A)  Undergraduate Degree

Applicants must have a non-business undergraduate degree with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5 (3.0 is preferred). International students (CLICK HERE) to view the equivalent degree average required from your country.

B)  Language Proficiency

All courses in the GDBA program are taught in English, therefore all applicants must be fluent in English. 

English is the language of instruction and communication in the University. Accordingly, an applicant whose primary language is not English or whose previous education has been conducted in another language must demonstrate sufficient command of the English language as evidenced by achieving a satisfactory score on a standardized English test acceptable to the University. The two tests which are acceptable for this purpose are: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) including reading, writing, speaking, and listening components, and the IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems). 

The minimum university requirements for test scores is:
TOEFL 93 with a minimum of 20 in each category (internet based exam) and a TWE of 5 (the paper based TOEFL score is also accepted with a minimum score of 580).
IELTS overall band score of 7.0

C)  Computer Literacy

Candidates are expected to be computer literate and familiar with the Internet. They will become familiar with how to work online as part of their orientation in the first semester of the program.

D)  Computer Hardware and Software

Students are expected to have access to at least 1GB RAM, ADSL or cable modem for internet access, Microsoft Office, and Internet Explorer/Firefox/Safari. All students will be required to participate in online group conferencing. Certain courses may require students to use additional software.

E)  Time to Study

As is the case with other graduate programs, the GDBA requires a significant commitment from participants. Typically, you can expect to spend approximately 15 hours per week on each course. Students with a full course load will take two courses (8 credits) simultaneously. 

The program consists of 24 credits:
Full-time = 8 credits per semester (one year)
Part-time = 4 credits per semester (two years)

The Graduate Studies Application System must be used for your official application. Your application remains open for one week while you complete it.

If you have any questions during the application process or cannot apply online, please contact the GDBA office at 778.782.5256 or by email at gdba@sfu.ca.

Pay the non-refundable application fee of $90 CAN (students with Canadian transcripts) or $125 CAN (students with international transcripts) is payable by credit card (MasterCard or Visa).

Please note: If you do not complete your application or pay the $90 CAN (students with Canadian transcripts) or $125 CAN (students with international transcripts) within one week of application completion, your application will be cancelled. To pay the application fee, login at https://go.sfu.ca/goprd/gradapplication.html with your User ID and password and select 'Make a Payment' from the Application Services page.

Once you have paid the application fee, you may use the online application system to upload supporting documents for review. Applications are evaluated in the order in which they are completed. It is to your advantage to upload and submit your supporting documents early to avoid application peaks.

Documents to be Uploaded

Please upload the following supporting documents through the online application system:

• Resume: Please upload a complete resume showing employment, volunteer activities, education and other appropriate information.
• Transcripts: Please upload a copy of your official/unofficial transcript to expedite the evaluation process. Signed and sealed official transcripts are still required to be mailed directly to the Graduate Business program office. See below for details.
• Self Evaluation: Please upload a completed self evaluation in PDF format. Click here to download the Self Evaluation document.
• TOEFL or IELTS Score Report (if applicable): For those students whose first language is not English and whose undergraduate degrees have not been obtained at an institution where English is the language of instructions, please upload of a copy of the score report in PDF format. Please make sure the Educational Testing Service is informed to forward your official score to our office. ETS Code for TOEFL: 0999

Documents to be Delivered

In addition, please deliver the following supporting document(s) to the Graduate Business Program office at the following address:

GDBA Program
Beedie School of Business
Simon Fraser University
3rd Floor
500 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 1W6

• Official Transcripts for credit courses from the Registrar of each post-secondary institution you attended is required to be sent directly to the Graduate Business program office. Only one copy is required from each institution. If the transcripts are issued to you, they must be signed and sealed by your post-secondary institution.
• TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable): Please inform the Educational Testing Service to forward your official score report to our office. Code for TOEFL results: 0999

To check the status of your application, simply login at https://go.sfu.ca/goprd/gradapplication.html with your User ID and password and select "View Application Status" from the Application Services page.

Within 20 business days of receiving your acceptance letter, a non-refundable deposit of $500 CDN must be submitted. This deposit reserves your seat in the GDBA program, and will be applied towards your tuition. Please make the cheque or bank draft payable to Simon Fraser University and send to the Graduate Business program office, once you have received a letter of acceptance.

GDBA Program
Beedie Business
Segal Graduate School
Simon Fraser University
3rd Floor
500 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 1W6