University of Toronto

Application Information for Prospective Students

Ready to start the application process? Please carefully read and follow through the steps.

• Admission Deadlines
• Admission Requirements
• Application Checklist
• Online Application Form
• Graduate Supervisory Staff
• Referee's Report (M.S. Word Document) "Note: Report will be sent to referees via system generated email. Report included here for information porposes only."
• English Language Proficiency
• International Student Degree Equivalencies
• Financial Support

Application Deadline
The date by which all parts of the online application must be completed (e.g., biography, education, program of study, reference contact and payment).

Document Deadline
The date by which all applicable documents, including references, transcripts, CV, letter of intent/interest and writing sample, must be received by the department.  Applications cannot be reviewed for admission until all documents are received by the department.  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 Doctoral-Stream Program Applicants (MScF and PhD)           
Applications will be considered as they are received and offers will be made to successful applicants.  It is therefore in the applicant’s interest to submit their application early, in advance of the document deadline indicated by the online application system.

For early admission consideration, the online application and all documentation, including reference reports, must be received by February 1, 2012, at the Faculty of Forestry.

The latest date which applications will be considered is April 15th (application deadline), with an April 30th documentation deadline.

 

For MFC Program Applicants
Applications will be considered as they are received and offers will be made to successful applicants.  It is therefore in the applicant’s interest to submit their application early, in advance of the deadlines indicated by the online application system.

The application deadline for domestic and international applicants is April 15, 2012, with a corresponding documentation deadline of April 30, 2012.

Applicants who wish to apply beyond the April 15th deadline are advised to contact the department.

Applicants to the M.F.C. degree program who submit fully-complete applications for admission, will be considered automatically for applicable Faculty admission fellowships (see “MFC Awards”) on a competitive basis with other eligible candidates.

 

Applicants to graduate degree programs in Forestry are considered and admitted by the Faculty of Forestry under the general regulations of the University's School of Graduate Studies.  Applications are considered competitively, based on the full set of application documentation. The Faculty considers, for admission to its degree programs, candidates from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds including forestry, applied science and engineering, and social, physical and biological sciences.

The preparation and submission of a complete application is a costly process for the applicant in terms of time, money and energy, and similarly for the Faculty in processing and assessing the application.  Please read and follow all instructions carefully.  The following admission requirements are for guidance to prospective applicants.  Possession of the minimal requirements does not in any way guarantee admission. 

MFC and MScF Programs

As a minimum, admission to the MFC and the MScF programs requires:

• An appropriate bachelor's degree , or its equivalent* from a recognized university
• A final year average (or final two years for the MFC) of at least mid-B
• B+ is required for the collaborative master's program

PhD Program

As a minimum, admission to a PhD program requires:

• An appropriate master’s degree or its equivalent*, in a discipline appropriate to the intended field of doctoral study and research
• Minimum A- standing in the master’s program

*Note:  The School of Graduate Studies' admission website for prospective students includes information on equivalent international qualifications.
Under certain specific conditions, outstanding currently-registered MScF students (with an average of at least A- in the first year of the MScF program) who have demonstrated superior research capabilities, may be considered for transfer to the PhD program before the end of their first year in the MScF program.
In exceptional circumstances, an extraordinarily strong applicant with an appropriate bachelor’s degree from a recognized university may be approved for admission into the PhD program after completion of the bachelor’s program.  Applicants who have not completed a Master’s program and who wish to apply under this category should select the “PHD (direct entry)” Degree Program.

 

 

The application for admission is a "self-administered" process; applicants are responsible for assembling all the relevant documentation as described in the online application and in the Faculty's instructions. 

The Faculty will inform applicants of admission decisions by mail as soon as possible after receipt of complete application documentation.  Applications will not be considered or processed until all parts of the application, including the application fee, have been received.  Applications that are incomplete by the departmental application deadline will be rejected.

The following list of documents constitutes a complete application:

• Application Form
• Scanned transcript(s).  Please wait for further instructions before submitting your official paper transcripts.  The application review process will begin with your scanned transcripts alone, but you may be asked to submit an official paper transcript before an admission decision is finalized.
• Copy of English-language test score (if applicable).   See "Facility in the English-Language" at the School of Graduate Studies website.
• Curriculum vitae (resume)
• Letter of interest (MFC only) or Letter of Intent (MScF/PhD only)*
• Writing sample (MScF/PhD only).  This should be a copy of or excerpt from what you consider to be your best publication or best essay.  Please limit to 10 pages or less.
• Three Referee Reports (Applicants are required to enter contact information for each referee when completing the online application form.  Once payment is received, the system will send an invitation to the referee inviting them to complete the referee report.  Please speak to your referees ahead of time.  You must confirm your referee’s availability and willingness to participate prior to submitting their contact details on the online application form.)

*For MFC applicants, a 250-500 word letter of interest should include the relevance of the MFC program to your background and interests, and vice versa.

For MScF and PhD applicants, the letter of intent should indicate the following:

• The forestry sub-field in which you wish to conduct research (if the area of interest is broad, such as forest biology, a particular area should be specified, e.g., forest soils, forest entomology, etc.);
• A brief description of your proposed research;
• Two to four courses relevant to your proposed research;
• Why you wish to obtain an M.Sc.F./Ph.D. degree; and
• Your preference for a particular member of Forestry's graduate supervisory staff as a supervisor.  (See "Graduate Supervisory Staff" 
  
  

Applications to the Faculty of Forestry can be accessed through the Faculty of Forestry website.  They must be submitted using the online admissions application, which is housed on a secure server in the University of Toronto.  This online application process requires you to have a valid email address.  The department will consider your application only after you have completed the application form, submitted the application fee, uploaded required application documentation and all referee reports are received.  (See “Application Checklist”)

1. Create a Profile
You will be required to create a personal profile that includes name and contact information, as well as limited personal information.  Upon completion, an Applicant Number and password will be assigned and emailed to you.  These will allow you to log into your account to manage your profile and current and future applications.
2. References
You will need to supply referee contact information for three referees.  The system will automatically email an electronic submission request to each referee with a valid email address after a payment method is selected.  Although you will provide the referee information before payment, the system will not notify your referees until your payment has been received.  Please consult with your referees before you complete the application in order to ensure they are willing and able to provide a reference.
3. Payment
A separate application and non-refundable application fee payment is required for every degree program to which you are applying.  If you apply to the wrong program and wish to be considered for another, you will be required to submit a new application and pay another application fee.  Payment must be made by the application deadline specified by the graduate unit.  Please review your application before moving to the payment stage.  Online payment is preferred.  Applicants who cannot make an online credit card payment should complete their application and submit their offline payment well in advance of the posted deadline.  A mailed payment takes a minimum of two to three weeks to be received and processed.  The delay can be much longer for payments mailed internationally.
Please note that paying online or creating an offline payment invoice will lock all the information in your program selection, including the names of your referees.  Please make sure all information is accurate before moving to payment.  As well, you will only be able to submit your electronic supporting documents after you have moved to payment.
4. Proceed to Application
For the online admissions application, please click HERE.
You can check the system to verify that your application and supporting documents have been received.  You can also check the system for the status of your references and transcripts.

If you have difficulty using the online admission application, please contact the Faculty of Forestry.

Facility in the English language  must be demonstrated by all applicants whose mother tongue is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English.
This requirement should be met by the time the application for admission is submitted. An offer of admission cannot be made to an applicant unless and until the language requirement is met. The School of Graduate Studies admission website for prospective students includes full information on tests that are acceptable by the University to meet the English language facility requirement. Applicants must submit a photocopy of their English language test score report with their application documentation to the Faculty. Test scores more than two years old cannot be used.