¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

Visiting Field School Students

If you are not a current ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV student, you must complete both the  AND the Visiting Student Application.

  1. The Field School Application is for the specific program you are applying to
  2. The Visiting Student for ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Field School Application facilitates your admission into ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
    • This circumvents and replaces the regular visiting student application process.
    • This is due by the same day as your Field School Program Application.
    • All Visiting Student Applications will be processed after acceptance into the Field School Program, around late February or March.

Below are recommendations, how to determine which visiting student application is relevant to you, and information for if you choose or are required to travel to Canada as part of your program. 

Transfer Credit and Letter of Permission

  • As a visiting student to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, you are strongly advised to consult with your home university academic advisor prior to applying to an ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Field School.
  • ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV advises all visiting students to obtain a Letter of Permission (or equivalent process) from their home institution to aid in the facilitation of transfer credit.
    • You are however not required to submit your Letter of Permission to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV for your Visiting Field School Student application.
  • After completing your Field School program at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, you will be able to order an official transcript from ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV (nominal issuance fee applies). It is also your responsibility to obtain a course syllabus for each of your field school courses, as these will usually be required by a home institution to facilitate transfer credit.

Visiting Field School Student ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Process

For Visiting Undergraduate Students

If you are a current undergraduate student at an institution other than ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, you must complete:
    • This application is embedded within your Field School program application, when you select that you are a visiting student to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.

Please note:

  • Do not directly apply through the regular non-Field School visiting student application, but rather complete the above visiting application within the Study Abroad System.
  • There is no application fee for the visiting undergraduate application.
  • If/once you have been accepted into the Field School Program, you will be admitted to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV only for the purpose of the specific Field School Program and term. 

For Visiting Graduate Students

If you are a current graduate student at an institution other than ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, you must complete:

    1. This application is embedded within your Field School program application, when you select that you are a visiting student to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
    2. What is required for this application varies, see below sections. 

Please note:

  • Do not directly apply as a Graduate Visiting Research Student to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV, but rather complete the above visiting application within the Study Abroad System.
  • There is no application fee for the Visiting Graduate Student for ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV application.
    • Non-degree students will however have to pay a $90 fee (for applicants with Canadian transcripts) or $125 fee (for applicants with International Transcripts), and a $250 deposit (which goes towards tuition) if confirmed into their field school program.
  • If/once you have been accepted into the Field School Program, you will be admitted to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV only for the purpose of the specific Field School Program and term.

For Visiting Graduate students attending Canadian Institutions 

Students from select Canadian institutions may be eligible for admission through the Western Dean's Agreement (WDA), which allows you to pay tuition to your home university rather than ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. 

  1. If your institution is , see Western Dean's Agreement below.
  2. If your institution is not listed, see Non-Degree below.

Contact fieldschools@sfu.ca for Graduate student inquiries, if you are unsure of the criteria you meet.

For Students from a Western Dean's Agreement (WDA) Institution

Please make sure your institution is listed as a participating . If your institution is not listed in the above link and you are at a Canadian institution, please see Non-Degree below.

Process:

  1. Begin your  application.
  2. When prompted in above application, complete and upload the WDA form, but without the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV signature. 
    • The form only needs to be signed by your home institution [signatures (1) and (2)], and not ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. 
    • Ensure that the "Courses to be taken" section includes only the course(s) associated with your desired field school.
  3. If you are admitted to your Field School, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV will complete your form and admit you for the term of the Field School. ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV may also contact you if additional information is required.

Fees if approved into program:

  • There is no application fee to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV.
  • Tuition will be paid to your home institution.
  • You will be charged the Off-Campus Graduate Student Activity Fee ($37.84 as of 2024), Field School program fee, and administrative fee (listed on the program's website).

Non-Degree: For Students from non-Canadian or non-WDA Institutions 

You may apply to a field school program as a visiting, non-degree seeking student. This option allows you to receive university-level credit for the program, however please note credits through this admission pathway cannot be used towards any future ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV program. We recommend you check with your home program—or programs you may be considering—prior to applying whether the credits can be transferred.  

Eligibility:

If you have either: 

  1. Been admitted into a Master’s program
  2. Completed a Master’s degree
  3. Completed an undergraduate degree and are not yet admitted to your graduate program 
  4. Not yet been awarded your undergraduate degree, but have been deemed by the Field School Director to meet the necessary requirements to be admitted into the Field School program as a graduate student.

Process:

  1. Check the following box in your application: 
    • If accepted into my Field School, I understand that I will be required to apply to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV as a non-degree student. The deadline to complete this step will be the Opt-Out deadline as communicated to me by ISS. 
  2. After acceptance into the Field School, you will then be prompted to apply to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV through the regular Graduate student application portal. Select that you are applying to the department of your field school - e.g. Political Science - as a non-degree student. You will need to order an Official Transcript from your home institution for this.
  3. Complete all sections including payment of the application fee. 
  4. You must complete your payment by the deadline to accept or decline your offer (~late Feb. - early Mar.) as communicated to you by ISS. 

Fees:

  1. Tuition will be based on the number of units included in your field school, charged at the graduate basic rate or the rate for the subject area, if higher. 
  2. As part of your application to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV through the Graduate student application portal, you will need to pay a Graduate student application fee to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV if accepted into the field school.
  3. You will be charged the Off-Campus Graduate Student Activity Fee ($37.84 as of 2023), Field School program fee, and administrative fee (listed on the program's website).

Funding and Travel Information

Financial Assistance

Undergraduate students:

  1. Domestic visiting students are eligible for BC/Canadian Student Loans, but are not eligible for ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Awards (including the Suite of Study Abroad Awards), ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Scholarships, and ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Bursaries. Eligibility for external funding opportunities may vary.
  2. International visiting students are not eligible for BC/Canadian Student Loans, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Awards (including the Suite of Study Abroad Awards), ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Scholarships, and ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Bursaries. American citizens may apply for. Information on US Federal Direct Loans. Please contact ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Financial Aid and Awards as early as possible to confirm your eligibility. Eligibility for external funding opportunities may vary.

Graduate students:

  1. See this page.

Mandatory Health Insurance

  • If you are a visiting student, you will need to print, sign, scan and upload a copy of the
    • As stated in the Field School Student Acknowledgment, Section 4 (a) under Insurance, it is your responsibility to purchase sufficient levels of travel medical insurance, when participating in an ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Field School. 

Immigration Requirements for Field School Destination

All students are responsible for researching and obtaining (and paying for) the proper immigration documents to the country(ies)/region(s) in which the field school is located, based on your citizenship.  If required, please ensure to check if an interview is required and the timing of securing an interview at the appropriate Consulate/Embassy for your visa. You may be required to appear in person to submit your visa application at the nearest processing location, if not available locally. Eg. Ottawa/Montreal or the Embassy (for the field school) located in your country of citizenship. Please consult the Consulate/Embassy for your citizenship's requirements. If you have any questions, please contact fieldschools@sfu.ca.

For students located outside of lower mainland: Accommodations & Transportation 

If you will be travelling to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV as part of your program, see the following options for housing:

  • Off-campus housing: Please note that short-term options may be limited.
  •  (hostels and hotels, not affiliated with ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV)

The public transportation system in Greater Vancouver is convenient, safe and reliable. Find out more about how to get around the city without a car in our  guide. Please note, the U-pass is not included in Tuition or Field School Program Fees.

If you will be driving to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Burnaby campus: parking passes are available on a daily, 10x discounted pass, or monthly basis. View options and rates online. There are moreoever Alternative Transportation Options.

If you are Visiting ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV from an International Location: Immigration & Insurance Information 

If you will be travelling to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV from an international location as part of your program, see the following.

Primary Medical Insurance 

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV has the following option of primary medical insurance for international visitors, and is below for your information. You may choose to use this and/or travel medical insurance from your own health provider.  

Guard.me@¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Policy (current as of Nov. 2021)

  • $2.30/day
  • For Visiting International Undergraduate and Visiting International Graduate Students. Coverage is available for dependents as well.
  • Purchase a minimum of 40 days.
  • Purchase through  
    Please review the policy details online to ensure that this coverage is appropriate for your needs (eg. prescription medications, pre-existing conditions etc.).
  • The guard.me@¶¡ÏãÔ°AV policy also includes the following benefits, as can be seen in the policy details: 
  1. 10-Day Inbound to Canada Coverage. You are covered under this Policy for up to 10 days when travelling from Your Home Country for the first time during the Policy period to attend ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. Coverage is not available within Your Home Country.
  2. Out of Canada Coverage for dates within the exact Field School program dates. 

Immigration into Canada

  • If you have any questions regarding your Canadian immigration documents for your studies in Canada, please contact intl_advising@sfu.ca

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