Prospective students in the MA or MSc program should hold a Bachelor’s degree (Honours) or equivalent, with a minimum B+ average of all courses (equivalent to 77-79.9% or 3.3 GPA out of a 4.3 grading scale at Queen's University). When you apply, we consider your transcripts from all courses.
Prospective students in the PhD program should hold a Master's degree with a minimum A- average of all courses (equivalent to 80-84.9% or 3.7 out of 4.3 grading scale at Queen’s University). When you apply, we consider your transcripts from all courses.
An applicant must secure a potential supervisor before starting the application process. Please refer to our Faculty Page for an overview of our faculty and their research areas and interests. In addition, please see our Current Research Opportunities for Prospective Graduate Students 2025-2026 (pdf, 179kB).
Queen's University graduate applications are done online via the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (SGSPA) application portal. For more information on the application process, please visit the SGSPA website.
You will be required to upload a Statement of Research Interest and a Curriculum Vitae as part of your online application.
If English is not your native language, will need to earn satisfactory standing in an English Language Proficiency Test as part of the application process. You will need to provide one of the following tests:
- TOEFL iBT with minimum scores of:
- writing (24/30);
- speaking (22/30);
- reading (22/30), and
- listening (20/30)
for a total of 88/120. Applicants must have the minimum score in each test as well as the minimum overall score, or
- IELTS: minimum overall score of 7.0, academic module, or
- Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) – minimum overall score of 65, or
- Canadian Academic English Language (Computer Edition) (CAEL CE) – minimum overall score of 70
We typically only accept graduate students for a September intake. The deadline for applications (Domestic and International students) is January 31, which must include all supporting documents. Late applications may be considered on a rolling basis until all spots are filled. Notification of acceptance begins in March.