Admission requirements
We look holistically at candidates, giving equal weight to grades, professional achievements, interpersonal skills and leadership potential.
Admission criteria
Our admission decisions are holistic: we are looking for unique people, not profiles. Although there is no model application, successful candidates share some qualities that help
make them stand out. We believe that exposure to a rich variety of viewpoints makes for a superior learning experience, and pride ourselves on building diverse classes of exceptional individuals.
Intellectual ability
- Strong academic performance
- Awards and scholarships
Work history
- Progressive experience
- Community involvement
History of impact
- Professionalism
- Admission interview
Leadership potential
- Resilience and grit
- Unique accomplishments
The following basic criteria are used in assessing applicants. Due to the competitive nature of admissions to the program, successful candidates tend to exceed the minimum requirements.
New GMAT/GRE waiver information for applicants entering in Fall 2024. Please see "2. GMAT or GRE score" below for more information.
Prospective students apply through the Rotman portal, which walks applicants through the below and provides forms to fill out for several criteria. To see more details, you can start an application, save it, and come back to it later.
1. Undergraduate degree
- A minimum GPA of 3.0 in the final year of a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university.
- If you studied outside Canada, use the International Degree Equivalencies site to calculate your GPA.
- Unofficial transcripts may be submitted initially; if an offer is extended based on these, it will be conditional. For the offer to become final, official transcripts must be submitted by a specific date before class activities begin in August.
2. GMAT / GRE score
- Applicants must obtain a satisfactory score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE; General Test). Test results are valid for five years.
- There is no minimum GMAT requirement.
- For average GMAT score and undergrad GPA, please see our class profile.
- Valid GMAT or GMAT Focus tests will be accepted.
- You can register for GMAT at mba.com and familiarize yourself with the test by viewing these free sample questions and practice tests, though we do not endorse any particular GMAT prep source and we encourage you to do your own research.
- Official score must be sent. The test score codes for Rotman’s Morning & Evening MBA programs are:
GMAT: BTD-KS-99
GRE: 8696
- Exemptions from the GMAT and GRE requirement are granted to applicants who have:
- Passed at least the Level II examination of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, or equivalent designations in other jurisdictions at the discretion of the Academic Director.
- Passed the Common Final Exam (CFE) (or former UFE) for a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation, or equivalent designations in other jurisdictions at the discretion of the Academic Director.
- Attained the professional designation in Engineering (PEng) or in Actuarial Sciences (ACIA or FCIA), or equivalent designations in other jurisdictions at the discretion of the Academic Director.
- Graduated their first entry undergraduate degree from the University of Toronto with high distinction (cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher), subject to final approval by the Academic Director.
- Please send confirmation of your professional designation via email to me-mba@rotman.utoronto.ca.
3. Work experience
- Two years of experience is required.
- On average, applicants have six years of work experience.
4. References
- Preferably from workplace supervisors from current and previous employment.
- No need to request a letter; applicants provide contact information via a form on the portal.
5. Essays
- Two written essays
- One essay should be approx. 250 words in length and the other 500 words. Topics are provided on the application portal. Time permitting, our admissions team is happy to review your essay before you submit your application.
7. English language proficiency
One of the following:
- Undergraduate or graduate degree from an recognized English-language university
- TOEFL iBT (internet based test) score of 100 overall, with a minimum of 22 on speaking and writing
- IELTS score of 7.0
TOEFL code: 8696
6. Interview
- All candidates will be interviewed before they are offered admission to the program. Interviews are by invitation only.
Please note there is an application fee of CDN$195.
And remember...
Create an online profile with us so you can stay informed about the program(s) you're interested in and easily register for upcoming admission events.
Connect with our admissions team well before you start your application so we can help you showcase your best qualities, regardless of your academic or professional background. Sending us your resume for an informal pre-assessment is a great way to get the conversation started.