Graduate Programs FAQs

Email the Associate Deans Administrative Assistant.

Include the brief reason for your request and your availability with dates/times.

(All requests are kept confidential)

Graduate Certificate & Master of Nursing programs - GPA is calculated on the last two years of full-time study or the last 20 half course equivalents of the bachelor’s degree.

Doctoral programs - GPA is calculated as above on the bachelor’s degree and the entire Master’s degree.

Please contact Graduate Programs Office

Master of Nursing Programs

Evidence of active nursing registration in Alberta through the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) or active nursing registration in their province or territory of employment. Registered Psychiatric Nurses are expected to provide proof of active registration with the College of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Alberta (CRPNA) or equivalent.

For more information contact Graduate Programs Office

Doctoral Programs: Not applicable
Master of Nursing Programs: Not applicable

All universities in Western Canada have an agreement whereby students may easily register into a course at a different Western Canadian university. This is done through the Western Dean’s Agreement.

Students from outside Western Canada, or the country, they may also take courses at University of Calgary as a Visiting Student. 

Please contact Graduate Programs Office

Once admitted into the Advanced Nursing Practice I, does it mean I am automatically enrolled in the Advanced Nursing Practice II Master of Nursing Certificates?

No, Advanced Nursing Practice I, Advanced Nursing Practice II, and Master of Nursing Course-based are all stand-alone programs. Students need to apply for Graduation at the end of each program. When you complete Advanced Nursing Practice I, you will need to meet the academic requirements to be eligible to apply for the Advanced Nursing Practice II.

Students who successfully complete one specialization of the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice I, a second specialization of the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice II, and meet the academic requirements will be eligible to apply for admission into the Master of Nursing Course-based program.

The application process is competitive and acceptance is not automatic.

During the online application process, you are prompted to enter the email addresses for your referees. Email addresses must be from an institution. Any references submitted from a public domain email address (ie: Hotmail, GMail, Yahoo) are not acceptable.

Upon payment of the application fee, the system will automatically email each referee with further instructions on completion and a link to upload the required paperwork directly to the student's application. Once the reference letter and form have been uploaded to the system, an email will be sent to both the referee and applicant confirming that it is complete.

If a referee is unable to upload their reference letters for any reason, contact the Nursing Graduate Office

Learn more about finding good references.

We will make exceptions of late documents within a short time frame on a case by case basis.

You must notify the Graduate Programs Office immediately, otherwise your application will be closed.

Official hard copy transcripts can be sent to the attention of:

Faculty of Graduate Studies
MacKimmie Tower, Second Floor
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta, Canada 
T2N 1N4

Electronic transcripts are now being accepted, please forward to:

Approximately two months after the application deadline.

There are a number of variables that could delay admission decisions.

All applicants will be notified by email of their admission. 

Check your status on myUCalgary Student Centre.

Please refer to: 

College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) for details.  

College of Psychiatric Registered Nurses of Alberta (CPRNA) for details  

Admission can be deferred up to one year with the permission of the Associate Dean, Graduate Programs at the Faculty of Nursing.

Please contact Graduate Programs Office

Doctor of Philosophy  (PhD) students must be completed within 6 years.

Doctor of Nursing (DN) most students complete the program in 3 years. Students have up to 6 years to complete.

Master of Nursing thesis-based most students complete in 2.5 years. Students must be completed within 4 years.

Master of Nursing course-based most students complete the certificate laddered MNCB program in 3 years. Students have up to 6 years to complete.

Find out more at the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.