Frequently Asked Questions

The current tuition fee for this program is $259.32/credit. The program consists of 33 credits for a total cost of $8,557.56 plus the cost of course materials and other applicable student fees. Students should budget approximately $10,000 for the entire program.

Please note that tuition fees are always subject to change.

For more information visit https://www.sfu.ca/students/calendar/fees-and-regulations/tuition-fees/graduate.html#specialty

Unfortunately, there are no financial aid options for this specialty graduate program.

Please carefully review the detailed information  (“Admission Requirements”” and “Application Procedure”) found under the “Admissions” tab.  

There are a limited number of places available in the MA ALS program (a maximum of 33, although that number may be reduced in a given year to accommodate deferrals). 

Admission to the program is highly competitive.

No, completion of this program does not automatically mean that you are a notary public. In addition to the MAALS program, students must successfully pass the Notary Society’s supplementary training requirements, the statutory examinations, and be installed as a notary public by the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

The MA ALs Program is a full time graduate degree program.  Each three credit program in the course involves 39 hours of class/lecture time.  As described under the program overview tab, courses are delivered using a mix of online and in person methods.  The in person components delivered in the Spring, Summer Intersession and initial Fall terms include one week of full time classes (9:30-4:30). In addition to class/lecture time, students must set aside adequate time for study and completion of assignments.  The exact amount of time required for this purpose will depend on the individual student; you may wish to review the information available here at the SFU Student Learning Commons website.

Course credits are not automatically transferable to another program. 

We ask that students with degrees completed outside of Canada have all of their educational credentials (undergraduate and graduate) assessed by the International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES) offered at BCIT. For more information please visit https://www.bcit.ca/ices/

Applicants will not be required to complete an English-language test if they have completed a degree at an institution where the language of instruction and examination was in English in a country where English is the primary language.  

Reference: https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/apply/applying/english-language.html

Please note that the ICES evaluation is the only one that is accepted for students with international degrees looking to apply for admission to the MA ALS program.