Graduate & Advanced Admission Requirements
For application deadlines and important dates, visit the Important Dates & Deadlines section.
Each of the graduate & advanced programs require applicants to have successfully completed a Bachelor’s degree at a recognized university with a B average or better. Please refer to each program’s specific requirements for qualifying degree programs.
Only those students who have successfully completed a Bachelor’s degree at a recognized university with a minimum average of B may be admitted to this program. The Journalism Admissions Committee takes into account the student’s academic records, clippings of print journalism and tapes of broadcast journalism, extracurricular activities, and other evidence of keen interest in journalism. Previous professional journalism experience, though frequently a good test of motivation, is not essential.
Please include the following documentation in your application to the University of King’s College:
Applicants are requested to send all documents directly to:
Office of the Registrar
1st Floor Arts and Administration Building
University of King’s College
6350 Coburg Road
Halifax, NS
B3H 2A1
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Students offered a place in the BJ program will be asked to confirm acceptance of the offer and tender an admission deposit by a specified deadline in order to hold a place in the program.
A ranked waiting list of qualified students will be maintained throughout the summer.
If your first language is not English you may be required to provide proof of English language proficiency. If you have studied in an English-language institution for three years (full time) or more at a secondary level or one year (full time) at the post-secondary level, you will not be required to submit proof of English-language proficiency. When proof of English language proficiency is necessary, you must achieve the following minimum score or above on a recognized English language proficiency test:
| Test | Minimum Score – Admission |
|---|---|
| Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)* | 237 (computer-based) 90 (iBT) and no lower than 20 in each band |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | 6.5 overall and no lower than 6.0 in each band |
| Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) | 81 |
| Canadian Academic English Assessment (CAEL) | 70 |
| Canadian Test of English for Scholars and Trainees (CanTEST) | 4.5 |
Students must achieve 4.0 or better on the essay or TOEFL Writing Test.
TOEFL Code: 0990
Applicants should arrange for their English language proficiency test score(s) to be sent directly from the testing agency to:
University of King’s College, Registrar’s Office,
6350 Coburg Road,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3H 2A1 CANADA
Interviewing people and writing stories for public consumption requires a high-level ability to communicate. Practising journalism in a new country and/or in a second language can be especially demanding. To help our international students succeed we require most to complete preparatory programs that enhance their English language abilities and their understanding of Canadian culture, history and politics. The King’s Journalism University Bridging Program (KJUBP) and the King’s Journalism Preparation Program (KJPP) are multi-week programs operated by an independent educational provider, Apex Language & Career College (ALCC), in association with the Journalism School. Students will be directed to take part in these face-to-face programs in Halifax before the program start in September (KJUBP beings in May and KJPP begins in July). Program placement will be determined after an admission interview is completed. Students will participate at their own expense as an additional condition of admission.
Students who hold an undergraduate degree, in a discipline other than journalism, may be provisionally admitted to a two-part program. A minimum GPA of B or better is required. Students in this two-part program receive a Bachelor of Journalism degree upon successful completion of the first year. If students attain a “B” average during their first-year, they will proceed into the Master of Journalism degree for the following 10 months of study.
Students who already have a strong foundation in journalism, may enter the program in the second year. This accelerated path is open to students who have completed a Bachelor of Journalism degree, or equivalent, with a minimum GPA of B or better. It is also open to working journalists who have an undergraduate degree, in a discipline other than journalism, and a minimum of five years full-time experience in the field.
The Master of Journalism is offered jointly by Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College. Please use the standard application form from Dalhousie’s Faculty of Graduate Studies to apply to the program. To speed the processing of your application, applicants are requested to send all documents, including the Dalhousie Graduate Studies application form and all supporting documents, directly to:
Office of the Registrar
1st Floor Arts and Administration Building
University of King’s College
6350 Coburg Road
Halifax, NS
B3H 2A1
Please include the following in your application:
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
All documents received become the property of the university and will be used at its discretion for internal purposes only. Documents will not be returned.
The initial application evaluation process is conducted by the School of Journalism, which then makes its recommendation to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The final decision is made and a formal offer of admission is signed and sent out by the Registrar of Dalhousie University.
Students who are offered a place in the MJ program will be asked to confirm acceptance of the offer and tender an admission deposit by a specified deadline in order to hold a place in the program.
A ranked waiting list of qualified students will be maintained throughout the late spring and early summer.
Interviewing people and writing stories for public consumption requires a high-level ability to communicate. Practising journalism in a new country and/or in a second language can be especially demanding. To help our international students succeed we require most to complete preparatory programs that enhance their English language abilities and their understanding of Canadian culture, history and politics. The King’s Journalism University Bridging Program (KJUBP) and the King’s Journalism Preparation Program (KJPP) are multi-week programs operated by an independent educational provider, Apex Language & Career College (ALCC), in association with the Journalism School. Students will be directed to take part in these face-to-face programs in Halifax before the program start in September (KJUBP beings in May and KJPP begins in July). Program placement will be determined after an admission interview is completed. Students will participate at their own expense as an additional condition of admission.
The MFA program is open to students who hold an undergraduate degree (preferably an honours degree), with a minimum GPA of B or better. Students who do not possess an undergraduate degree may apply for admission based on an assessment of their prior learning, work and life experience (see Prior Learning Assessment below for more information).
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction is offered jointly by Dalhousie University and the University of King’s College. Please use the standard application form from Dalhousie’s Faculty of Graduate Studies to apply to the program. To speed the processing of your application, applicants are requested to send all documents, including the Dalhousie Graduate Studies application form and all supporting documents, directly to:
Office of the Registrar
1st Floor Arts and Administration Building
University of King’s College
6350 Coburg Road
Halifax, NS
B3H 2A1
Please include the following in your application:
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
The number of places in the program is limited, so it is expected that only a proportion of qualified applicants will be admitted; selection will be made on a competitive basis.
All documents received become the property of the university and will be used at the discretion of the university for internal purposes only. Documents will not be returned.
The school of journalism conducts the initial application evaluation process and makes its recommendation to the Dalhousie University Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS). FGS makes the final decision and a formal offer of admission is signed and sent out by the Registrar of Dalhousie University.
Students offered a place in the MFA program will be asked to confirm acceptance of the offer and tender an admission deposit by a specified deadline in order to hold a place in the program.
A ranked waiting list of qualified students will be maintained throughout the late spring and early summer.
To be considered for Prior Learning Assessment, applicants would normally require a significant body of work professionally published in newspapers, magazines, broadcast or online, or in books; and/or substantial related work experience in a writing of publishing-related business enterprise; evidence of membership in one or more professional writing organizations and/or attendance at workshops, seminars or other professional development programs. Evidence of any writing-related diplomas or credential awarded will also be considered by the admission committee.
If you are applying under Prior Learning Assessment, you should explain in your personal statement your motivation for seeking entrance to the program. Please expand upon why you think your life and work experience and/or related formal education and courses merit adjudication under the Prior Learning Assessment process.