Understanding the eligibility requirements

FIND OUT IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE

You might be wondering if you are eligible to apply to the MEL or MHLP. In this article, MEL MHLP Program Manager Clement Yim explains what you need to know about the eligibility requirements.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I AM ELIGIBLE FOR THE MEL OR MHLP?

The best place to start is to fill out the am I eligible to apply form on our website. This will give you a quick understanding of whether you meet our eligibility requirements. After you submit the form, a member of our Student Recruitment Team will contact you with personalized advice about your eligibility and application.

I also encourage everyone to attend an information session to learn more about the program. Applicants who attend an online information session are much more likely to be admitted as they have heard first-hand what the admissions committee is looking for in an applicant.

Once you’ve completed the online form and attended an information session, you can also book an advising appointment if you have any additional questions. The advisor will ask you about your academic and professional background to make sure you meet the requirements, and you’ll also have an opportunity to talk about your goals and career path to make sure the program is the right fit for you.

WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS?

Both the MEL and MHLP require you to have a relevant bachelor’s degree. For students pursuing the MEL, we’re looking for a technical degree, like engineering, planning or architecture. For the MHLP, we’re typically looking for a clinician’s degree such as nursing, pharmacy or occupational therapy.

Some MEL and MHLP programs have specific requirements, so you should definitely review the program-specific requirements. If you’re applying to the MEL program in Clean Energy Engineering for example, you need to have completed a second-year course in thermodynamics.

WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS?

We’re looking for three years of work experience in a field directly related to the program you want to study. So if you’re applying to the MEL in High Performance Buildings you should have at least three years of experience in building design as an engineer or architect. If you’re applying to Seniors Care you will need at least one year of experience working with seniors, or for Clinical Education you’ll need to have a background as a clinician.

WHY IS RELEVANT AND RELATED EXPERIENCE SO IMPORTANT?

The MEL and MHLP are professional master’s degrees. This makes them quite different from traditional academic degrees.

A professional degree focuses on real-world applications. Classroom discussions and projects are all connected to the challenges facing specific industry sectors. Students are expected to draw on the knowledge they’ve acquired in their professional careers and to take what they’re learning in the program and apply it to their career. This is why all our applicants must have at least three years of professional experience in the sector they intend to study.