Review the admission requirements, and begin preparing your required documents.

Reference letters must be specific to the application. At least TWO out of the THREE required references should be written by referees who are able to comment on your abilities and to make an informed judgment about your likelihood of success in graduate study (e.g., professors). When entering your referees' information, you must use their professional or institutional email address.

Ensure your referees include the following:

• A frank appraisal of the applicant's ability to undertake a rigorous program of graduate study.
• Reference to the applicant’s scholarly competence and academic ability to undertake advanced studies in education.
• Personal qualities deemed relevant to the applicant’s ability to engage in graduate work.
• Length of time and the context in which the referee has known the applicant.
• Addressed to SFU on referee's institutional/professional letterhead.

Required supporting documents

After you submit the online application and pay the application fee you will be required to upload the following PDF documents:

• Transcripts for each post-secondary institution attended
• Academic Writing Sample
• Curriculum Vitae/Resume
• Letter of Intent

Complete the Online Application for Graduate Studies at SFU

Apply Here

Important notes about the online application system/process:

• Can take approximately 45 minutes to complete.
• You do not have to wait until you have all your supporting documents ready before applying. Graduate programs can be competitive, therefore is it recommended that you begin your application early to complete the online sections and being preparing and collecting the required documents.  
• The online application system will allow you to partially complete the process, save, and return later.
  
• The online application system is only available while applications are being accepted for each program.

Once you complete and submit Step 1 of the the online application, you wil need to pay the non-refundable application fee:

• $90 CAN (applicants with Canadian transcripts only)
• $125 CAN (students with one or more international transcripts)

Payment must be made by credit card (Mastercard or Visa). Once the payment is approved, you will receive an email confirming that your payment was successful and inviting you to proceed to submitting references and Uploading Documents (checklist).

Academic Writing Sample (PDF)

Upload a recent example of academic (written within the last five to seven years). The writing sample should demonstrate your ability to develop a logical sequence of ideas, support claims with evidence, and properly cite references using a consistent style.  

The writing sample:

• may be a: research report, literature review, position paper, policy brief, curriculum, evaluation report, or other scholarly paper;
• must include a title page with the author's name and date paper was written. If the sample was originally written for a different context (e.g. submitted for course credit, developed as a work product), then identify the original context and clarify whether the document has been edited or otherwise updated since the orginal submission;
• should apply a consistent style of writing including formatting the in-text citations and reference list according to a style manual such as the latest edition of APA, MLA or Chicago style manuals, or another organization's institutional style sheet;
• should be approximately 15-20 pages, double spaced, including references. You may also submit two or three shorter samples in one PDF;
• preference is sole-authored documents. If you submit a co-authored paper as a second sample, clarify what specific components of the paper you contributed. In describing your role in writing the paper, you may want to consult the list of activity categories identified in the APA’s authorship determination scorecard;
• must adhere to the principles of academic integrity.

Curriculum Vitae/Resume (PDF)

Upload a current copy of your curriculum vitae/resume (3 pages maximum). It may include a summary of publications.  

Letter of Intent (PDF)

Upload a typed letter of intent as a PDF file. Outline the following in your letter of intent (approximately 500 words):

• Explain in your own words why you wish to pursue graduate work in the area you are applying.
  
• Detail your educational background, relevant research experience and training, and your research interests and goals.
  
• Be sure to include your full name, employment and position.