Potential students may apply through our on-line application process which can be accessed from the Graduate Studies website.

Please check with the specific program of interest for application date deadlines. The applicant is responsible for assembling all relevant documentation (see below) and any additional program-specific application materials (outlined on the program-specific website). In order to be considered for admission to graduate studies, the applicant must submit all required admission documents to the student information system (WebAdvisor) to complete the applicant process.

Transcripts: Applicants are required to submit through WebAdvisor a copy of their transcripts for each previous undergraduate and graduate program from each postsecondary institution attended. Should the applicant be offered conditional acceptance to a program, a certified official transcript from any and all postsecondary institutions attended must be submitted by the first day of class of the semester in which the program at the University of Guelph is started. Applicants from institutions where only one official transcript/degree certificate is provided should contact the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies before submitting the application.

Referee Assessment Forms: Assessment forms must be submitted by at least two individuals who are well acquainted with the applicant's academic record, and academic and research aptitude, capacity and proficiency. Academic references are preferred, but former employers are also acceptable referees. Referees will be contacted via email by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requesting the reference on the behalf of the applicant after the application is submitted.

English Proficiency: Courses at the University of Guelph are completed in approximately 12 weeks. Students therefore must be proficient in the use of English, both written and oral, when they begin their studies at Guelph. The University requires that certification of such proficiency be provided by applicants whose first language is not English.

Applicants required to meet the English Proficiency Requirement must do so by submitting the required scores in one of the following tests or battery of tests:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - minimum overall score of 89 with no individual component below 21 for Internet-based test (TOEFL iBT)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - minimum overall score of 6.5
• Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) - minimum overall score of 85
• Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE-A) - overall score of 60 with a minimum score of 60 in each of the 4 categories
• Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) assessment - minimum overall band score of 70
• Duolingo English Test (DET) - minimum overall score of 120
• Oxford English Language Level Test (ELLT) - minimum overall score of 7

Applicants should make arrangements to take one of these tests at least nine months before the first day of the semester. Other forms of proficiency assessment may apply in individual cases; please contact the admitting department or program for additional information.

Applicants may choose to enrol in the University of Guelph’s English Language Certificate Program (ELCP) which is offered through the University of Guelph’s Open Learning and Educational Support. Applicants who complete the advanced level of this program are considered to have fulfilled the English language requirements and are eligible to apply to a graduate program at the University of Guelph. Information on the “advanced level” of the program is found on-line at https://opened.uoguelph.ca/student-resources/About-English-Language-Programs?_mid_=1894/.

Applicants may also choose to enroll in the University of Guelph’s Graduate Preparation Program (GPP) which is offered through Open Learning and Educational Support. Applicants may be offered admission based on the provision that they complete the GPP, which includes completion of advanced level English (level 9 and 10 of the ELCP) as well as graduate preparatory work. The expected duration of the GPP is two semesters. Upon successful completion applicants may continue on to the graduate program identified in their offer of admission. Details about the GPP may be found at https://opened.uoguelph.ca/student-resources/programs-and-pathways?_mid_=1932/.

Other Documents and/or Examinations: In some departments, a Statement of Research/Interest that outlines the applicant's major research interests and objectives in undertaking graduate study, and/ or additional supplementary documents such as a CV/resume, or a writing sample, may be required for admission. Applicants are advised to review the department's website for specific program admission requirements.

Some departments require applicants to complete and submit the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) to determine admissibility to some programs. If so, this requirement will be noted with the program-specific admissions application information on the departmental website. The applicant’s official test results must be forwarded directly to the graduate program in the department to which application has been made. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that test results are submitted to the department by the application deadline.