McGill Barbados Field Study Semester (MBFSS) Program Application
Important application and program information
The deadline to apply for the Fall 2026 MBFSS program is April 1st, 2026. Applications are assessed on a first come first serve basis with each student being interviewed rapidly after they will have applied for the program. No application will be accepted once the group is complete. You must pay the program deposit to secure your spot (see the Program Fees page).
The program is capped at 15 students. Only current undergraduate students can participate in the program. Selection to the program is based on academic performance and demonstration of interest and preparedness. Students must be willing and able to cooperate in groups. Selection may also reflect the program's goal of having a balanced interdisciplinary student body.
How to apply
McGill students
If you are currently registered as a McGill student, include all of the required components listed below to complete your MBFSS application:
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Complete the McGill Barbados Field Study Semester application form. Important note: This step must be completed first to ensure our system properly identifies the other documents you submit and matches them to your application!
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Upload your Letter of Intent here (PDF format only; maximum 2 pages; French or English). Please see more on this below.
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Upload your C.V. here (PDF format only; maximum 2 pages; French or English).
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Upload your Unofficial or Official McGill Transcript here (PDF format only).
We will not review your application until we have received all the above listed required items.
Non-McGill students
If you are a Non-McGill student, you must apply for admission to McGill if you are accepted to the MBFSS program. Please note that you will need to pay the program fee, and the Quebec/Canadian or International tuition according to your profile. Detailed instructions will be sent to you via email. You must be registered in a degree program at your home university and have completed at least two semesters of study to be eligible.
To apply to the MBFSS Program, follow these steps:
- Contact the FSIO office (ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca) expressing your interest in applying to the program. We will send you an application form to complete.
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Upload your Letter of Intent here (PDF format only; maximum 2 pages; French or English). Please see more on this below.
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Upload your C.V. here (PDF format only; maximum 2 pages; French or English).
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Upload your Unofficial or Official McGill Transcript here (PDF format only).
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Send the FSIO office (ifso.science [at] mcgill.ca) a Letter of Permission from your educational institution to participate in the MBFSS.
We will not review your application until we have received all the above listed required items.
Selection criteria
Applications are assessed by the MBFSS professors against multiple subjective criteria, including the following:
- Cumulative grade point average
- Program and year of study
- A careful reading of the applicant's letter of intent
The pool of applicants varies from year to year, and because of this, the relative weighting of these criteria may also vary from year to year.
More on the Letter of Intent
The letter of intent is where you offer insight into your experiences, interests, and aspirations that are not highlighted in your other documents but are relevant to the MBFSS program. In other words, the letter acts as a small window to see who you are and who you want to become. Here are examples of questions you may want to consider as you write (note that it is not necessarily mandatory that you expound on these questions specifically):
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What attracts you to the MBFSS, and what do you expect from the program?
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How you will benefit from this specific field study experience abroad?
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Is there anything in your past experience, not necessarily from school, that situates you well to participate in a semester-long program abroad?
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Have you travelled abroad? Have you spent time working and living in a group?