Application Process

Answers

Can a friend or family member pay my application fee?

Yes. Anyone can pay the application fee on the applicant’s behalf. Payments are made through OUAC at the end of the online application and not the University of Guelph. OUAC applications will not be forwarded to The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies until payment is processed. 

For assistance and more information regarding application payments, we would recommend reviewing the Fees page of the OUAC website, and if need be, connecting with them by email at gradapps@ouac.on.ca.

Can I apply in either of Canada’s official languages?

No. English is the Official Language of the University of Guelph. Applicants can only apply in English.

An important factor to consider prior to applying, is that if your documents are in a language other than English, you will need to have your documents translated for them to be considered.

If you are to receive an offer of admission, any documents not in English will need to be translated by an official translator and sealed in the official envelope to be considered as a potential official document by our office. This is outlined further in the Final Transcripts section of the Monitor Your Status & Offer page of our website.

Can I apply to more than one program?

Yes. You can apply to more than one graduate program at the University of Guelph. Please be sure that you are using the same OUAC account to apply to each program. You must indicate which programs you wish to apply for in the application. You are required to pay a separate application fee for each program to which you apply.

Each application requires a minimum of two references. Please tell your referees that they will need to fill out a referee assessment form for each program to which you have applied. In other words, if you have applied to two programs, each referee listed must submit two referee assessment forms. You must use the same referees for both programs during the OUAC application process. Should you need to change referees for a specific program, you would need to submit this request after you have paid for your applications.  You will complete the change request form for each referee.  You need your single sign on and Guelph ID number.

Can I change the program to which I have applied?

No. Program selection cannot be changed – you must re-apply for another program. It is imperative that before you apply, you review our website as well as the department website for the program you wish to apply to in order to ensure that you meet the minimum requirements. Department contacts as well as a link to their website can be found by visiting our Programs page. Our Applying to Guelph page is a great place to start for more information on the overall process, as well as a wealth of information and links to other pertinent pages of our website.

Can I update my application after I submit it?

No. Once you submit your online application, you will not be able to make changes to it. The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies does not alter submitted applications. Please proofread your application carefully before submitting it.

The exception to this is if you need to modify referees in cases where you have applied to multiple programs. We are unable to change this through OUAC; however, we can update our systems to ensure that the appropriate individuals are being contacted for referee assessments in support of your application(s).

Should you need to change referees for a specific program, you would need to submit this request after you have paid for your applications. You would submit this request to gradapps@uoguelph.ca after you have received your WebAdvisor login credentials (as you will need to submit the request using your University of Guelph email address). Please see the How do I Change or Add a Referee page for more information.

Can you send me an application package?

The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies no longer prints or accepts paper applications. Applications to the University of Guelph are via an online application system with the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC). Visit the Applying to Guelph website for more information.

How do I Change or Add a Referee?

Should you need to change a referee for a specific program, you need to submit this request after your application arrives in Webadvisor.  You will complete the following link for each referee.  You will need your single sign on and Guelph ID number.

How much is the application fee?

The application fee is $110 for most programs and $150 for the MBA and MA Leadership programs.

I have applied previously and provided documents but want to apply again. Can my old documents be used for a new application?

No. You must upload your documents to WebAdvisor after receiving your login credentials (which should arrive approximately 3-5 business days after submitting your payment to OUAC).

If you submitted hard copy documents, they would have been scanned into our system and linked to the most recent application we have on file.  If you apply again in the future, they will not appear in WebAdvisor.  You will be responsible for uploading unofficial transcripts to your new application. 

I have submitted and paid for my application, what’s next?

You will receive an email from the University of Guelph in 3-5 business days with your WebAdvisor userID and password, your uoguelph email and student ID number.  Please log into WebAdvisor and upload all required documents listed on your application checklist.

We would also recommend that you review the department’s website to see if there are additional requirements not listed in WebAdvisor which might require you to use an alternative submission format. Department contacts as well as a link to their website can be found by visiting our Programs page.

The department will not be able to make an admissions decision until you have uploaded all required documents to WebAdvisor and sent in any additional required documents.

In the meantime, be sure that your email is set to accept correspondence from gradapps@uoguelph.ca and that our email has not been moved to your junk or spam folder. In addition to this, please be sure that when you contact the University of Guelph, that you are using your University of Guelph email address. This helps us to ensure that the integrity of your application is protected, allows us to locate your file more easily, and thus respond to your inquiries faster. This will be required for any application/account-related inquiries and changes.

When is the deadline for submitting an application?

Some departments have specific application deadlines while other departments have rolling admission deadlines. Please review the program website of the department to which you are applying, for information about their application deadline. Please note: in order to be considered for admission, all documents must be uploaded and marked received on WebAdvisor prior to the program deadline (unless otherwise specified on the department website).