Highly-qualified applicants who do not meet the minimum English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement may be issued a conditional Offer of Admission.
Conditional admission allows applicants to apply for a study permit (if necessary) and begin their studies in the University's English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program.
Applicants admitted via the Conditional English Proficiency Admission route may be permitted to begin their studies provided that the ELP requirement is met by another approved means by August 1 for the fall term, November 15 for the spring term, or April 15 for the summer term.
To be considered for Conditional English Proficiency Admission (ELP), the applicant must:
- meet the academic requirements of the desired program;
- have a minimum score of 6.0 in each band of the IELTS test; or a minimum overall score of 80 on the iBT TOEFL, (with minimum scores of 16 in each of Listening, Reading, and Speaking, and a minimum score of 18 in Writing), IELTS and iBT TOEFL test must be written within two years of application to the University of Lethbridge; and
- be recommended for Conditional English Proficiency Admission by the appropriate graduate Program Committee.
Applicants admitted via the Conditional English Proficiency Admission route will normally be placed in the Advanced Level of the EAP program, and the University reserves the right to move the applicant to a lower level if deemed necessary.
Applicants are expected to successfully complete the Advanced Level of the EAP program in the term indicated in their Offer of Admission and begin their graduate program the next available term. Applicants who do not fulfill the ELP requirement during the specified period will have their Offer of Admission rescinded. These applicants may continue in the EAP program and reapply to a graduate program for a future term.
Upon successful completion of the EAP program, the student will proceed directly into the graduate degree program in the next available term.
Students admitted via the Conditional English Proficiency Admission route may not make academic progress or engage in academic research toward their desired University of Lethbridge program before the ELP condition from the Offer of Admission is met. The School of Graduate Studies does not provide any financial support for students while they are enrolled in the EAP program.
Students admitted via the Conditional English Proficiency Admission route are considered to be full-time students while enrolled in the EAP program.