Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process

The University of Calgary is committed to establishing an equitable, diverse, and inclusive campus that is accessible to all. We strive to remove barriers that have been, and continue to be, encountered by members of equity deserving groups including, but not limited to, women, Indigenous peoples, visible/racialized minority persons, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQ2S+ persons.


The Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process acknowledges that students have diverse identities, backgrounds and experiences that have shaped opportunity structures. It intentionally pursues inclusive excellence in our admissions practice. This admissions process will consider factors that may have impacted a student’s access, opportunity, and ability to succeed. We encourage and welcome applications from students from communities that experience social barriers, marginalization and systematic discrimination. We also commit to review applicants in an equitable and inclusive manner, where all students feel valued, respected, and supported.

Some examples of students who have had their previous academic journey impacted and may benefit by applying through this process are:

  • Students who have shown perseverance under difficult circumstances; or
  • Students whose previous academic performance has been impacted and is not reflective of their full potential; or
  • Students with refugee backgrounds; or
  • Students with learning exceptionalities; or
  • Students who have displayed dedication to learning in the face of socio-economic challenges; or
  • Students who have overcome systemic barriers and/or sociocultural adversity; or
  • Students who have shown a commitment to extracurricular activity or artistic endeavors; or
  • Students who have shown high potential in academic/research activities.

A student’s application will not be delayed or negatively impacted by adding the Equitable and Inclusive pathway. Students who apply with Equitable and Inclusive qualifications will first be considered through the competitive admission process and may be considered for additional pathways:

  • Admission to their first-choice degree program
  • Admission to their first-choice degree program through bridging with possible additional requirements
  • Admission to another degree program aligned with their interests
  • Admission to Open Studies

How do I apply under this process if I'm an undergraduate applicant?


Step One

As a Canadian citizen or permanent resident applying to an undergraduate degree program from high school or as a transfer student from another post-secondary institution, you apply for admission using the online application (see: how to apply). You must indicate that you’re applying under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process in the “Additional Information” section at the end of the application.

Step Two

You must complete a personal statement that outlines your special circumstances, personal achievements, and educational goals. You can download the personal profile form by clicking here.

You can upload your personal statement via the upload link under Admissions in your MyUCalgary Student Centre.

The deadline to submit your personal statement is:

  • March 15 for fall and summer undergraduate admission
  • September 15 for winter undergraduate admission
  • February 15 for spring undergraduate admission

Admission under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process is not available in the following programs:

  • The Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc) program offered by the Faculty of Medicine
  • Refer to the requirements of your specific faculty if you’re applying to either the juris doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law, or the Doctor of Medicine program offered by the Faculty of Medicine

Submitting the required information and documents doesn’t guarantee admission to the university. Admission decisions made under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process are final and cannot be appealed.

Equitable and Inclusive admission decisions are normally made between May 1 and June 30 for fall admission.


How do I apply under this process if I'm an Open Studies applicant?


Step One

To be considered under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process for Open Studies you must first apply for admission to Open Studies online.

Upon submission of the Open Studies application for admission, you need to let us know you’d like to be considered under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission process. To do this, please fill out an Equitable and Inclusive Request form.

Step Two

Upon submission of the request form, we will add Equitable and Inclusive  to your file and the required to-do items will be added to your MyUCalgary Student Centre. This will allow you to upload your personal statement.  

The last day to request to add Equitable and Inclusive review to your application is the application deadline for your application term:

  • July 31 for fall term Open Studies admission
  • November 30 for winter term Open Studies admission
  • March 31 for spring term Open Studies admission
  • May 31 for summer term Open Studies admission

Step Three

You need to complete and upload your Personal Profile which includes an outline of your special circumstances, personal achievements, and educational goals. You can download the Open Studies Equitable and Inclusive Personal Profile form here.

Please upload your profile via the upload link under Admissions in your MyUCalgary Student Centre.

The deadline to submit your Personal Profile is:

  • August 10 for fall term Open Studies admission
  • December 10 for winter term Open Studies admission
  • April 10 for spring term Open Studies admission
  • June 10 for summer term Open Studies admission

Submitting the required information and documents doesn’t guarantee admission to the university. Admission decisions made under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process are final and cannot be appealed.

Students walking

Current UCalgary students

Please note the Equitable and Inclusive Admission process applies to new/incoming students only. If you have questions about having exceptional circumstances considered as a change of program applicant, please connect with the Faculty to which you are applying.

Connect with your faculty

If you are applying under the Equitable and Inclusive Admission Process as a result of being impacted by sexual violence, please note that we have dedicated sexual violence support on campus. We recommend that you seek support and advice on this process from their office before submitting your application. It can be difficult to know what to share and in appreciating that this is a very sensitive matter, we want to ensure that you feel confident regarding your safety during this process. You can contact the sexual violence support team by emailing svsa@ucalgary.ca or through the sexual violence support webpage.


Support for the Equitable and Inclusive Admissions Process

Support for the Equitable and Inclusive admissions process is available through the Community Engagement Recruitment Advisor.

Vanessa Dang

Vanessa Dang

Student Recruitment Specialist, Community Engagement

You can connect with our Community Engagement liaison at 1.403.220.4107 or email our Community liaison, WhatsApp or book a private online meeting