Master of Arts

The minimum admission requirements for a thesis-based Master degree program include:

• A University of Calgary four-year baccalaureate degree or an equivalent degree from a recognized institution. Degrees and grades from foreign institutions are evaluated for their equivalency to those of the University of Calgary.
• A minimum GPA of 3.00 (on the University of Calgary four-point system). This is based on the last two years of the undergraduate degree consisting of a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents. Requirements for admission to an MA program in any given year usually exceed this minimum. Please note admission to the Learning Sciences specialization requires a 3.50 GPA.
• A written statement indicating the applicant's reasons for pursuing a graduate program in Graduate Programs in Education.
• Where appropriate, candidates will be expected to have, or to obtain, relevant practical experience in their area of Specialization.
• Meeting the English language proficiency requirement. Proficiency in the English language is essential for the pursuit and successful completion of graduate programs in the Werklund School of Education. Prior to admission to Graduate Programs in Education, an applicant whose primary language is not English must fulfill the English language proficiency requirement. For additional information, please visit our How to Apply page.
• Two references - References are submitted directly through the online application system.  No hard copy documents are required.

Application deadline:  December 1

Admission to all graduate programs is highly competitive due to limited enrollment capacities. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

All graduate programs are governed by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. In the case of any conflict, regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar take precedence over material on this website. Please consult the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar for University of Calgary graduate admission requirements.

Please check Application Process for details.

Offers of admission are valid only for the term to which applications are made.  Graduate Programs in Education will not grant deferrals of admission.  Students unable to take up an offer will be required to submit a new application.

Applications, transcripts and all supporting documents must be submitted 11:59 pm MT on the application deadline date for each program. Please visit the FGS applicant transcript page to answer frequently asked questions on transcripts. 

For additional information on transcripts and where to send them, please visit our How to Apply page.

References

Two (2) academic references are required. References will be asked to complete an online reference form. No hard copy letters of reference or documents will be accepted.

Please see the Faculty of Graduate Studies' advice on finding references for your application.

References are due by the application deadline, so you should complete the online application earlier in order to give your referees sufficient time to submit their reference. Referees will receive notification on how to submit their reference after you submit your application and are due on the application deadline regardless of when they receive the notification. Please ensure that your references are aware of the supporting document submission deadline. Applications without completed reference forms will be considered incomplete after the application deadline has passed.

Statement of Intent

Statement of Intent must be uploaded to your Student Centre after the application has been submitted.  Applicants will receive a confirmation email with instructions and information regarding this process upon completion and submission of the online application.

Effective Fall 2023 admission, the minimum funding opportunities for Master of Arts (MA) students, will not be less than $10,000 annually for each of the first two years of their program. Over the course of the first 12 months there will be funding opportunities for students to obtain not less than $10,000 CDN through work experiences from research assistantships, teaching assistantships, teaching, and awards. 

Depending on the source(s) of funding, monthly payments will not necessarily be consistent. For example, the timing of the receipt of a scholarship, or the dates of a Graduate Assistantship appointment, may impact the amount paid in a given month.

Funding for these positions comes from a variety of sources including Tri-council scholarships (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC); private, provincial and university scholarships; teaching assistantships; and sessional teaching.

Any or all of the following sources of funding may count toward your minimum funding during these two years:

• External scholarships and awards (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, AIHS, AITF, AGES, donor scholarships);
• Internal scholarships and awards (e.g., Werklund School awards, Graduate Awards Competition (GAC), and other program or university competitive graduate awards);
• Research Assistantships (e.g., Graduate Assistantship Research (GAR), Research Stipend, and/or Scholarship payments from research grant(s));
• Graduate Assistantship Teaching (GAT) (50% salary and 50% scholarship) administered by Werklund School of Education;
• Graduate Assistantship Non-Teaching (GANT) (50% salary and 50% scholarship) administered by Werklund School of Education;
• Salary of up to two Sessional (Graduate Student Teaching) Appointments as per TUCFA Collective Agreement administered by the Werklund School of Education
• Paid internships

MA students will receive funding based on the following conditions:

• must be registered as a full-time student
• must apply for SSHRC funding (October) and the University scholarships competition (December). Failure to apply will result in a decrease or cancellation of departmental funding.
• must maintain satisfactory academic standing in the program

Students who are offered admission to a MA program will receive general information regarding funding opportunities in the offer package.

As a Graduate Student you are expected to devote the time, effort, and energy necessary to engage in scholarship.  As a graduate student, you will determine the specific milestones and requirements of your program of study in consultation with the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar and with your graduate supervisor. 

An integral part of the masters experience is working closely with a supervisor on the development and completion of a research project.  A graduate supervisor mentors graduate students through regular meetings and research training aimed at research, scholarship, teaching and professional development. Graduate supervisors support students in the timely completion of their programs.  As a Graduate Student, you are expected to meet with your graduate supervisor on a regular basis.  While each student-supervisor relationship is unique, graduate supervisors can assist graduate students in a number of ways: advising on course selection, applying for awards and scholarships, obtaining research funds, applying for teaching assistant and sessional teaching opportunities, developing track records in refereed publications and conference presentations, getting involved in leadership and service, and encouraging and supporting apprenticeship in a research community of practice (collaborative review of papers, grants, academic writing, and data analysis). 

In the MA program a supervisor is normally appointed at the time of admission.