Graduate Diplomas
& Certificates
Application guide
This step-by-step guide will lead you through the online application process.
Before starting
Please note:
- The application window opens 12 months before the start of the intake term (e.g., if you are applying to start in fall [September] 2023, the application window opens in September 2022).
- Admissions into the John Molson Graduate Diploma and Certificate in Business Administration programs are very competitive due to the limited number of seats available each term. Meeting the minimum admissions requirements does not guarantee admission.
- You may save your application at any point, allowing you to partially complete the process and return to it later, as needed. Applications will not be reviewed until completed and all documents are uploaded.
- Be sure to have a valid method of payment for the application fee ($100 CAD) and a valid email address for correspondence.
- If you have technical difficulties with your online application, contact the IT Service Desk by phone at 514-848-2424, ext. 7613, or by email at help@concordia.ca.
1. Start your application
Choose to start a new application (according to whether you already have a Concordia Netname account or not), or choose to continue an application you started previously.
2. Level of study
Specify the level of study you are applying to. Choose Graduate.
3. Term
Select the term you wish to apply to (Fall or Winter) and the year.
Please note that the Graduate Diploma and Certificate in Business Administration programs only have a Fall and a Winter intake term each year.
4. Address and phone
Provide your name, date of birth, etc. Please ensure that all information is accurate and matches all your official supporting documents. If you had to remove accents or special characters from the spelling of your name when you created your Netname account, please enter your correct name here.
If you are bilingual or multilingual, please choose the First language and Language used at home options that seem most appropriate to you. Your answers will not affect your application in any way.
The email address you provide will be the one we use to communicate with you throughout the admissions process.
You can manage personal information in your Student Centre at a later date to change your contact information. You can also find the link to Manage personal information in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
Student Centre is the university’s main site for students to carry out key tasks related to their academic life, such as checking course schedules and paying tuition. For applicants, it’s also the place where you can check the status of your application for admission. You’ll be able to log in to your Student Centre once you’ve submitted your application by paying the application fee.
5. Academic program and plan
Choose your Academic Load:
- choose Full-time studies; OR
- choose Part-time studies
The Academic Program is the type of degree or certificate:
- choose Diploma – Graduate; OR
- choose Certificate – Graduate
The Academic Plan is the subject:
- choose Graduate Diploma Business Administration; OR
- choose Graduate Certificate Business Administration; OR
- choose Graduate Certificate in Quantitative Business Studies
6. Academic history
Create a list of all the post-secondary academic institutions you have attended (e.g., college and/or university).
Click Select School to begin. If you cannot find your school using the School Name Search, click Return and check “I could not find my specific school.”
Please include the time period when you studied there (approximate dates are acceptable) and the degree or level that you completed.
If you do not consider your transcripts of university-level work to be an accurate reflection of your academic ability, you may list the reasons here. You are also encouraged to upload a letter of explanation with your documents.
7. Publications
If applicable, please provide details of any thesis, publications, and/or scholarships, awards and other academic honours.
8. References
The John Molson Graduate Diploma and Certificates Admissions Committee asks for two letters of reference per application.
Suitable referees should be:
- academic or professional in nature;
- well-acquainted with you and senior in their relationship with you (i.e., does not report to you);
- able to attest to your potential for graduate studies and your career potential.
Contact your referees before applying to confirm their availability and willingness to write a reference letter for you.
Provide the names and email addresses of your referees.
You are strongly encouraged to submit your application before the application deadline in order to give your referees sufficient time to provide their assessments and letters of reference.
References FAQ
After you have submitted your application, your referees will receive an email from application.support@concordia.ca inviting them to complete an electronic assessment form and attach their letter of reference. Referees have 14 days to complete the assessment form and reference letter. It is extremely important to enter your referees’ email addresses correctly so that they each receive an instructional email on how to proceed with their referral.
Yes. Once you submit your online application by paying the application fee, we will send an email from application.support@concordia.ca to your referees inviting them to complete the electronic assessment form and attach their letter of reference.
It is your responsibility to follow up with your referees to confirm they received the email from application.support@concordia.ca inviting them to complete the electronic assessment form and attach their letter of reference. You should track the status of your referees’ submissions in your Student Centre. Scroll down to the Admissions section and click on the Manage list of referees link. You can also access your Student Centre in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
Verify the email address(es) you submitted in your online application. You may also want to reiterate with your referee(s) that the email is coming from application.support@concordia.ca and ask them to check their email junk folder.
You can edit your referee’s contact information in your Student Centre. Scroll down to the Admissions section and click on the Manage list of referees link. You can also access your Student Centre in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
For technical difficulties, referees should contact help@concordia.ca. For any other request, please contact gradadvisor.jmsb@concordia.ca. Please include your name and application ID in all communication.
If your referee does not complete the assessment form and attach their letter of reference within 14 days of receiving the email from application.support@concordia.ca, they will no longer be able to submit these documents. To renew their 14-day deadline, log in to your Student Centre, scroll down to the Admissions section, click on Manage list of referees, cancel the referee, and use the “+” button to add them again. You can also access your Student Centre in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
Notifications are not sent to applicants. It is your responsibility to track the status of your referees’ submissions. To do this, log in to your Student Centre, scroll down to the Admissions section and click on the Manage list of referees link. You can also access your Student Centre in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
Yes, but please inform your referee that they will receive separate emails specific to each of the programs you are applying to. You should ensure that your referee has tailored their letter of reference to the different programs you are applying to.
Letters of reference are valid for one academic year, beginning on the date you submitted your application. After this time, applicants are required to re-submit referee information online.
9. Attachments
We recommend that you have PDF copies of your documents ready to upload. You do not have to upload all the documents listed in the drop-down list, only the documents required to support your application.
- File types that can be uploaded include:
- Adobe Acrobat Document (*.pdf)
- Image files (*.bmp, *.gif, *.jpg, *.jpeg, *.tif)
- Microsoft Word Document (*.doc, *.docx)
- Rich Text File (*.rtf)
- Text File (*.txt)
- File size can be no larger than 5 MB per document.
- File name should not be longer than 64 characters.
- File name should only contain numerals 0–9 and/or English letters A–Z without any accents (é, à, è, î, ô, û, etc.).
You may also upload documents after the application has been submitted. If your application has not yet been submitted, you can apply for admission and add documents. You can also find links to Apply for admission and Upload documents in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
We request official transcripts and test score results only once you are admitted into the program. Please note that uploaded transcripts and test score results are not considered official. Official documents are those sent directly from an institution or testing centre to our Admissions Application Centre.
Checklist of documents to upload for the Graduate Diploma and Certificates in Business Administration (GDBA/GCBA/GCQBS) application:
- Transcripts for all post-secondary degrees completed
- For any post-secondary degrees you have completed, you must submit a proof of degree conferred along with the final transcript.
- If you studied in a language other than English or French, you must upload the original transcript and an official translation.
- If you are currently enrolled in school, submit the results of all previous terms and a list of your current courses (include mid-year grades, if they're available).
- CV/resume
- Statement of purpose (500 words)
- Proof of English language proficiency
- If required, a copy of the English language proficiency test score report (Academic IELTS, TOEFL iBT or Duolingo English Test)
- Copy of your passport, Permanent Resident card, Refugee status or Quebec birth certificate depending on your citizenship/residency status
10. Submit
You’ve almost finalized your application!
Release of information
Privacy rules prevent us from talking to anyone but you about your application, unless you authorize a specific person in this section. Once you are admitted, this person will no longer have access to your file.
Application fee
To finalize your application, you need to agree to our terms and conditions, and pay a non-refundable application fee of $100 CAD by credit card. We accept the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.
Submit
Once you have provided all the application information and admission requirements, choose Submit to finalize your application.
11. After the application has been submitted
Confirmation email and student ID number
Once you click the Submit button, you will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours with an attached PDF copy of your application. This email will include an eight-digit student ID number that you will use throughout your studies, should you be accepted at Concordia. Please include this ID number in all communications with Concordia employees.
You can check your application status online in your Student Centre. You can also find the link to Check application status in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
Required documents and “To Do List”
Any documents required to complete your application will appear on your To Do List under your Student Centre. Once you upload the required document(s), we will review your file again and remove the item from your To Do List usually within 10 working days.
For documents submitted by mail, keep in mind the time it takes for them to arrive at Concordia University will vary depending on where they were sent from and how. Please allow at least 10 working days from the time we receive the document for your To Do List to be updated.
To see what documents we require for your submitted application, if applicable, go to your Student Centre, check the To Do List on the right-hand side. Once you submit a required document, we will review your file again and remove that item from your To Do List. You can also access your Student Centre in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
Please note that your Letters of Reference will only be marked as submitted on your To Do List once we have received the letters from your referees and reviewed your file. If you have submitted the names and correct email addresses of your referees in your application, you should check your To Do List regularly in order to verify the status of your Letters of Reference and to follow up with your referees, if needed.
Adding a Note to your application
Once you have submitted your application, you can update it at any time through your Student Centre. Uploading a Note from Student to your application is useful to provide the Admissions Committee with any brief update or additional/new information that you feel would complement or clarify any aspects of your application. You will be able to find the Note from Student option where you upload documents. You can also find the link to Upload documents in the Student Hub's My CU Account.
Processing times
Please note that it may take up to 20 working days to update your file and up to 30 working days to get the decision on your application after the official application deadline.
The Admissions Committee reviews files on a first-come, first-served basis and prioritizes applications to the next available intake term (e.g., processing applications to the fall 2022 term before the winter 2023 term.) Please do not contact the Admissions Team to ask them to prioritize your file.
For any additional information, please contact: application.centre@concordia.ca.
If you receive an offer of acceptance, you can confirm the offer by paying a $250 CAD deposit, which will eventually be applied to your first tuition payment.
