*** We are currently not accepting applications for the Fall 2023-24 academic cycle.   Please stay tuned for more updates. ***

Applying to the MHSc in Bioethics program

We’re happy that you’re considering a professional master’s degree in bioethics at U of T! Take a read through the application page thoroughly before you apply.

Application deadline

The MHSc program will not be accepting any applications in the 2023-24 cycle; For reference, the application deadline applies to both domestic and international applicants. Your application will be screened for eligibility based on the minimum admission requirements.

Online application

You can now complete your application online, with the exception of the official copy of your transcripts, which must be sent to the Graduate Office as per directions provided during the application process. Please note your application will not be processed unless the fee has been submitted. The application fee is non-refundable.

Application checklist

The following items must be included in your application to the MHSc in Bioethics program:

• complete your online application from the School of Graduate Studies
• current CV (1 copy)
• all of your university academic transcripts (including any undergraduate degrees)

Electronic copies are uploaded to the SGS website at the time of your application and must be submitted. Upon acceptance to the program, the complete set of your current and original academic transcripts in hardcopy will be required. These must be sent in a sealed and signed envelope directly from the originating university to:

Terry Yuen
MHSc in Bioethics Application
Joint Centre for Bioethics
University of Toronto
155 College Street, Suite 754
Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8
Canada

• a letter of intent or professional goals, no longer than 1000 words, in which you: a) outline your reasons for pursuing admission into the Master of Health Science in Bioethics; b) briefly explain how your background has prepared you for work in bioethics; c) provide an estimate of any remaining background preparation that you may need to undertake this course of study (e.g., what courses, program, etc. you will complete - and where - before the September session starts); d) identify your main area(s) of interest in bioethics; and e) explain how you will put your graduate education in bioethics to use in your career and/or institution
• three letters of recommendation

Please have your referees use the Confidential Applicant Assessment Report included in the online application protocol and submit online. You will need one academic reference, attesting to your academic preparation and capacity for collegial study and research. The other referees together must attest to your skills, knowledge and character as well as capacities for interpersonal and collegial research and/or practice. One letter does not need to cover all aspects of these requirements, but all three together must do so.

In the case of international applicants, one of these three letters should be from the individual who would supervise you on your return to your home country.

Please note: The online application system requires an institutional email address be included for each referee you’ve listed in order for the email request to be generated. It is your responsibility to make requests for references directly from your referees. The University of Toronto will not make reference requests on your behalf.

• a release letter from employer if you are currently employed by an institution (health care or otherwise)

This letter must come from a senior administrator in your institution (for example, Department Chair, Dean, Hospital CEO or VP). They must agree to provide you with the necessary professional release time to complete the program (over 2 years for domestic students and 1 year for international students). They must also clarify the institution's view of how your graduate education will help strengthen bioethics capacity in your home institution.

In the case of international applicants, this letter should also state an agreement to provide you with a leadership position in bioethics in the institution upon your return to your home country.

• a writing sample, in English, that demonstrates your analytical and argumentative skills, preferably in bioethics

The writing sample must be an unpublished, sole-authored paper of at least 750 words, double-spaced. Please note: Your writing sample can’t be the same document as your letter of intent. It is a separate, unique document.

Additional information for international applicants

If you received your education at an academic institution outside of Canada, please note that your educational background will be assessed for equivalency against a University of Toronto degree. You can check your international degree equivalency on the SGS website on under English-Language Proficiency Testing.

Language requirements

If you’re an international student, please check the Dalla Lana School of Public Health for any language requirements.

Submitting on time

Please be sure that leave yourself enough times, so that you are able to submit all of your application documents online by the deadline. If you run into any problems with your application email Terry Yuen, program administrator, at jcb.education@utoronto.ca. Unfortunately, incomplete applications will not be considered, and meeting the minimal program admission requirements is mandatory but does not guarantee acceptance.

One more thing…

The SGS online application does not have a “submit” button. It is essential that all of the required documents are uploaded to by the submission deadline in order for the application to be considered as submitted. On the Monday after the deadline, your application will be reviewed for completeness and moved to “under review” if all documents are present.

Successful applicants will be vetted by the Program Director, the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences and then approved by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS). SGS will then provide you with formal notification, if your application has successfully passed the approval process.

Good luck with your application, and don’t forget that we’re here to help!