University of Manitoba - Faculty of Arts - Linguistics - How to Apply
How to Apply
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The process

Admissions applications must be submitted directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) before 15 February for programs to begin the following September (Programs in Linguistics must begin in September, although in extraordinary circumstances one term (January) or full year deferrals may be arranged).  The Department may be able to consider applications that are not entirely complete by those dates, but missing documentation may not result in a favorable decision. Admission is formally offered by FGS, which cannot act on any admissions decision unless and until all required documentation has been received and verified.  

Making your application for admission involves submitting a number of required documents, including the online application form, transcripts from previous institutions, and letters of recommendation, as noted below.  Once received, the Faculty of Graduate Studies will scan the documents, which are then made available to the department electronically. 

Appliations are reviewed by the department's Graduate Committee sometime after the 15 February deadline, depending on availability of documents and scheduling.  Departmental decisons are communicated to FGS, which will act on them as soon as all the documentation has been processed.  While formal admission can only be offered by FGS, the department's Graduate Chair will try to relay the decision of the committee to you by e-mail as soon as it is made. Admission is not granted until offered by FGS *and* accepted by the applicant.

Programs (coursework) are not decided until late August, so official registration cannot be made before then. Registration is entirely online.

Applications for University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships (discussed below) should be sent directly to the Department before 15 January (note that this is before the deadline for admissions applications).  All students are encouraged to apply for a UMGF, as access to other awards (from the Faculty of Arts) is contingent on applying for a UMGF.  See below.

The application

Application materials are sent by the applicant to the Facutly of Graduate studies. As they are received, they are optically scanned and shared in-house by FGS and the Department of Linguistics.

The complete application package must include:
  • A completed Application for Admission form (completed online preferred, although paper applications are availabe)
  • A cover letter (statement of research interests), detailing your scholarly interests, outlining your plans for graduate study and indicating your preferred supervisor
  • Official transcripts of academic record in a sealed and endorsed envelopes from all previous undergraduate and graduate institutions attended*
  • Two letters of reference (in sealed and endorsed envelopes) sent by scholars familiar with your work*
  • A reasonably substantial sample of your English written work (e.g. a course paper or thesis chapter)**
  • The application fee, $100CAD in the form of a cheque drawn on a Canadian bank or an international money order (made out to the University of Manitoba)
  • A curriculum vitae, including
    • a detailed summary of academic preparation (including courses and instructors in Linguistics and related areas, if the undergraduate degree is not in Linguistics)
    • a summary of any practical experience, such as languages studied, taught and used, etc.
  • A copy of birth certificate or passport proving identity and citizenship
  • Additional paperwork as required:
    • If any of your documents are under a different name, you must provide a notarized copy of marriage certificate or other official evidence indicating name change 
    • If your native language is not English (or you have not received a degree from an institution in an exempted country), you must provide evidence of proficiency in the English language (follow the link for more information regarding this requirement)

Neither the department nor FGS requires the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). 

*These may be sent by the applicant or directly from the issuing individuals/institutions, but must be in separately sealed and endorsed envelopes.

**The purpose of the written sample is to allow the admissions committee to evaluate your ability to write scholarly papers in English. If English original work is not available, translations must be provided.

Supporting documents should be sent to:

Faculty of Graduate Studies
University of Manitoba
500 University Centre
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA  R3T 2N2

The Univeristy of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship

Scholarship funding is available through the University of Manitoba on the basis of academic excellence. If you wish to apply for this funding, please contact the Graduate Chair.  (Hopefully we will soon have a permanent home for the form for you to download.  At the moment, we're still doing this on paper.) Please note that several other competitions (for instance, for Faculty of Arts graduate awards) are available only to students who have applied for the UMGF.  The deadline for UMGF applications is 15 January.

In addition to the application form, the UMGF applicaiton requires transcripts, letters of recommendation, and a statement of research interests.  These can be 'shared' with the application for admission--a separate set of documents is not required for the UMGF.  If applying for the UMGF and you have not sent documents for the application for admission to FGS, arrange for these documents to be sent to the Department, at the address above, and they will be forwarded to FGS for inclusion with the application for admission.  If you have already sent your documents to FGS as part of the application for admission, we will arrange to have copies sent to us for the UMGF.

UMGF applications should be sent to:

Graduate Chair
Department of Lingusitics
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba
CANADA  R3T 5V5

Other funding opportunities may also be available. Applicants and students are encouraged to explore the resources listed with FGS (see the Funding and Awards area) for information on private, provincial and national competitions for scholarships/bursaries or research stipends. Internally, the University and the Faculty of Arts allow the student to apply for some travel reimbursements (for conferences, etc.), and small grant competitions (such as the Arts Endowment Fund). The Department usually has a limited number of RA/TA/marker-grader positions that are made available during the year. In addition, individual faculty may have opportunities for research assistants on individual or grant-supported projects. These are available only to students who have begun their programs, and cannot be offered or guaranteed before admission.