Visiting PhD Students
We welcome requests from current PhD students at other institutions to visit the Business PhD Program at the Alberta School of Business for the purposes of taking courses, gathering data, furthering research development and/or interacting with faculty. We believe that academic exchanges can be extremely valuable both for the visitor and the host university.
Different application processes are required whether you wish to take courses for credit or whether you want to visit for other purposes (for example, interacting with faculty). All visiting graduate students are required to be supervised by a U of A faculty member. There are several registration options for visiting PhD students, some that involve fees and some that do not. We explain each option below.
Academic Visitor
PhD students may qualify as Self-Funded Researchers or Research Award Recipients (if you are receiving special funds from your home university or government to travel and study here). Academic Visitors have access to our libraries and study space, and may attend classes with the permission of the professor (no credit or transcript received). There are no additional benefits. You must have your own third-party health care coverage, and you would pay fees if you want to use the recreational facilities at the U of A. See the Academic Visitors webpage for more information.
Research 900 (RSCH 900)
This is a registration status for students from other universities who want to conduct research only, but not take courses for credit, at the U of A. Registering in RSCH 900 provides visiting student researchers with a ONEcard and access to resources and services such as athletic and recreation facilities, health services, liability coverage, U-Pass (transit pass for Fall & Winter Terms only), an official U of A transcript certifying attendance, and University of Alberta Health Insurance Plan (UAHIP) for international students. Read more about RSCH 900 fees. Email busphd@ualberta.ca for further information on the registration process for RSCH 900.
Visiting Students taking courses.
Similar to Research 900, visitors register through our Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) and pay fees (approximately $1700CAD for one course in one term) which include all of the benefits listed in RSCH 900. The procedure to register is:
- Complete an Application for Visiting Graduate Student form.
- Provide a letter from the appropriate authority (for example, Dean) of your home university, confirming that you are currently registered in a graduate degree program at your university and giving permission for the period of the visit and for you to take one or more courses for transfer of credit toward your home degree program.
- Submit your CV and a brief statement (abstract) about your research interests.
Please submit all documents to the Business PhD Program Office (not the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies). Sending your application and required documents by email to busphd@ualberta.ca will help to expedite the application process. Alternatively, you may send your application by post or courier to:
Business PhD Program
Room 2-24, Alberta School of Business
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
CANADA T6G 2R6
Classes generally start in September (Fall term) and January (Winter term) and are normally 13 weeks long. Information on the Business doctoral courses can be found under each department's program description on our Program Information page; these courses are not usually offered in the spring or summer. Please visit the FGPS website for information about fees.
Visiting Students taking courses under the Western Deans' Agreement (WDA)
Information can be found on the WDA page of the FGSR website.
In each case except WDA an invitation letter from a willing supervisor is required, and English language proficiency is preferred. When the appropriate category for your visit has been determined, the Business PhD office will assist with the processing of the necessary paperwork. To inquire about available supervisors, please submit your CV and abstract, with proposed dates of your visit, to busphd@ualberta.ca for assessment.
When required, students are responsible for applying for their own immigration documents.
Updated January 10, 2024