How to Apply

Applications will be accepted for the 2025-2026 academic year as of October 1, 2024.

Due date for applications is 11:59 pm (EST) on January 6, 2025.

Applications to the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) through the online application, which is housed on a secure server at the University of Toronto.

The Application Instructions are as follows:

  • If you are a first-time applicant, click the link to Create an Account to begin your application. You will receive a verification code via email as part of the account creation process. After entering your verification code, you will create a password for your account.
  • You may save and return to the application at any point in the process.
  • You will be required to enter information for [# of referees] referees. Your referees will automatically receive a notification email that they have been requested to complete a reference for your application, along with instructions to submit their reference letter in the application system. 
  • If you need to change your referees, please get in touch with the graduate administrator.
  • If you need to send a reminder email to your existing referees, you can do so through your applicant portal after submitting your application.
  • To view the status of your application, including outstanding requirements, please log in to your account to view your applicant status portal. 

You can upload application materials, including unofficial transcripts, statements of intent, writing samples, and more, through your applicant status portal after submitting your application. 

Apply here

The Centre will consider your application only after you have entered your personal and academic information in the online application, paid the application fee, and submitted the supporting documents by the deadline date.

The applicant is responsible for assembling and submitting all required material by the application deadline January 6, 2025. 

Payment of Application Fee

Payment of your application fee must be received by the School of Graduate Studies before we will consider your application.

Currently the fee is $125.00 Canadian.

You may pay online by VISA or Mastercard. Please note that the process requires that popup blockers on your web browser be disabled.

If you are unable to pay by credit card you may print an invoice from the application and mail it with a certified cheque to the School of Graduate Studies. Please do not send your application fee to the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies.

Notes:

  • The application fee must be submitted online with the application. No information should be mailed to SGS unless you are unable to pay the application fee online. In this case, an invoice (as noted above) can be mailed to SGS with the appropriate payment.
  • The SGS on-line application fee is a non-refundable fee. If you apply to the wrong department, you must submit a new application and pay another application fee if you wish to be considered for a different program other than what you initially applied for.
  • The online payment is secure as the transaction is handled by Moneris, a third party authorized by VISA and Mastercard. Moneris provides the School of Graduate Studies with payment confirmation only. SGS and the University of Toronto will not have access to your credit card information.

Statement of Interest: MA Applicants

Your statement of interest should be no more than 1,000 words and should address the following questions: Why do you wish to pursue a master’s degree in criminology and sociolegal studies, and why do you believe that this program is a good match with your objectives and interests? Please discuss any academic, extra-curricular, or personal interests that motivate your decision to apply to this program. You may also tell us about particular fields of study, courses, or instructors that are of special interest to you.

Statement of Interest: PhD Applicants 

Please write a statement of no more than 1,000 words in length that 1) indicates your intended area(s) of doctoral research, and 2) discusses your relevant training and experience to date, which reflects your suitability for doctoral studies.

Although you are not required to secure the commitment of any faculty member to serve as your supervisor, you should note in your statement which professor(s) could serve either in this capacity, or as members of your dissertation committee, and indicate whether you have been in touch with those individuals.

Faculty profiles are listed on the Centre’s website, which also indicates which faculty members are eligible to supervise doctoral students. It is advisable to contact prospective supervisors well in advance of submitting an application to discuss your possible interest in working with them.

Letters of Recommendation

In addition to the statement of interest, you must submit two academic letters of recommendation.

Please note that these references must be academic in nature; that is, they should generally be from former instructors or academic supervisors who can speak to your qualifications for doctoral work, and not from (for example) your employer in a non-academic workplace.

PhD Writing Sample

You writing sample should be sample of written work (e.g., chapter from a master’s thesis, published paper, or other research paper).

Applicants whose first language is not English

Applicants to either the MA or the PhD programs whose first language is not English must take a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with both a verbal and a written component.

Official copies of these scores must be submitted to the University before a formal offer of admission can be made. Detailed information on the TOEFL can be found on their website.

An overall score of 580 and a written score of 5.0 on the paper-based test are the minimum standards. With the computer-based test, an overall score of 237 and a written score of 5 are required.

With the Internet-based TOEFL test, the overall score of 93 is considered by ETS to be the equivalent ot 580 (paper-based) or 237 (computer-based) on the current test. The Writing section score of 22 equates roughly to a score of 5.0 on the Test of Written English (TWE).

Other tests

The Centre does not require GRE scores or other aptitude or proficiency tests.

Supporting Documents

All supporting documents must be uploaded to your online application.

Deadlines

The deadline to apply and submit your supporting documents is: January 6, 2025.

The applicant is responsible for assembling and ensuring all required material is received by the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies by the above deadlines. We advise applicants to check the online application system frequently, to verify that the documents have been received.

Incomplete applications (missing documentation such as transcripts, statement of interest, academic references) will not be considered.

When will I hear about my application results?

The deadline for applications is January 6, 2025, and we make the decisions on applications after all of the applications are submitted.

Decisions on applications are normally finalized by the end of March. If applications are incomplete and require further documentation (e.g., final grades, reference, etc.), a decision may be made at a later date.

Applicants should, in their own interest, make every effort to submit their applications prior to the January 6th deadline.

What if I don’t get in?

If you are not accepted into the program, you must re-apply and submit a new application to the Centre.

If your transcripts are up-to-date within a year of your application, you will need to submit only the following:

  • Two new academic references
  • A new statement of interest
  • Any information that you think would be useful in support of your application.