University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI)

The University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) is the provincial university of Prince Edward Island, in Charlottetown, the province’s capital. It was formed in 1969 from two older schools, Prince of Wales College and Saint Dunstan’s University. Its international page says hundreds of students from around the world join it each year.

This profile is for Nepali students who want to study in Canada from Nepal and are considering UPEI for a bachelor’s degree after +2, or a master’s or MBA after a bachelor’s. It covers why students choose it, where its campuses are, what it costs, when programs start, work rights, scholarships and a few programs open to international students. The programs open to you, with credential, length and campus, are in our UPEI programs guide. Entry requirements, documents and the application steps are in our UPEI admissions guide.

Why do Nepali students choose UPEI?

UPEI gives you a degree-focused public university in a small, safe city, with computer science, analytics, business, engineering and health programs and a co-op option in several majors.

• Computing and data. Computer Science and Analytics are four-year Bachelor of Science degrees. As in-person bachelor’s degrees they have no PGWP field-of-study rule, and Analytics has Data Analytics and Business Analytics specializations.
• For bachelor’s holders. The MBA in Global Leadership runs over two years or an accelerated 12 months. The Master of Cleantech Leadership and Transformation is another course-based choice, and it asks for a four-year bachelor’s degree.
• Co-op after +2. The co-op option is open to full-time students in mathematical and computational sciences majors, and also in Economics and Foods and Nutrition. You usually apply after first year, and you need a co-op work permit.
• Charlottetown. UPEI describes Prince Edward Island as Canada’s smallest province, and a small, safe place. That suits students who want a quiet city, but it is a very different life from Toronto or Vancouver. UPEI publishes no typical rent, so check its off-campus housing office before you budget.

Where are UPEI’s campuses?

UPEI’s main campus is in Charlottetown, and nearly all programs for students coming to Canada are taught there.

If you searched for UPEI Cairo or UPEI Egypt, note that this page is about studying in Canada. UPEI’s Cairo Campus teaches the same curriculum, but it is in Egypt, so choose your campus carefully when you apply. We found no private partner campuses in Canada teaching UPEI programs, so the curriculum-licensing PGWP rule doesn’t apply here. See UPEI’s campus page for maps.

How much does UPEI cost for international students?

UPEI lists CAD 17,848 a year in tuition and the international fee for most full-time undergraduate programs, and other yearly fees add about CAD 2,000.

That is roughly Rs 19 to 22 lakh a year. To see what these amounts are worth today, use our CAD to Rs forex converter. UPEI’s tuition and fees selector breaks the CAD 17,848 into CAD 8,130 of tuition and a CAD 9,718 international fee, based on 30 credit hours a year.

The other fees include CAD 1,000 for health insurance, CAD 186 for dental insurance and smaller technology, fitness and student union fees. Some programs cost more: Engineering adds a CAD 1,250 professional fee a year, and four-year Nursing adds CAD 600 a year.

The 12-month MBA is listed at CAD 41,867 for international students, and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at CAD 87,814 a year. Books and living costs are extra.

To get your full letter of admission, you first pay a CAD 3,000 deposit. UPEI’s refund rules say that if your study permit is refused, you get the deposit back less a CAD 500 administrative fee, after you send the refusal letter and a withdrawal form. There is no refund if you never apply for a permit, or if you get one and don’t come. You can also ask to defer to a later term, for a fee.

Living costs come on top. For your study permit, IRCC asks you to show CAD 23,448 for a year of living expenses plus your first-year tuition. See our proof of funds guide and the cost of studying in Canada page. Our guide to the cost of living in Canada has a monthly budget.

When are UPEI’s intakes?

UPEI takes new international undergraduates in September and January, though not every program starts in both, and some graduate programs start in September only.

UPEI says deadlines for its non-competitive undergraduate programs for international applicants are set each year, so check the apply page and email inte@upei.ca for the current date. Some programs publish a pattern. Radiography usually closes on 1 December for the next September, and the Master of Nursing usually closes in February.

The MBA in Global Leadership and the Master of Cleantech Leadership and Transformation start in September only. The MBA deadline is usually 1 June, and the Cleantech deadline for international applicants is usually in late March. The MSc in Sustainable Design Engineering has fall, winter and summer starts, and you need a supervisor before you apply.

Aim to apply 9 to 12 months before your start date so there is time for the offer, the deposit, the PAL, your study permit and housing.

If you track document dates and deadlines in Bikram Sambat, our Nepali date converter turns B.S. dates into A.D. dates. For the full calendar, read our guide to Canada intakes.

Can you work while studying at UPEI and after you graduate?

Yes. You can work up to 24 hours a week off campus while classes are on, and UPEI’s in-person bachelor’s and master’s degrees can lead to a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP).

For the PGWP, the rules depend on your credential:

• Bachelor’s and master’s degrees have no field-of-study requirement. Degree graduates need an English result of at least CLB 7. A master’s degree can lead to a PGWP of up to 3 years.
• Diplomas, advanced diplomas and graduate certificates must be in an eligible field of study if you applied for your study permit on or after 1 November 2024. UPEI mostly teaches degrees, and we found no UPEI list of PGWP-eligible programs, so ask UPEI about any certificate before you apply.
• College graduates also need an English test result of at least CLB 5 in all four skills when they apply for the PGWP.

At least half of the program must be taken in class, and online study doesn’t count. UPEI’s immigration page adds that you must stay enrolled full time, except that your last semester can be part-time. The professional stream of the Master of Applied Health Services Research is fully online and doesn’t qualify for a study permit, so it is not a PGWP route. Our PGWP guide for Nepali students explains each rule, and our list of part-time jobs in Canada shows the work students usually find.

UPEI also says you can’t work while you are conditionally admitted and taking its English Academic Preparation program, or before your program starts. Co-op and paid or unpaid internships need a co-op work permit, which can take a few months.

Which scholarships can Nepali students get at UPEI?

UPEI funds international entrance awards of CAD 1,000 to CAD 3,000, but they are limited and aimed at students with very high marks.

How the entrance scholarship works:

• Amount: CAD 1,000 to CAD 3,000, credited to your UPEI student account for tuition and fees.
• Who can get it: International students with a converted average of 90% to 100%, or in the top 5% to 10% of their class, plus activities, strong recommendations and strong English. You also need a valid Canadian study permit.
• What you have to do: No separate form is listed. UPEI considers you when your application is evaluated, so send your recommendations and activities with it.
• When: Usually when admission letters go out. Funds are limited, so UPEI encourages you to apply early.

After a full first year, you may be eligible for UPEI’s academic excellence awards, and returning international students in urgent need can apply for an emergency bursary. Details are on UPEI’s scholarships page. Our Canada scholarships guide lists other awards that Nepali students can apply for.

What do you need to get into UPEI from Nepal?

UPEI’s Nepal rule asks for +2 grades of 70% and above, and most bachelor’s degrees need IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.

For PTE, most bachelor’s programs ask for 58, and most graduate programs ask for 66. Nursing is stricter, at IELTS 7 with 7 in writing and speaking, plus 65% in each of English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and one other course. Below the English minimum, you may get a conditional offer with English study first, though not for Nursing.

To see where your +2 grades stand, convert your NEB GPA to a percentage with our NEB GPA calculator. Documents and the application steps are in our UPEI admissions guide.

What can you study at UPEI?

UPEI’s program list covers undergraduate degrees and majors, certificates, master’s degrees and doctorates across arts, business, education, engineering, nursing, science and veterinary medicine.

The programs below are a selection open to international students in computing, business, engineering and health, each checked on UPEI’s own program pages. Think carefully about two options. The Certificate in Accounting and Certificate in Business are not degrees, so the no-field PGWP rule doesn’t cover them, and UPEI doesn’t confirm a PGWP for them. The Master in Global Affairs starts at UPEI, then moves to Madrid and Strasbourg, so check PGWP rules before you choose it.

Our UPEI programs guide lists more programs with their credential, length and campus. For each type of program, see our guides to a Bachelor of Computer Science in Canada, an MBA in Canada and engineering in Canada.

Program Details

Where do UPEI students live?

You can choose a UPEI residence, a homestay or an off-campus rental, and UPEI residences cost about CAD 4,166 to CAD 7,762 a semester.

UPEI has four residence buildings on campus. Apartment-style rooms in Blanchard Hall and the Performing Arts Centre don’t need a meal plan, while Bernardine Hall and Andrew Hall include one in the price. A non-refundable CAD 500 deposit holds your room, and contracts run from September to April.

Homestay includes a private room and three meals a day; apply at least four weeks before you arrive. UPEI says many apartments are close to campus, and it offers new students a free airport taxi from Charlottetown airport if you request it in advance. See UPEI’s housing page and residence fees, and don’t travel before you have somewhere to stay.

Still deciding between a college and a university? Read college vs university in Canada. Goreto’s counselors in Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Itahari and Pokhara can check your documents and help you apply; contact your nearest Goreto branch. If you are still comparing advisers, see how to choose the best consultancy for Canada.

Also comparing other Canadian universities? See our Cape Breton University profile, University of Winnipeg profile.

Official UPEI links

• International students at UPEI
• How to apply (UPEI Application Portal)
• Tuition and fees
• English language requirements
• Work and PGWP information and the list of UPEI programs
• Campus and maps
• Confirm UPEI’s designated learning institution (DLI) number on IRCC’s DLI list

Frequently asked questions about University of Prince Edward Island