Simon Fraser University offers Indigenous Languages and Linguisitics Graduate Certificate, a postgraduate certificate in Indigenous Focus programme in Burnaby, Canada. The programme is delivered on campus. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 2,193 per semester (CAD 2,193 per semester for local students).
A 15-unit, four-course graduate certificate for language researchers, educators, and curriculum developers working with a specific Indigenous language. Coursework in field methods, phonetics, morphology and syntax, discourse, and pedagogy is taught by teams of Elders, knowledge holders, and linguistics faculty, with evening, summer, and block scheduling designed for students already working as community language teachers.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: This graduate certificate admits through one of several pathways rather than a single academic threshold: fluent speakers of the target Indigenous language, as assessed by a panel of Elders; semi-fluent speakers who have completed SFU's Certificate in Indigenous Language Proficiency with a minimum CGPA of 2.5; or holders of a BA or BEd who have studied both the language and linguistics, per Graduate General Regulations 1.3.4. In exceptional circumstances, applicants without a bachelor's degree may still be considered if they can demonstrate significant experience and expertise working on the language in the community as a language specialist, evidenced by academic writing samples, language materials such as videos, audio, lesson plans or transcriptions, and documentation of relevant professional training. Every applicant, regardless of pathway, must submit a portfolio giving evidence of being a language specialist, with examples of products created or projects completed and the applicant's role or contribution specified; no English-language test is required.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC, with one set of dates per applicant type rather than by citizenship. Fall 2027 entry: high-school-route applications open 1 October 2026 and close 31 January 2027, while transfer applications open 1 March 2027 and close 15 April 2027 (Education and Contemporary Arts transfer applicants may apply from 1 October 2026). Spring 2027 entry runs 1 July to 15 September 2026, and Summer 2027 entry runs 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Admission documents are generally due 28 February 2027 (Fall) and offers must be accepted by 1 May. International applicants use the same EducationPlannerBC dates and portal; SFU publishes no separate international deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
