Other Admission Routes

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If you are not applying directly from high school or transferring from another post-secondary institution, you may be eligible to apply under one of the following categories:

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Non-matriculated (mature) student

If you will be 21 or older on the first day of classes and are not presenting transferable post-secondary education, you may be considered as a non-matriculated student. This admission route is only available for some faculties and programs. In some cases, there may be a limit on the number of non-matriculated applicants that will be accepted into certain programs.

For more information, see the University Calendar »

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Open Studies

Through Open Studies, you can take university-level courses for credit on a part-time basis without entering into a degree program. Open Studies is a great choice for upgrading, professional development, or simply taking courses for personal interest. You do not need to have completed a previous university degree or any university-level coursework.

For more information, see the Registrar's Office website »

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Special Student

If you have completed a previous university degree and wish to enrol in further undergraduate courses at the University of Alberta in order improve your GPA or for professional development, you can do so as a Special Student.

Special Students are permitted to register in one or more courses which are not counted for credit toward a degree program. As priority is given to applicants to degree programs, there may be a limit on the number of special students admitted each year and subject to available space. Special Students may not have access to all courses offered by all departments.

To be considered for admission as a Special Student, you must normally have received a university degree in a related field from an accredited post-secondary institution, present a competitive admission grade point average, and meet Language Requirements. In some cases, Special Students must reapply each year, and priority may be given to students who have not previously attended as Special Students.

For further information, please consult the University Calendar and look for details on Special Students under a specific faculty/program. Special Students are expected to submit the Application for Admission along with supporting documents. It is important to check the calendar as Special Student deadlines are slightly different than those for regular degree programs.

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Visiting Student

Students enrolled at another university in a full-time undergraduate program may choose to attend the University of Alberta for one term or one academic year as a Visiting Student. The purpose of the Visiting Student status is to complete coursework that will be transferred back to the student's home institution for degree completion there.

This is not an exchange program, as visiting students will be responsible for payment of tuition fees directly to the University of Alberta.

Admission requirements for Visiting Students are as follows:

  • Student is in a degree program at home institution
  • Student has completed a minimum of 24 credits (one academic year) at home institution
  • Student has a letter of permission from home institution
  • Student is in good standing at home institution
  • Student meets the Language Requirements for the University of Alberta.

Further details on admission requirements for visiting students can be found in the University Calendar (look under specific degree programs for visiting student requirements).

See also Visiting and Short-Term Programs »