FAQs for Incoming Graduate Students to Laurier, September 2020

On May 15, the university announced its overall approach to the fall — Laurier will continue to offer most courses online and virtually. We continue to work together to identify aspects of programs and activities we can deliver in person, as aligned with public health requirements.

For more information read the Graduate Instructional Plans for Fall 2020 by Faculty. Be assured that our faculty and staff will continue to work closely with students to offer the high quality of teaching and student satisfaction for which Laurier is known.

We are confident that, regardless of the method by which academic content is delivered, our graduate programs can provide an excellent learning experience. Whether you are a distance learner, or an on-campus learner, your graduate student experience is as important to us as it is to you.

Note that for domestic students, the federal government has announced important financial aid initiatives to support new and continuing graduate students. You can read the announcement on the Prime Minister’s website, and more detailed information has now been posted.

It is also important to note that the current situation is evolving rapidly. We will eventually be able to return to campus to engage in person with one another, to exchange ideas, and to learn with and from one another. Consultants in our Career Centre are available for consultation if you have concerns about career development during difficult economic times.

Graduate Student Orientation is now available virtually, through a variety of interactive Zoom sessions. To view the Orientation schedule in full and to register for these sessions, visit our Orientation webpage.

Teaching Assistant (TA) training aims to establish the foundation of a strong and positive experience for all graduate teaching assistants. TA Training on MyLS remains available. We will be posting recordings of Zoom sessions shortly.

To view the TA Training schedule in full, visit our TA Training webpage.

For questions that relate to your program, contact the graduate program coordinator for the program(s) to which you have applied. General questions about meeting admission conditions may be referred to gradadmissions@wlu.ca.

Incoming students who have met all of their admission requirements may request a Deferral of Admission for a maximum of three semesters (one year). Consideration is givent based upon the circumstances leading to the request and approval is not guaranteed.

If you choose to decline your offer, your file will be closed. You are welcome to apply for admission at a future intake cycle.

We understand that due to COVID-19, some of you may have difficulty obtaining the supporting documents required to meet the conditions laid out in your offer of admission for fall 2020. We have adopted a set of flexible guidelines that we will be using for the fall 2020 term. Below, we list some of the multiple ways in which we will be working with you to solve any problems that arise due to the current pandemic.

Students who have received conditional offers of admission and who are able to satisfy their admission conditions are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

Important Dates and Procedures

• Final official document deadline: Sept. 10, 2020 (an extension from the Aug. 15 date). If you are concerned about meeting this deadline, email gradadmissions@wlu.ca so that we are aware of the problem.
• If you are unable to arrange for an official transcript to be received by Sept. 10, 2020, you may submit an unofficial transcript which must contain all required notations as per the admission conditions (e.g. program is complete and degree conferred), or
• If no official transcript, or unofficial transcript containing the above notations is available, we will accept a letter from the postsecondary institution to be received by Sept. 10, 2020, confirming that the degree is complete and you are eligible to graduate.
• All admission conditions as stipulated in the offer of admission must be satisfied by Dec. 31, 2020.

Due to the unfolding situation regarding COVID-19, and our concern for the well-being of our visitors, campus tours have been cancelled. Campus buildings are closed to non-essential staff, faculty, students, and visitors until further notice. Even so, you can get a good “look around” Laurier.

Laurier has Virtual Reality (VR) tours that can be viewed in your browser. One tour allows you to navigate around and into some of the buildings on our Waterloo campus. The other VR tour allows you to explore our Brantford campus. Each tour allows you to read descriptions, see video clips, and explore multiple areas of each campus.

In addition, we encourage you to reach out to your graduate program coordinator to arrange a virtual meeting with your intended advisor, or to arrange a meeting with current students, with faculty, or with staff.

Currently, there are travel bans in effect for foreign nationals to enter Canada. Some foreign nationals will be exempt from these travel bans. Please refer to the IRCC website for updates on travel bans and exemptions.

Students who have their Letter of Introduction but who are unable to travel because of travel bans are required to send a .pdf copy of their Letter of Introduction to gradadmissions@wlu.ca by Sept. 10, 2020.

IRCC has announced that international graduate students who are approved to begin their studies online will have no reduction in eligibility under the PGWPP, as long as they complete at least 50% of the program in Canada. Refer to the IRCC website for more information.

In order to be eligible under the postgraduate work permit program, international students must complete at least 50% of their program in Canada. If you commence (and/or complete) your studies online without prior approval or having applied for your study permit, the time spent in online studies will not count toward your eligibility of the Postgraduate Work Permit.

If you commence your studies online with a Letter of Introduction or valid Study Permit, the time spent in studies online will count toward your eligibility of the Postgraduate Work Permit, as long as the period of online studies does not exceed 50% of the program. For Laurier’s one-year master’s programs, international students studying online may be eligible for a Postgraduate Work Permit if travel restrictions are lifted, allowing their arrival in Canada by early 2021. Send a .pdf copy of your Study Permit, Letter of Introduction or Study Permit approval-in-principle confirmation of eligibility to commence online studies as part of Step 1 of the new 2-step assessment process to gradadmissions@wlu.ca by Sept. 10, 2020.

Please send a .pdf copy of your Study Permit and temporary resident visa by September 10, 2020 to gradadmissions@wlu.ca. Please look over your documents to ensure that the information is correct. You should also ensure that the remarks/comments on your document state that you “can work off campus” or “may accept off campus work” and note the expiry date of this document. Do not let your study permit expire before your program is complete.

If you have your Study Permit but cannot travel to Canada at the moment, you can begin your studies online. Please send a .pdf copy of your Study Permit and temporary resident visa by September 10, 2020 to gradadmissions@wlu.ca.

We are aware that online and real-time virtual engagement may create some challenges for international students. Laurier is encouraging all faculty to make course content available asynchronously (which means you can access that information anytime so it will not be disruptive if you live in a different time zone). Laurier’s Center for Teaching and Learning is working with faculty to support the development of course content that is specifically tailored to asynchronous delivery. In general, material delivered synchronously (at a scheduled time) will be recorded and made available for students who could not participate at the scheduled time. More information will be available in the coming days and weeks about how the delivery of courses is being adapted to a world shaped by COVID-19.

If your first language is not English, you must provide evidence of your English proficiency to the FGPS.
The following initiatives may help applicants meet our English proficiency requirements.

How to Meet Laurier’s English Proficiency Requirement

• Show proof of having completed a previous degree in English.
• Submit a minimum score from an accepted test of English proficiency.
  • Note that the Duolingo English Test (DET) is not accepted for admission to graduate programs at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Laurier’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies is committed to assisting applicants whose ability to take an English proficiency test has been impacted by the closures of English language testing centres due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

How to Meet Laurier’s English Proficiency Requirement

• Students who are academically eligible for their program will receive an offer of admission that is conditional upon meeting Laurier’s English proficiency requirements.
• Laurier has extended the deadline for students to provide evidence of their English proficiency to September 10, 2020.
• Check and see if you qualify to take the ETS TOEFL exam at home.
  • Note: For the TOEFL exam, be sure to select Wilfrid Laurier University as the recipient institution for your test so we can validate the score online. Our institution code for the TOEFL is 0893.