Application Instructions
Prior to commencing an application, applicants should carefully review all of the details about admission to ECE graduate programs on the ECE website.
Application Procedure
All ECE programs require applicants to complete applications on two systems: the SGS Application System and the ECE Application System. ECE is unable to consider any applicant who does not fully complete their applications on both systems. An application is fully complete only when all of the following has been completed:
- SGS Application System
- Application is submitted.
- To apply to an ECE program, select 'Start New Application'.
- Select 'Fall 2025 – Summer 2026' as the application type and then select either 'Fall 2025' or 'Winter 2026' as your desired start date. You cannot select 'Summer 2026' as your start date for ECE programs as our programs commence in September and January only.
- When asked to select the 'Graduate Unit', select 'Edward S. Rogers Sr. Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering'.
- To submit your application you must complete all sections and then select 'Continue' on the 'Review' page.
- To apply to an ECE program, select 'Start New Application'.
- SGS Application Fee is paid.
- Confirmation can be found on the 'Application Status' page.
- Please note that the application fee is non-refundable and non-transferable; SGS cannot offer refunds, waivers, or deferrals of the application fee. ECE does not charge a supplementary application fee.
- All documents in the 'Application Checklist' are uploaded.
- Confirmation can be found on the 'Application Status' page.
- Application is submitted.
- ECE Application System
- Application is submitted.
- The statement of intent is an opportunity for the applicant to explain why they are applying, to discuss areas of academic and/or research interest, and to write about any activities or experience that may be relevant to their desired program. MASc and PhD applicants must demonstrate significant potential for research and are encouraged to mention faculty members whose research programs are compatible with their own interests.
- Contact information for two referees is required; additional references are not permitted.
- Academic referees are preferred, particularly for applications to the MASc and PhD programs. In certain cases, managers or other engineering professionals may be appropriate referees, particularly for applications to the MEng program. Applicants who have undertaken a Master’s program must include their Master’s research supervisor as a referee.
- Both referees have submitted their references.
- The system will automatically email an applicant’s referees to request references immediately after the applicant has submitted their application. As references must be submitted by the deadline, it is highly recommended that applicants (1) submit their applications well in advance of the deadline and (2) confirm that their references have been submitted by the deadline. The application status will read 'received' when the application is complete including two references.
- Each referee will receive an email from grad.admissions.ece@utoronto.ca that contains a unique URL and password which they will need in order to log in and upload their comments to the system. Please note that some servers have been blocking these automated messages. It is therefore recommended that applicants contact their referees to ensure that they have received the email; applicants are encouraged to suggest that their referees check their junk mail folders. If a referee does not receive the email, please notify us at grad.admissions.ece@utoronto.ca .
- Referees must submit their references through the ECE Application System. Applicants should not forward reference letters to ECE; references provided by email or in hard copy cannot be considered.
- Application is submitted.
Important Notes
- Required documents must be uploaded to the SGS and ECE applications systems. Applicants should not send required or supplementary application documents via email or in hard copy. Documents sent via email or in hard copy will not be considered.
- Applicants should review ECE’s minimum requirements for English-language proficiency.
- If an applicant is required to provide proof of English-language proficiency through one of the options outlined on the SGS website, scores must be (1) indicated on both SGS & ECE applications, and (2) sent electronically by the testing agency to University of Toronto Enrolment Services.
- Instructions on how to submit official scores are available on the SGS website.
- The TOEFL institution code for U of T is 0982. There is no need to specify a department.
- Instructions on how to submit official scores are available on the SGS website.
- If an applicant is required to provide proof of English-language proficiency through one of the options outlined on the SGS website, scores must be (1) indicated on both SGS & ECE applications, and (2) sent electronically by the testing agency to University of Toronto Enrolment Services.
Application Review
Review of applications will commence immediately following the relevant application deadline.
- Applicants will be notified immediately, via email, concerning any change to the status of their application, such as an invitation for interview, offer of admission, or notice of unsuccessful application. Interim updates cannot be provided.
- Some applications take significantly longer than others to review; as application results are released to applicants as soon as they become available, not all applicants will receive their results at the same time.
- Applicants should use only the ECE Application System to monitor the status of their application – the status will read 'received' when the application is complete including two references. Do not use the SGS Application System to monitor application status.
- The application status on the ECE Application System will typically continue to read 'received' while the application is under review; for many applicants the application status will continue to read 'received' until an admission decision has been made.
- Applications will be assessed based on the information included at the time of submission. After submission, a comment can be added to the ECE Application System application; however, comments may not be taken into consideration when admission decisions are made.
- To add a comment, applicants can log on to the ECE Application System and use the 'Add comments after submission' option in 'My Tasks'.
- Adding a comment is not a means to communicate with the ECE Graduate Office – if an applicant has a question they should contact us at grad.admissions.ece@utoronto.ca.