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Saint Mary’s University (SMU)
Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students
∎ Contact person for visiting exchange students from partner Institutions
Miyuki Arai (Ms)
Project Manager-International Mobility
International Activities Office
Saint Mary’s University
923 Robie Street
Halifax NS B3H 3C3 Canada
Tel 1 902 496 8725 Fax 1 902 420 5530
E-mail mobility.international@smu,ca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IAO.SMU
∎ University website: www.smu.ca
∎ General Information about Saint Mary’s University
-Quick facts (# of students, faculty and staff): http://www.smu.ca/about/quick-facts.html
-History from 1802 to today: http://www.smu.ca/about/history.html
-Why Saint Mary’s? http://www.smu.ca/future-students/why-saint-marys.html
-Academic programs offered: Arts (Humanities and Social Sciences), Commerce, Science and Graduate
Studies (http://www.smu.ca/future-students/browse-our-programs.html)
-Website for visiting international students: http://www.smu.ca/international/visiting-internationalstudents.html
∎ Description of Halifax
Life in Halifax: http://www.smu.ca/future-students/life-in-halifax.html
∎Quick facts…
-There are two academic terms at SMU: Fall (September-December) and Winter (January-April)
-The admission application deadline for visiting exchange students for both the Fall 2016 semester and
the Winter 2017 semester is April 15, 2016 (tentative). Applications submitted past the deadline are
accepted on an individual basis. (Note that the later an application is submitted, the less availability the
applicant will have for housing on campus and course selection.)
-Course registration takes place on-line starting at the end of April for both the fall semester and the
winter semester. Once accepted, students are given access to their on-line Self-Service account.
-Full-time students take between 3 and 5 courses per term/semester. Each course consists of 2.5 hours
of in-class instruction (typically 1h15m, twice a week) per week for approximately 13 weeks, followed by
a formal exam period.
-There are mandatory fees even for exchange students whose tuitions are waived. Read more under
“Fees”.
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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∎ Academic Calendar of Events (Please use the 2015-16 Calendar below as a guide, until the 2016-17
academic calendar becomes available.)
2015
September 9 (Wednesday) CLASSES BEGIN.
December 2 (Wednesday) Last day of classes in fall term.
December 5 (Saturday) Start of formal final examinations.
December 19 (Saturday) End of final exams and end of the fall term.
2016
January 6 (Wednesday) CLASSES RESUME.
April 6 (Wednesday) Last day of classes in winter term.
April 9 (Saturday)
Start of formal final examinations.
April 22 (Friday)
End of formal final examinations and end of the winter term.
∎ Course information for 2016-17
The course offerings for the academic year 2016-17 (i.e. September 2016-April 2017) becomes available
in March of 2016. In the meantime, please refer to the course offering in the 2015-16 academic year by
following the instruction below:
-go to http://selfservice.smu.ca
-Click on Class Schedule
-Select “September – December 2015” or “January – April 2016” in the drop-down menu under Search
by Term and press Submit
-Select the subject under the drop-down menu. Then click on Class Search at the bottom.
Once there, please check 1) in which semester the course is offered (the majority of courses are taught
only in either semester) and 2) the pre-requisites (n.b., the majority of the 3rd and 4th-year level
undergraduate courses, numbered 3000’s and 4000’s respectively, have the pre-requisites) carefully to
ensure the student has the adequate academic background. Please note that unless the student has
taken the equivalent pre-requisite courses and passed them at a grade of 65% or higher at the home
university, he/she may not be able to register in those higher-level courses at Saint Mary’s. Please also
note that some of the high-demand courses fill up quickly, and if the student registers late, those
courses will close for registration and become unavailable. For these reasons, if the home university
could be flexible with the course selection and transfer credit approvals, it would work better for the
student. A full-time course load is between 3 and 5 courses per semester.
Almost all of the undergraduate-level courses will be open to exchange students as long as the prerequisites are met. The areas of study not available to exchange students include some of the Masters
programs in Commerce except MBA. Some senior level undergraduate courses may only be open to
degree-seeking students.
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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Students should register in courses on-line as soon as an acceptance letter is issued, and should not wait
until they arrive for the semester. If the course has the pre-requisites, the student must contact the
appropriate academic advisor at Saint Mary’s ahead of time and request the waiver of the pre-requisites
before the student is permitted to register. More information on registration will be provided later.
At the beginning of each semester, there is a short “Add/Drop” period (e.g., September 9-18 in the fall
semester 2015 and January 6-15 in the winter semester 2016) in which students can make changes to
the course selection. After the Add/Drop period is over, no more changes will be permitted. Therefore,
students who need to have the course selection validated by the home university should try to contact
the home university advisor well in advance!
∎ Admission application deadline for visiting exchange students
April 15 2016 (tentative) is the recommended deadline for fall 2016 (September-December) and winter
2017 (January-April). All application documents should be scanned and e-mailed to
mobility.international@smu.ca (no need for an original document to be mailed). Late applications will
be accepted on an individual basis (normally until May 31 for the fall intake and September 30 for the
winter intake). Please note that the later the student applies, the less availability there will be for course
choices and for on-campus housing. Also, if the student requires a visa to enter Canada, we may advise
against applying to Saint Mary’s too close to the semester start as there may not be enough time for the
immigration application processes.
∎ Admission application process for the Visiting Exchange Students from Partner Universities
More information about the admission application process becomes available in late February to early
March. In the meantime, please note the following.
Students at the undergraduate level are asked to submit a scanned copy of the following via e-mail to
mobility.international@smu.ca (NOT to Systems and Records despite the instruction on the admission
application form):
1) Document checklist,
2) Student Information Sheet,
3) Letter of Permission issued by the home university,
4) Completed admission application form (http://www.smu.ca/webfiles/8809SMAdmissionForm.pdf)
5) An official transcript of academic records issued in English by the home university
Please note that the $40 application fee is waived for visiting exchange students.
The complete admission application is normally processed within two to three weeks for undergraduate
admission. Once a Letter of Acceptance is issued by Saint Mary's University, the original letter is directly
mailed to the applicant by regular mail, and a copy of the letter is e-mailed to the applicant’s
coordinator for their records.
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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Students at the graduate level wishing to take graduate-level courses should submit a scanned copy of
the following via e-mail to mobility.international@smu.ca (NOT to Graduate Studies Officer despite the
instruction on the application form):
1) Document checklist,
2) Student Information Sheet,
3) Letter of Permission* issued by the home university,
4) Completed admission application form
(http://www.smu.ca/webfiles/ApplicationForm_VisitingUpgradingReactivation_web.pdf)
5) An official transcript of academic records issued in English by the home university
*Information to include in the Letter of Permission for a graduate applicant:
Graduate students must choose a program of focus, and take courses from only within that chosen
program while at Saint Mary’s. (It is a good idea to check ahead of time whether the chosen program
accepts visiting students or not by e-mailing mobility.international@smu.ca.) Therefore, in the Letter of
Permission, please include which program the applicant will follow (see the top of Page 3 of the
application form for choices). In addition, the student should research the courses offered in that
program (see the instruction on how to look up courses on page 2) and include a list of courses the
student is interested in taking in the Letter of Permission.
Graduate students wishing to take courses must provide an official English test score. (For MBA, the
requirement is higher than other graduate programs and is as follows (subject to change): a TOEFL score
of 600 in the paper-based TOEFL or 100 on the internet-based TOEFL with no band below 20 and a TWE
score of at least 5.0; an IELTS score of at least 7.0, with no band below 6; or a CAEL score of 70, with no
individual band below 60.)
The admission process for a graduate program is more thorough and lengthy than that for an
undergraduate program. This is because permission to take courses as a Visiting student in the Faculty
of Graduate Studies and Research requires approval from the Program Coordinator of the concerning
subject.
Note: Graduate-level students wishing to take only undergraduate-level courses should apply for
admission as undergraduate students.
∎ Housing Information
Visiting exchange students, once admitted to Saint Mary's University, will be invited to apply for oncampus housing on-line. The Residence Life Office will send an e-mail message to each newly admitted
student one to two weeks after the acceptance letter is issued and will explain about the housing
application process. While the student waits for this e-mail, the student can look up more information
on on-campus housing. Please visit:
Single Student Housing: http://www.smu.ca/campus-life/single-student-housing.html
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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Senior Apartments: http://www.smu.ca/campus-life/senior-suites.html
Prices (subject to change): http://www.smu.ca/academics/residence-and-meal-plans.html
There is a $25 housing application fee. Once the application is accepted and processed, the student pays
a $500 deposit to secure a bed space.
Please note that the student must maintain a full-time course load (i.e., taking 3 courses or more per
semester) in order to stay in on-campus residence.
Please note that students must leave the residence room within 24 hours after the final exam. Because
students will not know the departure date until the exam schedule is published in mid-semester, they
should keep the return flight plan flexible.
In residence, towels are not provided. Linens, blankets, pillows, and sheets may be requested upon
arrival, and there is no charge, unless the student fails to return them upon departure. (There is a $50
charge, should the linens, etc. not be returned at the end of the program.) Students can bring their own
linen or buy some when they arrive. The following is a useful link to the Residence Life web site with
suggestions on “what students may need/ want to buy or bring”:
http://www.smu.ca/webfiles/JulyWebEdition.pdf (please disregard the dates as they will be different in
2016-17).
∎ Fees
All university-related fees are charged and paid through the student’s Self-Service banner account. For
payment methods, please refer to: http://www.smu.ca/academics/payment-methods.html. The two
methods for payments sent from overseas are “Global Pay” by Western Union or “Bank transfer”. Please
note that credit cards are NOT accepted except for the residence application and deposit payments.
The following fees are considered part of tuition and will be waived as per the exchange agreement:
-Tuition – Undergraduate/Graduate
-Tuition - Arts Resource Fee
-Tuition - Sobey Career Service Fee
-Tuition - Science Technology fee
-Campus Renewal Fees
-Copyright Access Fees
-Rec Facilities Renewal Fees
-Sport and Recreation Fees
-Student Services Fees
-International differential
Important!!! PLEASE REMEMBER that the above mentioned tuition-related fees will show on the
student account at the beginning! It is only after a few weeks into the semester (i.e. late
September/later January) that those tuition fees are removed from the student account; therefore,
students are asked to simply disregard any charges listed under the above mentioned tuition items.
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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Students may even receive a letter from the University’s Service Centre at their home address explaining
that they owe money. Don’t be alarmed! Please ask their family not to be concerned when they receive
this letter and simply let us know (mobility.international@smu.ca). Those generic letters get issued
automatically to all students, as the banner system does not differentiate students on exchange from
other students. In sum, the banner system makes it appear that the exchange student owes money.
Once the tuition waiver is annotated on the student account in late September/January, the issue
should be resolved by itself. That said, we would be happy to take a look at the student account and see
if there are any problems.
The tuition fee for the Intensive English Program (IEP) at the Language Centre is not part of the tuition
waiver. If the visiting exchange student’s English proficiency is not adequate to take credit courses
taught in English right away, the student is recommended to enroll in the IEP program first to improve
the language skills. The student will be responsible for the cost of tuition at the Language Centre.
The following non-tuition fees are mandatory for ALL visiting exchange students:
All university-related fees are charged and paid through the student’s Self-Service banner account. For
payment methods, please refer to: http://www.smu.ca/academics/payment-methods.html. The two
methods for payments sent from overseas are “Global Pay” by Western Union or “Bank transfer”. Please
note that credit cards are NOT accepted except for the residence application and deposit payments.
-Saint Mary’s University Students’ Association (SMUSA) fee ($72.75 per semester in 2015-16)
-The Journal newspaper fee ($2 per semester in 2015-16)
-U-Pass bus pass fee (mandatory for all full-time students taking 3 courses or more per semester) (In
2015-16, $150.25 per year, charged in September for fall-semester exchange students and for full-year
exchange students, and $75.13 charged in January for winter-semester students. Fall-only students may
be entitled to a refund of $75.13 at the end of the fall semester.)
-On-campus housing and meal plan, if the student lives on campus (sample prices: $8780 for a double
room with a meal plan from September-April, $10030 for a single room with a meal plan from
September-April, $5450 for a double apartment without a meal plan from September-April; the price for
one semester is roughly half) See http://www.smu.ca/academics/residence-and-meal-plans.html.
-SMUSA Basic health, Extended health and Dental plans (in 2015-16, $918 per year charged in
September for fall-semester exchange students and for full-year exchange students, and $611.50
charged in January for winter-semester students. Fall-only students may be entitled to a refund of $455
on the Basic Health Plan only at the end of the fall semester, and full-year and winter-only students may
be entitled to a refund of $228 on the Basic Health Plan only at the end of the winter semester.) (The
SMUSA coverage is mandatory unless the student has proof of equivalent coverage from the home
country*)
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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*To opt out of the SMUSA’s health/dental coverage, the student must take proof of coverage to the
Health Plan Office on the 5th floor of the Student Centre by September 25 (fall-semester and full-year
exchange students) and by January 25 (winter-semester exchange students), and the health Plan Officer
must deem the home country coverage adequate before an “opt-out” is granted. If the student did not
opt out before the deadline, the student is responsible for the SMUSA’s plan fees.
Q&A SMUSA Insurance
Q. What’s the difference between the SMUSA basic health coverage and the SMUSA extended
health coverage?
A. The basic plan and the extended plan come as a pair to provide coverage for different items.
Therefore, depending on the coverage your home country insurance will provide, the SMUSA's
Health Plan Officer may allow you to opt-out of the basic plan and/or the extended plan.
Requirements for opting out of basic health:
You may be allowed to opt out of the basic health plan if your insurance provides coverage for
doctor visits, hospital stays and surgery with a minimum of $2,000,000.00 (two Million) total
coverage or unlimited. This needs to be stated on your proof of coverage.
Requirements for opting out of extended health:
You may be allowed to opt out of the extended health plan, if your insurance provides coverage
for prescription drugs, physiotherapy, etc. (if you have these two benefits that is usually
adequate).
Your name, policy number, name of Insurance and expiry dates must be included in your letter of
coverage confirmation in English from your home country insurance provider.
There will be a partial refund on the SMUSA basic health plan at the end of the exchange program.
There is no refund on the extended health plan or on the dental plan.
Textbooks could cost as much as $180 per course and students purchase them at the SMU Booksore.
For ways to save money, please visit the SMU Bookstore website at: http://bookstore.smu.ca/book-buyback/book-buying-tips/ways-to-pay-ways-to-save/.
∎ Cost of living in Halifax
Please refer to the following websites for reference:
http://www.halifaxpartnership.com/en/home/Live/about-halifax/cost-of-living.aspx
http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/halifax
∎ Language requirement
The primary language of instruction at Saint Mary’s University is English.
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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English Proficiency Test score requirements for ESL speakers: An official English testing score is not
required for visiting exchange students (except for those applying to take courses in the graduate
program and the MBA program). However, the sending institution should ensure their nominated
candidates have adequate proficiency in English (e.g. a TOEFL 550 or a TOEFL iBT 80 with no band below
20 or an IELTS 6.5 with no individual score below 6.0 or equivalent).
Intensive English Program (IEP) courses are available through the Language Centre (TLC) of Saint Mary’s
University and are not part of the academic credit program. Tuition fees for the Intensive English
Program courses are not part of the tuition waiver arrangement. For more information on the Intensive
English Program courses, please visit: http://www.smu.ca/international/english-as-a-secondlanguage.html.
The Intensive English courses are for students whose English is not adequate to take academic credit
courses in English. For students who have adequate English skills, if they who would like extra help while
taking credit courses in English, ESL Support Services http://www.smu.ca/international/esl-support.html
and the Writing Centre http://www.smu.ca/academics/writing-centre.html can provide assistance. Also,
an English as a Second Language course, EGSL1100 (https://ssbnlive.smu.ca/pls/sNLIVE/bwckctlg.p_disp_course_detail?cat_term_in=201510&subj_code_in=EGSL&crs
e_numb_in=1100), is a full-year course offered within the credit program, and exchange students who
will study at Saint Mary’s for two semesters can take EGSL1100 for academic credit.
∎ Immigration
Starting March 15, 2016, most travellers entering Canada will need an Electronic Travel Authorization
(eTA) or a visitor visa (Click here to see whether they need a Temporary Resident Visa
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp).
Also, if the student’s exchange period is longer than 6 months (i.e. two semesters), a Study Permit is
necessary http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-who.asp. For more information on immigration
issues, please consult:
-Citizenship and Immigration Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/
-Citizenship and Immigration Canada Offices http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/offices/index.asp
Please note that visiting students do not qualify for an off-campus work permit or a post-graduate work
permit. If they had a valid study permit, they could work on campus during the exchange period.
However, on-campus work opportunities are limited.
∎ On Arrival
-An orientation program is offered for new students by the International Centre. The sign-up
information as well as the program detail will be updated at:
http://www.smu.ca/international/international-student-orientation.html
-Free airport pick up service is offered (once per student) by the International Centre. The airport pick
up request form and deadline are found at: http://www.smu.ca/international/airportSaint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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pickup.html#d.en.66610 (copy and paste this URL on your browser directly). Students cannot request
this service past the request deadline as there is not enough notice. If students confirmed the pick-up
but failed to notify the International Centre staff of late or cancelled flights en route, there will be no
“make-up” service. Students should please keep the emergency contact number provided by the
International Centre during the travel to Halifax.
Students’ participation in the international student orientation is highly recommended, and therefore,
they should make an arrangement to arrive in Halifax on time. We do not recommend students arriving
after the classes start, as this could negatively affect the academic performance, residence move-in, and
other logistical issues.
The Residence Life Office will have a designated move-in date, and will provide this information for
students so they can book the flights accordingly. The detail of the move-in procedure is explained in the
communication sent to the student by the Residence Life Office with the room assignment information.
Please note that students must leave the residence room within 24 hours after the final exam. Because
students will not know the departure date until the exam schedule is published in mid-semester, they
should keep the return flight plan flexible.
∎ Requesting an official transcript from Saint Mary’s at the end of the exchange program
The Service Centre will upon request (not automatically) mail out the official academic transcript to the
home institution. We strongly recommend that students request an official transcript before they leave
Saint Mary’s University.
Online through Self Service Banner:
Go to http://selfservice.smu.ca
Click on “Enter Secure Area”
Login with the User ID (i.e. your student number A0041XXXX) and PIN (the initial password is your
birthdate in DDMMYY format and you are prompted to change the PIN the first time you log in)
Select “Student” and “Student Records”
“Request Printed Official Transcript”
Follow the instructions for pick up, mail, courier or faxing.
On the 3rd screen, the student will be asked for the number of copies and given the following
options for printing the transcript:
o As soon as possible (will be printed the next business day)
o Hold for grades (will be printed when all your final grades are available)
o Hold for degree (will be printed after you graduate)
If the student has received all the final grades, the student can select “As soon as possible”. If the
student has not received the final grades, select “Hold for grades” and the Service Centre will print the
transcript once all the final grades are available.
- Complete the request and payment information online through Self Service Banner. A credit card is
required.
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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- Official transcripts cost $5.00 per copy. Additional charges apply for fax and courier services.
If students do not have a credit card, they can visit the Service Centre to complete a manual transcript
request form. However, we encourage all students to use the online version if possible, as they can
easily request transcripts online while at SMU as well as after they return home. If additional
information is needed regarding ordering an official transcript, students can be directed to the website:
http://www.smu.ca/transcripts or contact the Service Centre at service.centre@smu.ca.
∎ Other services available on campus
-International Centre: http://www.smu.ca/international/student-life.html
- Fred Smithers Centre of Support for Students with Disabilities:
http://www.smu.ca/administration/atlcentre/welcome.html
-Counselling Services: http://www.smu.ca/administration/counselling/
-The Student Health Services Clinic: http://www.smu.ca/campus-life/the-student-health-servicesclinic.html
We look forward to welcoming exchange students from our partner schools to Saint Mary’s
University!
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)
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∎ For further information on all aspects, please contact:
Miyuki Arai (Ms)
Project Manager-International Mobility
Office of International Activities (The Oaks Building)
Saint Mary's University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3C3
Canada
Tel: 1 902 496 8725
Fax: 1 902 420 5530
E-mail: mobility.international@smu.ca
The International Activities Office is located at the Oaks Building:
http://www.smu.ca/documents/campus-map.pdf (far right, marked “O”). Regular office hours are
Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm. An appointment is recommended. Please e-mail
mobility.international@smu.ca to book an appointment ahead of time!
Saint Mary’s University, Fact Sheet for Visiting Exchange Students 2016-17 (Last updated Oct 5 2015)