1. Complete and submit the online application. You will need to provide:

• Information on your academic history
• A statement of your proposed research interests (up to 400 words)
• A writing sample
• The names of three (3) potential supervisors. Please see our faculty page for a list of faculty and their research areas. Each faculty member's profile states whether or not they are currently accepting new graduate students. 
• PhD applicants only: Your most recent CV (curriculum vitae)
• Email contact information for three (3) academic referees. The referees should be able to comment on the applicant's qualifications for graduate study. Recommendations from a non-academic person should not be used unless the applicant has been away from an academic institution for some time. The system will send an automated email providing referees with access to the online referee form they need to complete.

2. Pay the application fee:

• Once your application is submitted, you have seven days to pay the application fee. You will then be able to upload transcripts and other documents. 

Note: Steps 1 and 2 of the application process must be completed and submitted before requests for references are sent out to referees and access to document uploading is available. Allow sufficient time for referees to complete references before the final deadline.

3. Upload documents. After payment of the application fee, upload PDF files of:

• One (1) set of unofficial transcripts from ALL post-secondary institutions attended, and
• An academic paper, in English, as a writing sample. It should not exceed 20 pages in length.

4. If you receive an offer of admission, send official transcripts by e-mail:

• One set of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended must be sent to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at gradap@sfu.ca. Transcripts that are not in English require an official translation (transcripts from Quebec universities are exempted from this translation requirement).

Note: This step needs to be taken after you have been made an offer of admission. You only need unofficial transcripts in order to apply. 

English is the language of instruction and communication at SFU. Accordingly, an applicant whose primary language is not English must demonstrate command of English sufficient to pursue graduate studies in the chosen field. See graduate general regulation 1.3.12. 

International applicants whose primary language is not English 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.

The Simon Fraser University Graduate Program accepts the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) for testing English proficiency. Official test scores must be sent directly to Simon Fraser University from the language testing service. We do not accept student copies or photocopies.

The minimum graduate program admission requirements for test scores:

• Internet-based TOEFL: 93 with minimum of 20 in each section
• Paper-based TOEFL: 580 and TWE 5.0
• IELTS (academic): overall band score of 7.0 on the academic (NOT general) test with a minimum of 6.5 in each section

Do you recommend that I get in touch with my prospective supervisor(s) before I apply?

Yes, we do. You can consult a list of our faculty members here. At least two faculty members must be open to supervising your work should your application be successful.

I have an MA in another discipline clearly different from political science (e.g. sociology, anthropology, economics, history) and I do not have a BA in political science. Am I still eligible for your PhD program?

No. Our PhD program requires sufficient background in core political science debates and literatures. We strongly suggest that you stay in your discipline and pursue a PhD in that discipline. While doing so, you can expand your intellectual horizons by taking political science courses.

I do not have a BA in political science. Am I still eligible for your MA program?

That will depend on how much political science training you received in your undergraduate program. Generally speaking, your MA application will not be strong unless you have received significant political science or social science training. If you have a weak political science background, your best possible outcome is to be accepted to the qualifying year program.

This program is for you to establish your eligibility for the MA program. If accepted as a qualifying student, you will be required to finish some 300- or 400-level political science courses with high grades in our undergraduate program (within a maximum of one year). After that, you can apply for our MA program.

Note: The successful completion of a qualifying year does not guarantee entry to our MA program. Alternatively, you may want to get more undergraduate training in political science before applying to our MA program.

I have an MA in an interdisciplinary field (political science is part of it). I notice that you require an MA in political science to apply for your PhD program. Am I still eligible?

The requirement ensures that PhD students have sufficient advanced-level training in political science. While we accept PhD applications from those who do not have MAs in political science, the admissions committee will carefully assess them, on a case-by-case basis to determine if an applicant is likely to succeed in the PhD program.