellowships are available to new students through the same process as for existing students. Awards are valued at $6,250.
Special Graduate Entrance Scholarships
A Special Graduate Entrance Scholarship is a one-semester top-up award, normally valued between $3000 and $7000, depending on the level of competition. The following main criteria must be met for a student to be considered for this award:
1. An applicant with outstanding academic qualifications
2. Substantial support commitment by the department or prospective supervisor
3. Evidence of competition from other graduate schools
Awards from External Agencies
MA and PhD candidates who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents may apply for fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Please visit the external awards page prepared by the Dean of Graduate Studies Office for more information. Commonwealth citizens are advised to apply for Commonwealth Scholarships and/or Canadian Government External Aid Scholarships.
Private Scholarships
There are a number of smaller awards available to graduate students in specific fields of study administered by the university throughout the year. Consult the Awards Database for private scholarships.
Teaching Assistantships
Graduate students in our department have ample opportunity to work as teaching assistants or teaching markers. Usually, deserving students in good academic standing receive at least 3 base units a semester, which amount to 126 work hours and $3000 a semester.
Sessional Instructorships
A qualified graduate student may be appointed as a sessional instructor who is fully responsible for the offering of an undergraduate course.
Research Assistantships
Several faculty members hold grants that provide funds for hiring research assistants.
Conference Travel Awards
Financial funds are available to support student conference travel.
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Application Inquiries
If you have already submitted your application and wish to inquire into the status, you may do so online. Log in at the graduate application service page 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/or review any outstanding documents that you are requested to submit with your application (e.g. test scores, transcripts, fees). The information displayed is updated daily, but a delay in displaying the current status of an item is likely at busy times.
To obtain any further information, please contact our Graduate Secretary at cjackson @ sfu.ca.
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Admissions FAQ
When will I be notified of your decision on my application?
You will receive a letter from us approximately in mid-March. You may also check the status of your application online by logging in at the graduate application service page.
Does the department offer a TESOL degree?
We offer an undergraduate TESL Linguistics Certificate. However, we do not offer additional teacher education (e.g., a supervised practicum) at the graduate level. Many of our graduate students conduct research on topics in applied linguistics, in areas such as second language acquisition, computer-assisted language learning, and language planning. This research leads to a thesis rather than a curriculum document. In addition, all of our graduate students must complete graduate level coursework in phonology and syntax.
Do you accept applications for Summer or Spring semester?
No, we admit students for Fall semester only.
Do you permit part-time study?
No.
For students whose primary language is not English, what is the language proficiency score requirement?
The minimum university requirements for test scores is TOEFL 570 (computer based score is 230), TWE 5 and IELTS overall band score of 7.0.
What if I am missing some of the application materials?
Unfortunately, we cannot consider your application until all documents have been received. Please make sure that you start the application process early enough so that all supporting documents can arrive on time.
Who should I contact for a graduate program application and information package?
All of the information about the graduate program is on our graduate program web site. We do not send a hard-copy graduate program application form or information package.
Application must be made by filling in the online application form. Any additional forms you need for application are also available on our graduate program admissions web site.
How do I apply for fellowships or other funding?
You will be automatically considered for financial aid unless you say otherwise in your online application. A Graduate Fellowship application form and Entrance Scholarship application form are embedded in the online application. Please download them from there and submit them along with other application materials to the department.
Would you check my transcript in advance and tell me if I am qualified to apply?
The requirements related to linguistic background are specified in the Admission Guidelines in this web site. You should be able to determine whether you are qualified to apply to our program based on the information given in this web site. Please note that admission is based on a variety of factors in addition to previous coursework.
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