University of Toronto

Program Admission

• Academic Interest FormGraduate Program Admission Requirements
• Application Procedures
• About the Application
• How to Apply
• Deadlines
• Making an Application
• Application for Financial Assistance
• Frequently Asked Questions

Admission Requirements

The minimum requirements for admission to the graduate program are:

1. An appropriate four-year University of Toronto bachelor's degree, or its equivalent from a recognized university.
2. Normally at least an A- (or first class standing) in the final two years of undergraduate study.
3. Competitive scores on each subtest of the general section of the Graduate Record Examination (the Psychology special test is not required). Graduate Record Examination information can be obtained directly from Educational Testing Service ( www.gre.org ). The institution code is 0982 and the department code is 2016.
4. The equivalent of at least 6 full courses (12 semester courses) in Psychology, including statistics and some laboratory experience Note: Students may be admissible with fewer than 12 semester courses in Psychology. Students with a strong background in mathematics, physical or biological science, neuroscience, or computer science are especially encouraged to apply even if they have fewer than the suggested number of psychology courses.
5. If your primary language is not English and you graduated from a non-Canadian university where the language of instruction is not English, then you must demonstrate your facility in English by completing one of the tests listed below. This requirement should be met at the time you submit your application.
   • The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - paper-based test, minimum score 580, with TWE (Test of Written English), minimum score 5.0 - computer-based test, minimum score 237, with Essay Rating, minimum score 5.0. TOEFL/TSE Publications ( www.toefl.org )
   • The MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery), minimum score 85
     MELAB -Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/)
   • The IELTS (International English Language Testing System), minimum score 7.0
     IELTS -International English Language Testing Service ( www.ielts.org/ )
   • The COPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English), minimum score 4 - with at least 1 in each component and 2 in the writing component. COPE ( www.copetest.com )
   • The U of T School of Continuing Studies Academic Preparation Course (600 level), minimum grade of B.

Because the number of applicants always exceeds the number of available places, meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission.

All programs of study are intended to lead to the doctoral degree in psychology and applicants interested only in a Masters degree should not apply. Successful applicants are admitted to a one-year M.A. program; assuming satisfactory performance, students then continue on to the Ph.D. program. Applicants with an M.A. in Psychology from another university may be admitted directly to the Ph.D. program. The departmental admissions committee makes recommendations to the School of Graduate Studies based on the documentation specified below.

Applicants will receive official notification of the outcome of their application from the School of Graduate Studies, usually by the end of March or early April .  This notification will be in the form of a letter from the department confirming financial arrangements. Successful applicants must inform the department in writing by April 15 whether they wish to accept or reject the offer of admission and financial support. Those accepting are expected to arrive on campus no later than the first week in September.

Application Procedures

The application for graduate study at the University of Toronto is available online ( https://apply.sgs.utoronto.ca ) It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all documents are submitted by the deadlines outline below. It is recommended that documentation be submitted well in advance of the deadlines to avoid any disappointment. Please read and follow all instructions carefully.

About the Application

Applications to the Department of Psychology must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) using an online application which is housed on a secure server at the University of Toronto ( https://apply.sgs.utoronto.ca ). The deadline to access the online forms for the Department of Psychology is December 1 .

The online application allows applicants to manage and submit biographical and educational information as well as specific documents immediately to the University. Applicants can edit an in-progress application and check the status of all documents submitted using a secure password and Userid.

A valid email account is needed to complete the online application, as the University will correspond with applicants using email.

Applications are considered complete and can be reviewed only after all documentation is received by the graduate unit (this includes letters of reference submitted online by referees and official transcripts sent by mail). All documentation must be received at the Graduate Unit by the document deadline date.

The deadline to access the online forms for the Department of Psychology is December 1

How to Apply

1. Log in to the online application at the URL provided below.
2. Provide the biographical and education information requested (including the Department of Psychology Academic Interest form, which is included in the online application). 
3. Be prepared to submit contact information for TWO referees. Be sure to inform your referees that you are doing this and that the University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies will be contacting them by email. 
4. Submit your payment (online payment is preferred but mail-in payment is available).  Note that the Psychology Academic Interest form will appear after you pay.  You can also download the Academic Interest form here, and then upload via the website.
5. Arrange to submit Official Transcripts from each post-secondary institution that you have attended.
   
   Note: Although the committee will make its decision based on your uploaded scanned transcripts, all official paper transcript are still required at the time of application. Please ensure that these are received before the document deadline. Your offer of admission will not be released until your official transcripts have been received and the information on the scanned transcripts verified. Mail transcripts to:
                                                   Graduate Admissions
                                                   Department of Psychology
                                                   University of Toronto   
                                                   100 St. George Street
                                                   Toronto, ON 
                                                   M5S 3G3

Deadlines

Application Deadline: December 1
Please complete the online application and payment by this date.

Document Deadline: December 15
Please supply all documents requested to the Graduate Unit by this date (including academic interest form, official GRE scores, two letters of reference, and transcripts, both scanned and official hard copies). Once all documents are received your application can be reviewed for admission. It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your documents in the online application and to follow up with your referees if references are not received in advance of deadlines.

Making an Application

Go to:SGS On-Line Application

Application for Financial Assistance

The department strives to maintain financial support to all graduate students for the M.A. year and for each of the first four years of the Ph.D. program. This support is in the form of scholarships, fellowships, research assistantships and teaching assistantships. At present, the minimum level of support is $15,500 plus fees and tuition per year for one MA year and four PhD years. This amount, however, is conditional on continuing availability of funds, as well as satisfactory academic and research performance.

To qualify for funding students must apply to all of the sources listed below for which they are eligible. Note that only the Connaught Scholarships include payment of tuition fees.

Connaught Scholarships

These are awarded by the University to outstanding applicants and are renewable for up to three years, contingent on continued strong academic performance. All applicants are automatically considered for these awards, which currently have a value of $12,000 plus fees.

University of Toronto Fellowships

These are awarded to outstanding applicants and to graduate students already in the program. All students are automatically considered for these awards during their MA year and for their first five Ph.D. years.

Ontario Graduate Scholarships

These are awarded by the Ontario government to outstanding applicants. Forms are available from the School of Graduate Studies, with the deadline normally in late October. All Canadian citizens, permanent residents and visitors already holding student authorization are eligible for these awards, which have a value of $15,000.

Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada Scholarships

These are awarded by NSERC to students on the basis of high scholastic achievement and evidence of capacity to do research. Only Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible. The deadline is in early November, and forms can be obtained from the School of Graduate Studies at the student's university. The value of these awards is $17,300.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Fellowships

These are awarded by SSHRC to students in social or developmental psychology who already have the M.A. degree or have completed at least one year of a doctoral program. Only Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible. The deadline is in early November, and forms are available from SSHRC at 255 Albert Street, Box 1610, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6G4. The value of these awards is $17,500.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I require transcripts from all of the post-secondary institutions attended?
YES, an official transcript is required from each university attended. Applicants who attended universities outside North America must provide notarized English translations to accompany all foreign documentation not written in English. Academic records must be enclosed in an envelope provided by the institution(s) and sealed or signed across the back of the envelope. These may be provided directly from the institution or through the applicant (DO NOT OPEN transcripts issued to applicant). Faxed records are not considered official. Documents will not be returned to the applicant. If academic records are interim, pending completion of studies in progress, official final academic records indicating that the degree has been conferred must be submitted to the graduate office as soon as possible and before admission can be finalized.

Can I provide more that two reference letters?
Two reference letter are required.

Are there reference letter forms?
The Department of Psychology does not have special forms for the reference letters. Once you have confirmed your application information by moving to payment, the system will email your referees and ask them to provide references. They will be asked to submit an electronic copy of the reference in Word or PDF after logging in to the online application through a link the School of Graduate Studies will provide. If, in the rare case that your referee does not have email, you may collect the letter and submit together with your transcripts. The letter should be written on institutional letterhead. Ask your referee to provide you with the letter of reference in a sealed envelope, signed across the seal. Include the sealed and signed references when submitting your application. Do not open the envelope(s). Letters of reference will be part of the official student academic record. They are confidential and applicants/students will not have access to them.

How do I submit the academic interest form?
You may submit the academic interest form online in Word format. The document can be saved by following the “Submit” link on the document status page in the online application.