1. January 6, 2025: You must make your application payment and submit all transcripts electronically by this date. Note: Transcripts are uploaded only after the payment is made.
2. January 13, 2025: You must submit all other supporting documents (Letters of Reference, CV, Statement of Interest, Portfolio, and Writing Sample(s)) by this date.

Submissions are due by 11:59pm (EST; Eastern Standard Time).

Domestic applicants must complete an appropriate bachelor’s degree, or its equivalent, with a final year average of at least mid-B from a recognized university prior to the start of the academic term applied to. International applicants should hold an appropriate bachelor’s degree or its equivalent as assessed by the University of Toronto. Use the International Credentials Equivalencies Tool to see which international credentials are required for masters programs at U of T. 

Prerequisite Courses

Applicants are required to have completed significant course work in humanities and cultural theory at the university level with an additional requirement of creative or curatorial work. 

Transcripts

Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended must be submitted electronically. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be required to submit official hard copy transcripts to the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design prior to registration.

Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination is not English must provide proof of English language proficiency. The required minimum scores and further details on how to submit test results are listed on the School of Graduate Studies website. This requirement should be met at the time of application.

Applicants must:

1. Self-report the test results on the online admission application as instructed and;
2. Arrange for the official results to be sent electronically to the University of Toronto by the testing agency. The Daniels Faculty will not approach testing agencies on behalf of an applicant.

Please note: Applicants submitting English proficiency testing may be asked for further demonstration of their English proficiency.

Note: All documents being sent or handed in to the Daniels Faculty should clearly indicate applicant number and full legal name of applicant on packaging unless being sent directly from an institution. Once supporting documents are submitted they become the property of the University of Toronto and cannot be returned.​

All supporting documents listed below are mandatory and must be submitted on the Online Admissions Application. Carefully read the information below for guidelines on each supporting document. 

          1. Curriculum Vitae

Applicant’s curriculum vitae (resume) must be submitted electronically on the Online Admissions Application. Please include details of exhibition, publication and professional activity in addition to education. There are no page limits or specific requirements, however, we encourage applicants to edit the curriculum vitae carefully. It is not recommended that an applicant include their photograph on their CV or any other application materials with the exception of the portfolio where appropriate and incorporated in to the create work presented.

          2. Letters of Reference

Three letters of reference are required for each application. These letters of reference are submitted electronically on the Online Admissions Application and are only shared among the programs listed on the application. The system will automatically email an electronic submission request to each referee as soon as the reference portion of the application has been saved. It is highly recommended that applicants confirm referee availability prior to submitting contact details. All letters of reference must be received by the document deadline for the application to be considered complete.

We recommend checking with each referee to ensure they have received the automatic email request. University of Toronto emails will sometimes be blocked by email security filters. If a referee has not received the email, please ask them to check their Junk Mail folder. If they still have not received the request, applicants have the ability to re-send the request through the Online Admissions Application. Do not use this function as a reminder for your referee.

Letters of reference will be part of the official student academic record; they are confidential and applicants/students will not have access to them. For more information, please see FIPPA and its Application to the University of Toronto. 

          3. Multimedia Portfolio

All applicants are required to submit an online portfolio of creative work on the Online Admissions Application. Carefully read through the Portfolio information and specifications before uploading your portfolio.

          4. Explanatory Sheet

All applicants are required to submit an explanatory sheet to support the multimedia portfolio on the Online Admissions Application. Carefully read through the Portfolio information and specifications before uploading your explanatory sheet.

          5. Statement of Interest

A statement of interest must be submitted electronically on the Online Admissions Application by. This statement should discuss the direction of your studio or curatorial practice and why you are seeking admission to the Master of Visual Studies program at the University of Toronto. There is maximum word count of 500 words.

          6. Writing Sample

Applicants must submit one sample of writing electronically on the Online Admissions Application. The sample should demonstrate your academic communication skills. Your writing sample should be from a previous university course if available and should not exceed approximately 20 pages. Applicants who do not have a writing sample from previous educational courses can submit published or professional writing. If you do not have any published or professional writing, or if your academic essays and papers were not written in English, please submit a sample of writing in essay format that is 1500-3000 words in length on a topic of your choice. The essay should show your ability to think critically about a particular subject.