Diploma In Advanced Study in Information Studies

Online Application Opens: October 1, 2017
Entry into the program occurs once a year. The next start date is September 2018.  

Application Deadline: March 31, 2018 
Deadline for submission of the online application and payment of the application fee.

Document Deadline: April 15, 2018
Deadline for the Faculty to receive all supporting documents, including electronic uploads and print copies of official transcripts.

The minimum academic requirements for admission are listed below. Possession of the minimum requirements of the Faculty of Information and the School of Graduate Studies does not guarantee admission.

Academic Requirements

• An overall average of B+ in the Master of Information degree or in an equivalent degree.
• If your degree was earned outside of Canada then use the International Degree Equivalency Tool to identify equivalent credentials.
• Equivalent degrees include, but are not limited to:
  • Master of Archival Studies (MAS)
  • Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS)
  • Master of Information Science (MIS)
  • Master of Information Studies (MISt)
  • Master of Information Systems (MIS)
  • Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS)
  • Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS)
  • Master of Library Science (MLS)
  • Master of Museum Studies (MMSt)
  • Maîtrise en sciences de l’information (MSI)
  • Master of Science in Information (MSI)
  • Master of Science in Information Science (MSIS)

The Faculty of Information’s Graduate Coordinator will assess the equivalence of other degrees.

• GRE, GMAT
  For admission to the iSchool these standardized tests are not required or not requested and will not be considered.
• English Language Proficiency
  If your first language is not English, you are required to take a proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS).
• Applicants are expected to be competent in the use of information technology.

English Language Proficiency – If Required

The iSchool reserves the right to require evidence of English language proficiency from any applicant educated outside Canada, whose first language is not English.

Learn more about English proficiency requirements.

Academic Supporting Documents

Submit final transcripts from each of the post-secondary institutions you have attended. If you are currently completing your final year of study then also submit interim transcripts.

Applicants will submit an electronic copy of their transcripts to the online application form by the application deadline (follow the form instructions).

If an offer of admission is made, official final transcript(s) will be a condition of the offer and will be required before the start of the program.  Transcripts are considered official when they have been prepared, sealed in an envelope and signed over the back flap by an official at the issuing institution.  Transcripts are to be sent directly to the Faculty of Information:  University of Toronto, 140 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G6

Notes:

1. Current and past University of Toronto students applying to Faculty of Information Programs specifically, may give permission to the Faculty to download an official U of T transcript by emailing admissions.ischool@utoronto.ca
2. The Admissions Committee may at any time during the application process, request an official copy of transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended.
3. For students whose admitting degree was granted outside of North America, the Faculty of Information will accept transcripts sent directly from World Education Services (WES) as official transcripts in consideration for admission.  The Faculty of Information will consider the evaluation report from WES but will make its own evaluation decision.

Non-Academic Supporting Documents

1. A CURRENT CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)/RESUME
   Submit online as a Word document or a PDF and outline the following:
   • Education
   • Relevant personal and work experience, both paid and unpaid
   • Publications
   • Professional activities
   • Awards, honours, grants, and fellowships, as applicable
2. PERSONAL STATEMENT
   This is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the selection committee, pointing out how your academics, experience (work and personal) and career goals make you an excellent fit for the iSchool program.  Think of it much like the cover letter that accompanies an employment resume. Read U of T Writing Centre tips on how to write effective admissions letters.Submit online as a Word document or a PDF
   • Describe your reasons for applying to the iSchool
   • Describe your interest in the program to which you are applying
   • Describe your career goals
   • Explain any anomalies in your academic record
   • Be in essay format
   • Be approximately 1,000 words

3. PROPOSED COURSE OF STUDY

4. ACADEMIC LETTERS OF REFERENCE
   
   • Two are required, an additional one may be submitted.If you last graduated more than five years ago, you may substitute work letters of reference.  Work-related referees should be direct supervisors who can comment on your skills that are useful in the academic environment.
   • Provide the contact information for your referees on the online application.
   • Once you have paid the application fee, your referees will be emailed by the School of Graduate Studies (apply@sgs.utoronto.ca) with instructions directing them to a secure website where they will submit electronically:
     • a candidate assessment on a fillable Confidential Report form
     • a reference letter
   • To ensure that your referees will be able to submit their letters by document deadlines contact your referees and confirm their availability well in advance of providing their contact information and pay the application fee early.
   • Selecting Referees
     • Choose faculty members whom you believe will give you strong references.
     • Teaching assistants or workshop instructors are generally not useful as academic referees.
     • If your referees are not currently teaching you, send them your CV, mention the course(s) you took with them, as well as anything about your work that will remind them of who you are.
     • If a referee seems vague or reluctant, find another referee.
     • Remember to thank your referees!
   • Help
     • Referees didn’t get the email with submission instructions? Check junk mail folders.
     • You should contact admissions.ischool@utoronto.ca if there are changes to your referees or if your referee:
       • Experiences problems with submitting online
       • Has an incorrect email address – provide the correct email, along with your full name and application number
       • Does not have an institutional email address – provide their alternate email address, along with your full name and application number
       • You can monitor your online application to see if the letters of reference have been submitted.
5. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY – IF REQUIRED
   If English is not your first language, then you may need to submit proficiency test scores.

Apply via the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies Online Application (opens Oct 1). The application fee is $125.

Have additional questions about the online application? Read the FAQ.

Application Status Check
You may log in to your profile on the application website to confirm the receipt of your supporting documents at the university or amend your current contact information. Your application will be marked “Under Review” when it has gone to the Admission Committee for consideration.

Notification Of Admission Decisions  
Decisions are made as soon as it is possible to do so, rather than by a specific date. By the end of the current admissions cycle (typically in May) the outcomes of all applications should be communicated.

Successful candidates will be notified shortly after their files are reviewed and will receive a congratulatory email from the iSchool as well as an official Offer of Admission package with instructions on how and by when to accept the offer (and specifications on any conditions of the offer, if applicable).

Possession of the minimum requirements of the Faculty of Information and the School of Graduate Studies does not guarantee admission. Candidates must be competitive among fellow applicants.

Registration: Enrolment & Fees Payment
Information on registration procedures and events for new students will be communicated throughout the months preceding the start of the academic year. This includes the submission of the DAIS Program of Study Form, which must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator, who will consult with DAIS students in developing their programs of study.