Information on this page will assist students in making sure that all final stages proceed smoothly.
There are 3 opportunities to complete degree requirements:
- By the end of April – convocation in June
- Intent to Convocate form opens March 1 to April 1.
- By the end of August – convocation in November
- Intent to Convocate form opens August 1 to September 1.
- By the end of December – convocation in absentia in March (without ceremony) OR convocate in June 2021 (with convocation ceremony – might be held remotely dependent on COVID-19)
- Intent to Convocate form opens November 1 to December 1.
Details about graduation and convocation, e.g., ceremony dates and tickets, are available from U of T’s Office of Convocation.
Continue to check your UTmail+ email account. Promptly follow-up on instructions you may receive from the Faculty, the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), or the Office of Convocation.
For students completing degree requirements at end of December
If you will be completing the requirements for your degree by the end of Fall 2020, you will be considered to have completed degree requirements by end of December (i.e. unable to take further courses in subsequent terms), and must choose to convocate either in March 2021 in absentia (no ceremony) OR convocate in June 2021 (with convocation ceremony – might be held remotely dependent on COVID-19)
*Please disregard if you are completing your degree in April 2021. Information will be posted about April 2021 Finishers/June 2021 Grads in February.
Please read the following information/timeline thoroughly and follow-up with the required steps/checklist in a timely manner:
Step 1: Submit Intent to Convocate form between November 1st and December 1st
Step 2: Check Fees
Step 3: Check Name & Gender
Step 4: Degree Recommendations (done by Faculty, no action by students)
Step 5: Wrapping Up at the Faculty
Step 6: Grad Photos
Step 7: RSVP to UofT Convocation Ceremony & Faculty Reception
Finally: Let’s continue to learn!
Step 1: Submit Intent to Convocate form between November 1st and December 1st
- Students must submit an Intent to Convocate form during their final session in preparation to convocate and to be reviewed for graduation eligibility.
- Even though you may still be currently wrapping up your final course(s) this summer term, do not wait until your summer grades are available on ACORN (January 13, 2021) to submit the form
- Upon submission of your form, iSchool Student Services will review your program and academic record, and submit a degree recommendation to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). Students will receive an email from iSchool Student Services once the degree recommendation have been submitted.
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Step 2: Check Fees
- Check your online ACORN
- Fall 2020-Winter 2021 fees were posted to your account mid-July – see below for details:
All our Master’s students pay a Minimum Degree Fee. It represents the minimum amount of tuition that every student must pay upon completion of their program prior to graduation. The Minimum Degree Fee is equivalent to two years of full-time academic/program fees.
For students who have already paid the Minimum Degree Fee, please disregard the Winter 2021 fees invoice. The Winter 2021 fees will be removed once a Degree Recommendation has been submitted on your behalf by the Faculty.
For full-time students who completed their Master’s degree in less than 2 years, or part-time students who completed their degree in less than 6 years, please note that you will most likely receive a Balance of Degree fee to pay off closer to the date of the convocation. Winter 2021 fees will also be removed late-January 2021, however, please note that you will likely have a Balance of Degree Fee covering the remaining Minimum Degree Fee that will be posted separately to your account closer to the date of convocation. Check your ACORN invoice and pay the Balance of Degree fee once posted, if applicable.
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Step 3: Check Name & Gender
The name on your diploma will appear as it is recorded in ACORN. Name and gender changes must be sent to SGS in March for the June convocation ceremony, in September for the November convocation ceremony, and in February for the March convocation in absentia.
- Verify that the spelling of your name and gender is correct as it appears in ACORN
- The deadline for name changes for March 2021 graduation (in absentia) is Monday, February 1, 2021.
- The deadline for name changes for June 2021 graduation is Friday, March 19, 2021.
If you would like to change your name or gender: Submit the School of Graduate Studies Name or Gender Change form via the SGS portal. This is to change misspellings, the addition or deletion of a name, and the changing of a last name (due to marriage, etc.).
If you would like to add accents or special characters to your current name: Submit the March 2021 Name On Diploma form (by February 1st) or the June 2021 Name On Diploma form (by March 19th) to the Office of Convocation at 27 King’s College Circle. This is to add/delete accents or special characters only.
Reminder: to receive your couriered diploma ensure that your current updated permanent address is recorded in ACORN (not the mailing address).
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Step 4: Degree Recommendations
All Degree Recommendations will be submitted by the Faculty to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) by January 22, 2021. You will receive a notification email to your UTmail+ account from the Faculty’s convocation.ischool@utoronto.ca account – this is your official notice/confirmation that you will be graduating. The Office of Convocation will email information on ordering your gown/hood and RSVP’ing/ordering guest tickets closer to convocation.
Confirmation of Degree
Students may need a letter to confirm their status at the University and Faculty. Check the types of letters available and process to request a confirmation letter.
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Step 5. Wrapping Up at the Faculty
Career Services
Recent graduates can continue to take advantage of career services offered at the Faculty of Information.
Connect
Stay connected to the Faculty of Information community via: Faculty of Information Alumni Association (FIAA)
Electronic Key Fobs
Please return your key fob to Mailbox #B72 in the Bissell Building, second floor (just outside of the Dean’s office, BL211). You can also mail us the keyfob to the following address:
Faculty of Information, University of Toronto
Claude Bissell Building
140 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 3G6
Please note: students who started in Fall 2015 and onward did NOT pay a key fob deposit and will NOT be receiving money back. Those who paid $20 for a replacement key fob also will not receive the replacement fee back.
Building and lab access
If you still require building and lab after graduation, access please contact Glen Menzies, Facilities Coordinator.
Email
After graduation, your student email address is automatically changed to your.name[at]alum.utoronto.ca. Find out more about alumni email.
Faculty of Information Network
Access to the Faculty of Information network for students convocating in March and June will terminate some time in August. For those convocating in November, access will cease in December. In preparation, we request that you make back-up copies of files stored on the Faculty of Information servers that you wish to keep and unsubscribe from any listervs/mailing lists you subscribed to with your UTOR email account.
Final Tests and Assignments
Please pick-up your graded final tests and assignments from the Student Services Office (BL211) only if your instructor has emailed you to let you know they have left them at the front desk.
Lockers
If you have a rented locker for the 2019-20 academic year please be sure to clear all items and remove your lock from the locker. Please contact Chris Scammell on when you intend to head into the building to clear out the locker (please include your locker# in your email). We need to ensure that proper social distancing guidelines are followed.
Once your locker is cleared, please let our Facilities Coordinator, Glen Menzies, know.
Returns & Retrievals
Return all Inforum items that you have checked out to avoid fines. Resolve outstanding library fines at Robarts Library or online
Borrowing privileges
U of T library borrowing privileges, including Inforum borrowing privileges, tech loans, and remote access to library e-resources, will expire in late September. To continue borrowing from other U of T libraries, you can purchase a U of T alumni card. See the UTL website for details.
Wireless network
U of T does not offer access to its wireless network to alumni.
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Step 6. Grad Photos
CanGrad may be at SGS (not the iSchool) to take graduation portraits. Further details TBC.
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Step 7: RSVP to UofT Convocation Ceremony & Faculty Reception
UofT Convocation Ceremony
The University’s Convocation office is responsible for scheduling and arranging convocation ceremonies for all graduands. Please check their website for the most up-to-date information on details and how to prepare for your convocation ceremony.
November Convocation
- Graduation in absentia (no ceremony):
See details on how to pick up your diploma at the end of the convocation period. - Graduation with Convocation Ceremony:
June 2021 Convocation ceremony details TBA
Ceremony
- Check the Office of Convocation website for updates on specific dates and times.
- Check their list of Upcoming Events for the most up-to-date information and their specific deadlines for name changes, tickets, regalia etc.
- Follow the Office of Convocation’s Graduation Checklist to ensure you have everything lined up for the big day.
- Check the Office of Convocation’s Gowns & Hoods and RSVP & Guest Tickets pages to see when you can book your regalia, RSVP your attendance for the ceremony and request guest tickets online via ACORN.
Faculty Reception
Every June and November convocation cycle, the Faculty will also arrange a reception to honour the achievements of our graduands. Reception information will be shared as we get closer to the convocation date.
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8. Continue to Learn!
Recent grads are eligible for the Alumni Benefit – a one-course discount of up to $550 for New Grads at UofT’s School of Continuing Studies.
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Congratulations to all our graduands!
