Registration and Enrolment

  1. SGS Getting Started as a New Student
  2. SGS Forms (course add form, etc.).
  3. Centre for International Experience (CIE) for international students requiring info about VISAs/study permits.
  4. Important sessional dates.

For further information regarding graduate studies, please go the School of Graduate Studies website.

ACORN, TCARD, and UTORID

Incoming students with unconditional admission to the MA/PhD Program in Women and Gender Studies and those have recently cleared their MA/PhD admissions can obtain your TCard (UofT student card), activate your UTORid and UTmail (UofT email address), and set up your Student ACORN Account

How to obtain a TCard:

You must obtain a TCard in person from TCard Services, Koffler Student Centre, 1st Floor, 214 College Street.  Bring Photo ID and copy of your MA/PhD admission offer with you (showing your student number, etc.).  All new students must bring in documentation validating their identity and legal status in Canada.  For instructions on how to activate your TCard, please go to the TCard website.

Before arrival on campus or Toronto, you can use JOINid to access your student account on ACORN to update contact information, enrol in courses, and register and pay fees. When you do get your TCard, you’ll be given an activation key to promote your JOINid to a valid UTORid.

Instructions to Activate your UTORid.

To set up UTmail go to UTmail+ for Students

We highly encourage that you use your UTmail address during your time as a graduate student. The WGSI — as well as the School of Graduate Studies and the Faculty of Arts & Science — correspond with students via their UofT email addresses. As per UofT policy in accordance with to FIPPA (federal privacy act) regulations, we do not send information to personal email addresses (gmail, yahoo, etc.).

How to set up your Student ACORN Account – go to the Acorn Help website where you will find a step-by-step guide to help you accomplish what you need to get done.

ACORN stands for “Accessible Campus Online Resource Network.”  Your ACORN web address allows you to look at your fees invoice, defer your fees, enroll in courses, change your mailing address, etc. If your MAILING address has changed since you initially submitted your graduate application, please update it via your ACORN account. Your MAILING address takes precedence over your permanent address. 

Tuition fees information should appear on your account by July 15. Once they do, you can defer your fees by following the steps below.

For those of you who were previously at UofT but are no longer an active student, you will need to reactivate your student account.  Those of you currently completing an undergraduate degree at UofT already access to all of the above items.  However, you need to change your status from an undergraduate student to a graduate student and in order to do that you need to have completed all your undergraduate degree requirements and be eligible to graduate in June or November 2021.

Deferring Fees

Below you will find instructions regarding the “register without payment/fee deferral” process.  You will be able to defer your fees online as of July 15

Detailed information regarding fee deferrals can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website. Click on “Register Without Payment (Fee Deferral).” 

Currently, you have “invite” status on the UofT student record system.  This will allow you to set up a password for your student ACORN account. (ACORN stands for “Accessible Campus Online Resource Network”).  Every UofT student has an ACORN account.  This account allows you to view/update your personal information, view your course timetable, view your fees invoice, etc. 

You must pay your tuition fees, or defer payment. Most students choose to defer the payment until they have received their guaranteed funding package in September.  You will be considered a registered student as soon as you have either paid the fees, or made appropriate arrangements for their deferral.  If you choose to pay your fees, you must pay them by AUGUST 24 so that your payment is processed by SEPTEMBER 13, the deadline to register.  Students with awards, including SSHRCs, must also pay their fees.  If you are not registered by September 13th, you will need to pay a late registration fee. We strongly recommend that students defer their fees.  This is what most, if not all, students choose to do each year.  

Please note: University of Toronto undergraduate students with financial holds (unpaid tuition fees/library fines) will not be able to defer their fees.  Please resolve these issues at the UofT Student Accounts/Fees office in early summer.

HOW TO DEFER YOUR FEES ON-LINE:

You will be able to defer your fees on-line as of JULY 15.  Please ensure that you do this by early August at the latest.

To defer your tuition fees, please follow these steps:

  • Login to your ACORN student account.
  • Click on “Tuition Fee Deferral” under Finances in the left sidebar menu. 
  • If you are eligible to defer your fees, click “Process Fee Deferral.”
  • If you have any questions, please refer to the “Questions” section of the page. Also, refer to the Student Accounts/Fees website.  
  • If you experience any technical problems deferring your fees please let Marian Reed know.  Marian may or may not refer you to the Student Accounts/Fees Office at 215 Huron Street.  The Student Accounts office is located 2 blocks south of the Women and Gender Studies Institute (about a 10 minute walk).

Here is a video tutorial showing tuition fee deferrals for a graduate student.

The ACORN help site also has screenshots showing tuition fee deferral steps. Once on the ACORN help site, cursor down to Finances > Defer Fees > Grad Student.   

Any fees that remain unpaid by early January will be deducted from the January UofT fellowship amount (this money is deposited on-line via your student ACORN account). The first instalment of your fellowship money will be issued to you in September (also deposited on-line via your student ACORN account).   If you pay some portion of your fees in Fall, then you will have more money available to you in Winter .  Note that students who defer tuition fees may carry a balance in their fees account until April 30.  Accounts MUST be paid in full by April 30.  For professional advice in this regard, we recommend that you consult the Student Accounts/Fees Office at 215 Huron Street, 3rd Floor (two blocks south of the Women and Gender Studies Institute).  For more information visit the Student Accounts website

Adding Courses

WGSI Master’s, PhD, and CWSG program students are automatically enrolled in required courses and can enroll in WGS courses through the Graduate Administrator.

Students wishing to enroll in electives must fill out a course Add/Drop Course(s) Form.

For courses outside of the department, please double check that the course is open to all graduate students. You will take the Add/Drop form to the course instructor/professor for signature. Then take the form to the graduate administrator/registrar’s office of the same department/faculty where the course is housed and notify them that you are enrolling in the course. If there is space in the course, the form will be approved.

Bring your signed form back to the WGSI Program Office. Stefanie Steele, Program Administrator, will enroll you in the course and retain the form for your graduate file.