How to Apply

Please use the Dalhousie University online application. The application fee is non-refundable. Fee payments must be made online.

Contact the Registrar's Office if you need assistance with your application form or fee: Admissions@Dal.Ca or +1 902 494 2450.

Important note about application terms: Please only select September/Fall admission.

If you are interested in January admissions, please contact us before applying (inform@dal.ca). As mentioned above, January admissions are only possible for CANADIAN applicants with extensive professional experience. It is rare that this is allowed. Admissions are at the discretion of the Admissions Committee.

Please submit one copy of all official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended. Final transcripts must include the date the degree was conferred. If the transcript does not state this, documentation must be provided from the University confirming the date of graduation.

If you do not submit a final transcript at the time of application, this is due within 90 days of starting the program, if accepted. If there are incomplete classes at the time of assessment, your admission GPA will be calculated based on a reduced number of credits.

According to the Faculty of Graduate Studies regulations, candidates for the MI must hold a four-year Bachelor's Degree with at least a second class standing (B average, 3.0 GPA) from a university recognized by the Senate of Dalhousie University. 

The Faculty of Graduate Studies will accept transcript in the following ways:

• Official, paper version mailed to DIS by the institution or the applicant (must be in a sealed envelope).
• Electronic file-transfers from the issuing institution and from services such as Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, eScript-Safe, or TranscriptsNetwork. Electronic transcripts are to be sent to inform@dal.ca
• PDFs sent by email directly from the issuing institution. As above, please send to inform@dal.ca.
• Unofficial transcript sent by email from the applicant: This can only be accepted if the University is unable to send us official transcripts, or as a temporary measure until the official version can be obtained. Official and/or final transcripts are due 90 days after the start of term. All final transcripts must include your first name and last name, your degree and program, your degree conferral date. If the date is not on transcripts, a degree certificate from the university stating the date of conferral is required.

Note: If you completed credits at another institution that show up on your transcript (either as transfer credits or a study abroad/exchange), you must submit a transcript from that institution, in addition to your home institution.

Note: Dalhousie graduates do not need to submit official transcripts. We can pull your record from DalOnline.

Notarized transcripts will not be accepted.

All applicants are required to submit a minimum of two academic references. There are two options for submitting your references – the Electronic Reference system (online) and email:

Electronic References:

1. Include the referee email addresses in the reference section of the online application. When your application is submitted and your application fee paid, a request will be sent to your referees. This process can take up to five business days.
2. The E-Ref system will only accept University email addresses [Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, business, or government addresses are not acceptable]. Referees without a University email must submit an email reference (see below).
   
3. Once you enter your referee information into the E-Ref system, the information CANNOT be changed or removed.
   

Email References:

1. Ask your referees to fill out and sign the Confidential Reference Form [PDF-160 KB]. They may include a separate letter, but it's not required.
2. The completed reference must be emailed to inform@dal.ca*

Important Notes:

• For applicants who graduated 3-5 years ago: You may submit ONE professional reference and ONE academic reference, although two academic references are strongly encouraged.
• For applicants who graduated 5+ years ago: You may submit professional references in lieu of academic. See "Professional Reference Letters" below.
  
• *References must be kept confidential from the applicant. Your referee cannot include you on the email and you cannot submit the reference on their behalf.
• The e-reference system automatically generates its own deadline (2 months from the date the email is sent) that doesn’t consider our timelines. Referees should follow SIM deadlines, NOT the deadline received on the reference form.
• It is your responsibility to follow up with your referees regularly to ensure they submit on time.

In addition to the required two academic reference letters, applicants may submit one or two professional references that they feel would strengthen their application. Applicants who graduated 3-5 years ago may submit one professional reference in lieu of academic, and those who graduated 5+ years ago may submit two professional references in lieu of academic. Please follow the directions below:

1. Ask your referees to fill out and sign the Confidential Reference Form [PDF-160 KB]. They may include a separate letter, but it's not required.
2. The completed reference must be emailed to inform@dal.ca*

Important Notes:

• For applicants who graduated  5+ years ago, at least one academic reference is strongly encouraged.
• *References must be kept confidential from the applicant. Your referee cannot include you on the email and you cannot submit the reference on their behalf.
• It is your responsibility to follow up with your referees regularly to ensure they submit on time.

Your essay may be submitted via email to inform@dal.ca

Please read What is Information Management?

As an MI applicant, your essay is an important means of communicating directly to the MI Admissions Committee. In addressing the following points, you will connect your Master of Information (MI) Program and career goals to the Information Management profession. This will enable the Admissions Committee to evaluate your fit for our Program.

In a 5-6 page double-spaced essay, discuss the following points:

• Tell us about your MI Program goals. How will DIS help you achieve them?
• What are the strengths you would bring to the MI Program and to the Information Management profession?
• Opportunities to perform management functions and to assume leadership roles abound in the Information Management field. Explain your perception of these opportunities, and how they will shape your future as an Information Management professional.
• Most professional occupations rely on team work. Demonstrate how your participation on a team has contributed to the success of a team’s objective. 
• New information technologies shape changes in the profession. How do you view technological advancements affecting you as a student? As an Information Management professional?
• In reference to the IT Competencies section (third question here under "Prior Education & Experience), please explain your level of competency. If you do not currently have these required competencies, indicate how you plan to meet the requirements before January of your first year in the Program.
• The Information Management field is a dynamic and changing environment; provide evidence of your adaptability in a changing context.
• Describe how your prior work experience (part-time or full-time; paid or voluntary) in any setting has shaped your MI goals.
• Explain any gaps or deficiencies in your academic record, or any other factors you wish to have taken into account.

Your resume may be submitted via email to inform@dal.ca

Please include a current résumé.

English is the language of study at Dalhousie; therefore all applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate their capacity to pursue a graduate-level program in English before admission (see chart below).

Test scores are valid for two years from the date the test was written.

The language competency test may be waived if the applicant has completed a degree at a recognized university where the language of instruction is English.

For Commonwealth country universities, if the language of instruction is English, it is expected that the transcripts will confirm this. If the transcripts do not contain this information, documentation must be provided by the university confirming this.

All such claims will be verified by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.