Eligibility and Selection
Eligibility Requirements
Undergraduate Exchanges
Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and visa students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at SFU may apply to participate in the SFU Exchange Program.
At the time of application, all undergraduate exchange applicants must
- have completed a minimum total of 36 units*,** with a minimum of 12 units completed at SFU
- have been approved in a program specialization (for example, a major or minor), or have an intended program specialization
- have achieved a minimum 2.67 cumulative grade point average (CGPA)*** or higher as required by partner institutions
- be enrolled as a SFU undergraduate degree student****
Participants must meet certain academic and residency requirements. Exchange participants may apply for a maximum equivalent of 30 exchange units toward their SFU degree. In some cases, a maximum of 15 exchange units may apply to the residency requirements for completing a credential at SFU.
*Undergraduate students undertaking second/subsequent undergraduate degrees must have completed a minimum total of 12 units at SFU during their second/subsequent degree at the time of application.
**FAL and FAN Courses completed in Summer 2023 or earlier do not count toward these unit totals. Effective Fall 2023, FAL and FAN courses will be for integral credit, and thus FAL and FAN courses taken at SFU in Fall 2023 or later will be counted towards these totals.
***Exchange Eligibility Appeal Criteria
The undergraduate exchange eligibility criteria are intended to select student participants who are likely to succeed academically in the exchange program. If students have unique circumstances and wish to appeal the minimum 2.67 CGPA exchange eligibility requirement, they must submit an Exchange Eligibility Appeal application by the deadline. Please note the CGPA for individual institutions cannot be appealed (e.g. if a host institution has a CGPA requirement of 3.0). Students approved through the Exchange Eligibility Appeal process may only apply to exchange institutions that have a CGPA requirement of 2.67. It is recommended for students to make an advising appointment to meet with a Study Abroad Officer prior to the deadline to discuss the formal appeal application and process. The deadline to submit your application for the Exchange Eligibility Appeal is Sunday, May 12, 2024 (11:59pm PT) if you wish to be considered for the May 25, 2024 exchange application deadline.
In order to apply for an eligibility appeal you must meet one of the following criteria:
• I have encountered unique circumstances that have affected my previous academic performance and are unlikely to affect future performance.
• I have a CGPA of below 2.67 but have achieved a term GPA of 2.67 or higher in each of the past two full-time terms at SFU (or over the past 18 units at SFU if studying part-time).
Exchange Eligibility Appeal Application
**** Undergraduate visiting, non-degree, diploma, and certificate students are not normally eligible for the SFU Exchange Program.
Graduate Exchanges
At the time of application, all graduate exchange applicants must:
- Have approval of both their graduate supervisor (or faculty advisor in the case where no graduate supervisor is appointed) and the chair of their graduate program
- Normally have achieved a minimum 3.5 CGPA, or higher as required by partner institutions
- Be in good standing and making satisfactory progress in their program of study
- Be enrolled as an active SFU graduate degree student (note: graduate visiting students, non-degree students, and diploma students are not eligible for the SFU Exchange Program).
Exchange Selection Process (Nomination)
Once you apply, you may be nominated for one of your exchange destination selections.
Nomination selection is based on the general eligibility requirements for exchange as well as academic performance, motivation, academic references, and any additional requirements of the specific partner institution. Selection for an exchange to a specific partner institution is competitive. The committee must also consider the total number of places available at any one university for the upcoming exchange term(s) as reciprocity must be maintained between SFU and each host university.
You will be notified to your SFU email of the committee’s decision approximately four to six weeks after the application deadline. After nomination, you will have a limited period of time to Opt-out of the exchange program, without penalty.
Next Steps After Nomination
- Complete the host institutions' application form(s) as per instructions in the Study Abroad System.