MENU
School of Criminology
Search

Admissions

Admission Requirements

Applicants should regard their satisfaction of the entrance requirements as meaning only that they are eligible for selection to the program. Since there is competition for admission (usually only 30 seats are available each year), a regular applicant should have an undergraduate grade point average substantially higher than the minimum in order to have a reasonable chance of admission.

To be eligible for selection, an applicant must have:

  1. 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), or

  2. obtained an undergraduate degree from a degree granting institution with a cumulative gradepoint average of less than 3.0 (B, or good, overall grade) and have subsequently completed an approved course of study at a degree granting institution resulting in, (i) the award of either a certificate, diploma or other approved qualification with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (a B, or good, overall grade) or higher, or (ii) a recognized professional qualification relevant to practice as a notary, such as an accounting designation, or

  3. successful completion of 90 or more units of an approved course of study leading to an undergraduate degree at a degree granting institution with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (a B or good, overall grade), and possess sufficient and appropriate work experience relevant to practice as a notary that, in the view of the admissions committee, compensates for the lack of a completed degree,  or

  4. practiced as a Notary Public for a period of at least 10 years, be in good standing with the Society of Notaries Public of British Columbia, and have completed an approved course of study at a degree granting institution resulting in the award of a certificate, diploma or other approved qualification with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (a B, or good, overall grade).

Please note that, following a review of an application, the Admissions Committee may decide that an applicant’s academic background needs strengthening in a particular area. If this is the case, an application may be accepted on the condition that extra work (e.g., in the area of law or legal studies) is completed prior to admission.

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.

Search
Search
close