Carefully read through the information below before initiating your application.

1. Decide on your program of choice.

Review our Degree Programs

2. Prepare in advance the following documents

Letter of Intent

The Letter of Intent is an important component of your application. It helps us to determine how well your interests match with our program offerings.

  • Prepare a document to the attention of the Admissions Committee.
  •  Write a free-form essay of no more than 1,000 words (2 pages, single-spaced). Outline your reasons for pursuing admission into the degree program and how your background has prepared you for it.  Indicate your aspirations, learning goals, career plans, and specific research plans (if applicable).  Highlight any experience relevant to your program choice.
  • DrPH applicants: Please highlight previous education, relevant work and volunteer experiences, as well as future career goals that align with a DrPH, and subject-matter interests. Furthermore, any external obligations during the doctoral program should be communicated through the letter of intent.
  • MHSc in Bioethics applicants: Prepare a written statement of no more 1,000 words (2 pages, single-spaced), in which you: i) outline your reasons for pursuing admission to the MHSc in Bioethics; ii) indicate how your academic and professional background has prepared you for graduate education in bioethics; ii) identify your main area(s) of professional or scholarly interest in bioethics; and explain how you plan to put your MHSc degree to use in your professional career and/or institutional setting.
  • MPH in Occupational & Environmental Health applicants: In addition to the general instructions above, please indicate your interest in pursuing either the Occupational Hygiene  or Environmental Public Health emphasis.
  • MPH in Nutrition & Dietetics applicants: Instead of the free-form essay above, in up to 500 words (2 pages double-spaced max), please independently prepare a written statement with the following components:

    • Your aspirations, learning goals, and career plans.
    • How your experiences reflect the values of the MPH Nutrition and Dietetics Program.
    • How you would customize your degree based on your interests and experiences using collaborative specialization, emphasis, and/or electives.
Curriculum Vitae

Upload a document that includes at least the following information:

  • Name and contact information
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Publications and presentations
  • Teaching and research activities
  • Other relevant experience

DrPH applicants: At least five years of mid-level management experience in a relevant field/organization is required for admission. Please ensure that this is included in your curriculum vitae.

MHSc in Bioethics: At least three years of professional experience in a relevant field/organization is required for admission. Please ensure that this is included in your curriculum vitae.

MPH-Nutrition and Dietetics: CV should be 3 pages maximum.

Statistics Requirement form for Master of Public Health (MPH) Black Health, Epidemiology, Indigenous Health and Social & Behavioural Health Science (Health Promotion) applicants

To confirm completion of statistics course work, please download and complete the Statistics Requirement form with the following information:

  • Your name and email address used in your application profile;
  • The session in which you completed each statistics course that satisfies this requirement;
  • The course code and title of each course;
  • Your final grade (% or letter grade) in each course; and
  • A URL (if available) containing the course outline. If an active and accessible URL is not available, please upload a scanned copy of the course outline (syllabus) with the form (in a single document).

Every graduate-level, for-credit, course taken in statistics should be included in the Statistics Requirement form.

Additional document for MHSc in Bioethics applicants – Release Letter from Employer
  • Release Letter from Employer: If you are currently employed by an institution (health care or otherwise), a letter from your employer authorizing release time is requested. This letter must come from a senior administrator in your institution (for example, Department Chair, Dean, Hospital CEO or VP). They must agree to provide you with the necessary professional release time to complete the program (over 2 years for domestic students and 1 year for international students). They must also clarify the institution’s view of how your graduate education will help strengthen bioethics capacity in your home institution. In the case of international applicants, this letter should also state an agreement to provide you with a leadership position in bioethics in the institution upon your return to your home country.

For more detail, please visit the Joint Centre for Bioethics website.

Scanned Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate university studies

All applications to the Dalla Lana School of Public Health are initially assessed based on scanned copies of transcripts.  If and when necessary, Official transcripts will be requested at a later phase in the application process.

  • You must indicate, in your application profile, all post-secondary institutions you have attended, even if you feel it is not relevant to the DLSPH program to which you are applying, and even if you did not complete the program.
  • For each institution, your entire transcript, including the transcript legend (usually printed on the back of a paper transcript), must be uploaded as a single PDF (.pdf) file. You cannot upload individual pages. The transcript legend must appear at least once.
  • You must upload your transcript .pdf format.  A .jpg file must be converted to .pdf format to be uploaded.
  • The file size cannot exceed 4 megabytes (MB). We recommend scanning in greyscale at 72 dots per inch (DPI).
  • For Macintosh users, please note that the filename must include the appropriate 3 letter extension.
  • Do not upload a document that is password-protected or that contains macros.
  • If you have attended multiple institutions, scan each transcript individually to be uploaded to the application website.

IMPORTANT: You may submit a .pdf file of your academic history obtained from your university’s online student portal (i.e.; ACORN at U of T) in place of a university-issued transcript. Your academic history printout must contain your name, the program completed or in progress, course codes, course titles and weights, the session in which they were taken, your grade and, if possible, the university’s grading legend.  If your university’s online academic record does not contain ALL of this information, you must obtain a university-issued copy to be scanned and uploaded into the on-line application by the application deadline. If the Admissions Committee determines that your academic information is incomplete, your application may not be able to be properly assessed.

Scanned documents must be clearly legible. The admissions committee will make its decision about your application based on this scanned transcript.  Please ensure that the file is complete and easily readable before submitting.

Non-Canadian or Non-US institutions

  • If you attended a University outside of North America, scan and upload your complete transcripts as noted above. We have reference sources that provide degree equivalencies from all over the world, so no explanatory notes should be necessary.
  • For Non-English transcripts, a notarized English translation must also be scanned and included with your uploaded document.
  • If requested, you will need to provide official transcripts, and an official English translation, sent directly from the issuing institution (university and translator), to this office either electronically or in a sealed envelope.
English Language Proficiency (ELP) test scores

English Language Proficiency (ELP) is required and must be established by all applicants who completed their admitting degree at universities outside of Canada where the native language is not English.

  • Note that a university education in English may not be considered sufficient (e.g. TOEFL/TWE is still required for graduates from such countries as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia).  A Medical Residency in Canada does not satisfy the ELP requirement, nor does living/working in an English speaking country.
  • Your application will not be considered without proof of English language proficiency.  A satisfactory ELP test result must be available prior to the application deadline. The test score can be no more than two years old.
  • If in doubt, take a test of English Language Proficiency.

Please self-report your test scores on your admission application AND request that your original test scores be sent, electronically, directly from the testing service to the University of Toronto (Enrolment Services).

The institution code for U of T is 0982. There is no need to specify a department.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) http://www.toefl.org/
Minimum acceptable TOEFL/TWE scores:

Paper-based test Overall score: 580 TWE: 5.0
Internet-based test Overall score: 93 Writing score: 22 Speaking score: 22

International English Language Testing System (IELTS)  www.ielts.org​
Minimum acceptable IELTS scores:  7.0 (Academic) with at least 6.5 for each component.
IELTS Indicator test and results from the IELTS One Skill Retake will not be accepted. Applicants must achieve the scores listed above on a single date.

Four other tests are accepted as proof of English Language Proficiency:

  • Cambridge English – C1 and C2
  • The Certificate of Proficiency in English (COPE)
  • Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL)
  • Academic Preparation Course

For more information about these tests and admissible scores, visit the School of Graduate Studies website:
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/prospectivestudents/Pages/English-Language-Proficiency-Testing.aspx

3. Select and contact references

The Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences requires two (2) letters of reference to accompany applications to DrPH, PhD, MPH, MSc, and MScCH degree programs. Only the MHSc in Bioethics program requires three (3) letter of refence. Applicants should only invite the required number of referees to submit letters of reference, as only 2 letters of reference will be assessed (3 for MHSc Bioethics) by the Admissions Committee.  References are  reviewed based on date of receipt, not in the order in which they were entered in the application.

DrPH applicants: Please provide two letters that indicate to the admissions committee your aptitude and suitability to the DrPH program, and how it will support the advancement of your contributions to the public health workforce. At minimum, one letter should attest to your academic aptitude and potential, while one letter should describe your skills, leadership potential, and suitability from a public health policy or practice perspective.

MHSc in Bioethics applicants: Please provide three letters of reference, of which one must be an academic reference attesting to your academic preparation and capacity for graduate studies. The other two references must attest to your skills, knowledge and character; your interpersonal strengths and professionalism; and, if possible, your interest in and/or contributions to fostering bioethics capacity in your professional setting. Each letter does not need to cover all aspects of these requirements, but all three together must do so.

All Programs: Letters of reference are provided through the online application, electronically, directly to the program to which you are applying. The Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences cannot accept hard copies of letters of reference sent by mail. Letters of reference are not shared among graduate units or programs so referees must be invited to each degree program to which an application is being made, including multiple applications within DLSPH.

Select referees who are familiar with your academic and career aspirations. Your reference should be able to comment on your academic ability and potential to succeed in a graduate program and as a Public Health professional or researcher. Referees will be asked to comment on the applicant in such areas as leadership, organization and problem solving.  Generally, a former professor/supervisor or employer is the most appropriate reference. At least one academic reference is required.

Referees will receive a system-generated email to the email address you provide in your application. An institutional email address for your referees is preferred; a free email address (e.g., gmail, yahoo, hotmail) may not be accepted by the Admissions Committee.

It is recommended that you confirm your reference’s availability and email address prior to submitting their contact information.  Alert them that an email, with the appropriate link to the reference submission page, will be arriving from the U of T, School of Graduate Studies.

It is critical that you contact your references in advance to explain this process so that they can respond appropriately. It may be necessary to follow up with your referees to ensure that the reference is submitted, electronically, by the deadline.

4. Complete SGS online application

  • Session/Degree Program/Attendance Status
    (NOTE: MPH Indigenous Health applicants should select Fall 2024 – Summer 2025)
  • Personal and Academic History
  • English Language Proficiency Requirement Check
  • Faculty Questions
  • Invitation to referees

5. Upload the final version of all your supporting documents into the online application

  • Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, even if a degree was not completed (uploading a copy of your diploma is not enough. The Admission Committee must be able to assess all of the post-secondary courses you completed and the grades you received).
  • CV
  • Letter of Intent
  • Statistics Requirement form (for MPH Black Health, Epidemiology, Indigenous Health and SBHS)

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  1. Applicants will gain access to a link to upload the Statistics Requirement form after reaching the Review page.  Follow instructions for submission and payment.
  2. Do not upload any documents that were not specifically requested in your application checklist. Additional documents uploaded to your application profile will not be assessed.

All supporting documents must be uploaded by the deadline.

6. Make your Application Fee payment

  • Application fee of $125 CAD. (Please note: This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable).
  • The application fee must be paid by the deadline.  Applications submitted without an application fee payment will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Navigating the SGS Online Application

Click HERE to open the U of T School of Graduate Studies online application

7. Apply to the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

The Department of Public Health Sciences strongly recommends that applicants apply to the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, and any other external funding for which they are eligible.  Application information and instructions will be posted here by the end of October.

Degree program applicants who submit an application to OGS will also be considered for Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science & Technology (QEII-GSST). Master’s degree applicants will be considered for the Inclusive Excellence Admissions Scholarships (IEAS).

8. Submitting official documents after admission

Official documents
  • Official documents are only requested from applicants who have been offered admission.  If requested by the Graduate Department, you will need to order official transcripts from ALL undergraduate and graduate programs attended, to be sent directly by the issuing institution to the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences. Whenever possible, official electronic transcripts should be requested and emailed to admissions.dlsph@utoronto.ca.
  • Official English Language Proficiency test results should be sent by the testing agency, electronically, to the University of Toronto (Enrolment Services).

Mailing address:

At this time, electronic documentation is best and should be emailed to admissions.dlsph@utoronto.ca. If electronic transcripts are not available and hard copies must me provided, mail and courier packages should be addressed to:

Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences
Dalla Lana School of Public Health
155 College Street, 6th floor
Toronto, ON   M5T 3M7
CANADA


Please direct questions to admissions.dlsph@utoronto.ca