How to Apply for Transfer Students

You can submit your application through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). Please follow the steps below in order to submit your application. Please note this information is for post-secondary transfer applicants only. 

To help you prepare to complete your OUAC application, you will need to do some research on the following: 

  • Admission categories: Students applying to the Faculty of Arts & Science must choose one admission category on their application, identifying the area of study they want to pursue.
  • College preferences: Every Arts & Science student belongs to a college — a friendly and supportive community of students and scholars within the Faculty of Arts & Science. You will be asked to indicate your college preferences on your application. All seven colleges provide the same core services, and each has its own distinct history, culture and tradition. They are all good choices. 
  • English language requirements: If English is not your first language and you have studied for fewer than four full years in an English language environment, you may be required to submit proof of English proficiency. 
How to Apply Step 1

Review Application Deadlines

Check our website for application deadlines. Applications are viewed on an ongoing basis and some admission categories may fill up quickly. We encourage you to apply early. 

How to Apply Step 2

Apply through OUAC

To apply to the Faculty of Arts & Science, you will need to create an account and apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC).  

Beginning fall 2023, most applicants will complete the same Undergraduate Application. The new application will populate the fields and programs relevant to you based on the personal and educational information you provide. 

If you currently reside outside of Canada, are not currently studying (and have not previously studied) in Canada AND are not applying to any other Ontario university, please apply through the University of Toronto International Application

On your application, you will be asked to select the admission category you’d like to apply to and your top three college preferences (see Steps 3 and 4 for more information). This step will only take you 10 to 15 minutes to complete because it is simply a biographical application. There is no document submission at this point.

How to Apply Step 3

Apply to an admission category

In OUAC, when applying to the Faculty of Arts & Science, you will not apply to a program of study but rather to a general area of study, known as an admission category. Choose one of our six admission categories. Review admission requirements for your admission category and the University’s English Language Requirements.  

Applicants who have completed any post-secondary studies will not be considered for direct entry into the Computer Science admission category.  

In most cases, applicants who have completed any post-secondary studies will not be considered for the Rotman Commerce admission category. Transfer students may submit a Special Consideration Form, available in the JOIN U of T applicant portal, to be considered for admission into Rotman Commerce. Applicants should use the form to demonstrate why an exception to the rule should be made for them. 

CEGEP Students: If you are currently in your second year or have completed three or more semesters of a CEGEP program, and have a strong academic record, you may be eligible for a provisional offer of admission to Rotman Commerce.

How to Apply Step 4

Select your college preferences

When you apply to the Faculty of Arts & Science, you will be asked to select your college membership preferences on your OUAC application. You can select up to three colleges in order of preference, or you can choose “no preference”. The “no preference” option will be available for choice one, two and three, allowing you to combine your college preferences with “no preference” for the remaining slot(s). Do your research beforehand to help inform your selections.

How to Apply Step 5

Enable your JOIN U of T portal

After submitting your application through the OUAC, you will be required to enable your JOINid and log in to the JOIN U of T applicant website. Instructions will be emailed to you approximately one week after we receive your OUAC application.  

On the JOIN U of T portal, you can track the status of your application, submit your transcripts and other required documents, and get access to the residence application.

How to Apply Step 6

Complete supplementary applications

If you selected Trinity College or Victoria College as your first-choice college preference, you will have a supplemental application to complete in order to be considered for membership into one of them.   

How to Apply Step 7

Submit all required documents listed in your JOIN U of T portal

You must complete your application by submitting all the required documents listed on your JOIN U of T portal by the posted deadline for your application to be assessed for admission. We encourage you to submit your transcripts and any other required documents as early as possible, as programs are filled on an ongoing basis.     

Submitting your post-secondary transcripts: Whenever possible, transcripts and test scores must be submitted electronically from your current institution or uploaded by the applicant to the JOIN U of T portal.

Quebec CEGEP: Provide your Permanent Code on your OUAC application, allowing U of T to obtain your transcripts electronically from the OUAC.

Universities and colleges in Ontario: Submit your post-secondary transcripts electronically via OUAC.

Universities and colleges outside of Canada: You may be eligible to submit transcripts electronically via Parchment or Naviance. Go to the Parchment or Naviance websites, register for a student account and have your transcripts sent electronically to the Office of University Admissions and Outreach. Where electronic transfer of documents is not possible, upload your transcripts through the JOIN U of T portal.

How to Apply Step 8

Apply for transfer credit assessment

Transfer credits are assessed after you receive an offer of admission by completing the transfer credit applicationApplying for a transfer credit assessment is mandatory in order to accept an offer of admission to the Faculty of Arts & Science. Exempt from this rule are internal transfer students from the University of Toronto Mississauga, University of Toronto Scarborough or the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design. 

For planning purposes, check Transfer Explorer to see what courses have been previously assessed for transfer credit by the Faculty of Arts & Science or visit the Transfer Credits page on this website. Note that Transfer Explorer is intended for reference only and your transfer credit assessment results may differ from what you see on Transfer Explorer. 

To prepare for your transfer credit application, start gathering detailed course outlines/syllabi (view an example) for all of your course(s). These may be needed for an accurate assessment of your course(s).  

Learn more about the transfer credit application