Each of our programs has different timelines for reviewing the applications. Sometimes it can take four to six weeks or more. If you want information on the admissions timeline and process for your program, contact the program’s graduate coordinator. You can find his or her contact information on the program’s page.

Jump to:

• Offers of Admission
• Accepting an Offer of Admission
• Clearing the Conditions on Your Offer
• Where to Mail Your Official Transcripts
• Submitting Your Tuition Deposit
• Applying for a Study Permit
• Preparing for Graduate Studies

Offers of Admission

Admission into a graduate program is a competitive process. Notifications of offers of admission are sent via email to the email address you provided in your application.

If you are an international student who will be applying for a study permit/visa, you will need to keep a copy of your offer of admission to submit with your application for the permit/visa. See Applying for a Study Permit for more information.

If you’d like to defer your offer of admission for a later time, find out how to complete a deferral of admission.

Accepting an Offer of Admission

Your response to the offer of admission must be confirmed on Laurier’s Online Registration and Information System (LORIS). To accept the offer, log in to Loris and select the Admissions tab, then Display Admissions Applications. Once you click on the hyperlinked program name, you will see your offer details with the option to accept or decline in the same place where your application checklist used to be.

If you choose to accept our offer — and we hope that you do! — we encourage you to print out a copy of the electronic offer of admission to retain it for your records. Click “Print a copy” at the bottom of your browser window to print (and save) a PDF of your admission letter.

If you have any questions about your offer, please contact the program coordinator. Technical problems can be directed to gradadmissions@wlu.ca.

Only offers of admission from the dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies are valid. Communication with a program representative or a faculty member does not constitute an offer of admission or an acceptance of an offer. You must respond online to the offer (normally within 21 days).

Wilfrid Laurier University may revoke an offer of admission and cancel registration for admission if you have provided false or incomplete information.

Clearing the Conditions on Your Offer of Admission

If you are offered admission to Laurier, it will be conditional on you providing official paper copies of your transcripts (and degree certificates, where applicable). These copies must be mailed to the addresses below by the deadline stated in your offer of admission. If you can’t meet the deadline, please contact the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (gradadmissions@wlu.ca) as soon as possible. In all cases, however, admission conditions must be satisfied prior to the start of your program.

To be considered official, academic records must be received in official university envelopes and must be sealed and endorsed by the issuing institution. At most universities, you can request these documents through the Registrar’s Office. Check with the institution’s Registrar's Office to verify that the transcript to be issued contains the required information (e.g., "degree conferred"). Transcripts must be in the original language and include a certified translation if the transcript is not in English.

Current or previous Laurier students do not need to submit an official transcript (but must submit transcripts from any other postsecondary institution, if applicable).

Wilfrid Laurier University may revoke an offer of admission and cancel registration for failing to meet admission conditions prior to the commencement of the program.

A confirmation email, indicating that your conditions have been cleared, will be sent after all documents have been received.

Where to Mail Your Official Transcripts

Submitting Your Tuition Deposit

Note: For Business Administration (MBA), Finance (MFin), Music Therapy (MMT), and Management Analytics (MMA) students only.

Your tuition deposit is due within two weeks of accepting your offer of admission. Please note the following deposit requirements; all deposits are non-refundable.

MBA, MFin, MFin/MSc in management analytics (double degree program), MSc in Management Analytics, and MMT students can submit their advance deposit and subsequent tuition fees through online banking: 

Log onto your financial institution’s online banking site and set up Wilfrid Laurier University as the payee.  Your account number is your student ID.

International students can also pay through the CIBC International Student Pay option. You will need to activate your Laurier email address first (visit the New Graduate Student Checklist for instructions). 

Applying for a Study Permit

For complete information on the documentation and immigration requirements for studying in Canada, visit Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. 

After you have accepted the offer to Laurier in LORIS, click “Print a copy” at the bottom of your browser window to print (and save) a PDF of your admission letter. Submit this letter along with your application for the study permit or visa.

Students admitted to Laurier on a study permit must send a copy of their valid permit (and temporary resident visa, if applicable) to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office to confirm their registration no later than the last date of late registration for the term of entry.

It may take several months to receive a study permit, so we advise you to apply for a permit well in advance of the anticipated start date of your program.

Preparing for Graduate Studies

Once you’ve accepted your offer of admission, review our Welcome Guide for Incoming Graduate Students. This will identify a number of important steps you should complete as you prepare for the start of your degree. 

The new student checklist provides you with important next steps and information, including how to set up your Laurier email address, get your Laurier ID card (OneCard), apply for funding and apply for a parking permit.

Gear Up for Graduate Studies 

Offered by the Centre for Public Safety and Well-Being, the GEAR UP program includes six modules to help you prepare for graduate level academic work. Each module will help you practice and enhance your academic skills to support your success in graduate courses. This is not mandatory and comes with an associated cost. To learn more, visit the Centre for Public Safety and Well-Being website.