2010-2011 Graduate Calendar

Admissions

 

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All prospective students are encouraged to apply and will be considered on the basis of evidence of probable success in their chosen program. Enrolment has been limited in order that our students may continue to benefit from the University's traditions of personal contact and individual attention. Applicants must be formally admitted to the University before they can register in degree credit courses.

The regulations for admission specify minimum requirements only. Possession of the minimum requirements is not a guarantee of admission. The University reserves the right to refuse admission to any candidate.

Assessment of academic background and eligibility for admission to graduate programs is a joint responsibilityf The graduate program which will make recommendations for acceptance of applicants to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The Dean of Graduate Studies is responsible to ensure the quality of the admission of students to the doctoral, master's and graduate diploma programs of the University on the recommendation of the Graduate Program Director and/or Faculty Dean. The admission is based on an assessment of the student's qualifications for the proposed program of study and entails specific credit, residence, course, thesis, and examination requirements, which vary from program to program.

 

Policy Statement

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Brock has had and will continue to have a racially non-discriminatory policy and therefore does not discriminate against applicants and students on the basis of race, colour or national or ethnic origin. Such a non-discriminatory policy applies to staff and extends to non-discrimination on grounds of creed or sex.

It is the policy of Brock University that all students must therefore submit a declaration on their application for admission and on their confirmation of registration attesting to their citizenship. Each student should be aware that documentation of citizenship may be required and that a penalty for a false statement is deregistration. In addition, any changes in status, e.g., from visa student to permanent resident or Canadian citizen require proof of the new status with appropriate document(s).

 

Application Procedures

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The Faculty of Graduate Studies recommends that all applicants review the program literature of the graduate program they are interested in through the program calendar entry the program website experience.brocku.ca/Graduate_Study/GradProg.ezc, and by contacting the Graduate Program Director, faculty members, or the Faculty of Graduate Studies for additional information.

It is particularly important for those students applying to research graduate programs that they familiarize themselves with the research profiles/interests of the program faculty members and that they make initial contact with a potential graduate supervisor. For many graduate programs, agreement from a faculty member to supervise the student is required for admission to the program.

Application instructions and the link to the online application can be found at:experience.brocku.ca/Graduate_Study/instructionsgrad.ezc Many graduate programs require the submission of additional application materials.

These materials can be submitted directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies office.

All documents become the property of the University and will not be returned.

 

Application Deadlines

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Application for admission should be made as early as possible. Potential students should refer to the Application Deadline Chart found at: experience.brocku.ca/Graduate_Study/applicationdeadlines.ezc to determine the application deadline for the program to which they wish to apply. The review of applications by the program's admission committee will commence following the application deadline and will continue until the program is full for each entry point.

The responsibility rests with the applicant to ensure that all documents are submitted by the deadline date as indicated on the Application Deadline Chart.

Upon applying to the Faculty of Graduate Studies you will be provided with a user name and password allowing you to log in to experience.brocku.ca to check the status of your application and your documents.

 

International Applicants

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Applications for admission from outside of Canada should be completed at least six months before the desired date of admission in order for students to make the necessary visa arrangements. Official documentation is required in order to consider applications, please see application instructions at: experience.brocku.ca/Graduate_Study/instructionsgradezc

Degrees and grades from foreign institutions are evaluated for their equivalency to those at Brock University.

Students entering Canada from other countries are required to comply with Canadian immigration requirements. Student Study Permits are issued abroad by Canadian diplomatic, consular or immigration officers. Where there is no Canadian representative, prospective students may apply to representatives of the British government. An official letter of acceptance from Brock University must be presented at that time. Registration in co-operative programs is available only to students eligible for employment in Canada in their chosen field.

Upon acceptance of the offer of admission to a graduate co-op program, the students name will be sent to the Co-op Office at Brock. A work permit will be processed following the guidelines of Citizenship and Immigration Canada. This permit will be issued at the time of employment and may only be used for a work placement that benefits the academic program.

A pamphlet outlining immigration requirements is available from Canadian immigration officers, Canadian embassies, consulates, high commissioners' offices, and British consular offices or directly from the Immigration Division, Citizenship and Immigration department, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada cic.gc.ca

In addition to the information outlined above for domestic applicants, international applicants must also submit proof of Language Profibmitted.

 

Proof of English Language Proficiency

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Applicants who have not completed three or more years of post-secondary work at a Canadian institution or at an institution at which English was the primary language of instruction will be required to provide proof of English language proficiency through one of the following:

A) Successful completion of Level 5 of the Brock Intensive English Language Program; or

B) A minimum TOEFL CBT score of 213 plus 4.0 minimum for the essay writing, or TOEFL iBT (Internet based) minimum overall score of 80 with not sub-test score under 19; or

C) A minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with no section uner 5.5; or

D) A minimum overall score range of 520-545 (Range 2), with a minimum writing score of 225-235 on the Brock University International Test of English Language Proficiency (ITELP); or

E) Achievement of an overall Band Score of 60, with 60 in writing, and no other under 50 on the Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL); or

F) An average of at least 4.5 with no band score lower than 4.0 on the Can Test (Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees).

G) Applicants who have completed three or more years of post-secondary work at an institution where English was not the only language of instruction must provide confirmation from the institution that their program of study was taught exclusively in English.

*Please note that test scores must have been taken within the last two years to be considered.

An applicant requesting a waiver of the English Language Proficiency Test submission requirements must do so in writing, providing verification from the University at which they completed their most recent degree (undergraduate or graduate) that the language of instruction for that degree program was English. It should be noted that, in order to maintain a high academic standard, very few waivers are granted. It is recommended that all applicants for whom English is not their first language submit an English Proficiency Test result with their application. In all cases of requests for a waiver, the Faculty of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the graduate program, will make the final determination.

Please note that some graduate programs may require higher English language test scores or additional English language proficiency verification.

Students admitted on the basis of an English Language Proficiency test score are required to take the Brock University ITELP test upon arrival at the University as a condition of admission (cost of test $50) Test results and recommendations will be forwarded to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Graduate Program Director, the student and the student's graduate supervisor. The intent of the English Language proficiency assessment on arrival at Brock is to provide the student, the graduate supervisor and the graduate program with an early indication of the student's English language capability as they enter the graduate program. It is up to the program director and the student to review the results and to determine and implement any required or suggested student specific English language proficiency remediation or support.

Reinstatement of students who withdrew or were required to withdraw

Students who have previously been accepted to and registered in a graduate program at Brock University but voluntarily withdrew or were required to withdraw may apply for reinstatement to their graduate program by completing a Request for Reinstatement Form found at: graduate-studies/current-students/student-forms

The Request for Reinstatement form will be forwarded to the graduate program for consideration and the student will be informed of the program's decision. The Request for Reinstatement must be accompanied by a $75 fee.

 

University Admissions Requirements

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Master's Programs

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To be admitted to a Master's program, a student will normally hold an Honours Bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, with a minimum overall grade average of 75% (mid-B) from an accredited institution. Some graduate programs may have additional or higher admission requirements. Check the specific admission requirements for the graduate program to which you wish to apply. See Graduate Program Admission Information found below and program entries within the Graduate Calendar: experience.brocku.ca/Graduate_Study/GradProg.ezc

 

Doctoral Programs

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To be admitted to a PhD program, a student will normally hold either an appropriate Master's degree, or its equivalent, with a minimum overall Master's grade average of 80% (low-A) from an accredited university. Alternatively, students with an Honours undergraduate degree already registered in a Brock University Master's program, may be approved to transfer to Doctoral studies by no later than the end of term six of their Master's program. Such students should have attained an 80% average in their Master's courses and significant research progress as determined by their supervisory committee and graduate program. Check the specific admission requirements for the graduate program to which you wish to apply. See Graduate Program Admission Information found below and program entries within the Graduate Calendar: experience.brocku.ca/Graduate_Study/GradProg.ezc

*Admission is not guaranteed by the attainment of the minimum of either university or graduate program admission requirements. Admission is a competitive process.

Conditional admission

Applicants may be admitted to a graduate program contingent upon the successful completion of specified additional academic requirements.

Non-degree admission to graduate studies

A non-degree student is one who is not proceeding towards a Brock University degree. The non-degree students are identified as:

1.  Qualifying or Upgrading Graduate Students - those who are taking courses (undergraduate and/or graduate) to qualify for graduate study.
2.  Letter of Permission Graduate Students - those approved by their home universities to take graduate courses at Brock.
3.  Ontario Visiting Graduate Students - those approved by their home universities to take graduate courses at Brock.
4.  Professional development or personal interest - those approved by a graduate program to take graduate courses at Brock.
5.  Exchange students
 

Offers of Admission

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The official offer of admission will be issued by the Dean of Graduate Studies or his/her designate. Students not recommended for admission will also be notified by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Applicants who are completing their degree at time of admission must submit to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, prior to registration, official transcripts indicating completion and awarding of degree and maintenance of Brock's minimum admission average requirements.

Some offers of admission may be made with specific conditions attached. Pre-registration conditions (as outlined in the official offer of admission letter) must be met before registration in the graduate program is allowed.

The University may nullify an offer of admission and revoke registration if it finds that an applicant has provided false, plagiarized or incomplete information.

All students admitted to a funded graduate program will receive a Graduate Student Funding Package Form as part of their admission package that outlines the funding they will receive in year 1 of their graduate program. Additional years of funding will be confirmed prior to each anniversary of the student's start date.

 

Transfer Students

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Students admitted to a graduate program may be granted transfer credit, at the time of admission, to a maximum of one-third of graduate degree course requirements, for graduate courses completed at another university that are approved by the graduate program. (For the MBA the maximum number of transfer credits is 5.0.) Only graduate courses completed with a grade of B+ or higher, within the last five years, will be considered for transfer. Credit will not be granted for courses that have been credited toward another degree or diploma at Brock or another university. Candidates must submit official transcripts, course descriptions, and other supporting documentation before consideration will be given to granting transfer credit.

Students admitted as transfer students must be in good standing with their previous institution and eligible to enroll at that institution at the time of admission to Brock.

 

Advanced Standing

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The MBA program will automatically assess a student's transcripts for completed undergraduate credits that would be considered to be equivalent to those normally completed in the first year of the MBA. Subject to the student's performance in the undergraduate courses, up to a maximum of five credits (ten half-credit courses) may be granted as advanced standing credits.

 
Last updated: January 24, 2011 @ 10:56AM