Transcript:
Official copies of transcripts and degree certificates from all previous post-secondary schooling showing marks obtained
Transcripts and degree certificates from foreign, non-Anglophone institutions must be submitted in the original language, accompanied by a certified English translation.
Curriculum Vitae:
Curriculum vitae
Fill out the online CV form on the application website; if you wish, you may also upload a separate CV but this is not required.
Personal Statement:
Research proposal (1-2 pages)
Your research proposal should explain clearly what specific research topic you wish to pursue during your MA program. Although you do not need to explain exactly what you will write about in your MA thesis, you should be able to explain what kinds of questions you wish to pursue about which narrow sub-field within your chosen discipline. Your research proposal should demonstrate a clear knowledge of North American research standards and methodologies, which are vastly different from those prevalent in Asian academia. (If you have not had prior exposure to North American research methods, it is strongly recommended that you read extensively in recent English-language scholarly publications in your field before beginning your application.) Your research proposal should also propose a line of research that one of our current faculty members is capable of supervising (see "People" tab on the left side menu). If none of our faculty members focuses on your intended research field, you should consider applying to a different program. Finally, while it is good to include in your research proposal a description of how your prior education has prepared you for this line of study, it is not appropriate to include personal information in your research proposal.
Recommendation Letter:
Three reference letters submitted directly to the online application system
Ideally, your letters of reference should be sent by professors who can testify to your research aptitude in the field which you wish to study during your MA program. More specific letters (including a candid assessment of both your strengths and weaknesses) are more helpful to your application. Please request letters from your writers at least one month in advance of our due date, and remind them to upload them on time.
Writing Sample:
Writing sample (5-15 pages, in English)
Your writing sample should be an academic paper on a subject closely related to your proposed field of graduate study. It is important that you use this writing sample, not just to demonstrate mastery of written English, but also mastery of contemporary North American research methodologies in your chosen field. You may submit a paper which you have previously turned in as a class assignment, but it is strongly recommended that you revise this paper to make it as good as possible before uploading it to our application system.