Online Application Procedure
The Department of Geography & Program in Planning offers admission in September only. There is no January admission. Applicants must first apply to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) through the online admissions application which is housed on a secure server in the University of Toronto. Your application will be considered only after you have entered your personal and academic information in the online application, submitted the application fee and submitted all required documents. This includes letters of reference submitted online by referees and scanned copy of your transcript. Official transcripts (sent directly to us by your university) will be required only from successful applicants. Read more information about this below under 'transcript'.
Deadlines
(We are accepting applications for the Fall 2012 session as of October 17, 2011.)
Application Deadline: January 20, 2012
By this date you need to complete all parts of the online application (biography, education, program of study, reference contact) and pay the application fee. Also, you are required to upload your:
-Statement of intent/research statement
-Departmental information form
-CV
-Electronic or scanned transcript (from each post-secondary institution attended)
Documentation Deadline: January 31, 2012
After you submit the online application, the University will contact your referees to obtain online references. The reference letters will have to be submitted by this deadline. 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.
For MUDS applicants only: If you choose to submit the hard copy of your portfolio, you may do so by January 31, 2012.
Once all documents are received your application can be reviewed for admission.
How to apply
- Log in to the online application Click here for the SGS online application. For 2012-2013 admission, the on line application will open on October 17, 2011. A valid email account is needed to complete the online application, as the University will correspond with applicants using email.
- Provide the biographical and education information requested (including the Departmental Information form, which can be found in the online application). An applicant identification number (Applicant #) and a secure password will be emailed to you. 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 the secure password and Applicant #. You can leave and return to your application at any point. Note: You cannot change personal data after the application fee is paid.
- Be prepared to submit contact information for THREE referees. Your referees should have valid institutional e-mail accounts. Please communicate with your referees in advance to confirm their contact information. After payment, your referees will be contacted by e-mail and asked to submit their recommendation electronically.
- Pay the application fee of $110 Canadian. This fee is non-refundable. The School of Graduate Studies must receive your application fee before the Department of Geography and Planning will review your application. When you have submitted the fee you will be able to check the status of your application. Please allow time for processing the payment (SGS) and recording documents (such as portfolio for MUDS applicants) once they arrive at the Department of Geography and Planning. The application fee can be paid online by VISA or Mastercard. This payment method is secure as the transaction is handled by Mirapay, a third party authorized by VISA and Mastercard. Mirapay provides the School of Graduate Studies with payment confirmation only. SGS and the University of Toronto will not have access to your credit card information. Please note that the process requires that pop-up blockers on your web browser be disabled. If you are unable to pay by credit card you may print an invoice from the application and mail it with a certified cheque to the School of Graduate Studies.
- You will be asked to submit one electronic or scanned transcript from each post-secondary institution attended. Scanned copies of transcripts must be up to date and must include the transcript "legend" which is usually printed on the back of the paper transcript. The admission committee will make its decision about your application based on this scanned transcript. Please ensure that the file is complete and readable before submitting. Note that ONLY if admitted, you will be required to submit an official transcript; verification of your paper transcript will be a condition that must be met prior to registration. More detailed requirements for scanning and submitting can be found below.
Documentation
Material to be submitted via the School of Graduate Studies online application:
Letters of reference
Three letters of reference are required. References from university instructors are preferred but employer references (or others) are acceptable if the writer is in a position to evaluate your academic abilities and professional experience in preparation for graduate studies. The University will contact your referees to obtain online references once you have paid your application fee - please ensure you confirm your referees’ availability before providing their contact information. You will NOT be able to change referees once your application payment is made. Contact the department if you must change a referee. Note: There is no reference letter form. The department cannot accept a reference letter if the referee is not named on the application. Reference letters must be submitted electronically by documentation deadline, which is January 31, 2012.
Departmental information form
Departmental Information form is included in the on line application. Please fill it out and submit through online application.
Current CV
You will be asked to upload your CV to the on line application. Outline your education, relevant personal and work experience (paid and unpaid), publications, professional activities, awards and honours, grants and fellowships (as applicable).
Research statement for PhD in Planning applicants
A typed statement, not more than one page in length, outlining the nature of the research you have carried out in the past and the research you are proposing to do in your graduate program. The research statement is very important. Please bear in mind that our commitment to excellence in planning education includes building a varied, representative, experienced, creative and critical student body every year. To this end, we especially welcome strong applications from students belonging to groups that are currently underrepresented in the academic and professional worlds of planning. We offer admission into the PhD program only if a faculty member is willing to supervise your proposed research topic. Your application will benefit if you identify possible supervisor(s). Microsoft Word or PDF format is acceptable.
Statement of intent for MScPl and MUDS applicants
Write a one-page 'personal statement' about yourself, outlining the experiences that have led you to graduate study in planning. Please explain how those experiences – personal, political, professional, academic or other – now inform your approach to one or more of our specializations in planning, indicating what you intend to focus on both in the Planning Program and beyond, after becoming a planner. Bear in mind that our commitment to excellence in planning education includes building a varied, representative, experienced, creative and critical student body every year. To this end, we especially welcome strong applications from students belonging to groups that are currently underrepresented in the academic and professional worlds of planning. Microsoft Word or PDF format is acceptable.
Transcript
Students are allowed to self-report their academic history. Applicants are asked to scan and upload their academic results or 'issued to students' transcripts from all post secondary institutions attended. The scanned copy is needed in order for us to be able to assess your file immediately. Do not upload a document that is password protected. If your transcript is double-sided, please be sure to scan the front and back of each page. Your transcript legend has to be uploaded as well. Note:
The file size of each scanned transcript to be uploaded must not exceed 3 megabytes (MB). Scanned documents must be clearly legible and print on standard CDN/U.S. 81/2" x 11" paper. The file must be in .PDF format. Image files, such as those in .jpg or .bmp formats, must be converted to .PDF before uploading. Please scan your transcript in grayscale at the lowest dots per inch (dpi) setting that results in a legible document. We recommend 72 dpi whenever possible. University of Toronto students may submit a screen capture of their academic history from ROSI in place of a transcript.
Official transcripts will be requested from ALL ( with the exception of U of T students) applicants that were recommended for conditional acceptance. No newly admitted student may register in graduate studies at the University of Toronto without submitting an official transcript that confirms the information provided on the scanned transcript submitted with the application. In other words if you are a successful applicant to our program you would be required (in order to clear your condition) to arrange for your original transcript/s to be sent to our graduate office directly from the institution you attended. Depending on institution, in some cases this can take weeks (or even months). It is recommended that you consider this timeline when requesting your transcript/s. Note addresses below.
English language proficiency information
International applicants must submit a copy of their English proficiency test scores. Applications with unsatisfactory test scores will not be assessed. If your primary language is not English and you graduated from a non-Canadian university where the language of instruction and examination was not English, then you must demonstrate your facility in English. Note: The requirement should be met at the time you submit your application. English proficiency test scores are to be sent directly to us, the Department of Geography and Planning. For more information, visit TOEFL scores or other English facility tests approved by SGS for non-native speakers of English.
Material submitted by mail
As stated above, if admitted, applicants must arrange for their original transcript/s to be sent (in sealed envelope) and signed by the issuing institution, directly to the Department of Geography & Program in Planning. Official English translation must accompany all foreign documentation. Courses which are in progress, and for which grades are not yet available by the application deadline, will not be considered by the admissions committee.
The admissions committee may request a copy of recent academic work and publications. Do not provide this information except upon request.
Applicants to the Master of Urban Design Studies (MUDS) program are asked to submit a portfolio of their work.
Forward transcripts, requested documents and/or portfolio to:
| PhD applicants | MScPl and MUDS applicants |
| Jessica Finlayson Graduate Student Advisor Department of Geography & Program in Planning University of Toronto 100 St. George Street, Room 5045 Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3 Canada |
Marija Wright Planning Program Advisor Department of Geography & Program in Planning University of Toronto 100 St. George Street, Room 5053 Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3 Canada |
Checking the status of your application
The department will review only applications with all required documents.
You can check if your documents (portfolios for MUDS applicants) and reference letters have been received by logging in to the SGS online application system and clicking on “Check Status.” For 2012-2013 applications, this information will be updated after February 10. Prior to February, the application system will be updated biweekly. After February 1 the system will be updated frequently, however due to the high volume of applications received there may be a short processing delay. It will not be possible to confirm receipt of applications directly. Please ensure that you have read and understood the application requirements, paid the application fee, and gathered all the necessary components of your application package. If you have done this, and mailed or couriered it to the correct address, you shouldn’t need to worry. If you have arranged for certain pieces of your application to be sent under separate cover (e.g., transcripts), you may wish to follow-up with those responsible for forwarding these documents to ensure they have done so.
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, but ONLY if you get admitted, in which case we will contact you and request that you send your official transcript/s. 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. Faxed and photocopied records are not considered official. Documents will not be returned to the applicant.
Can I provide more than three reference letters?
Three reference letters are required, but in exceptional circumstances we will accept one more.
Are there reference letter forms?
The Department of Geography and Planning 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.
NO. You cannot upload documents until after you have completed the form and paid the application fee. This also includes letters of recommendation. Your referees will receive an electronic invitation to submit an academic reference in support of your application only once the application fee has been paid.
Can I submit the portfolio on CD? (MUDS applicants only)
The portfolio can be submitted in any format.
When will I hear if I have been accepted?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with offers going out through February and March. If necessary some offers may go out in April.
For answers to other frequently asked questions about the application process, please see the FAQ section of the SGS online application.
