International Applicants

Graduate Studies for International Students

Permit to Study

As an international student there are obligations that must be met in regard to allow for entry and study in Canada.

International applicants requiring a student visa to study in Canada should apply to their program at least four to six months prior to the start date. Visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website for processing times for study permit applications processed by visa offices outside Canada.

For detailed information on student authorizations (permit to study) and documentation required by individuals to enter Canada to study, prospective students should consult the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at www.cic.gc.ca

Students who may be younger than 19 years old when entering Canada to study should consult their local consulate regarding the documentation necessary to establish legal guardianship while in Canada until such time as they reach the age of 19 years old. The university cannot act as a legal guardian for a student.

Enrollment at Trent University

Additional information in regard to international student enrollment is provided as a regular part of the admissions and registration processes.

Non-Canadian students should note that the university is required to charge a differential tuition fee for all international students.

Should international students encounter problems with immigration once they are in Canada, they should contact the Trent International Program office immediately.

International Academic Documents

Post-secondary transcripts gained outside of Canada may be subject to a request to be authenticated by World Education Services (WES) or an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from Comparative Education Service (University of Toronto).

Some international applicants may find it difficult to get transcripts from their previous institutions. In these cases we encourage applicants to use the verification services of an organization such as WES or ECA. Trent University will accept documents verified by WES or ECA. Once received from WES or ECA, authenticated transcripts will be assessed by the Trent University School of Graduate Studies for eligibility. Eligible applications will be evaluated by the appropriate graduate program.  All admission decisions are final; there is no appeal of admission decisions.

Proof of English Language Proficiency

Proficiency in English usage, both written and oral, is essential to pursue graduate studies at Trent University. It is required for applicants to demonstrate an adequate level of English proficiency, regardless of their citizenship status or country of origin. Applicants who completed two or more years of post-secondary education at a university in Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the USA are exempt from this requirement. If you have completed two or more years of post-secondary education at a university where the primary language of instruction is English, the School of Graduate Studies is prepared to consider alternate proof of English language proficiency. Examples: letter or document from the post-secondary institution confirming the language of instruction is English or a copy of your transcript that notes the language of instruction is English). These documents should be uploaded on myTrent under the English proficiency test result upload option.

The following tests are acceptable forms of proof of English language proficiency*:

• TOEFL iBT, iBT Home Edition, iBT Paper Edition (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum acceptance score is 93 (with a minimum score of 22 in both speaking and writing). *Trent University Institution Number for official TOEFL test result submission is 0896.
• CAEL  or CAEL online (Canadian Academic English Language Test). The minimum acceptable score is 60, with at least 60 in Writing Proficiency.
• IELTS (International English language Testing Services) - Academic testing. The minimum acceptance score is 6.5, with no band below 6.0.
• Successful completion of Trent University – ESL Academic English 1 and 2 - must be completed prior to beginning Graduate Studies

*Please note: Duolingo is NOT accepted by the School of Graduate Studies at Trent, and is only applicable for Undergraduate applications.

*Please also note that tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of application submission to be considered.  Trent University reserves the right to request English language proficiency results from any applicant.   

Applicants must make their own arrangements for taking language tests and having the results sent to the School of Graduate Studies in time to meet application deadlines.