Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold the equivalent of a four-year University of Toronto bachelor’s degree from an approved university. This includes the most recent 10 full course credit equivalents (or 20 half-course credits) but does not require an honours degree.

A minimum mid-B standing (3.3 GPA / 77%) in the final year (or last five full course credit equivalents) is required.

IMPORTANT: Eligibility is determined using the ORPAS sub-GPA, calculated from the most recent 10 full course equivalents.

• If you are in your fourth year, the calculation begins with your final fall grades (completed by December 31) and works backward chronologically
• If grades must be extracted from a term to reach 10 full courses, the weighted average of that year will be used

For details on GPA calculation, visit the ORPAS website and consult the ORPAS Application Guide.

To be considered for admission to the MHSc program, applicants must complete the following undergraduate-level courses with a minimum grade of B+ in each course taken:

• Child Development (one half-course)
• General Linguistics (one half-course)
• Phonetics (one half-course)
• Elementary Statistics (one half-course)
• Human Physiology (one full course)
• Research Methods (one half-course)

Course Approval

To confirm whether a course meets a prerequisite requirement, consult the Prerequisite webpage.

• If a course is listed on the website, it is approved and will satisfy the requirement
• Course offerings may change, and not all listed courses are available every term. Applicants are responsible for confirming availability with the institution

If a course is not listed on the prerequisite section, you must obtain pre-approval from the department and include documentation with your application.

To request pre-approval, submit a course outline via:

• Approved Prerequisite Courses | Speech-Language Pathology – Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

All applicants must have excellent oral and written English skills.

Applicants whose native language is not English must complete an approved English proficiency test:

• Preferred: TOEFL (Internet-based)
  • Minimum overall score: 100/120
  • Speaking: 22/30
  • Writing: 22/30
  • Institution code: 0982
• Alternative: IELTS (Academic)
  • Minimum score: 8.0

Refer to the School of Graduate Studies website [link] for details.

The Statement of Intent has two components:

Section 1: Career & Academic Goals

(Maximum 3,000 characters, including spaces)

Addresses the following:

• Reasons for choosing speech-language pathology as a career
• Personal attributes relevant to the profession
• Academic and non-academic accomplishments
• Reasons for choosing the MHSc program at the University of Toronto
• Demonstrate current knowledge of the profession

You may also explain application irregularities or outline research experience.

Section 2: Volunteer Experience Summary*

*(NOTE: Waived for the 2026-27admissions cycle and will not be reviewed during the admissions process)

Provide a point-form list including:

• Volunteer experiences in speech-language pathology and/or audiology (dates, duration, total hours, populations, activities)
• Other relevant volunteer experiences (dates, duration, populations, activities)

All applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents (landed immigrants) at the time of application.

International students are not eligible to apply.

Applicants must arrange for two academic referees to:

• Complete the Confidential Assessment Form (available through ORPAS)
• Provide an Academic Reference Letter on university letterhead

Referee Requirements:

• Must be full-time faculty members (lecturer, assistant professor, or higher) at an accredited 4-year university
• Letters from sessional lecturers may be accepted on a case-by-case basis
• College instructors are not accepted

Academic referees should know you well enough to comment on your character, academic abilities, knowledge, and skills.

For mature applicants (out of university for 5+ years):

• One letter from an employer may be accepted
• At least one letter must still come from a full-time faculty member

*NOTE: The clinical letter requirement is waived for the 2026–27 admissions cycle (entry Fall 2026). Any clinical letters submitted will not be reviewed.

A clinical reference form and letter from the primary supervisor of your speech-language pathology clinical experience is required.

Letters from program directors not directly involved in supervision or communication disorder assistants are not acceptable.

Multiple Experiences

If you have completed more than one supervised clinical experience with different populations or age groups, you are strongly encouraged to submit a Clinical Reference Form and letter for each site.

Forms are available on the ORPAS website [link].

Students will participate in clinical placements at various clinical and/or hospital sites. These sites require an up-to-date immunization record. Upon admission, you must be able to submit medical certification for:

• Immunization: Polio, diphtheria, tetanus, rubella, measles, mumps, chickenpox, hepatitis B
• Negative tuberculosis test (skin test or chest x-ray)
• Annual flu shots (required by many clinical sites)

Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. International students are not accepted. For all courses or diplomas taken outside of Canada, please send your official academic records, transcripts and a World Education Services (WES) evaluation to ORPAS.

Many placements require a police record check. Failure to obtain one may delay placement and graduation.

The department welcomes Indigenous and Black applicants, as well as applicants from low‑income families. Applicants who identify with these backgrounds are encouraged to self‑identify during the application process.

While all applicants must meet the program’s admission requirements, self‑identification may provide access to funding supports and other resources upon admission.

For more information on this, please contact: rss.slpstudents@utoronto.ca