Graduate Studies

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is implementing changes in 2025 for international graduate students. CMU is making adjustments to admissions in light of these changes.

CMU will continue to accept domestic and international applications and admit students to the MA PCD for the fall 2025 semester. There will be a pause on all admission for winter 2026 and beyond, to provide time for CMU to evaluate the longer-term shape and prospects for the program. Students who do not start their program by fall 2025 may not defer to a later semester.

Important Deadlines for Canadian and U.S. Students

Completed applications must be received, along with the application fee and all required supporting documentation, by:

  • May 30 for the Fall Semester

If you have missed a deadline, contact Graduate Studies Admissions.

Deadline for International Students

Due to processing times, completed applications must be received, along with the application fee and all required supporting documentation, by:

  • March 30 for the Fall Semester

Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission must be qualified to engage in graduate-level study. Successful applicants will have completed a four-year baccalaureate degree from a recognized university or college with a minimum average of 'B', based on the last 60 credit hours or two full years or equivalent of university study.

International students must meet country-specific requirements and English language proficiency requirements.

CMU requires official transcripts of all post-secondary studies.

All applicants who studied and obtained credentials at an institution outside Canada or the U.S. are required to submit their transcripts via a World Education Services (WES) Course-By-Course International Credential Advantage Package (ICAP) report. WES offers a variety of reports but CMU is only able to accept the course-by course ICAP report. This applies to both international applicants and domestic applicants who studied abroad.

Applicants should arrange to have the institutions at which they studied send official transcripts to CMU. Applicants who are required to have transcripts evaluated by WES should have their transcripts and report sent to CMU.

Transcripts can be mailed to:

Graduate Admissions
500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, MB, R3P 2N2

or emailed to gradstudies:@:cmu.ca.

Two references are required for the MA in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development. One academic and one non-academic (professional or character) reference is preferred.

Applicants are required to complete short essays as part of the application. Essay prompts are available in the application.

Program admission is limited. Meeting minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

Transfer Credit

Students may be eligible to transfer relevant graduate courses from other institutions. The number of credits that can be transferred is limited by CMU's degree and residency requirements.

Pre-Masters Course Work

  • The 30-credit hour degree program is articulated for those who hold a four-year baccalaureate degree in a field related to the degree: peace and conflict studies, conflict analysis and resolution, conflict transformation, or development studies. Applicants with degrees in a related discipline or profession, and who have little or no academic background in peace and/or development studies, may be required to take additional (pre-masters) courses, up to 24 credit hours in cases where one has no prior academic background in the relevant fields of study.
  • Practitioners with limited formal study in the fields of peace/conflict resolution or development, but with a history of work in these areas, may request an assessment of their readiness for entrance into the program. The assessment may result in a reduction of the amount of pre-masters course work from what might otherwise be required.

English Proficiency Requirements

International applicants whose primary language is not English must also demonstrate proficiency in English by one of the following tests:

  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): A minimum score of 550 (paper-based) with no less than 50 in each component, or achieve a minimum score of 213 (computer-based) with no less than 17 in each component, or achieve a minimum score of 80 (internet-based) with no less than 19 in each component.
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS): Minimum overall band score of 6.5 based on the Academic Module, with no less than 6.0 in each individual category.
  • CanTest: An average score of 4.5 in Listening and Reading; and a score of 4.0 in Writing* (*a score of 3.5 in Writing may be considered, provided the student is registered in ACWR-1010 Writing for Academic Purposes in their first semester).
  • CPE (Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English): A score of C
  • MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery): Minimum score of 80%
  • CAEL (Canadian Academic English Language Assessment): Minimum score of 60
  • PTE (Pearson Test of English - Academic): Minimum of score of 58
  • Successful completion of the AEPUCE (Academic English Program for University and College Entrance) offered at the University of Manitoba or a comparable program at a recognized University.
  • Successful completion of Academic Level 5 in the English Language Program (ELP) at The University of Winnipeg
  • ESP (English for Specific Purposes Program) at The University of Winnipeg: Minimum C+ in Academic Writing 1 and 2

If you think your country may be exempt from the English proficiency requirements, please check your country's Admission Requirements.

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