Master of Arts in History (Tri-University)

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree in History or a related field, with a minimum overall average of 73% in the last four semesters of undergraduate study.
• Reading knowledge of French is highly recommended; depending on the student’s research area, the advisory committee may require proficiency in an additional language.

• Official transcripts from all previous secondary and post-secondary institutions.

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing your academic and educational background, professional achievements, and, where relevant, creative accomplishments, exhibitions, grants, residencies, or involvement in specialized communities, including any pertinent volunteer experience.

• Two (2) letters of reference (you will be prompted to enter your referees' contact information, and a secure link will be sent to them directly). Please inform your referees that they are encouraged to email gradapps@uoguelph.ca if they experience difficulty or encounter issues with this process.

• A detailed statement (1-3 pages, approximately 400-900 words) outlining your academic background, research interests, and reasons for pursuing graduate studies at the University of Guelph. The statement should describe your proposed research focus, its significance, and your ability to carry it out. If applicable, include specific fields of study, topics, or areas you wish to explore, and mention any faculty members or resources at Guelph you hope to engage with during your studies.

• If your first language is not English, certification of English language proficiency must be included (e.g., TOEFL, IELTS, or MELAB test scores).
  Note: The University of Guelph no longer accepts Duolingo test results.

The deadline for receiving your complete application package for Fall admission is February 1.

For more details, visit Cost of Tuition/Living for graduates!

Most Offers of Admission that we make for our graduate programs include an offer of funding, and as part of your admission offer you will receive a detailed break-down of what that funding will include over the whole time you are in the program. Most funding consists of a mix of a guaranteed offer of paid work for the university, usually as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and scholarship income. You will need to pay your tuition and fees, as well as your living expenses, from this funding so you may need to supplement it with savings, loans or other income. Once you enrol in your program you will be set up with an account in our Student Financial Services; your funding will be paid into this account, every two weeks in the case of employment income, and you can pay your tuition and fees from this account and then move the rest into your own bank account.

Students in our graduate programs work with an Advisory Committee, made up usually of one main Advisor and one to three additional Advisory Committee members depending on the program. These Advisors are faculty members whose research is in an area related to your interests, and who will guide you as your prepare your thesis or major research project. As early as possible it is a good idea to introduce yourself to faculty members who you think might be interested in your work. Once you start your program you will have plenty of opportunities to get to know the faculty in your department or area. Faculty are well used to being sought out by students who might want to work with them, and will welcome hearing from you and can help you focus your ideas. Towards the end of your first semester you will be asked by the Coordinator of your program who you think you would like to have on your Committee, and she or he will help you as necessary to get everything set up. You should have your committee formally established by the middle of your second semester at the latest so that they can work with and support you as you plan your project.

The University of Guelph is one of the most residential universities in Ontario, and often international graduate students can be guaranteed on-campus housing in their first year if they want it. Canadian graduate students can apply for housing which is awarded via lottery in the summer. See https://housing.uoguelph.ca/future-residents. We also have an Off-Campus Living resource site: https://www.uoguelph.ca/studentexperience/off-campus-living/.

See https://www.uoguelph.ca/studentexperience/international/, which contains links to information about pre-arrival resources, orientation programs (including START International), and counselling help. When you join your graduate program you will also join a supportive departmental community who will help you to feel at home here. You should be aware that international tuition fees at Guelph are higher than those paid by domestic students, and unfortunately we are often not able to provide enough funding to fully cover your realistic expenses while you are here. You should look carefully at your funding offer of admission, and have a plan to cover any shortfall there might be in the funds you will receive. See College of Arts International Graduate Student Study and Living Costs.

We do not currently offer any graduate degrees that are wholly online. It may be possible to do some graduate courses online, but we do not guarantee that any particular course will have an online option. Once you have completed your coursework and are working on your thesis it may be possible to do this work from a location other than Guelph. However, our funding offers often include guaranteed employment as a Teaching Assistant which will typically require you to be present on campus, and if you choose not to be in Guelph you will waive these components of your funding. It is usually possible to do your graduate degree part time, or to move from full time to part time (or vice versa) during your degree. Part time students pay less tuition per semester, and the usual timelines for completing the degree are slowed to ⅓ speed. We often seek to provide funding to part time students who need it, but at roughly ⅓ the level of per semester funding compared to full time students.