Admissions

Admission to the Master’s and Ph.D programs are governed by the capacity of the Women & Gender Studies Institute (WGSI) to match the possible subject interests of applicants with WGSI’s resources for graduate supervision.

WGSI requires that faculty members are available in the student’s area of interest, in order to ensure that the student can be rigorously trained in appropriate theories, analytics and methods.

Note that a mid-B average is the MINIMUM required for graduate study at the University of Toronto. Individual departments have their own admission requirements, which are normally much higher than the minimum.

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M.A. Admissions

The M.A. Program is offered as a full-time, twelve-month Master’s program. The program is not offered on a part-time basis.

The potential student’s initial contacts with WGSI are usually with the Graduate Coordinator and the Graduate Administrator. Opening conversations and e-mails focus on whether the student is prepared for the M.A. Program and whether supervision can be provided for the intended area of study. During the application process the conversation continues, usually expanding to involve professors whose research interests are similar to those of the applicant.

To be eligible for admission to the M.A. Program, applicants must normally have a four-year Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, in Women’s Studies and Gender Studies or a related area, with courses broadly equivalent in number and distribution to the University of Toronto’s Major program in Women and Gender Studies. Applicants must have obtained an average grade equivalent to a University of Toronto B+ or better in their final year of undergraduate study, i.e., the courses that constitute the final quarter of a four-year program.

University of Toronto’s B.A. Major Program in Women and Gender Studies includes the equivalent of seven (7) full-year courses distributed broadly as follows:

• 1Y – Introduction to Women and Gender Studies
• 2Y – Feminist Theory
• 3Y & 4Y – 3 full-year core courses in Women and Gender Studies, plus 2 additional full-year courses in cognate disciplines

WGSI interprets equivalency very broadly, and considers courses taken in departments other than Women and Gender Studies as potentially appropriate, so long as the course content or the student’s work in the course included substantial study of women and gender.

WGSI advises potential applicants with limited backgrounds in Women and Gender Studies to take additional courses at the undergraduate level before applying to the M.A. Program. Such applicants should consult the Graduate Coordinator concerning their background and course selection.

Admitted students without sufficient breadth or quantity of coursework in Women and Gender Studies will be asked to take additional work before their admission.

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Ph.D. Admissions

Admission to the Doctoral Program in Women and Gender Studies requires that students have attained the appropriate breadth and depth of background in undergraduate and/or master’s studies to undertake coursework and other degree requirements at the Ph.D. level. WGSI interprets equivalency very broadly, and considers courses taken in departments other than Women and Gender Studies as potentially appropriate, so long as the course content or the student’s work in the course included substantial study of women and gender. The program is available on a full-time basis only.

WGSI also requires that faculty members be available in the student’s area of interest, in order to ensure that the student can be rigorously trained in appropriate theories, analytics and methods. Applicants are encouraged to identify WGSI faculty with whom they want to conduct Ph.D. research. WGSI cannot admit students to the Ph.D. program, regardless of their qualifications, unless an advisor is available.

The potential student’s initial contacts with WGSI are usually with the Graduate Coordinator and the Graduate Administrator. Opening conversations and e-mails focus on whether the student is prepared for the Ph.D. program and whether supervision can be provided for the intended area of study. During the application process the conversation may expand to include professors whose research interests are similar to those of the applicant. Incoming students will be provisionally assigned a Supervisor, or Co-Supervisors, chosen on the basis of expertise in the student’s stated area of scholarly interest.

Admission to the Ph.D. program is offered under the general and degree regulations of the School of Graduate Studies via one of two routes:

1. Ph.D. Admission Eligibility from a Master’s Degree

Completion of Master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies (or a cognate subject with significant focus on women and gender studies), or its equivalent from a recognized university, with an average grade of at least an A- in the applicant’s overall program. 

2. Ph.D. Admission Eligibility from a Bachelor’s Degree

In exceptional cases, “direct-entry” admission is also offered to outstanding students with well-defined projects who have completed a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in Women and Gender Studies, or a cognate subject from a recognized university.  Admission as a direct-entry student will require 6.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) in women and gender studies, with a cumulative average of A (CGPA 4.0) and an average of at least A- (GPA 3.7) in the final year of undergraduate study.

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International Students

International applicants should consult the “International Degree Equivalencies” chart to determine if they meet the minimum admission requirement at the University of Toronto at http://portal.sgs.utoronto.ca/current/admission/intdegequiv.asp.  Qualifications from a number of world-wide educational systems are listed. The academic standings indicated are normally accepted as equivalent to a University of Toronto mid-B average if the degree has been awarded from an institution recognized by the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto.

You will be required to submit proof of English language proficiency if your primary language is not English (except Canadian citizens whose primary language is French) or if you have not graduated from a university whose primary language of instruction is English. For more information, consult the SGS requirements in regards to English-Language Proficiency Testing at https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/admissions/admission-application-requirements/english-language-proficiency-testing/