Admission Requirements

Degree requirements

A four-year bachelor’s degree from a university of recognized standing is required. An honours degree is a strong asset.

Course requirements

There are no specific course prerequisites required for admission. We welcome applications from strong students of any academic background. However, students often feel best prepared to meet the academic challenges of our programs if they have completed some courses in the following areas prior to admission: human biology or physiology, psychology or neuroscience, linguistics or other areas of language study.  If you are planning to take some of these courses, we encourage you to choose from any of these areas based on your interests and available courses.  There is no one best course to take out of these suggested areas.  

GPA requirements

A minimum GPA of 3.3 (on a 4.3 scale) is required by Dalhousie's Faculty of Graduate Studies. The GPA used in the admission process is calculated using the most recent 60 credit-hours (equivalent to 20 half credit courses) of undergraduate studies for which grades are available at the time of application.

Please note that due to the competitive nature of our programs, our successful applicants consistently have GPAs that well exceed the requirement. In recent years, the average GPA for our incoming class has been about 4.0 and all successful applicants have had GPAs above 3.7. Many students whose GPA is not in the competitive range choose to take additional courses to try and improve their grades before they submit an application.

Graduate degrees, diplomas, and certificates will not be counted in your GPA calculation; however, the Admissions Committee may take these additional studies into account when making admission decisions.

Other requirements

While the School values diversity, students whose native language is not English will have to prove English proficiency (see English Language Requirements). A high degree of proficiency in English is essential for success in the program, particularly in clinical practicum placements.

Admission evaluation criteria

The Admissions Committee reviews each eligible candidate’s entire file. All components of the file are important. Applicants will be evaluated as objectively as possible based on the following criteria:

• Past academic performance (GPA)
• Letters of recommendation
  
• Academic background and potential for graduate studies
  
• Relevant work or volunteer experience or special qualifications

Special consideration will be given to qualified applicants who fall under the Equitable Admission Policy.