Admissions FAQ

Do I need to have a supervisor before applying?

It is highly recommended. So highly recommended that it is likely the best indicator of application outcome. Please research our faculty to see who might fit your research goals, and connect with them to find out if they are taking students. Provide your transcripts, a CV or resume, and be prepared to discuss how your research ideas might fit with what they or their students are working on.

Some general questions to consider:

1. Where are their former students now?  What are their career trajectories? What did they start out doing after completing their degree?
2. Are there funding or research opportunities available that are not obvious from the department website?
3. Should I take any graduate courses or skills workshops outside the department? 
4. What level of communication is required to be successful in the program? Which courses or workshops are available to hone my English language and academic writing skills?
5. What level of computing proficiency is required to be successful in the program?  Which courses or workshops are available to hone my computing skills?
6. When is my expected term of completion?

What should I include in my Statement of Research Interests? How long should it be?

This may also be called a “statement of intent, “description of research interests”, or similar. It’s your opportunity to tell us:

• Your research interests in archaeology
• What you hope to achieve in the program
• Why you’re interested in pursuing an MA or PhD with SFU Archaeology
• How you have prepared yourself academically and professionally for graduate study in archaeology
• What your future career goals are and how our program will help you achieve them

We recommend no more than one page. If you have something written for grant applications, please use that!

Do I need to take the GMAT/GRE exam?

GMAT and GRE test results are neither required nor considered.

Can I send you my transcript/other documents to ensure my eligibility before I apply to the program?

Our graduate program assistant will not be able to complete a full profile review before you officially submit an application. If you aren't sure if you meet the general numbers below, or your degree is from outside Canada or the USA, please send an email and we can do a quick check against the requirements Graduate Studies has on their website.

The general numbers are 3.0/4.33 (entrance requirement), which is approximately 70%, and 3.67/4.33 (funding minimum for Tri Agency awards like SSHRC), which is 85%. There is no "one true way" to calculate GPA from your institution's scale to SFU's scale, so a mathematical conversion using percentages will get you pretty close. Requirements by country (if your degree is not from Canada or the USA) are maintained by Graduate Studies on their Admissions Requirements page.

When will I hear back/How are admissions processed?

After applications are due, we assign all applications to faculty members for review. Once reviewed, they will send the Graduate Program Assistant and Chair a list of students they are considering for admission.

At the admissions meeting, which is usually in February (but may be before or after reading break), all indicated students are discussed and ranked, and admission and funding are voted on.

After the admissions meeting, all the admission and funding information is entered into the applications system, and submitted to Graduate Studies. Decline letters go out within one week. Graduate Studies may take three or more weeks to verify all the application information for each applicant, and send out the offer letters.

Our goal is to have the offer letters sent out by the end of March. Once you receive the offer letter, you have 20 (twenty) days to accept or decline the offer.