Simon Fraser University Admissions 2026: Application Deadline, Eligibility & Fees

Simon Fraser University Application Deadlines for Indian Students

SFU runs two international intakes each year, Fall (September) and Spring (January), and the Fall intake is where the bulk of programs open. Dates below are drawn from the SFU dates and deadlines page and the SFU graduate admissions calendar; MBA rounds come from the Beedie Full-Time MBA admissions page.

SFU’s primary intake for Indian students is Fall (September). Most graduate programs, all four undergraduate faculties, and the majority of Beedie MBA rounds open here.

Planning note: Graduate deadlines are set per program, not per faculty. A CS master’s deadline can be different from a Data Science master’s deadline in the same intake, so check the individual program’s SFU page before locking a target date.

Simon Fraser University Eligibility for Indian Applicants

SFU sets an institution-wide floor for Indian applicants, with individual programs allowed to set higher bars. The English Language Requirement (ELR) is SFU’s term for its language-proficiency floor, and it accepts several tests plus a set of exemptions.

• UG general entry: Class XII with roughly 70% or higher, including 70%+ in senior-year English.
• UG competitive programs (BBA, CS, Engineering, Data Science): Class XII around 80%+, with Mathematics required for STEM streams.
• PG master’s entry: Bachelor’s with a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.33 (B), or 3.33/4.33 (B+) on the last 60 undergraduate credits, roughly 76%+ in Indian terms.
• PhD entry: GPA of 3.5/4.33 or higher on the last 60 credits, or 75%+ of a completed master’s with a 3.5 GPA.

English proficiency is required for Indian applicants unless a waiver applies. SFU accepts the following tests (undergraduate floors listed, master’s floors are similar or slightly higher):

Simon Fraser University English Waiver for Indian Applicants

SFU publishes several ELR waivers on its English requirements page. Waivers most useful to Indian undergraduate applicants are:

• International school pathway: Completion of the last four years of full-time secondary schooling in English at a recognised international school in India (or another non-English-speaking country), with 70% or higher in senior English.
• Cambridge O-Level route: A Cambridge IGCSE or GCSE O-Level English grade of 4 (or C) or higher.
• IB Diploma route: IB English A (HL or SL) or English Literature and Performance (SL) at grade 3 or above.

CBSE and ICSE English-medium schooling alone does not automatically waive the ELR; India is not on SFU’s list of English-primary countries. For graduate applicants, India is not exempt and a valid test score is expected, though case-by-case exemptions can be raised with the program.

Simon Fraser University PG Programs and English Requirements

SFU’s postgraduate portfolio covers business, computing, engineering, communication, education, and public policy. Base tuition for international master’s programs typically sits between CAD 12,000 and 45,000 (₹8.33 to 31.24 Lakh) per year, with the Beedie MBA the highest priced. For the detailed fee breakdown by course, use the SFU tuition page for the specific program you plan to apply to.

Simon Fraser University UG Programs and Entry Criteria

SFU has three campuses (Burnaby, Surrey, Vancouver) offering undergraduate programs across arts, science, business, engineering, and education. International UG tuition runs about CAD 37,870 to 44,760 (₹26.29 to 31.07 Lakh) per year, with the base tuition varying by faculty.

Undergraduate international applicants pay a CAD 130 (₹9,023) application fee on EducationPlannerBC and, on accepting an offer, a CAD 5,000 (₹3.47 Lakh) admission deposit. Highly ranked programs like Computing Science, BBA, and Data Science are competitive and often admit above the published floor.

Simon Fraser University MBA Admissions and Rounds

The Beedie School of Business runs the Full-Time MBA, the Flexible (part-time) MBA, the Executive MBA, and the MBA in Management of Technology. All four hold dual AACSB and EQUIS accreditation. 

Beedie Full-Time MBA Rounds

Beedie MBA Eligibility and Interview

Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0/4.33 GPA on the last 60 credits, and GMAT or GRE recommended (GMAT 550, GMAT Focus 515, or GRE 155 per section). Work experience is not a stated minimum but strongly preferred, and a test waiver is available for applicants with 5+ years of work experience, strong academic merit, or completed graduate coursework. Base tuition for the Full-Time MBA is CAD 70,557 (₹48.98 Lakh) total, with a CAD 2,000 (₹1.39 Lakh) admission deposit on offer acceptance.

Shortlisted candidates go through a virtual interview after the application review closes. Both academic evaluators and a Beedie admissions committee member typically join.

Insider note: For Indian applicants targeting Fall 2027, the Early Round (5 October 2026) usually gets faster decisions and the strongest scholarship consideration. Round 4 and Final are the tightest for scholarships and visa timing to India.

Simon Fraser University Application Process Step by Step

Undergraduate international applicants use EducationPlannerBC (EPBC), the shared BC-province application portal, while graduate applicants use SFU’s own gograd portal directly. The two flows differ by fee, documents, and decision timeline.

1. Create an EducationPlannerBC account and select Simon Fraser University as the receiving institution (UG applicants), or open the gograd portal and select the specific graduate program (PG applicants).
2. Pay the application fee of CAD 130 (₹9,023) for UG or CAD 160 (₹11,105) for PG on the portal. Pay 5 to 7 days before the deadline to allow processing.
3. Upload supporting documents (see next section) and arrange for official English test scores to be sent directly by the testing agency.
4. Track your personalised to-do list on the applicant Student Centre, and monitor supervisor confirmation for PhD applicants.
5. Wait for a decision. UG decisions start around mid-February for Fall applications; PG decisions begin in February and continue through summer, program-by-program.

SFU Admission Decisions and Offer Acceptance

• Offer letter: Conditional or unconditional Letter of Acceptance (LOA) issued via the Student Centre.
• Deposit: UG offers require a CAD 5,000 (₹3.47 Lakh) admission deposit; MBA offers require CAD 2,000 (₹1.39 Lakh). Both are non-refundable except in a documented denied study permit case (less a CAD 150 processing fee for UG).
• Deferral: One-term or one-year deferrals are considered on a program-by-program basis, typically for visa or medical reasons.

Simon Fraser University Acceptance Rate for Indian Applicants

SFU does not publish an official institutional acceptance rate. Independent estimates place it at around 55 to 65% overall, based on typical Canadian public research university intake patterns, with meaningful variation by program.

How Indian Applicants Can Improve Their Odds

Apply in the Early or Round 1 window rather than late rounds, exceed the stated GPA and English test floors rather than meeting them exactly, and submit sealed documents inside the first two weeks after applying so the file is reviewable in the earliest evaluation cycle.

Insider note: Non-STEM SFU programs like MA Communication, MPP, and MA International Studies generally have looser acceptance rates than CS or Engineering, and are strong pivot options for applicants who match SFU’s academic bar but not the competitive-program bar.

Canada Student Visa for Simon Fraser University Applicants

Admitted Indian applicants need a Canadian Study Permit, issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Two routes are open, the Student Direct Stream (SDS) for faster processing, and the standard study permit route. Since SDS eligibility rules are refreshed periodically, confirm current SDS terms on the IRCC site before you file.

The process starts once you receive your SFU Letter of Acceptance and Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL, a British Columbia government confirmation that your seat sits within the province’s cap). You will need proof of paid first-year tuition, a Guaranteed Investment Certificate (GIC) for living costs held with a Canadian bank, biometrics at a Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, or Kolkata VAC, and a medical exam by an IRCC-approved physician. Post-arrival, register at the SFU International Services for Students office for on-campus health cover and to activate your CoPL and study permit compliance.

2026 update: Canada’s cost-of-living financial requirement is periodically revised by IRCC and now sits meaningfully above the older CAD 10,000 benchmark. Check the exact GIC amount required on IRCC’s official page in the same week you plan your bank remittance.

Simon Fraser University sits inside a comprehensive Canadian public research setting, offers rare undergraduate co-op cycles, and rewards early, well-organised applications. Indian applicants who lock IELTS early, apply in Round 1 for competitive programs, and follow the SDS route on visa consistently finish inside the same academic year they aimed for.