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IV. Graduate Application Process
4.1 Faculty Application Forms and Supporting Materials
All applicants for graduate programs at Dalhousie must complete the Faculty of Graduate Studies Application for Admission Form. Students can apply online at www.dal.ca/grad/prospectivestudents/admissions. A printable version of the Application Form can be found on the Registrar's web site at: www.registar.dal.ca/forms. The application must be accompanied with the application fee. All supporting materials (including reference letters, official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, official GMAT or GRE scores, official TOEFL scores, etc.) are to be sent directly to the department to which the student is applying. Interdisciplinary PhD Program applicants send all materials to the Faculty of Graduate Studies c/o the Director of the IDPhD program. Note that supporting documents (transcripts, letter of reference, etc.) will be verified for authenticity. Applicants submitting fraudulent documents may have their names published on the listserv of the Association of Registrars of Universities and Colleges in Canada and have their acceptance rescinded. Documents submitted as part of the application cannot be returned or photocopied for the student.
4.2 Application Deadlines
The Faculty of Graduate Studies normally admits students to commence their programs in the fall term (September). See Admission Dates, page 2. However, some academic units may allow applicants to commence in the winter term (January) or the summer term (May) or may have different deadlines. General Deadlines for applications are as follows:
| General Application Deadlines | Canadian Applicants | Non-Canadian Applicants |
|---|
| For September Admission | June 1 | April 1 |
| For January Admission | October 31 | August 31 |
| For Summer Admission | February 28 | December 31 |
Check departmental listings in this calendar for information on specific program admission requirements.
Visa processing is lengthy; therefore, international applicants should apply at least two months before the deadline, e.g. by April 1 for September admission.
4.2.1 Specific Program Deadlines
Several programs have different application deadlines. Please refer to the specific departmental listings in this calendar for these dates.
Applicants who wish to be considered for university scholarship support are advised to apply by January 15 if they intend to register for the following September. (There is no application form for university or faculty scholarships, as all eligible applicants are automatically considered with their application for admission.) All eligible candidates should also apply for external awards. Consult with your chosen department to determine scholarship availability and eligibility. Please note, some departments have deadlines that are much earlier than the Faculty of Graduate Studies deadlines.
Applicants who require a student visa and are not funded by the University or an officially recognized funding agency must provide proof of financial ability with their application. Canadian immigration is increasingly rigorous about requiring proof of sufficient financial support to complete the program of studies.
4.3 Departmental and Faculty Approval
All applications are reviewed by departments, and the departments then make a recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for acceptance or rejection, including any required conditions of admission. At this stage, many departments will contact the applicants to let them know of a positive recommendation to the Faculty. While this may be a useful indication to the applicant that their application is progressing, it does not constitute official acceptance into the graduate program, even if it is in the form of a written letter. Official acceptance is achieved when the department recommendation has been approved by the Faculty Graduate Studies, and a formal letter of acceptance is issued by the Registrar's Office to the student.
4.4 Official Response
All applicants will receive an official letter by mail from the Registrar's Office indicating whether or not they have been accepted into the graduate program. This letter is the only official notification that the university sends out. All other forms of communication, including letters from a department or a faculty, do not constitute official acceptance or rejection by the university.
4.5 Scholarship Awards
Successful applicants who are also approved for a graduate scholarship will receive an email or letter of notification of their award from the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Scholarship offers can be made at the time of an admission offer or later, depending upon when the decision on funding is made. Letters from supervisors or departments do not constitute official offers of financial support by the university.
4.6 Deferrals
Newly accepted applicants who, for reasons beyond their control, are unable to take up their position on the date for which they were accepted, may request a deferral of their start date to a later term. Students may request a deferral of one, two, or three terms, and no student may receive more than one deferral. Students wishing to request a deferral should contact the department to which they were accepted as soon as possible, and all deferrals are subject to the approval of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. If students request a deferral after they have registered, it is the student's responsibility to cancel their registration.
