GPLLM Program Admissions

All applicants must upload electronic versions of their transcripts from each university attended on the application system.

Transcript(s) are required from ALL post-secondary institutions attended – for all studies started, completed or attempted, even if no degree was awarded. This includes transfer credits, exchanges or courses taken on letter of permission, even if not used toward your degree.

If a transcript includes a grading scheme legend, please also include the legend with the scanned transcript.  Please note that transcripts must be as complete as possible.  Do not omit information about any year of study/courses completed.

For applicants currently in the process of completing their final year of study, an interim transcript needs to be submitted.

Information to be included on transcript:

Transcripts must have your name and the name of the institution and must list all the courses completed.

Do not omit information about any year of study/courses completed. If you obtained any transfer of credits for courses completed at another institution, please upload a transcript from that institution as well.

Name change:

If the name on your transcript is different from the name on your passport / other transcript(s), please provide documentation of your name change (e.g. marriage certificate or a notarized name change certificate).

You can upload the documentation under “Additional Documents” or email it to admissions.gpllm@utoronto.ca.

Academic records in a language other than English or French:

Certified English translations are required for all documentation written in a language other than English or French. We do not recommend translators, but the translator must be certified. Please note that translations do not replace original documentation. Both the original and the translation must be submitted.
 

Applicants who are required to provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application will need to upload an official scan of their English Language Proficiency test scores on the application system. All scores must be uploaded by the document deadline.

In addition, applicants must also arrange for the testing agency to submit their official test score directly to the University of Toronto (Enrolment Services office).

• The TOEFL institution code for U of T is 0982. There is no need to specify a department.
• For IELTS, you should select “University of Toronto (Undergraduate and Graduate programs)” from the list of options. The University of Toronto (Undergraduate and Graduate Programs) is an IELTS “STED RO”. This means that we subscribe to the electronic score-sending service and do not accept paper results. You may wish to advise your test centre, specifically, that U of T is an STED RO when you make your request to have your scores sent to us. You do not need to notify U of T once you have ordered your test results. U of T receives IELTS results on an ongoing basis.

If this requirement is not applicable to you, it will be waived when your online application is reviewed. There is no need to contact SGS or the faculty of law to get this requirement waived.

Submit an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV)/resume. 

Tips:

• Your resume should outline work experience since university graduation. Be sure to clearly identify: Firms/employers, locations, positions held, responsibilities and dates of employment.
• You should also outline your participation in volunteer work or community organizations, board appointments, as well as any other relevant accomplishments or information you feel would help your candidacy.
• Please also include a complete summary of your post-secondary education, including any academic awards you have received. 

The personal statement is your opportunity to convey your reasons for pursuing admission into the GPLLM program and how your background has prepared you for it. In no more than two pages, please address the following: 

• specific topics, questions, or legal issues you would like to explore during your studies,
• why have you chosen to apply to the GPLLM and what do you hope to achieve?
• why you are seeking admission to the concentration to which you have applied.
• your career plans and how the GPLLM supports them.
• Business Law/Innovation, Law, and Technology applicants: The extent to which your current job requires you to engage with the law and regulatory issues. 

Applicants who wish to describe any unusual or extenuating circumstances they want to bring to the attention of our Admissions Committee can submit an additional page with the information they wish to share (250 words maximum).

Applicants who have an International (Educational) Credential Evaluation (for example: WES Evaluation Report, ECA from the School of Continuing Studies or other) are encouraged to submit the report/assessment with their application.

Please note that submission of a report/assessment is optional.  Not uploading a report/assessment will not result in your application being considered incomplete. 

The NCA assessment is requested of all internationally trained lawyers applying to the Canadian Law concentration. However, the assessment is not required for your application to be considered complete.

Admitted students will be required to submit their NCA assessment to the GPLLM Coordinator as soon as it is available.

Two academic letters of reference are required. If you cannot obtain academic references, and will be submitting professional references instead, please briefly explain why in your personal statement. Each recommendation should be from an individual who can comment on, and provide examples of your professional qualifications, academic promise and suitability for the program. 

You will need to provide the name and contact information of the people from whom you wish to solicit reference letters on the application form. The system will automatically email an electronic submission request to each referee once their information is entered on the system.  It is highly recommended that you contact your referees ahead of time to ensure that they are willing to provide a reference letter by the document deadline. 

Important:

• Do not add more than 2 referees - if more than 2 referees are added only the first two reference letters submitted will be considered, any additional letters will not be reviewed.)
• You need to provide your referees' institutional email address (i.e. @university.com or @company.com). Personal email addresses are not accepted (i.e gmail.com, yahoo.com, mail.com, etc.) . If one of your referees (or both) does not have an institutional email address, you will need to email admissions.gpllm@utoronto.ca and provide a link to an official institutional webpage that confirms that your referee is employed by the institution and that the personal email address provided is, in fact, official.  If that is not an option either, your referee will have to send us a hard copy reference letter on official letterhead. The hardcopy letters must be received by the application deadline. Reference letters submitted via a non-institutional email addresses which have not been verified are not admissible and the application will be considered incomplete.
• Reference letters submitted by applicants will not be accepted and the application will be considered incomplete.
• Refrain from soliciting references from peers, co-workers or direct reports. Personal references are also ineligible (e.g. friends, family members, etc.).
   

Reference Letter Content:
 

Referees are not provided with a template letter to complete.  They will also be asked to answer a series of questions related to your academic abilities and submit a letter commenting on your ability to: 

• Does the applicant have the academic capacity to succeed in the program?
• Will the applicant benefit professionally from taking the program?
• Will the applicant contribute to the classroom and learning experience of others?
• Does the applicant have both the time and the motivation to succeed in the program?

A reference letter is compelling when the referee provides detailed reasons for supporting your application. A strong reference letter will be based on concrete examples to support the comments the referee is making about you, particularly examples of when the referee observed what they are stating.

It is your responsibility to log in to your profile on the application website to confirm the receipt of your supporting documents, including letters of recommendation, by the application deadline.

A green checkmark on the system will indicate that a document has been received (it may take a few minutes for the checkmark to appears).

The Admissions Committee takes a holistic approach in reviewing candidates. Emphasis is not placed on any specific area but on the overall application. The admissions process to the GPLLM program is a rigorous and competitive one and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Admission decisions will be communicated by each round decision deadlines, though unsuccessful applicants may receive their decision earlier. 

We are unable to provide individual admission feedback to applicants. Please note that under no circumstances will application materials be released to applicants, regardless of the final decision.