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About

About XeraLink

Where the data comes from, how faculty are ranked, how applying in Canada works, and answers to the questions applicants ask most.

Two kinds of graduate degrees

A research master's or a PhD needs a supervisor. You do research and write a thesis. These programs often pay their students.

A course-based master's is mostly classes. It usually has no supervisor and no funding. This site helps with the first kind.

The steps

  1. 01

    Find professors whose work fits yours

    Search by topic, or describe your research on AI match. Choose 5 to 15 people. Read one or two of their recent papers.

  2. 02

    Read the graduate program's web page

    Find the deadline, the documents, and the English test score it needs. Some programs want you to find a supervisor before you apply. Others choose one for you after they admit you. The program's page says which.

  3. 03

    Write a short email to each professor

    Say who you are and what you want to study. Name one paper of theirs and say why it interests you. Ask if they are taking new students. Attach your CV. Each profile has a draft under "Write to them".

  4. 04

    Wait two weeks, then follow up once

    Professors get many emails. No reply is common, and it is not about you. Send one short, polite reminder. Then write to the next person on your list.

  5. 05

    Apply before the deadline

    Apply to the program, not only to the professor. Name the professors who answered you.

When to start

Start about one year before you want to begin. Most programs start in September. Their deadlines are often between December and February. Some programs also start in January or May.

Money

Research students are often paid from a mix of their supervisor's grants, teaching assistant work and scholarships. The amount depends on the university and the field. Tuition for international students is higher at most universities.

Ask the program, or the professor, what their funding covers before you accept an offer.

Language

If your degree was not taught in English, most programs ask for an English test, such as IELTS or TOEFL. The program's page gives the minimum score.

Some universities teach mostly in French, for example Université Laval, Université de Montréal, UQAM and the other Université du Québec campuses, and Université de Sherbrooke. Check the language of the program.

After you are admitted

You need a study permit from the Government of Canada. In Quebec you also need a Quebec acceptance certificate (CAQ). The rules change often, so read the official study permit page.

Words you will see on XeraLink

Supervisor
The professor who guides your research and your thesis. In research programs you need one.
Thesis-based (research) master's
A master's where you do research and write a thesis. It needs a supervisor and is often funded.
Course-based master's
A master's made of classes. Usually no supervisor and usually no funding.
Postdoc
A research job for someone who has finished a PhD.
Principal investigator (PI)
The person who leads a research grant or a lab.
Last author
In many sciences the last name on a paper is the lab leader. Many recent last-author papers suggest a person runs a group.
Citations
How many times other papers mention a paper.
h-index
A number about papers and citations: h papers each cited at least h times. It grows with career length and differs a lot between fields. Do not use it alone.
Grant
Research money from a funder. A professor with current grants is more likely to have money to pay students.
Canada Research Chair
A federal award to a researcher. Tier 1 is for established leaders. Tier 2 is for rising researchers.
Adjunct
A person with a part-time or outside appointment. Adjuncts often co-supervise with a full professor.
Emeritus
A retired professor. They rarely take new students.
Likely taking students
Our guess from public records: the person supervises students now and is active. It is not a promise. Ask them.
Top 2% scientist
The person is on a yearly list of the world's most cited scientists (Stanford and Elsevier).
Jev
Our AI model. It reads each professor's papers, grants and research areas and judges how well they fit your topic.

Every university and program has its own rules. Always check the program's page. More questions? See the FAQ.