How to Apply

Applications for Fall 2025 are now open.
Application deadline: December 2, 2024

Prepare all required documents for the application.

Names and email addresses of three referees 

Three reference letters are required to complete your application. At least two letters should speak to your ability to conduct independent research at the graduate level. Referees with extensive research or academic experience are preferred. We strongly recommend that you contact your referees in advance in order to confirm their willingness to act as a reference for you, to confirm their institutional email addresses, and to tell them to expect an email from our system (it will include the words "University of Toronto" and your name in the subject line). Only Adobe PDF format will be accepted. 

Your referees’ email addresses must be their official institutional address. For example, Gmail addresses are not acceptable.

Research interests

On the application you will be asked to rank your research interests and faculty members with whom you would like to work.

Statement of purpose 

A personal essay of no more than two pages in length that discusses your career goals, why you want to do research, the areas of research that interest you, and your skills or qualifications. Describe any original research that you have done: the results, their importance, your role in the research, and your role in writing any publications arising from this research. If you have specific research plans, outline them here. Be concise and use specific examples rather than vague general statements. Include the names of any faculty members whom you are particularly interested in working with.

For assistance on how to write a statement of purpose, view the Student Life guide to writing a statement of purpose or the University of Toronto’s advice on writing an effective admission letter.

Resume/CV 

You will be asked to provide information regarding awards received, conferences or journal publications, and any relevant work experience. We recommend uploading a PDF copy of a resume or CV detailing your educational, professional, and other experience. List all your conference and journal publications, with complete citations including all authors, the publication venue, date, page numbers, and whether it was peer-reviewed. Also list all conference talks you have given, including the name of the conference, and the length of the talk. Research-stream applicants will be asked to provide this content separately in the application portal. Please use the following formats:

• Awards or recognitions:

  Year. Full name of award (common abbreviation, if any). Organization offering the award. Institutional / Local / National / International. Academic / Research / Leadership / Other. Full monetary value in Canadian dollars.

• Peer-Reviewed Publications:

  Full authorship as it appears or will appear in the original publication, with your name marked with an asterisk (*). Year. Title. Full publication name (common abbreviation, if any). Volume and Number for journals. First and last page numbers, or total number of pages (indicate if institutional, regional, national, or international; for conferences, state whether the presentation was oral, poster, or both).

• Other Research and Development Contributions:

  List other contributions to research and development. Begin with your most recent contributions and list each entry on a new line. Briefly describe your role in each contribution. Follow the same format as for peer-reviewed publications where possible. Use the following headings in the order indicated, omitting any headings for which you have no entries:

  • a) Items submitted to peer-reviewed conferences or journals (include the decision date, if known)

  • b) Non-peer-reviewed contributions (for example, books, technical reports, and preprints)

  • c) Conference presentations (include the length of the talk)

  • d) Awarded and submitted patents and software copyrights

  • e) Contributions to open-source software projects

  • f) Other relevant contributions to research and development

• Relevant Work Experience:

  Please list any relevant work experience, beginning with your most recent. Indicate the dates of employment, job title, and company name. Briefly describe your role and the skills or tools you used.

Official Academic Transcripts 

Applicants may upload unofficial scans or PDF versions of their documents during the application process. Applicants should use the “Print to PDF” function for informal webpage-based transcripts, otherwise the file will not display correctly to the admissions committee. Though we do not require official transcripts at the time of application, to properly assess your eligibility for the program, transcripts provided should be clear and legible. This includes any grades/degrees earned as well as full course titles.

A note on official transcripts: Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be asked to submit official copies of all final transcripts (and in some cases, degree certificates) prior to registration.

Optional Statement on Diversity

The Department of Computer Science encourages diversity. As such, we encourage applicants to self-identify themselves as belonging to an equity-seeking group, including racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. The application system asks applicants to identify some of these categories at the beginning of the application; however, the graduate office does not receive these answers.

If you would like the admissions committee to know that you belong to an equity-seeking group, particularly so that we may identify entrance scholarships for which you may be eligible, please submit a statement of no more than 300 words through the text box provided. (See Step 2)

Peer-matching program for applicants from underrepresented groups

The Toronto Graduate Application Assistance Program (GAAP) is a student-run, volunteer-led program that provides feedback on application materials to applicants from underrepresented groups applying to our thesis-based programs. In this peer-matching program, prospective students will be matched with a current student (or recent graduate) who will provide feedback on the statement of purpose (SoP) and CV.

Application Portal 

Applications to the Department of Computer Science graduate programs are made through U of T’s School of Graduate Studies (SGS). You must submit your application and pay the non-refundable application fee of $125 (CAD) by the application deadline.

Creating your account

• If you are a first-time applicant, click the link to Create an Account to begin your application. You will receive a verification code via email as part of the account creation process. After entering your verification code, you will create a password for your account. 

Application

• You may save and return to the application at any point in the process, however the application must be submitted, and payment must be made, by the application deadline.

• To view the status of your application, including outstanding requirements, log in to your account to view your applicant status portal.

• You can upload application materials, including unofficial transcripts, statements of intent, through your applicant status portal even after submitting your application. However, all mandatory supporting documentation must be uploaded by the deadline or the application will be marked as incomplete and will be automatically rejected.

• If your application is not complete by the deadline, paying the application fee will not prevent an automatic rejection. 

• Do not pay the application fee for a late or incomplete application. Your application will NOT be accepted and your payment will NOT be refunded. 

Referees 

• You will be required to enter information for three referees. (The system will accept up to five names; for Computer Science, enter only three.) Your referees will immediately and automatically receive a notification email that they have been requested to complete a reference for your application, along with instructions to submit their reference letter in the application system.

• If you need to send a reminder email to your referees, you can do so through your applicant portal after submitting your application. 

English-Language Test and GRE Scores 

If applicable, please arrange to send your English-language test scores and/or GRE scores electronically to the University of Toronto’s Enrolment Services. This information can also be noted unofficially on your application.

Learn more about English-language proficiency requirements.

Interviews 

Some applicants may be asked to participate in online interviews with a member of the Graduate Admissions committee or with potential supervisors. 

Results

We aim to notify applicants of the result of their application between February and the end of April, however, some applications may be under review for longer.

Once a final decision has been made on your application, you will be notified through the application portal.

Should we have any questions regarding your application to the graduate programs in Computer Science, a member of our team will connect with you. We will not provide status updates on applications to our programs, and you cannot make changes to your application after the deadline has passed.