The University of Toronto is one of Canada’s leading academic and research institutions and boasts international recognition. UofT has 3 campuses located in Toronto, Ontario and surrounding area. Particle and High Energy physics are long-standing research groups within the physics department, with a blossoming astroparticle physics group due to recent faculty hires.
Program Requirements and Resources
If you are looking to start your career at the University of Toronto, you will need to consider how to apply, when to apply, and the qualifications expected of incoming students and employees. Deadlines and expectations are different depending on your department and degree level.
Undergraduate Students
Undergraduates need to apply to the University of Toronto directly or through an OUAC application and specify a program in their application. There are also different admission requirements depending on where you attended high school.
Need to know:
- Applications for the fall semester open in the fall of the previous year and close in mid-January. The deadline for Fall 2022 is January 13, 2022.
- The minimum admission average is 70%.
- For Physics undergraduate programs, tuition for domestic students is $6100, and $60,490 for international students. You can find tuition fee information here, as well as the UofT Tuition Fee Lookup tool. You should also consider incidental fees and ancillary fees, which are specific to your program and college and may increase tuition by $2000 per year or more.
- You can find specific application timelines and how to apply here.
- You can investigate the admission requirements based on your high school experience here
- Undergraduate students are represented by the University of Toronto Student Union (UTSU)
Nitty-gritty:
- The departments of Physics is a part of the Faculty of Arts and Science, and is considered a Science program.
- If you live in an area where English is not the primary language, you may need to submit acceptable evidence of English Facility.
- Degree specific information can be found here.
- For a major, minor, or specialist in Physics, you will need to have completed six 4U/M courses or equivalent, including:
- Grade 12 English
- Calculus and Vectors
- Grade 12 Physics
- The approximate admission range for the Physical and Mathematical sciences program is 85%.
Graduate Students
Graduate students need to apply to the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies and specify a program in their application. We encourage you to reach out to our faculty before applying. Programs have different requirements and application deadlines.
Need to know:
- Applications can be submitted at any time, and are due on December 15 for Fall 2022.
- Minimum net funding for physics graduate students is $25,200, after tuition and fees.
- You can find tuition fee information here, as well as the UofT Tuition Fee Lookup tool.
- You should also consider incidental fees and ancillary fees, which may increase tuition by $2000 per year or more.
- You can find information about how to apply here.
- You can find the list of programs and specific entrance requirements here.
- You are encouraged to apply for external funding such as NSERC and OGS.
- Graduate students are represented by the University of Toronto Graduate Student Union (UTGSU) and CUPE 3902 Unit 1.
Nitty-gritty:
All physics graduate programs require previously completed degrees to have a minimum academic standing of B+, 75-79%, or 3.3 GPA.
- Annual Base funding: Increases every year of study, first year is $33,180
- Deadlines: December 15 of previous year
- Programs: MSc (1-2 years), direct entry PhD (5 years), PhD (4 years)
- Requirements: BSc. Hons for MSc. and direct entry PhD, MSc. or M.A.Sc for Ph.D
Postdoctoral Fellows
Potential postdoctoral fellows applying to the University of Toronto apply directly to a research group, supervisor, or competition. Current opening with the department of physics can be found here.
Need to know:
- Apply directly to a faculty member, not through a central office unless specified in the posting.
- You are encouraged to apply for external funding regardless of the internal funding arranged in your contract. Some fellowships are specific to UofT.
- Postdoctoral Fellows are considered employees, and are part of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5.
Nitty-gritty:
- Position length is typically 2-3 years, but more than one fellowship may be held consecutively with the same supervisor.
- In addition to supervisor-specific postings, postdoctoral fellowships are also available through the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) and the Dunlap Institute.
- There is not a standardized salary for postdoctoral fellows at UofT, as your base annual salary is set by the supervisor and external funding. The minimum base salary stated in the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 collective agreement is $36,061, and on average is $49,960.
Engineers, Technicians, and Staff
The range of employment options at the University of Toronto covers engineers, technicians, research support staff, and administrative staff. All positions can be found and on the UofT listing portal.
Need to know:
- Critical policies and tools are available through the Human Resources portal, which is accessible after hiring.
- A position may be listed on a department or faculty website as well as on the UofT listing portal.
- Positions will likely be within the USW Local 1998 union.
Nitty-gritty:
- The category of a position dictates the compensation and other contract information such as benefits.
- Staff positions are categorized into a Pay Scale Grade (PSG) and Step which determines salary, and may be stated on the position as an hourly wage. The current salary grid can be found here.
- Most positions will be 35 hours per week, if full-time.
