Genetic Counselling Application Procedures

FOR QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES APPLICATION PROCESS/REQUIREMENTS, PLEASE EMAIL mgy.info@utoronto.ca 

Deadlines

Applications open on Thursday, September 14, 2023

The Application Deadline is Friday, January 5, 2024 (11:59 pm EST)

All documents, including the Personal Profile form, Prerequisite forms, relevant volunteer and/or paid experiences form, letters of recommendation, CV, transcripts, and relevant fees, must be received by this date. 

The University of Toronto MSc Program in Genetic Counselling participates in the Genetic Counselling Admissions Match through National Matching Services (NMS). The GC Admissions Match has been established to enhance the process of placing applicants into positions in masters-level genetic counselling programs that the Accreditation Council accredits for Genetic Counseling (ACGC). All applicants are required to register for NMS each year (even if reapplying).

The Match uses a process that takes into account both applicants’ and programs’ preferences. All applicants must first register for the Match with NMS before applying to participating genetic counselling graduate programs. After all program interviews, both applicants and programs will submit ranked lists of preferred placements to NMS according to deadlines posted on the NMS website. The binding results of the Match will be released to both applicants and programs simultaneously in late April.

*Please visit the NMS website to register for the Match, review detailed information about the matching process, and view a demonstration of how the matching algorithm works.

Online Application Instructions

The Department of Molecular Genetics offers admission only in September for the Genetic Counselling Program. 

Applicants to the Department of Molecular Genetics must first apply to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) through the online admissions application housed on a secure server at the University of Toronto. Your application will be considered only after entering your personal and academic information in the online application, submitting the application fee, and submitting all required documents. This includes letters of reference submitted online by referees and a scan of your official transcripts submitted online. All documentation must be received at the Department by the document deadline date (see above). 

Please Follow These Instructions Carefully:

  1. Log in to the online application: admissions.sgs.utoronto.ca/apply/

    If you are a first-time or returning 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. Once you submit your application, the below required supporting documents will appear in your ChecklistIt may take up to 15 minutes for these documents to appear in your Checklist after submitting your application.  Please ensure these supporting documents are uploaded prior to the required deadline (see above).

    Please note: The application fee does not need to be paid before you submit the application or before the above documents are uploaded.  The fee is required for your application to move into review.  For example, if you have submitted your completed application and uploaded all your supporting documents but do not pay the School of Graduate Studies application fee, your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed by the M.Sc. Program in Genetic Counselling.

    • Personal Profile

    • Pre-requisite form

    • Relevant volunteer and/or paid experience form attached to Pre-requisite form

    • Transcripts

    • CV (2 pages max)

  2. Please be sure to note your NMS registration number in your application on the prerequisite form. All applicants are required to register for NMS each year (even if reapplying).

  3. Be prepared to submit contact information for THREE referees. Of the three: (i) one must be from an academic referee, typically a professor or course instructor who must have taught you in a university setting, and (ii) one must be from someone who has supervised or managed you in a volunteer or paid position and can reflect on your communication and interpersonal skills, i.e. non-academic qualities. Be sure to inform your referees that you are submitting their names and that the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies will be contacting them by email. An institutional email address is required for each of your referees. If one or more of your referees does not have an institutional email address, please contact mgy.info@utoronto.ca, providing the referee's name, title, institution, phone number, relationship to you, and a non-institutional email address. NOTE: All applications are reviewed electronically; therefore, hard copies of reference letters cannot be accepted. For references speaking to your communication and interpersonal skills, i.e. non-academic qualities, please choose ‘professional’ as the type of reference. If you need to change your referees, please contact the graduate administrator at mgy.info@utoronto.ca. If you need to send a reminder email to your existing referees, you can do so through your applicant portal after submitting your application.

  4. You will be asked to submit one electronic or scanned transcript from each post-secondary institution you have attended. Scanned copies must be up to date and must contain the transcript legend (usually printed on the back of a paper transcript). Transcripts submitted without a legend will not be accepted. The admissions committee will make a decision about your application based on the scanned transcript. Please ensure that the file is complete and readable before submitting it. If prerequisites have not yet been completed at the time of application, you must provide proof of enrolment. Proof of courses that are in progress should be combined with your transcript and uploaded as one PDF file. Applicants who will be invited for an interview will be asked to submit an official transcript prior to the interview date. Please make sure all transcripts are non-encrypted, non-password protected or secured in any way. Note that there will be a short turnaround time for official transcripts to be received.

  5. Pay the application fee. This fee is non-refundable. The School of Graduate Studies must receive your application fee before the Department of Molecular Genetics will review your application. To view the status of your application, including outstanding requirements, please log in to your account portal after submitting your application.

  6. If your primary language is not English and you graduated from a non-Canadian university where the language of instruction and examination was not English, you must submit acceptable English language facility test scores. Applications with test scores which do not meet the minimum requirements will be rejected. Minimum scores must be achieved at the time of application. For more information on acceptable tests and minimum score requirements see: Admission. TOEFL test scores are reported electronically to the university at your request. Other test scores can be mailed directly to us. Normally, if applicants meet any one of the following conditions, they are not required to submit proof of proficiency in English (please consult the graduate unit to determine whether proof of ELP will still be required):

    • Native language is English (language first learned and still used on a daily basis)

    • A Canadian citizen who studied at a Canadian university where the language of instruction is French

    • Has obtained their admitting degree from an institution recognized by the University of Toronto and where the language of instruction and examination is uniformly English

    • Completed their admitting degree in one of the following countries/regions: Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

    Note: Some applicants from the above-mentioned countries/regions may be required to provide proof of English proficiency as English is not the sole language of instruction at all universities.

    The language of instruction and examination must be verified by the graduate unit and/or the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants should provide an official academic transcript with a note confirming the use of English as the language of instruction and examination. If the official academic transcript does not have this note, applicants should make arrangements for an official statement to be sent from their institution directly to the graduate unit confirming the use of English as the primary language of instruction and examination. Please email mscgc.inquiries@sickkids.ca to determine whether proof of ELP will still be required.

APPLICATIONS MISSING ANY OF THE ABOVE COMPONENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED INADMISSIBLE.

DOCUMENTS RECEIVED PAST THE DOCUMENT DEADLINE WILL BE CONSIDERED INADMISSIBLE.