Application Documents

• All post-secondary education (university level) must be declared on your online application. This includes incomplete studies and transfer credit courses.
• Transcripts for all post-secondary education institutions attended must be uploaded to WebAdvisor, including any incomplete studies/programs, exchange studies and transfer credit courses, even if they do not relate to your intended program. 
• Academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended (past and/or current) showing all courses and marks.  Please ensure all transcript dates/legends/keys/grading scales are included in your uploaded document.
• Applicants from the University of Guelph may upload a copy of their WebAdvisor transcripts for admission purposes. You must declare your academic study at the University of Guelph on your application.
• Unofficial transcripts from university student portals may be uploaded to WebAdvisor.  Please ensure a grading scale/legend/key is included.
• Official transcripts must be in the original language and include a certified translation if the transcript is not in English (uploaded as one document on WebAdvisor).
• When the official transcript is issued in French by a Canadian institution where the official language of instruction is French, no English language translation is required.
• All final documents submitted to the University of Guelph, become the property of the University and will not be returned (transcripts, degree certificates, test scores, etc.)

Below is how the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies determines Unofficial and Official Transcripts.

Unofficial Transcripts

All transcripts that are uploaded by an applicant to WebAdvisor are unofficial. A transcript is considered unofficial if it:

• Has been opened by the student.
• Is a photocopy of the original.
• Was not produced by the school/university.
• Was translated by the student or a non-professional translation service.
• If the original seal of the University envelope is broken, the transcript is no longer considered official.
• If emailed to the University of Guelph by the applicant.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts will be required if an applicant is presented an offer of admission. While official transcripts are not required during the application process, they may be sent to the OGPS if the degree has been awarded. Transcripts are official if:

• They are sent to the University of Guelph in a sealed University envelope (the applicant can request that the University send us the official documents directly or the student can receive the document and forward it to the University of Guelph unopened).
• Must be in the original language and also include a certified translation if the transcript is not in English.
• When the official transcript is issued in French by a Canadian institution where the language of instruction is French, no English language translation is required.
• If the original seal of the University envelope is not broken.
• They must bear an official signature of the appropriate official at your institution, such as the Registrar.
• They must bear the institutional seal.
• Certified true copies must be stamped and signed by the institution and arrive in envelopes sealed by the issuing university. 

Final Transcripts

A final official document includes information such as: when the degree was conferred, program completion dates and awarded degree certificate (if applicable).

Refer to the departmental website to see if a CV Resume is required for your application. If it is a required document it will appear on your WebAdvisor checklist.

• If your first language is not English, you will be required to submit the results of a standardized language test. Learn more about approved English Language tests and scores (individual departments may require higher test scores, please see departmental website for specific information.
• Test scores are valid for two years from the test date and must be valid as of the first day of your intended intake semester.
• Please upload a PDF of your test score to WebAdvisor during the application process. 
• If you receive an offer of admission, please arrange for an official copy of your test score to be sent directly to the University of Guelph, Institution Code 0892.
• Letters from your universities stating the medium of instruction is English are not acceptable to meet the University requirement, the department may ask for this information.

• Refer to the International Funded Students website for steps to apply to the University of Guelph.

*Agencies include the Governments of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Saudi Arabia, or sponsors such as CONACyT or the IITs. Scholarship letters may also include CSC or CBIE scholarship holders.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

• Some departments require a GRE test score as part of their application. Please see department website for specific requirements (note: some departments require the general test, while other require both general and subject test).
• Education Testing Service (ETS) uses 0892 as the Institution Code for the University and 99 or 01 as Department Codes for the Graduate Studies Office when reporting GRE.  
• GRE scores are valid for five years from the test date.

Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT)

• Some departments require a GMAT score as part of their application. Please see department website for specific requirements.
• Institution Code for the University of Guelph is: 0892 
• GMAT scores are valid for five years from the test date.

Some departments may require additional information to complement your application package. For example

Studio Art MFA and Master of Landscape Architecture MLA require applicants to submit a portfolio. The list above may not be inclusive of all programs requiring portfolios. Please see departmental websites for specific admission requirements.

• A minimum of 2 academic references are required for admission to graduate studies at the University of Guelph (our application allows for 3 references maximum). Some departments require additional references to support an application. Any referees beyond the allotted 3 referees must be submitted directly to the department. Please see departmental website for more information.
• It is suggested you reach out to your department of choice if you do not have access to academic referees and would like to provide professional referees.
• We recommend you contact your referees prior to submitting your online application to confirm their availability, email address and willingness to provide/submit the Referee Assessment form on your behalf.
• Once you submit and pay for your application, your referees will receive an email in 5 working days with instructions and a link to our Referee Assessment form. Please note: we cannot expedite this process.
• Referees should be advised to complete the Referee Assessment form before the application deadline (review departmental website for program specific deadline).  Applicants are responsible for providing this date to their referees.
• Referees will be sent a reminder email prompting them to complete the Referee Assessment form approximately every 14 days if we have not received their assessment.
• Referee Forms do not expire.
• Once your referee submits the Referee Assessment form, this document will be marked as 'Received' on your WebAdvisor checklist (please note: applicants are not privy to the contents/information references provide on the Referee Assessment form).
• Your application will not be forwarded to the department until all referees identified on your application submit the Referee Assessment form.
• If you apply to more than one program the referees identified on your application will be the same for both programs. Your referees will receive a request for each program to which you have applied.
• To change a Referee, please complete our Referee Request GryphForm (Add/Change/Delete Referee form.  
• If your referees require more information about the referee process or are having technical problems please visit the Information for Referees website.

Refer to the departmental website to see if a statement of research is required for your application. If it is a required document it will appear on your WebAdvisor checklist.

Some departments require additional application material in order to assess your application. Each department may name this document differently. For the purposes of admission, any additional piece of information required to assess your application will be referred to as the supplemental document. Please refer to the departmental website for specific information regarding the details of their supplemental document.

Refer to the departmental website to see if a writing sample is required for your application. Some departments require a second writing sample. If it is a required document it will appear on your WebAdvisor checklist.