The Convenience
of Online Study
Graduate Diploma in Business Administration
How to Apply
This online program is open to international students but does not qualify for a study permit or post-graduate work permit. Please see program requirements for more information.
Application Deadline
Fall 2024
- Round 1: May 24, 2024 (new)
- Round 2: June 21, 2024
- Final Round: July 22, 2024
Spring 2025
- Round 1: September 20, 2024 (new)
- Round 2: October 18, 2024
- Final Round: November 15, 2024
Before the start of the program, students need to attend a mandatory online orientation over the course of 14-days. Expect to spend approximately 10-15 hours completing the various learning activities over this period.
The application process is detailed below. Please apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed/admitted on an ongoing basis after each application (round) deadline.
If you have any questions during the application process or are unable to apply online, please contact the GDBA office at gdba@sfu.ca.
Complete Online Application Form
- Apply now and start the online application
- Your application remains open for one week while you complete it
Reference letters
- You are required to submit two reference letters.
- The online application form will have a section for information on your two referees.
- Once you have submitted your online application, your referees will be automatically sent an email requesting them to upload their reference letter.
- Once the reference letter is submitted, your online checklist is updated.
- Download the Guide to Writing Reference Letters.
- You are not entitled to review or submit the letter on behalf of the referee, nor can you request information regarding the content or tone of a reference letter or evaluation.
- Guidelines for the submission of reference letters specify that referees state whether or not the applicant will see the letters.
- All letters of reference received at the SFU Beedie School of Business, Graduate Programs are treated as confidential and will not be shared with or returned to applicants or referee.
Pay Application Fee
- Once you complete and submit the online application form, you will receive a link to pay your application fee approximately 48 hours later.
- In order to use the online
application system, you will need to pay an application fee of $110 CAN (students with Canadian transcripts) or $150 CAN (students with international transcripts) by credit card (MasterCard or Visa).
- If you do not pay the application fee within 28 days of starting your application, your application will be cancelled.
Upload and send supporting documents
- Once you have paid the application fee, 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 online:
Please upload the following supporting documents through the online application system:
- Resume: A complete resume showing employment, volunteer activities, education and other appropriate information.
- Transcripts: 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. Please note: If your transcripts are not in English and no translation is provided by the university, you'll need to provide an approved translation. Learn more.
- Essay: the essay prompts will be available once you begin your application.
- English proficiency test (if applicable): For those students whose first language is not English and whose previous education has been conducted in a country where English is not the primary language (view a full list of accepted countries), 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: Department code 01; Institution code 0999. If ETS requires a departmental code please select the most appropriate choice from this list. The minimum University requirements for test scores are:
Internet-based TOEFL | 93 with minimum of 20 in each category. In order to satisfy the requirement, applicants must achieve the scores listed above on a single test date. TOEFL MyBest (super-scored) results will not be used. |
Paper-based TOEFL | 580 and TWE 5 |
IELTS (academic) | overall band score of 7.0 of the academic (NOT general) test with a minimum of 6.5 in each section |
CAEL | overall 70; minimum 60 in each section |
Pearson Academic (PTE) | overall 65; minimum 60 in each section |
Cambridge English Qualifications | C1 Advanced - minimum score of 193 |
Please note: Candidates below the English Language requirements will be asked to retake the test.
Documents to be delivered:
In addition, please deliver the following supporting document(s) to the following address:
Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Maggie Benston Centre 1100
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
Canada
- Official Transcripts: Official transcripts for credit courses from the Registrar of each post-secondary institution you attended must 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. Learn more.
- TOEFL or IELTS (if applicable): Please inform the Educational Testing Service to forward your official score report to our office. Code for TOEFL results: Department code 01; Institution code 0999.
Video Assessment
Shortlisted candidates are asked to complete an online video interview assessment.
Upon Acceptance
- Within 7 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.
- Graduate students can pay by credit card through the graduate student online application system, or use one of the other methods listed on the page.
Connect with our team
Our admissions team is more than happy to answer your questions so you know what you can expect before, during, and beyond your program.