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What is the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies?

The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Alberta is the administrative unit that oversees graduate education and postdoctoral appointments. It serves prospective and current master's and doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty supervisors and departments.

Its responsibilities typically include:

• Admissions and recruitment: coordinating applications, minimum standards and program-specific requirements.
• Program administration: degree regulations, thesis and candidacy milestones, and graduation checks.
• Funding and awards: managing scholarships, bursaries and internal award competitions.
• Postdoctoral affairs: appointments, professional development and researcher support.
• Policy and quality assurance: maintaining academic standards across graduate programs.

For applicants, it is mainly a source of admission requirements, deadlines and funding information. For enrolled students, it handles forms, appeals and progress rules that sit above individual departments. Postdoctoral researchers may use it for appointment conditions and career resources rather than coursework.

A key trade-off is centralisation: consistent rules and central funding are easier to navigate, but program-specific details usually come from your department, so both sources matter. General pay and compensation information for university staff is disclosed separately on the university's human resources pages.

Official site: Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

What graduate programs are offered at the University of Alberta?

The University of Alberta offers graduate study across a broad range of disciplines, coordinated by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Rather than a single catalogue, programs are organized by department and faculty, so the range spans research-based and professionally oriented options.

Typical program types

• Thesis-based master's degrees, suited to students who want a research career or a path to doctoral study.
• Course-based master's degrees, often chosen by working professionals or those seeking applied skills.
• Doctoral (PhD) programs, focused on original research and supervised by a faculty member.
• Postdoctoral appointments, for researchers who have completed a doctorate.

Where programs are offered

Graduate degrees are administered through faculties and schools such as science, engineering, arts, medicine and dentistry, business, education, agriculture, life and environmental sciences, law, nursing, pharmacy, and public health. Specific offerings change over time, so prospective students should check the GPS website for current program lists and requirements.

Audience and trade-offs

The university is a large research institution, which typically means extensive supervision capacity, facilities and funding opportunities, but also more competition and less individualized attention than at a smaller institution. Admission usually requires prior academic credentials, references and, for some programs, tests or work experience.

Costs vary by program and student status; consult official pages rather than assuming a single figure. The main entry point is Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.

How do I apply for graduate studies at the University of Alberta?

Applying to graduate studies at the University of Alberta runs through the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, which coordinates applications across most departments and programs. The general path is similar for many applicants, though each program sets its own requirements and deadlines.

Typical steps

• Choose a program and confirm whether it offers a thesis-based or course-based route.
• Check the program page for specific admission requirements, test scores and deadlines.
• Prepare supporting documents, which may include transcripts, references and a statement of interest.
• Submit the online application and pay the application fee.
• Send official documents if you are admitted or if the program requests them.

What to watch for

Competitive research programs often expect you to identify a potential supervisor before or during the application. Professional and course-based programs may weigh work experience more heavily than research fit.

Deadlines vary widely, and funding consideration often has an earlier cutoff than general admission. International applicants should allow extra time for study permits and document verification.

The central graduate studies site at Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies is the best starting point for application requirements and program links.

What funding and scholarships are available for graduate students?

The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Alberta supports graduate students through a mix of internal awards, external scholarships and employment-based funding. Prospective and current students typically encounter three main routes:

• Internal awards and scholarships: Departmental and faculty-level awards, often with specific eligibility criteria such as field of study, citizenship or academic standing. Deadlines and nomination processes vary by unit.
• External scholarships: National and provincial competitions, including tri-agency funding for research-based programs. These usually require an application separate from admission.
• Employment-based support: Graduate teaching or research assistantships, which provide stipend income alongside tuition and fee obligations.

Funding packages are generally assembled rather than awarded as a single amount, so the total value depends on the program, supervisor availability and whether a student holds an external award. Research-based master's and doctoral students are more likely to receive multi-year packages, while course-based professional programs may offer limited or no guaranteed funding. International students often face different eligibility rules and tuition rates, which can affect the net value of an award.

Because funding rules sit with individual departments, the most reliable step is to check the program page and contact the graduate coordinator directly. General information is available at Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. Applicants should also confirm deadlines well before admission, since many scholarship competitions close earlier than program applications.

What support services are available for postdoctoral fellows?

Postdoctoral fellows at the University of Alberta are supported by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, which coordinates appointments, policies and professional development. This central office is typically the first stop for questions about postdoc status, funding and university requirements.

Support commonly includes:

• Professional development – workshops and programming on research skills, teaching, communication and career planning, often delivered with campus partners.
• Funding and award guidance – information on internal and external fellowships, plus help interpreting offer letters and stipend expectations.
• Administrative support – appointment processing, immigration-related guidance for international fellows, and connections to payroll and benefits.
• Health, wellness and benefits – access to university benefit plans and campus wellness resources, depending on appointment type and eligibility.
• Community and supervision – orientation, networking and resources for working effectively with a supervisor.

For international postdocs, immigration and work-permit questions are usually handled through the university's international services in coordination with the faculty. Because benefits and eligibility vary by appointment category and funding source, fellows should confirm details directly rather than assume uniform coverage.

What are the admission requirements for graduate programs?

For graduate study at the University of Alberta, admission requirements are set by each program rather than by a single university-wide standard. The Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies coordinates applications and sets minimum expectations, but departments decide the specific criteria.

Typical requirements include:

• A four-year bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, from an accredited institution.
• A minimum admission grade point average, often around 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, though competitive programs may require higher.
• English language proficiency test scores for applicants whose previous instruction was not in English.
• Program-specific materials such as a statement of interest, CV, writing sample, portfolio or audition.
• Letters of reference, usually two or three, from academic or professional contacts.
• Some programs, especially doctoral ones, expect a master's degree or prior research experience.

Prerequisites vary widely: a master's in economics may demand advanced calculus and statistics, while an MBA may expect work experience. Deadlines also differ, with many departments admitting for fall only.

Prospective students should check the exact requirements of the program they want, confirm whether the GRE or other tests are needed, and verify that referees and transcripts can be submitted by the stated deadline. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission, as places are limited.