FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the application deadline?

The application deadline is December 13, 2024.

Does my application require transcripts from all of the post-secondary institutions attended?

Yes, an official transcript is required from each university attended. Please order official transcripts through your university transcript centre and arrange for them to be uploaded electronically to the UofT online application system AND mailed directly to the Women & Gender Studies Institute. Transcripts sent by mail must be printed on university letterhead paper and contained in sealed, university letterhead envelopes. Applicants who attend/attended universities outside North America must provide notarized English translations to accompany all foreign documentation not written in English.

When you submit your online application, you must also submit electronic copies of all post-secondary transcripts. Please include the transcript legend or explanation of the grading system, which is sometimes found on the reverse side of the transcript. Both the electronic copy and paper/hard copy of your transcript are due by the application deadline. We do not accept unofficial transcripts – this applies to all applicants, including U of T students and students from other Ontario universities.

Updated official transcripts will be requested from ALL applicants (including UofT students) that are recommended for conditional acceptance to the Master’s or Ph.D. Program in Women and Gender Studies.  WE DO NOT ACCEPT UNOFFICIAL ACORN/ROSI (U of T) TRANSCRIPTS.  You must arrange for your original transcript(s) to be sent to our graduate office (see address below) directly from the institution you attended. Depending on the institution, in some cases this can take weeks (or even months). It is recommended that you consider this timeline when requesting your transcript(s). As per U of T policy, faxed or emailed records are not considered official and will not be accepted. Documents will not be returned to the applicant. If academic records submitted at the time of application were interim, the 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 before admission can be finalized. We will also require an official letter from your university Registrar’s Office stating that you have met your degree requirements and are eligible for convocation.

Please mail hard copies of official post-secondary transcripts to:

Stefanie Steele, Graduate and Undergraduate Administrator
Women & Gender Studies Institute
University of Toronto
40 Willcocks Street
Toronto, Ontario  M5S 1C6
Canada

Do I have to provide academic references?

Yes, you are required to provide TWO academic references. Work references are not considered academic references. Your referee(s) must fill out the web-based reference form provided via the online application system.

Are there reference letter forms?

Once you have added your academic referees to your application, the system will e-mail your referees and ask them to provide references. Once they log in to the system, using the link provided in the email, referees will be asked to fill in their reference using a form. In the RARE case your referee does not have an e-mail address, you may collect the letter and drop it off at the WGSI Program Office by application deadline. The letter should be written on institutional letterhead. Ask your referee to provide you with the letter of reference in a sealed, letterhead envelope, signed across the seal. 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. For hard copy references only, your referee should use this reference form as a guideline.

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What do you expect in the statement of intent?

Your statement should clearly describe your proposed area of study and its contribution to scholarship. The statement (two pages maximum) should be 500 words in length. You may submit the statement online in Word or PDF format, and it must be named “Letter of Intent” or “Statement of Intent”. The document can be saved by following the “submit” link on the document status page in the online application.

For M.A. applicants, this should be a statement of an intended topic or area of graduate study, and summary of preparatory training in appropriate theories and methods. For Ph.D. applicants, please indicate the question/problem that you foresee as the most likely candidate for the subject of your thesis. You may wish to indicate what theoretical approaches are shaping your thinking on this topic, and why WGSI is an appropriate academic environment for engaging in that work. You may wish to name faculty with whom you would like to work, and explain why you would like to work with them. Please do not make this an intellectual autobiography; the statement of intent is, instead, more like a research proposal. While some biographical background information may be relevant, the statement should primarily be used to indicate in detail your intended topic or area of graduate study, why such a topic is important to study, as well as theories, methods and experiences you will bring to bear on the project.

The statement of intent is not to be confused with the section of the online application form that ask you to talk about your “area of proposed study.”  For this section of the form, simply enter a few keywords that most relate to your proposed research area.

I have not completed 7 full courses in Women’s/Gender Studies at the undergraduate level or my Masters degree is not in Women and Gender Studies? Can I still apply to the graduate program?

Yes. We also accept relevant or equivalent courses. At the end of your statement of intent, please list any courses which you believe have prepared you well for graduate work in Women and Gender Studies. For details regarding eligibility requirements, please go to https://wgsi.utoronto.ca/graduate/applications/ma-phd-eligibility.

Can I apply to the Master’s Program if I have completed a three-year Bachelor’s degree?

Please refer to the School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto website for a detailed response to this and other related questions.

For any additional questions not listed here, please contact the Graduate Coordinator, Dina Georgis.