Application Process
Start by exploring our graduate offerings to find the program that’s right for you.
When you’re ready to apply, complete your initial application through Brock’s graduate application in the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). After your application is processed by OUAC, you’ll receive instructions to access your Brock applicant portal, where you can upload required supporting documents and monitor your application status. Visit the How to Apply page for step-by-step instructions.
Upload all documents identified as “required for admission consideration” in your student portal (except reference reports and graduate internal scholarship award applications, which are submitted separately a part of the application process). Please refer to the document types and upload instructions for a step-by-step guide.
We do not accept mailed, emailed or faxed documents.
If your OUAC application is still in progress, you can make changes yourself, directly within your OUAC application.
After your initial application has been submitted and your application fee has been paid, any change requests can be made directly to the admission team at Brock via [email protected]. If you need to change/modify a referee, please refer to our references FAQ below.
It depends. Many graduate programs continue accepting applications after the posted deadline until the program is full. Check the program page for your program’s deadline and availability. Programs that are no longer accepting applications will be clearly marked with a “Closed” notation on the Brock’s OUAC program offerings page. International applicants should also be mindful of study permit processing times.
Only programs offered through the Goodman School of Business offer formal pre-assessment. Programs within other Faculties do not provide formal pre-assessments, however applicants can reach out to programs directly to discuss their suitability for the program.
Yes, Brock students must order their official transcripts via OUAC at the time of application. Note: If you have been admitted to a graduate program, we will obtain and upload your final degree conferred Brock transcript for you.
Whether you need a supervisor depends on the graduate program and program pathway.
Many research-based programs require you to secure a supervisor before applying or suggest potential supervisors as part of your application. Each graduate program page will indicate if supervisor selection is required prior to application, and will link to a Faculty Research page where you can review faculty profiles. Contact potential supervisors directly to discuss your background and research interests.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements vary by program, and are noted on each graduate program page and in graduate calendar entries.
General graduate admission information can also be found on our graduate admissions webpage.
Applicants are normally expected to meet the published admission requirements. However, admissions committees review completed applications holistically. If you don’t meet the posted admission requirements, reach out to the program directly to discuss your potential suitability prior to applying.
In order to maintain a high academic standard, conditional offers based on successful English Proficiency Tests are generally not offered.
Original translations will be accepted from one of the following:
- the consulate, high commission or embassy to Canada of the country where the documents were issued;
- a Canadian embassy, consulate, high commission in the country from which you emigrated;
- a translator accredited by a professional association of translators in Canada. To obtain the name of an accredited translator contact the Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario (ATIO) at 1-800-234-5030 OR 613-241-2846 (email: [email protected]; web site: atio.on.ca;
- a translator who has received accreditation through a federal, provincial or municipal government in Canada;
If the ATIO is unable to provide a translator for the language you require, you may contact COSTI-IIAS Immigrant Services at 416-651-1496, or email [email protected].
Admission Decisions
After you apply, you will receive an email that provides you with your Brock Campus ID. You can use your Brock Campus ID and birthdate to activate your student portal, where you can log in to check on the status of your application.
If you are a current Brock student, you can use your existing portal and login information.
Typically, decisions are sent 6 to 8 weeks following your program’s application deadline date, or after documents required for admission consideration have been received. You may monitor your application and document status on your my.brocku.ca student portal and Brock email account. This is the best place to see up-to-date status information. If you have not received a response after 6 to 8 weeks, please contact [email protected].
If you have received an email notification that you have been admitted into a Brock graduate program, your official letter of acceptance outlining the details of your offer should be available in your Brock student portal within 5 business days of your email notification.
Financial Information
When you submit the application, you will be prompted to pay the nonrefundable OUAC application fee. The fee varies by program, and you must pay for each program to which you are applying.
- $120 CAD – All MA, MSc, PhD, MBE and MS programs (excludes International Student Pathway (ISP) programs).
- $140 CAD – All graduate diplomas, all ISP programs, BN/MN, MAcc, MADS, MAG, MAT, MBA, MEd, MPEd, MPH, MPK and MSM programs.
The fee is payable to the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC) and can be paid by VISA or Mastercard.
Once you have submitted and paid for your application, one to two business days are required for Brock to receive the application from OUAC.
Note: for students who attended an Ontario postsecondary institution, transcripts are ordered via OUAC at the time of application and are sent directly to Brock. Additional fees may apply and vary by institution – see the OUAC website for details.
Not every graduate program requires a deposit. Deposit requirements vary by program and student status. Any deposits owing to secure your place will be clearly indicated in your offer of admission letter. For additional information, please see the Deposit FAQs on our Understanding Your Offer webpage.
Tuition rates and associated fees vary by program and student status. Please refer to the graduate tuition and fees page for current information. Tuition and fees are subject to change on an annual basis.
References
Academic references are generally preferred; however, professional references may also be accepted, especially for professional-oriented programs. Please review your program page for the specific referee requirements for your desired program.
- Academic references should be provided by a professor or instructor who can speak to your academic abilities, such as your research and study skills, the quality of your academic work, and your overall academic performance.
- Professional references should come from someone who knows you well in a work setting (typically a manager, supervisor or senior-level colleague) and who can attest to the skills and experiences that indicate your potential for success as a graduate student.
Please note that we do not accept references from friends, family members, former or current classmates, or your employees.
The reference form will ask referees to explain how they know you and for how long, to assess your skills and abilities across a range of attributes (e.g. scholarly promise, academic achievement, judgment, ability to meet deadlines), and to comment on your potential as a graduate student in your intended program of study.
Yes. We strongly encourage you to contact your referees several weeks in advance of your application submission. This allows your referee to confirm their willingness to act as a reference and to verify their current academic or professional title, organization, mailing address, and email address.
Reaching out early is also a good opportunity to remind your referees of your background and goals. You may wish to share updated academic transcripts, your CV or résumé, and a brief explanation of your interest in the program. You can also outline the key skills, experiences, or achievements you hope they will highlight in their reference. Even if a referee knows you well, they may be completing multiple reference reports, so providing this information can help them write stronger and more detailed responses to reference report questions.
Yes. Shortly after Brock receives your initial application from OUAC, your listed referees will be sent instructions to complete the online Graduate Reference Report.
Each referee receives a unique, secure URL that is linked to your application file. You will be able to track whether a confidential reference report has been submitted in the Documents section of your Brock Portal; however, you will not be able to view the content of the report.
No. We require that all reference forms be submitted electronically through the links that Brock provides to your referees in the reference report request email.
Yes. Your referees will be emailed individual reference reports that are specific to each of your program choices. Please inform your referees that these emails are not duplicates and that they will be required to complete multiple reference reports.
Emails containing a link to the electronic reference report are sent out automatically to each of your referees after Brock University has received your application (this is typically sent one to two days after your payment of the application fee is processed). A reminder email is also automatically sent to the referee 10 days after the initial email, if the form still has not been received.
Please verify that the referee email address you have provided on your application is the correct email address and is free of any spelling errors.
Please also have your referee check their junk email folder and email settings as the email may have been inadvertently blocked or redirected by their settings.
If you have confirmed the correct spelling of the email address and the referee still has not received the email after two days, please contact the referee to ask if an alternate email address may be provided. If you have to change a referee email address or replace a referee, please follow the instructions listed below to change referee information.
While there is no set deadline for referees to submit reference reports, Brock will not review applications until all required documents (including reference reports) are uploaded to your application file. It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform referees of relevant program deadlines and to monitor the Document Status section on the Brock student portal to ensure that the forms have been submitted by the program deadline, if applicable.
Your referee may have pop-up blockers enabled, preventing the reference report from opening. This will need to be disabled. If your referee is still having problems, please have them send a detailed email to [email protected]. Also be sure to provide your full name as used in your application and your campus ID (two letters, two numbers, two letters, e.g. AB99CD)
A reminder email is automatically sent to the referees 10 days after the initial email, if the forms still have not been received.
Reminder emails will not be sent prior to 10 days after the initial email.
After the secondary reminder email, additional reminder emails will not be sent by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. It is the student’s responsibility to monitor the submission of their reference reports on their student account and to contact the referees to remind them to complete the reference reports.
Your student account is updated automatically when a reference form is received, therefore, if your student account shows that it is outstanding then we have not received it.
In order for the form to be received successfully by the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the referee must submit the form and wait for the confirmation “Thank You” page to appear. This will confirm that the form has been sent successfully.
If the referee did not see the confirmation “Thank You” page then please request that they reopen the link where they completed the form and submit the form again.
Prior to submitting your application you MUST confirm with your referee that they are willing and available to complete the form and that all referee information provided on the application is accurate.
If the situation arises where you need to change/modify referee information after submitting your application, please email us at [email protected]. Please include your Campus ID. Requests to change a referee must include the old and new referee’s names, position, department, institution/organization, institution/organization address, email address and phone number. Any requests that do not include this information cannot be processed.
Requests to modify or change your referee information will result in a delay in processing your application.
Due to the high volume of emails that we receive, please allow one week for your request to be processed. Please refrain from sending multiple emails to request these changes. You will receive email confirmation when the change has been made.
Special Applicant Circumstances
No. All applicants apply through the same admissions process.
If you do not meet one or more published admission requirements, your application may still be considered on a case-by-case basis by the graduate program. Applications are reviewed holistically, and graduate programs may consider academic background, relevant experience and other factors when assessing an applicant’s suitability. Where appropriate, offers of admission may include conditions that must be met before or during the program.
Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
Supplemental Form for Applicants with Disabilities
If you are an applicant with a disability and your undergraduate grades do not reflect your potential as the result of your disability or you will be requesting accommodations in your graduate program, you are encouraged to complete the Graduate Student Form for Students with Disabilities. Please submit the completed form to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (FGSPA) by email to [email protected].
The information in this form will remain confidential. However, the completed form will be forwarded to the graduate program to which you have applied in order to assist them in their admission decision.
Academic Accommodations
Please refer to the Brock Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Policy that will provide you with the requirements for requesting accommodation if you are admitted to Brock. If you are admitted, we encourage you to contact the Services for Student with Disabilities office to discuss your needs and academic background. The Services for Students with Disabilities Office works within the Brock community to develop an equitable and accessible environment so that students with disabilities are fully included in the university experience.
Brock Faculty of Graduate Studies does not have a separate mature applicant admission policy. Applicants with significant professional or other relevant experience are encouraged to explain how that experience has prepared them for graduate study in their letter of intent and, where applicable, in discussions with a potential supervisor. If you are unable to obtain an academic reference, please review your program’s reference requirements or contact the graduate program to discuss appropriate alternatives.
Requests to transfer credits taken in another program to a Brock graduate degree are considered on a case-by-case basis. Transfer students from outside Brock should apply to their desired program as normal via OUAC. Any credits approved for transfer will be noted on the offer letter at the time of admission. Please visit our graduate admission requirements page for more information about transferring to Brock.