Graduate Programs Admission Requirements
Application Package Materials
Table of Contents
This page provides information for what comprises a complete application package.
List of Faculty Supervisors
We encourage you to contact potential supervisors in advance of the application deadline to discuss the possibility of supervision, possible research projects, etc.
We recommend you indicate up to three ordered supervision choices on the Supervisor Preference section of your application. Review the Cognitive Science Faculty.
Once your application is complete and the initial review has been completed, the professors you have selected will review your file during the admissions selection process.
A supervisor might state that they are interested in supervising you or are interested in your research area, but final decisions cannot be made until your application has been approved for admission by the Department of Cognitive Science Admission’s Committee and Graduate Studies.
If accepted into the program, the name of your supervisor will be indicated on your Statement of Admission. Students will not be accepted into the program without a faculty member who has agreed to act as a supervisor.
Research Statement and CV Instructions
You must submit a statement of research interests (1-2 pages) and a Resume/CV.
Referee Appraisal Forms
Applications require letters of reference. These are from people who know you in an academic context and submit letters on your behalf. They are called “referees.”
- Two referee appraisal forms are required.
- The referees who write your admission letters must have a doctorate degree.
- Ensure that your thesis supervisor from your previous degree (if you wrote a thesis) writes one of your recommendation letters.
- The Referee Appraisal form is automatically generated to your Referees. Problems occur when the email addresses are incorrect, so double check to ensure you have entered the email address correctly.
Writing Sample
Writing Samples are required for admission consideration. This is a sole-author, academic paper that you feel demonstrates your writing and research potential. Domestic Students must submit one writing sample, and International Students must submit two writing samples, which may be a conference paper, a term paper, or a portion of a thesis, with a limit of 5-35 pages.
Transcripts
One unofficial transcript is required for any universities you have attended. This includes any universities you might have attended on exchange and any online universities that you may have attended. All legends (grading scores) must be included.
For non-English transcripts, we require both the translated and original transcripts from your university.
If you are still completing your degree at the time of admission, you will have to submit an unofficial copy of your courses to date.
Official Transcripts
If you are offered admission, please request an official transcript from each university you have attended, and have the University send it directly to Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs at Carleton University. You cannot upload copies of official transcripts yourself.
The official transcripts must be sent from your prior institution(s) for verification that your degrees have been conferred once you have been offered a space in one of our programs.
For transcripts to be deemed “Official,” the transcript has to state that your program requirements have been completed (if applicable), your thesis or research project grade must be indicated (if applicable) and the date that you have conferred your degree must be indicated (if applicable).
I have had my university submit my official transcript and I have provided all the information. Why isn’t my condition removed?
This would occur if your transcript just indicated “Program Requirements Completed or Met” but there is no mention of your degree being conferred. If this is the case, the Graduate Studies at your previous university, would have to submit a letter, stating that the program requirements have been met and it would have to indicate that date that your degree will be conferred. The letter would have to be sent directly from your institution to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs.
CAEL/IELTS/TOEFL Scores
If English is not your first language, even if you are a domestic student, proof of your English language proficiency is required. Read more about the proficiency language requirements.
Applicants who do not speak English as a native language must demonstrate a fluent knowledge of English. This is normally done in one of the following ways:
- An overall score of 70 on the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Assessment
- A TOEFL score of 230 CBT (computer-based test) or 580; or 86 IBT overall with a minimum score in each component of writing (22), speaking (22), reading (20) and listening (20).
- An overall IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each band score; or
- An acceptable certification that the language of instruction in your most recently completed undergraduate or graduate degree was English.
The official scores from these tests can be sent from the Testing Office directly to the Faculty of Graduate and Post-Doctoral Affairs (Graduate Studies), Institutional Code 0854 and Department Code 99. Please note that photocopies are not acceptable. Test scores are only valid for two years. Language proficiency must be demonstrated before you can be admitted.
International students please view the equivalency requirements.
What is a conditional admission?
A conditional admission means that you have been offered a space in the program; however official documentation has not been received.
Once the missing documentation is submitted, your application is reviewed again. Should you still meet the admission requirements, your condition will be removed and you will be sent an official offer of admission and you will be able to register (once registration opens) for your classes.
Funding for International Applicants
It is important to note that Carleton receives a large number of high-quality applications from international students each year.
Funding from Carleton for international students is limited and is only available to a few outstanding international applicants. Usually we can fund no more than one per program within the Department of Cognitive Science.
When applying for a Study Permit, you will be required to show that you can support yourself during your studies to the Citizenship and Immigration Centre office.
You may wish to consult your own government website, as some governments offer funding to outstanding students when pursuing their studies abroad. In addition, view a listing of scholarships available to international students provided by the Government of Canada.
Estimating the cost of a year at Carleton University will vary depending on your program of study and lifestyle preferences. To view the current tuition fees and the estimated cost of living in the Ottawa area, visit the International Students Office.
Master’s (M.Cog.Sc.) Specific Requirements
Individuals are advised to submit applications by January 15, for Fall intake. Applications submitted after that date will continue to be reviewed as long as there is supervisory capacity.
The requirement for admission into the M.Cog.Sc. program is an Honours degree with an average of at least A-.
To be admitted, a candidate must submit a description of his or her research interests in the area of Cognitive Science.
More on admission requirements can be found on Carleton’s Calendar website.
Doctoral (PhD) Specific Requirements
Individuals are advised to submit applications by January 15, for Fall intake. Applications submitted after that date will continue to be reviewed as long as there is supervisory capacity.
Applicants who are applying to the PhD program must also be completing (before joining the program) or have completed a Master’s Degree to be eligible to apply. For Ph.D. applicants – please note: in the past, many of our students had a Master’s degree in psychology, computer science, philosophy, neuroscience, or linguistics (“cognitive” departments) when they were admitted. Most applicants who do not have a Master’s degree in a cognitive discipline will be considered for the Master of Cognitive Science program instead of the PhD program.
Even PhD applicants with Master’s degrees in cognitive disciplines may be required to take additional coursework. Applicants for the program are expected to have an A- average to be admitted. International students, please view the equivalency requirements.
More on admission requirements can be found on Carleton’s Calendar website.
Still Have Questions?
Email the graduate administrator with any questions you have.
Apply online to start your application to either the Master of Cognitive Science program (M.Cog.Sc.) Program or the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Cognitive Science] program.