How to Apply to the Master of Arts in Mental Health

Log into or create an account for the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) to begin the initial online application for the University of Guelph.

Read and follow the instructions in the OUAC application very carefully. Enter all applicable information except for the Statement of Academic Intent and the Professional Background sections, which are not required for this program.

From the program list, select Master of Arts in Mental Health. If you do not see the program in the list, select Relational and Psycho­therapy Training first and then select Master of Arts in Mental Health.

If you are applying to multiple programs, add the additional program(s) from the program list.

You do not need to complete the Statement of Academic Intent on the Program Details page.

You have the option of ordering official (sealed) transcripts through OUAC for a fee. This is not required as we accept unofficial transcripts uploaded to WebAdvisor in Step 2.

An official copy of your transcript is only required if you accept an offer of admission.

If your first language is not English and this will be your first time completing a degree in the English language, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test.

If your first language is not English but you have completed prior post-secondary studies in English, contact fran.graduate@uoguelph.ca to see if you are eligible to have the test requirement waived.

Provide contact information for two academic referees. See the FAQ for guidelines on requesting references from professors.

Please note that references are due on the Supplemental Documents Deadline listed above, so ensure you give your referee plenty of time to prepare and complete your reference.

After entering and verifying all required information, complete the application fee payment. A non-refundable application fee of $120 CAD is required for each program you apply to.

Download and complete the MA.MH Cover Page.

Upload the completed document to "Supplemental Document."

Upload an unofficial transcript for each university you have attended.

An official copy of your transcript is only required if you accept an offer of admission.

Transcripts requested through OUAC will be automatically uploaded to your account. If you request an official transcript through OUAC, do not upload an unofficial copy of the same transcript to WebAdvisor.

Upload your resume to "Resume/CV."

Ensure all your relevant employment, volunteer, and research experience is listed and described in detail.

Download and complete the MA.MH Letter of Interest Form.

Upload the completed document to "Statement of Interest/Research."

The admissions team will review all applications for the MA.MH program after the deadline.

In April, we will notify successful candidates that we are recommending them for admission.

Calculate your admission average using your grades from the final two years of full-time equivalent study (4-6 semesters) of your previous degree.

For the typical bachelor’s degree, this will be 20 0.5 credit weight courses, but you'll need a minimum of 16 courses in your calculation. If you took a double weight (1.0 credits) course, that grade is counted twice.

You must also include the grade from each course you completed in a given semester (i.e. do not split a semester).

If your transcript uses letter grades, look up your university's grading scale and convert the letters to percentage grades.

You must have completed a university-level course in social science or equivalent research methods with a grade of 70% or higher to be admitted into MA.MH.

If you have a degree in a social science discipline, you have most likely already completed a research methods course.

Note that independent research courses and thesis courses do not meet the requirement.

If you are not sure if your proposed course meets the requirement, email your course outline to Shauna Porter at rptp@uoguelph.ca for assistance.

The MA.MH is a course-based master's program, and most PhD programs require that you have completed a master's thesis in a research-based program.

If you want to complete a PhD, check the admission requirements of the program that interests you.

References are a critical component of any application to graduate school and to external awards bodies. The following guidelines will help you through the process:

• Choose faculty carefully
  • First approach faculty who have taught you in third and fourth year courses
  • Ask whether the faculty member can provide you with a strong reference
  • References from assistant, associate or full professors are generally preferred at most institutions
• Request references early
  • Allow at least 3 weeks for faculty to complete references
• Information to provide about yourself
  • Remind the professor of the program you are in and the course(s) you have taken with them (include course code and semester)
  • Brief summary of your key strengths that you think should be emphasized. Highlight any outstanding accomplishments in the course(s) taught by this faculty member
  • Unofficial transcript
  • Draft of your statement of interest
• Information to provide about the program
  • Brief description of the program and link to the program website
  • Deadline for receipt of the reference form
• Confirmation
  • Ask the professor to confirm that your reference has been sent