Please note: The application period for graduate studies in Spanish opens in mid-October and closes in early January for admission in September. Those interested in our programs must apply almost a year in advance of their desired start date. Our department does not admit students for January.
Please note: Our MA and PhD programs are funded, and the admission process is highly competitive, especially for international students.
Application Deadlines for the 2024-25 Academic Year.
- September 2024 Admission:
The application system is open from October 15, 2023 to January 8, 2024. This deadline includes the receipt of application, supporting documents, and reference letters. - January 2025 Admission:
This department does not admit students in January.
The application is available online (link below). The applicant is responsible for uploading all documentation by the deadline. Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by the referees by the deadline.
Please refer to the School of Graduate Studies for more details on the submission of required documentation.
Application Overview
1. Complete online application form.
2. Pay the non-refundable application fee (CDN $125).
3. Upload all supporting documentation. Referees will upload letters of recommendation directly.
1. Online Application Form
Please read the instructions below before proceeding to the online application.
Begin or to continue an online application
2. Non-refundable Application Fee
Pay the non-refundable CDN $125 fee on the application site. The payment status will be available on the application portal.
3. Supporting Documentation (to be uploaded as part of your application)
Once you have paid your application fee, you will be prompted to upload the following supporting documents:
a) Transcripts. You must submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, even if a degree has not been conferred. You may submit unofficial transcripts (electronic or scanned), as long as they include the name of the institution, your full name, and a transcript legend (usually printed on the back of the paper transcript). For non-English transcripts, certified English translations must be provided (note: since French and English are both official languages, we do not request English translations of transcripts written in French). If the admissions committee determines that the transcript file is incomplete, you may be asked to submit official paper transcripts instead. If you are offered admission, you will be required to submit final official paper transcripts.
The admissions committee will make its decision about your application based on the scanned transcript(s). Please ensure that the file is complete and readable before submitting.
b) Two Letters of Recommendation. You will be required to provide institutional email addresses for two referees. Emails will be automatically sent to your referees once you have submitted their contact information on the Recommendations page of your application. We suggest that you confirm your referees’ availability prior to submitting their contact details. Please note that one of the letters must comment on your fluency in Spanish.
c) Sample of written work. You will be required to submit a sample of written work in Spanish (10-12 pages, double-spaced).
d) Statement of Purpose/Letter of Intent. This one-page document should describe your academic and research interests, and your plans for graduate studies. If you have any special circumstances you would like the committee to know about, you can mention them briefly in this letter.
e) CV. This should be an overview of your academic history, research experience, scholarships and awards, publications and/or conference presentations, professional experience, volunteer/community involvement, etc.
f) Proof of English Proficiency (if applicable). Applicants from universities outside Canada where English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of their application. Please see more detailed information on the SGS website.
If you have further questions, please contact the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies, at spanish.graduate@utoronto.ca or the Graduate Coordinator at spanport@chass.utoronto.ca.
Continuing MA Students
As of January 1, 2007, students who are already registered in the department for the M.A. program and who wish to continue to the Ph.D. program are required to follow the application process described above. Such students are not required to resubmit copies of transcripts that the Department has on file or of the M.A. program.
Application Instructions
Applications to the Graduate Department of Spanish and Portuguese must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) through the online admissions application which is housed on a secure server at the University of Toronto. The department will consider your application only after you have entered your personal and academic information in the online application, paid the application fee, and uploaded all the required documents, including all transcripts. Note that your official transcripts are only needed if you have been accepted. The department will contact you directly to request official transcripts.
Once you access the SGS online admissions application and enter your contact information, an applicant identification number and a password will be emailed to you. You can leave and return to your application at any point until you move to the payment stage. At that point, you can return to check the status of this application.
Payment of your application fee must be received by the School of Graduate Studies before your application is considered. You may pay online by VISA or MasterCard. This payment method is secure, as the transaction is handled by Mirapay, a third party authorized by VISA and MasterCard. Mirapay provides the School of Graduate Studies with payment confirmation only. SGS and the University of Toronto will not have access to your credit card information. Please note that the process requires that popup blockers on your web browser be disabled.
If you are unable to pay by credit card, please contact sgs.payments@utoronto.ca to make arrangements to pay offline by certified cheque or money order.
Proceed to the SGS online admissions application
Remember to enter your SGS applicant ID on your documents. We require these as a reference so we can enter them in the system as they are received. It is your responsibility to check the system frequently to verify that your application is complete.