A: A time of 9:00 AM and 11:59 PM EST is assumed for opening and closing dates, respectively, but we recommend that applicants try to meet the deadline by 5:00 pm because staff are not available beyond this time.
A: Applications can only be made on-line. In cases of extreme difficulty accessing the site, please e-mail us at ihpst.info@utoronto.ca.
A: NO. You cannot upload documents until after you have completed the application on-line and paid the non- refundable and non-transferable application fee of $125.00. This also applies to letters of recommendation. Your referees will receive an electronic invitation to submit an academic reference in support of your application once the application fee has been paid.
A: Once the application fee has been paid, you cannot make any changes to your application. Once documents have been submitted on-line you cannot make any changes to these documents. If you have discovered an error in the document that you have uploaded, please contact Katherine Howat academicprograms.ihpst@utoronto.ca. If you decide not to continue with your application, please send a brief email to ihpst.info@utoronto.ca as it is very helpful to know if you have withdrawn your application.
A: You can check the status of your on-line application yourself. Completed applications will have an “Under Review” status.
A: Due to mailing and processing time, it may be several weeks before we can indicate that a document has been received. Please check your online application regularly for updates. We will not confirm receipt of documents by phone, fax, email or mail. Please Note: The University will be closed for the winter holidays from 5:00 pm December 23, 2020 to January 1, 2021 inclusive and will reopen at 8:45 am January 4, 2021. Online references for the MA and Phd Programs can be submitted during this time; however, technical assistance will be unavailable and application statuses will not be updated. The Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST) will begin to respond to inquiries that were submitted over the break on January 4, 2021.
A: Entry into the MA program requires an appropriate bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, (preferably in English) with a minimum GPA of 3.3 (B+ average).
A: No, the IHPST does not require GRE scores to be submitted with your application for the PhD, PhD Direct Entry, and the MA programs. These results will not be considered with your Master's or Doctoral application.
A: Yes, a writing sample is required for the PhD, PhD Direct Entry, and the MA programs. You can find more details on our Application Information page.
A: No. Students in the PhD program may be require to demonstrate proproficiency in French by the end of their qualifying 3rd year of their PhD, but it is not an entry requirement for the PhD degree.
A: Only in extenuating circumstances will we accept one more reference letter.
A: Writing samples for the PhD, PhD U, and the MA programs must be uploaded to the SGS on-line application (do not send paper copies to the Department). All official transcripts should be requested as soon as possible to ensure that they arrive no later than 14 January. Letters of reference can no longer be mailed; instead they will be transmitted to us electronically by the referee. However, the university will only contact your referees upon payment of the application fee, so please make this fee transaction as soon as possible (and no later than December 10). We will accept electronic letters of reference and (hard copy) transcripts until 14 January.
A: YES, a history is required from each post-secondary institution attended. Applicants who attended universities outside North America must provide notarized English translations to accompany all foreign documentation not written in English.If academic records are interim, 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 and before admission can be finalized.
A: No, all programs commence in September.
A: No. If your first language is not English but you have completed your undergraduate degree at a University where English is the primary language of instruction, you do not require other evidence of language proficiency. Otherwise TOEFL (or equivalent - see the School of Graduate Studies for more information about English Language Proficiency Testing and Requirements) scores must be supplied. Overall TOEFL scores must be 100 or higher with minimum scores of 22 in both writing and speaking sections. Please see the SGS website for other accepted Language tests (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, COPE, CAEL, the Academic Preparation Course International ESL Program at the School of Continuing Studies, U of T).
A: Letters of reference must be academic ones. Faculty usually keep records for a considerable time, so choose instructors that knew you best and contact them.
A: Yes, but we have a very limited number of places for part-time MA students. Part-time students have 6 years to complete the degree and can take a maximum of 2.5 full courses per annum and a minimum of .5. The cost is the same as a full-time MA, but it is spread over 6 years. If you wish to apply for the part-time MA, you must indicate this on the application form.
A: Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents should apply for the OGS (Ontario Graduate Scholarship) award and, if appropriate, the SSHRC fellowship. International students may only apply for the OGS award. If you are not successful with either of these awards, PhD candidates will receive a University of Toronto Fellowship upon registration in the program.
A: Unfortunately there are very few departmental admission scholarships for incoming MA’s, and Research Assistantships/Teaching Assistantships are reserved for students registered in a program lasting more than 3 sessions However, Ontario Graduate Scholarships and SSHRC CGS M are available to MA students. Financial information can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website.
A: You will be able to track receipt of documents through the online application. Transcripts may be mailed to us directly from the issuing institution, or you may mail them directly to the department.
A: We expect to be in a position to start notifying applicants to our graduate programs about admission decisions mid-February. We contact MA applicants at the end of March/early April.