International students

With one of Canada's highest international enrolment rates, UCalgary is a top choice graduate education.

The University of Calgary is a world-class university that inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. In addition to working with some of the best minds in your field, you will have access to workshops and services dedicated to your academic and professional development, ensuring that you have the best student experience possible. And you get to live in Canada's most enterprising city!

If you are thinking of working with an agent, please note that only applications made through the official UCalgary web application will be considered for admission. If successful, an offer will be sent directly to you from the university and made available in the Student Centre. The university does not release admission information to third parties, including agents. To accept your admission, you will need to log in to the Student Centre with an eID, a personalized unique ID for electronic access.

To be considered for admission to your graduate program, you must meet the admission requirements set out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and by your graduate program of interest.

We encourage you to apply for a study permit as soon as possible after accepting your offer of admission. For best results, international students intending to study at University of Calgary beginning in Fall 2024 should submit their study permit application before May 1, 2024. You can check the average current processing times for study permits on the IRCC website.

Study Permit Application Notice

As of January 22, 2024, many international students have required a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to apply for a study permit. Beginning January 2025, more groups of international students will require a PAL, including students in graduate degree-granting programs

Learn more about PALs

The Faculty of Graduate Studies sets minimum requirements for ELP in the Academic Calendar. Please note that some graduate programs have ELP requirements that are higher than the minimum requirements set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. English Language Proficiency (ELP) scores must be received directly from the test score agency. We are unable to accept test results sent directly from applicants.

Below are common tests and how to report your score to the University of Calgary. To see all the available ELP requirement fulfillment options, see the Graduate Calendar.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) or the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition
- Instructions for sharing your score can be found on their website
- When requesting that official test results are forwarded to the University of Calgary, indicate the institution code 0813 and the code appropriate to the graduate program, as listed on the TOEFL website
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Instructions for sharing your score can be found on their website
- The University of Calgary institution code is 139719
Pearson Test of English (PTE)
- Instructions for sharing your score can be found on their website
Duolingo English Test
- Instructions for sharing your score can be found on their website

To avoid delayed processing times please refrain from sending application documents before submitting your application.

A Graduate Program Director may exempt an applicant whose first language is not English from the ELP requirement if they meet the following criteria:

The student has completed

a Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 3 years in length), or
a Graduate Degree

in an institution where the language of instruction and examination is English. If the institution has multiple languages of instruction, the Graduate Program Director may ask for confirmation of the language of instruction for your degree.

Eligible institutions must be listed as providing English language instruction in the World Higher Education Database (WHED). Please remember, even if you have a degree from an institution included on this list, exemption from ELP requirements remain at the discretion of Graduate Program Directors.