Admissions

Applications for 2023 open on October 1, 2022. The deadline to apply for Fall 2023 admission is January 25, 2023. For more information on applying to the MPP program, please contact mpp.admissions@utoronto.ca.

Admission Requirements*

• Four-year (4 year) Bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) or equivalent.

• A minimum CGPA of a B and a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of a B+ standing in the final year of undergraduate studies (3.3 out of a possible 4.0 grading scale). Please note that Admissions selection to the MPP program is competitive and meeting this minimum requirement does not guarantee admission. (Final year grades, often seen as final 300+ series courses, are based on the last five (5) Full Course Equivalent or ten (10) half-course equivalents.)

Please note that prior to starting the first year of the MPP, the Munk School offers an in-depth, in-class Math & Statistics Prep Course. Details regarding the prep course are available to incoming students in the summer before their first year. While participation is voluntary, students are encouraged to attend.

Applicants who Completed their Undergraduate Degree Outside of Canada (Int’l Applicants)

GRE General Test Score
Applicants who completed their undergraduate degrees (the admitting degree for the MPP program) are required to submit a Graduate Entrance Exam Score for the GRE General Test. Please visit the GRE General Test webpage on the Educational Testing Service (ETS) website. Pleas contact the MPP admission office (mpp.admissions@utoronto.ca) should you have any questions regarding the GRE test.

Degree Equivalence
If you have obtained your educational credentials at an institution outside of Canada, they will be assessed for equivalence with a University of Toronto degree by the School of Graduate Studies. (Please refer to the SGS International Degree Equivalencies Tool to assess your credentials.)

Proficiency in English
As English is the primary language of instruction and communication at the University of Toronto, applicants must demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in English, regardless of their citizenship status or country of origin. It is important that these students follow SGS’ policies on ELP testing requirements and take one of the required tests for admission to a graduate program. See more details on English-language proficiency testing.

* Students interested in the combined JD/MPP program may apply to both programs simultaneously before starting the JD program or in the fall term of their first year of the JD. Information on the combined program admission process can be found on the University of Toronto Faculty of Law website or on our MPP/JD Joint Program page. In order to be admitted, applicants must satisfy the admission requirements for, and be accepted to, both programs.

Questions? Please email munkpublicpolicy@utoronto.ca.

How to Apply

Applications to the MPP program must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies through the online admissions application. For questions related to the SGS online application system please click here.

In order to apply for the MPP program, you will need:

• Transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• Statements of intent
• Resume or CV
• For applicants who completed their undergraduate degree outside of Canada: GRE test score and proof of English language proficiency (if the language of instruction was other than English)
• A $125 application fee (paid online by VISA or Mastercard. We are unable to consider requests to waive the application fee).
• For more detailed instructions, please read our page on how to apply to the program. 

Courses

Summer 2021 Term:

Due to ongoing public health restrictions that limit non-essential travel outside the home, all MPP courses will be offered remotely in the Summer 2021 Term. For ongoing information about the 2020-2021 school year, please visit: https://www.utoronto.ca/utogether.

Year 1 courses are listed below. Learn more about our Year 2 courses here.

First Year

First year courses are required core courses. They cannot be substituted for any other courses.

These courses are open only to MPP students. Students from other departments will not be admitted.

Fall Term

• Math-Stats Prep course
• PPG1000H: Governance and Institutions
• PPG1002H: Microeconomics for Policy Analysis
• PPG1004H: Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis
• PPG1005H/GLA1005H (MPP/MGA Course) – Decision Making And Strategic Thinking in the Global System

Winter/Spring Term

• PPG1001H: The Policy Process
• PPG1003H: Macroeconomics for Policy Analysis
• PPG1007H: Putting Policy into Action: Strategic Implementation of Public Objectives
• PPG1008H: Program Evaluation for Public Policy

Internships & Career Services

The Master of Public Policy program has a dedicated Career Services Team that supports students in their internship and full-time job search. In addition to linking students with opportunities and employers, we connect students with alumni, offer professional development workshops and networking sessions, and host an annual visit to Ottawa for students interested in working in the National Capital Region.

Students are required to complete a policy internship between the first and second year of study. Under faculty supervision, the internship allows students to apply their knowledge to the public, private or non-profit sectors and provides them with the opportunity to develop and enhance skills in areas of professional interest. The internship helps students clarify their career direction, gives perspective on classroom learning, and assists students in gaining experience and establishing networks of great value in securing employment after graduation. Internships are paid work experiences that relate to any aspect of policy planning, analysis, decision-making and implementation. The Career Services Team works with students to help identify and secure internships that fit each student’s career goals.

We’re here to help. Contact us (mppcareers@utoronto.ca) to learn more or reach out directly to Katie Boomgaardt, Program Manager, Internships & Career Placement (katie.boomgaardt@utoronto.ca) or Kate Dewasha, Manager, Career Development & Alumni Engagement (kate.dewasha@utoronto.ca).

Are you an employer? Learn how to become an MPP internship partner.

Joint Programs

MPP students can undertake a joint MPP/JD degree, providing an opportunity to integrate public policy considerations into the study of the law and, in turn, adding a legal perspective into the study of public policy. Through this combination, students gain a competitive advantage in their field within an accelerated time frame. Please note that applicants myst apply and be accepted into each program to qualify.

We also offer a range of collaborative specializations with the MPP degree, including: Collaborative Specialization in Public Health Policy, Collaborative Specialization in Contemporary East and Southeast Asian Studies, Collaborative Specialization in Ethnic and Pluralism Studies, Collaborative Specialization in Environmental Studies and the Collaborative Graduate Specialization in Sexual Diversity Studies.

Fees & Financial Aid

Learn more about funding options available to domestic students through the University of Toronto. Learn more about funding options available to international students.

Fees

Domestic Students
Tuition: $17,680 CAD per year (based 2022-23 fees).

International Students
Tuition: $46,160 CAD per year (based on 2022-23 fees).

Learn more about being an international student and visa requirements at the University of Toronto please. International students should try to get a student visa as early as possible as wait times for visas will vary and can delay your start date for the program.

Financial Aid

The Master of Public Policy program does not offer a formal financial aid program, but there are a number of financial aid options, scholarships and awards available to Master of Public Policy students.

Admitted students are advised that funding sources are limited once they have begun the program. Current MPP students fund their degree through a combination of scholarships (if awarded), government loans, bank loans and personal finances. 

Student Leadership Initiatives

While studying at the Munk School, students in the Master of Public Policy program can take part in a range of student leadership initiatives, case competitions and conferences. From publishing journals and hosting podcasts to serving as consultants on real-world problems, the student leadership initiatives offer students the chance to get involved, gain experience and apply their skills. 

To learn more, please contact katie.boomgaardt@utoronto.ca.

Initiatives open to MPP students include:

• Beyond the Headlines
• Black Policy Conference
• Consulting Careers Initiative
• Environmental Working Group
• Equity, Diversity and Public Policy
• Ford + Munk
• Global Conversations
• Indigenous Policy Initiative
• Mental Health Policy Initiative
• Munk School Black Students Association
• MPP Students Association
• Policy Innovation Initiative
• Public Good Initiative
• Public Policy and Governance Review
• Spectrum

* Joint initiatives with the Munk School’s Master of Global Affairs students: Consulting Careers Initiative, Indigenous Policy Initiative, Munk School Black Students Association, and Spectrum

Alumni

The Munk School offers dedicated alumni benefits to MPP graduates, ranging from career development services (job postings, career advising sessions) to professional development workshops, and free tickets to special events.

The School has over 850 Master of Public Policy alumni working as policy professionals across Canada and internationally. To learn more about where our Master of Public Policy alumni have landed, view our MPP Alumni Employment Statistics.

MPP alumni have access to the full range of U of T alumni benefits, from regular updates to library, financial and recreational services. Visit U of T’s main alumni page to learn more.

Want to know more? Please contact Kate Dewasha (kate.dewasha@utoronto.ca).

Employers

As the largest public policy school in Canada you have access to the best and brightest students and graduates who have a variety of international and multidisciplinary backgrounds and levels of professional experience.

Why MPP Students?

As part of the Master of Public Policy curriculum, students develop strong skills in leadership, analysis, communication, and research through rigorous two-year academic programming and practitioner training as well as their for credit summer internship. After their first year, MPP students can already hit the ground running and immediately begin to add value in your organization through:

• Policy formulation and development
• Strategic implementation
• Economic and statistical analysis
• Quantitative and qualitative research
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Communication of complex issues
• Program design
• Providing social context for policy-making

As a partner in this program, you will have the opportunity to provide students with real-world experience that is critical to their learning and development—and you will be building important relationships with the brightest policy students in Canada. As an employment partner, you are helping students to make the link between knowledge and application, critical for the future of good governance in Canada and globally. Please contact the Career Services Team at mppcareers@utoronto.ca for more.

Questions?

If you have additional questions or would like to speak with MPP staff, please reach out to munkpublicpolicy@utoronto.ca.

Download the brochure

Interested in learning more? Download the Master of Public Policy brochure.

If you have questions, please contact Rejeanne Puran, Admissions & Recruitment Officer, at mpp.admissions@utoronto.ca or call +1-416-978-7794.