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Applying for Admission

Admission Requirements and Applying

Minimum Academic Requirements to Apply

Applicants to the MA Immigration and Settlement Studies graduate program must fulfill the university minimum admission requirements (i.e., a four-year bachelor's degree program with an overall "B" average) and:

  • Have achieved a minimum of at least a B+ average (3.33/4.33 GPA or equivalent) in the last two years of undergraduate study in their four-year bachelor's degree program (or its equivalent).  Visit the Graduate Studies Admissions website for helpful hints on GPA Calculation.
  • Demonstrate that they have the necessary background to pursue master’s level graduate work in Immigration and Settlement Studies. Ideally, this would be a four-year undergraduate degree from a social sciences or humanities discipline or a related professional area (such as social work, early childhood studies, planning, and so forth).
  • Holders of a four-year undergraduate degree in another academic discipline may apply. The applications will be considered on an individual basis.  The applicants have to demonstrate in the Statement of Interest that they have the necessary background to pursue graduate-level work in a social sciences or humanities master’s program.

Applying for Admission

The starting point in applying is to review the information and instructions provided on the Graduate Studies Admissions Process website; navigate hot-links thoroughly in “How To Apply”.  The application process is managed through the university's online system. Other frequently asked information, such as the deadline to apply and proof of English proficiency requirements, are provided on the Admission Process website.  Other application and admission-related information is available in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of "How To Apply". If at any point during the admissions process you have a question or need assistance, email gradhelp@torontomu.ca.

The Immigration and Settlement Studies Graduate Program accepts Fall term applications only (starting in September); there is no application for admission in the Winter term (starting in January) or Spring/Summer term (starting in May). 

Applications that the Graduate Studies Admissions Office deems to meet the minimum academic requirements will be made available to the Program Admission Committee for admission assessment.  Incomplete applications will not be processed by the admissions office or reviewed by the Program Admission Committee; refer to “Apply Online” for information about monitoring your application documents in MyServiceHub. 

From the 2025-26 academic year, the MA program in Immigration and Settlement Studies will be offered in two separate streams, MRP and Practicum. Please see Program Options for the details on the structure of the two streams.

Selecting the Study Stream

Major Research Paper (MRP) Stream

You should consider the MRP stream:

  • If you have a minimum of three years of experience in the field of immigration and settlement 
  • If you are interested in continuing exploring in depth different areas of your present or previous experience
  • If you are interested in research 
  • If you would like to continue with a PhD or further studies

Practicum Stream

You should consider Practicum Stream:

  • If you have no or limited experience (less than three years) in the field of immigration and settlement 
  • If you are changing your field of practice or areas of interest toward immigration and settlement, 
  • If you do not meet the criteria of “experience” as defined below

Definition of Experience

  • Direct Practice in immigration or Settlement service-related organizations (i.e. Settlement Agencies, NGOs, Community organizations, etc.). 
  • Experience working in immigration legal offices (i.e., immigration consultants, lawyers, legal community clinics, etc.).
  • Experience working in government or international organizations (i.e., IRCC, IRB, UNHCR, and IOM). 
  • Participation in policy development or implementation regarding immigration or settlement at different government levels 
  • Research experience on immigration issues.

Required Documents in an Application

A standard graduate program application comprises an Application Submission Summary, a Statement of Interest, a Resume/CV, Letters of Recommendation, Transcripts, and, where applicable, proof of English Language Proficiency.  The information outlined below is additional program-specific information pertaining to the “Statement of Interest” and “Letters of Recommendation”. 

Statement of Interest

The Statement of Interest is part of the "Required Documents" of your application.  Refer to steps 3-4 in "Apply Online" on the Graduate Studies Admissions website for the online submission information.

Formatting guidelines for the Statement of Interest:

  • Indicate "Statement of Interest" as the heading,
  • In the top right corner, in one line on each page, indicate your full name and the program code to which you are applying,
  • Program Codes: TM001 for master's full-time and TM002 for master's part-time. For example, if John Smith is applying for a master's full-time study, "John Smith, TM001" should be indicated in the top right corner of each page of the Statement.
  • All text must be in 10 pt or larger, and
  • Set the margins of each page at a minimum of 0.5 inches. 

The Statement should be approximately 750 words in length, and the following items should be addressed:

  • The reasons for graduate study in Immigration and Settlement Studies;
  • The research interest(s) the applicant may wish to pursue in the major research paper (be as specific as possible) (for the MRP stream) or the areas of practice that the applicant may wish to pursue (for the Practicum stream).
  • How the previous studies and experience prepared the applicant for the MA program; and
  • The applicant’s career objectives and how the MA program relates to them.
  • Please include the following originality statement and sign your statement of interest: “I declare that this statement of interest was written independently and is my original writing. I further certify that Artificial Intelligence software was not used to generate the substance or content of my statement of interest”.  

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of Recommendation are part of the “Required Documents” in your application. 

  • TWO academic Letters of Recommendation are required. 
  • Academic references are recommendations provided by the applicant's former professors, instructors of post-secondary level courses or academic research supervisors who are familiar with the applicant’s abilities in graduate study and scholarly research. 
  • Part-time applicants who are working in an immigration and/or settlement-related field and are unable to provide two academic references may submit one professional letter to replace one of the two academic references.  At least one academic reference must be provided.

Additional information about the Letters of Recommendation and submission is available on the Graduate Studies Admissions "Prepare Your Application" website under “Document Checklist”. 

If your referees come across any technical issues with submitting the Letters of Recommendation online, please contact the Graduate Studies Admissions for assistance at gradreference@torontomu.ca. You may monitor the status of your application documents online; refer to step 5 of the Apply Online website.