203
Regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
203.1
Application
203 Regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
The general Faculty regulations outlined below apply to all graduate students. Faculty regulations specific to particular degree programs are found under the appropriate program heading in §205.
203.1 Application
The University of Alberta may at its discretion refuse admission to any applicant.
All documents submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research must be in English and (where applicable) in the original language in which they were written. Documents submitted in support of an application become the property of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research and will not subsequently be released or copied except to other University of Alberta offices.
Reference letters are collected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Universities Act. They are required to evaluate applicants for admission to a graduate program and for scholarship and other funding purposes. Reference letters are considered to be supplied in confidence and will be used only by individuals and committees who evaluate applicants.
At the students' request documents in their file will be made accessible to certain university officials. The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research will release photocopies regarding a student's previous education where the information is needed for scholarship purposes for attendance at the University of Alberta.
Application for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research must be made directly to the department in which the student wishes to pursue a program of studies. The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research has an online application on its website (www.gradstudies.ualberta.ca) that is available for most departments. Applicants are encouraged to use it after consultation with the department to ensure eligibility requirements are met; otherwise applicants must use the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research application for admission form provided to them by the department.
Application deadlines are set by many departments. Applicants should consult the department for deadline dates. Students are encouraged to make contacts and enquiries well in advance of any department admission deadline to maximize consideration for admission. Completed applications for admission and supporting documents from foreign students should reach departmental offices well in advance of the following deadline dates so that immigration authorizations can be obtained in time for arrival prior to the commencement of the term.
Deadlines for foreign admissions are: July 1 for September admission; November 1 for January admission; March 1 for May admission; and May 1 for July admission. These are the dates by which a completed foreign student application file with a departmental recommendation must be received in the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. Since departments may set earlier deadlines for application documents to be received in their offices, applicants should consult the department.
An applicant must arrange to have forwarded direct to the department concerned official or certified true transcripts or marksheets and degree certificates from all institutions attended other than the University of Alberta. The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research or the department may require the applicant to furnish an official description of the content of any or all courses listed on the transcripts. Letters of recommendation and other documents may also be required. Applicants should refer to the information attached to the application for admission forms and consult the department prior to applying.
Application documents are compiled and reviewed by the department, which makes a recommendation for admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research as to the student's admissibility according to departmental standards. A final assessment is done and a decision regarding a recommendation for admission is reached by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. Successful applicants are notified as soon as possible of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research's decision regarding their admission. Applicants who are unsuccessful will be notified by the department.
Admission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is valid only for the term indicated. If circumstances prevent a student from registering for that session the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research reserves the right to reconsider the application for admission.
