Graduate Admissions

Research Statement

Applicants are asked to prepare a carefully written Research Statement that must be uploaded with your application. There is no strict word limit, but succinct writing is valued. Applicants should provide a sense of their academic background and interests, but also a sense of their academic interests and the types of research projects that they would like to work on. Prospective supervisors want to see that you have a sense of what makes a good graduate level research topic, both intellectually and in terms of scope. While a sense of research interest is important, applicants also need to be flexible as research is frequently grant-funded which drive research outcomes and expectations.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants whose native language is not English and whose education has been conducted in a language other than English are required to submit English Language test scores (TOEFL or IELTS). SFU code: 0999, a department code is not required.

The standards for English language proficiency are set and evaluated by Graduate Studies. International applicants: please note that you will most likely need to submit TOEFL / IELTS scores. In some cases, a four-year degree from a country where the primary language is English and the language of instruction is English can apply to this requirement; however, it may not be possible to assess this in advance. It may still be necessary to apply and pay the application fee before a full assessment of your English language proficiency can be completed.

International applicants should check if they meet the minimum requirements for their country before submitting an application.

Transcripts

Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for your application. All transcripts from all institutions attended, including exchange semesters, are required. Official transcripts received directly from the institution will be requested if you are offered a position in the program and must be received prior to enrolling for the first term.

References

Applicants are encouraged to send this information to their references to ensure that their applications are processed in a timely and efficient manner.

As part of the admissions process, you will be required to include the contact information in the online application system for three references who are familiar and competent to judge your academic potential. E-mail requests will be sent by the system inviting referees to submit the letters of references electronically. Applicants must not be submitting reference letters on behalf of their references. 

For References

• Please ensure your reference letter is on an official letterhead with a handwritten signature.
• Your reference letter must be uploaded from your institutional/industry email address. 
• Letters can be 1-2 pages long.
• There will be a form to fill out as well as the opportunity to upload a letter. While the instructions state that either the form or the letter is sufficient, we have found that references are unable to submit just the form without uploading a letter. Because of this, please fill out both the form and upload a letter. You can include all the details of your reference in the letter and the form can be minimally filled out. 
• Please include details on the applicant's research potential, their work ethic, any relevant publications/projects, their ability to work within a team and individually, etc. 
• If you are having trouble uploading your letter or have issues with the system, please email sesgrad@sfu.ca.
• Do not send your reference letters to the applicant.