New Graduate Student Information

Find the Academic Schedule in the current UCalgary Calendar. Here are important 2024 dates: 

• Labour Day (University Closed) – Monday, September 2
• Fall Classes begin – Tuesday, September 3 
• Fee payment deadline – Friday, September 20 
• Fall Term Break – November 10–16

Please note that these dates are tentative and subject to change. 

We will send newsletters, updates, and direct communications to your UCalgary email address only. All communication from you regarding your studies here must be from your UCalgary email. Auto-forwarding your UCalgary email is not possible. As a friendly reminder, please include your UCID in any emails, so we can easily access student files needed to respond.  

Set up your UCalgary email

Living in residence connects you to the campus community. To apply, you can register or log in to the Resident Portal and complete the form. You can also access  off-campus housing information from UCalgary’s Students’ Union.

As a student at UCalgary, there are a variety of services available to you. Familiarize yourself with the services at our UCalgary IT website. Visit UCalgary IT

Please complete by September 15^th

U of C general safety courses are required for all course-based and thesis-bases students – you may not have access to these courses until August 28^th

Step 1: have your U of C login credentials ready to go. To access the U of C General Safety Courses you are required to use your University of Calgary login credentials through the university portal.

Step 2: Open a web browser such as Google Chrome on your computer. This course should work with any modern browser, but Google Chrome is preferred.

Step 3: Go to the EHS page. All course links will be listed (scroll through and navigate to different pages of the course offerings to find the following): https://www.ucalgary.ca/risk/environment-health-safety/training  

• Fire Safety Training
• Harassment and Violence Awareness Training
• Hazard Assessment
• Occupational Health and Safety Orientation
• WHMIS 2015

Step 3: Use your University of Calgary login credentials, through the University portal.

Step 4: Troubleshooting - if you encounter difficulties try the following troubleshooting steps:

• Clearing cache
• Allowing pop-ups/turn off pop-up blockers
• Switching browsers - Safari appears to present some issues - Chrome works best.
• Allowing security access (addresses “black screen” issues) – up at the top by the address bar you will see the word ‘secure’, a pop-up menu, or a blocked screen symbol, if you click on that it should open up a menu and you will need to click in the box that says ‘allow’.

If the above steps do not resolve this issue, please contact IT for assistance: https://ucalgary.service-now.com/it?id=ithome

Our tuition and fee breakdown can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar. Please note that fees are calculated and assessed on an annual basis, so they are subject to change. 

• Tuition details for professional programs (amount shown for ‘Multiple Faculties’): https://calendar.ucalgary.ca/pages/416de8d4b1f340f6bbf17cb8cf6817d5
• Program-specific fees: https://calendar.ucalgary.ca/pages/8dcba8d997424a5994f8ff50034e8bbb
• General fees: https://calendar.ucalgary.ca/pages/cdecfd021adb4815bf0fd932317e1dfd

SAPL offers a robust and growing scholarships program. Teaching and Research Assistantships are awarded annually to many students. Postings for teaching assistantships for the coming school year are advertised to SAPL students each summer via UCalgary email. Research assistantships are also awarded out of faculty members’ independent research grants or from SAPL funds and could comprise a wide range of tasks. Research assistantships depend on the availability of positions and are coordinated by the professors holding the research grants.

• SAPL Scholarships
• UCalgary Awards
• Finances and Budgeting

Our SAPL student volunteers make our School a vibrant and lively environment! They have contributed as photographers, writers, designers, and event, podcast, gallery and social media crews! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Alexa. 

The UCSafety App app delivers alerts and updates that can save lives and prevent injury. The app helps to foster a safe and healthy living and learning environment.

Please complete the attached form and email it to The Recruitment + Admissions Team by August 15

The Student Association is a not-for-profit student organization for SAPL. Acting as the governing body that represents the student interests, they are the group with the primary intent of enriching student life. The SAPLSA organizes many fun events and programs for our students including networking events, puppy therapy, yoga and ski trips!

We share student work, event information and more on our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages. Follow, like or share – we’ll see you there! You can connect with fellow incoming students on our UCalgary SAPL Entering Class Facebook group.

Design Matters is a thought-provoking lecture series that brings to Calgary a range of designers, innovators, and thought leaders exploring the edge of design and city building. Register for upcoming events. 

We hope you have been able to successfully register for your courses! Familiarize yourself with the program courses and curriculum:

• Master of Architecture 
• Master of Planning 
• Master of Landscape Architecture

You can watch this short webinar for details, instructions, and answers to frequently asked questions. Please email with any questions you might have about registration and course enrolment. 

If you have any outstanding final transcripts, English scores or additional documents, please have them submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by August 1. 

The Master of Architecture, Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Planning programs are regulated by accreditation standards. Canadian institutions offering professional graduate programs must adhere to these standards. If wish to request a course waiver or exemption, please submit a SAPL Graduate Course Waiver/Exemption/Advanced Credit Request. All requests are reviewed by the teaching faculty and Associate Deans. You will be emailed with the results of your request. 

All students at UCalgary need a Unicard. You are eligible to receive a Unicard once you have registered for classes and have an eID. You will use your card to access the building and studio space, attend classes and use the printing services on campus. Make sure to get your card before Orientation Week. 

Learn about UCalgary's Parking and Transportation services for students:

• Find parking
• Purchase your permit
• UPass bus program
• WayToPark app

You can find out more about technology requirements on the University of Calgary's eLearn site. Please note that required technologies may vary per course, and/or may be used in different ways. Learn more about SAPL-specific Laptop and Software Recommendations.

Your instructor may request that you use Zoom to join a lecture, have a meeting, or participate in an event. Familiarize yourself with Zoom here.

D2L is the online learning management system used by the University of Calgary. All courses (lecture & seminar sections) automatically have sites created in D2L. Learn more

Please refer to the SAPL Plotter Information for instructions. 

• Only 2 types of paper will be available for printing (Bond 36 and Photo 36)
• The computer might go to sleep and then require a password to sign in. The computer can be rebooted. On a fresh reboot, it will automatically sign in and start up the release station software. Should take about 2-3 minutes to complete that.
• If something is not working, IT is able to support the plotters, visit www.ucalgary.ca/it and click something is broken.
• IT is NOT supporting is paper loading and ink changes; SAPL can assist with these requests

If you wish to print on any other types of paper, please go to a vendor of your choice. We have secured a student discount of 25% off with Print Three as an available option. 

Looking to optimize your prints? Check out this tips and tricks video by Ismail El Aboudi.

Calgary is one of Canada’s most enterprising cities. The city offers opportunity, adventure and incredible education. It is about one hour away from the Rocky Mountains.  

Some unique features of Calgary include:

• The Calgary Stampede
• Calgary Tower
• Calgary Central Library
• National Music Centre
• WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park (skiing in the heart of the city!)

You can find something special for every interest! Our neighbouring Banff National Park, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Kananaskis Country and Lake Louise offer stunning views, heritage experiences and adventure opportunities right in our backyard!

This map of the SAPL building's second floor on main campus will help direct you if you haven't been there yet. The administrative offices are outlined to help you find us if you have any questions! 

A gift from our incredible SAPL students to you! They have curated this unique Calgary list to make sure that you have everything that you need to get started in the city. They've tagged their favorite places to buy supplies, coffee shops, grocery stores, and cool locations to check out. 

• University campuses
• Public transportation
• Wellness services

Along with the Faculty of Graduate Studies, find support and information from: 

• Welcome Centre
• International Student Services (ISS): Learn more about study permits, the University and life in Canada through ISS. They host events, have resources, lead programs and provide advising to support your student experience.
• Personal meetings with an International Student Specialist