Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Students in the research-based Master of Applied Science program complete theses under the supervision of an MIE faculty member.

In this full-time, two-year program, Master of Applied Science (MASc) students complete a thesis supervised by an MIE professor. MASc students receive funding during the program and can apply for various scholarships. The MASc is ideal for students who aspire to a rewarding career in research, whether in academia or industry, and can be a stepping stone to a doctoral degree.

MIE also offers the Master of Engineering (MEng) course based professional degree which provides students with the tools to succeed in industry.

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Admission Requirements
Tuition Fees
Apply
Program Requirements
Courses
Thesis & Oral Examination

Scholarships & Funding
Teaching Assistantships
Transferring to PhD program
AMIGAS
Helpful Links
Questions?

Admission Requirements

Please note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. The Graduate Office cannot provide assessments of credentials prior to application.

A bachelor's degree with high academic standing from a recognized university
Minimum GPA requirement of 3.0 (mid-B; 73-76%) in the final year of undergraduate study. View U of T's Grade Scale for reference. International students should use the International Degree Equivalencies Tool to see which international credentials are required
Applicants are expected to demonstrate evidence of research ability
Applicants from universities outside Canada where English is not the primary language of instruction must provide English Language Proficiency (ELP) exam results unless: 1) The applicant’s admitting degree is listed under Exemptions on the School of Graduate Studies website or 2) the applicant can provide official documentation from their admitting institution that instruction was in English.
- To be considered for admission, all applicants that require proof of ELP must meet the minimum score requirement for every component of the English language proficiency exam including reading, writing, speaking and listening
- All test components must be completed and passed at the same time (applicants cannot combine scores from different exams)
- For more information, including approved test centres, visit the School of Graduate Studies website

Tuition Fees

Visit SGS website for more up-to-date information: https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/future-students/graduate-fees/.

Registered students should check their fee balance on their ACORN account. View the U of T Student Accounts website for more information about fees.

Apply

Applicants to MIE's MASc program must complete the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Online Admissions Application by the deadline indicated below.

September start:
- Application window: October 1 - January 1 (application fee deadline)
- Document deadline January 15
January start:
- Application window: June 1 - October 1 (application fee deadline)
- Document deadline October 15

Same application deadlines for Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents and International Students.

Apply now

MASc Application Instructions

Students are not required to submit paper copies of their documents unless requested by the Graduate Office.

To apply:

Create an SGS applicant profile and pay the application fee (non-refundable/transferable, regardless of the circumstance). See application deadlines above.

Once your profile has been created, the following is required:

2 references. Email addresses for referees must be institution-based (not GMail, Hotmail, etc.). Both referees must be academic such as previous thesis supervisors and/or professors. It is advised that one of the referees should be a previous thesis supervisor. References from friends and family will not be accepted. Instructions will be sent to each referee by email via the SGS system on how to submit a reference letter.

Complete (or most up-to-date) academic record / transcript(s). Upload post-secondary institutional transcripts as PDF files. Every transcript must include its respective grading scale. You are not required to submit official paper transcripts unless requested by the Graduate Office.

Supporting Documents:
- Resume/C.V.
- Letter of Intent: explain why you want to join our program. Describe your research interest, career goals, the courses you intend to take, etc. The letter should be 650 – 1000 words.
Field of Study: Students must indicate up to three fields of study.

If the student’s admitting degree was issued by a country not listed under Exemptions on the School of Graduate Studies website, the student is required to provide English Language Proficiency (ELP) exam results electronically. MIE requires proof of ELP even if their language of instruction and examination was English. Please note that all test components (reading, writing, speaking and listening) must be completed and passed at the same time (applicants cannot combine scores from different exams). For minimum requirements and approved test centres visit the School of Graduate Studies website.
Important: If ELP exam results are required, an application is not considered complete until the results are submitted electronically from the testing institution.

Students are not required to submit official paper transcripts unless it is requested by the Graduate Office. The review process will take place using your electronic transcripts. Please note that a request for an official transcript is for verification purposes and does not mean acceptance into the program.

If you are receive an email request for paper documents, mail to:

Master of Applied Science Program
Graduate Studies Office, MC108
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
5 King’s College Road
Toronto, ON M5S 3G8 Canada

After application submission

Admission into the MASc program is extremely competitive: we only offer admission to a small fraction of applicants, because these students must be funded, either by external scholarships or by a professor's research funds. As a result, MASc applicants are strongly encouraged to contact professors with whom they would like to work, either before or after submitting an application. Without funding, we cannot offer admission.

Students can review the status of their application on the SGS Online Admissions Application website.

Documents Pending

Additional documents required. A student's application is not considered complete until all of the required documents have been submitted. Once all documents have been submitted, status will not automatically update to Under Review. Statuses are updated manually on an ongoing basis.

Under Review

Application complete. Faculty members will review applications and may contact students about offering supervision. Students should actively pursue confirming a supervisor as admission can only be granted to students who have secured a supervisor. Students can contact MIE Faculty members directly to inquire about potential supervision.

If the faculty member has confirmed a student's supervision, the student will be notified of next steps including submission of official final transcripts. Confirmation from the supervisor to the Graduate Office is required to proceed in the MASc program.

Students will then be notified of the results of their application and their status will update to Decision Made.

Graduate Research Days

Select applicants will be invited to learn more about research at MIE at Graduate Research Days. Applicants will be notified if they have been selected to attend.

Program Requirements

Year 1

Successful completion of four graduate (500 and 1000 level) Half Credit Equivalent (HCE) courses:
- A minimum of four graduate (500 and 1000 level) Half Credit Equivalent (HCE) courses (at least two MIE HCE courses, at most 1 APS HCE course and at most 1 Reading HCE course, assigned by supervisor)
- JDE1000H Ethics in Graduate Research seminar
- Attend 70% of MIE's Distinguished Seminar Series (SRM3333Y).
- Recommendation that students complete all courses in their 1st year

Thesis research under the supervision of a MIE faculty member

Year 2

Hold MASc oral exam (by the end of the 2nd year of the program)

Two course failures (below 70% or B-) will result in an automatic recommendation to SGS to terminate a student's program.

Courses

View the Program Requirements section above for required MASc courses.

View the Courses page to view all offered MIE courses.

Thesis & Oral Examination

The MASc program culminates in the presentation of an oral and written thesis. Once a student's course requirements have been met and the written thesis has been submitted to their supervisor(s), the oral examination can be scheduled.

Committee Composition

The exam committee must consist of at least 2 SGS-appointed faculty members, at least one of which must have full-budgetary appointment with MIE.
The student's supervisor will serve as Chair of the exam.
If a candidate has more than one supervisor, only one supervisor may vote.
In the event of a reconvened exam, the committee of a reconvened exam must have 3 voting members and the exam must be chaired by the MIE Associate Chair of Graduate Studies who is a non-voting member.

Scheduling the exam

The date and time of the oral exam is coordinated between the student and the exam committee.
Students notify the Grad Office via GMS and upload a copy of the Abstract under "Proposal" on GMS.
Exams maybe conducted remotely via video conferencing or in-person.

At least ten business days before the scheduled oral exam, the student must:

Contact the MIE Grad Office at mie.mascphd.advising@utoronto.ca
Submit an MASc Exam/Meeting Request through the MIE Graduate Student Management System (GMS)
Distribute digital or printed copies of written thesis to committee members

Thesis Format

Standard MASC thesis: The standard MASc thesis is a detailed document consisting of introduction, background/literature review, objectives, methods, results, discussion, and appendices. Students are recommended to refer to previously published MASc thesis available on ProQuest for examples.

Please refer to the Electronic Thesis Submission guidelines found on the SGS website on how to incorporate the journal article into the SGS template for formatting and how to submit a PDF file to ProQuest.

Manuscript-Based MASc Thesis: As an alternative to the standard thesis format, the MASc thesis can be written in the format of a journal/conference paper(s) if requested by the supervisor. Such a manuscript-based thesis would require additional sections and appendices to be added to the paper, as requested by the supervisor(s). There is no fixed requirement for what should be included or how the manuscript-based thesis be formatted, so students who wish to explore this option must discuss the specific requirements with the supervisor(s) well in advance of writing the thesis. Typical requirements could include a more complete introduction giving broader context and literature review, a more detailed discussion, and an appendix with additional methods or results which were not included in the paper(s). SGS Electronic Thesis Submission guidelines must be followed.

Students considering a manuscript-based MASc thesis are also advised to form their committee earlier than usual so that the document details can be discussed with and approved by the committee members.

The public release date of the thesis can be delayed with an embargo request to SGS.

During the exam

All M.A.Sc. exams are open to the public, unless otherwise requested by the student.

At the beginning of the exam, the committee briefly reviews the student’s file in a closed-door session. The student is then asked to summarize the thesis in a presentation of no more than 20 minutes. This is followed by questions from the committee members. The supervisor(s) may not respond or comment on behalf of the student during the presentation and questions.

Closed-door voting is by signed ballot, on the acceptability or not of the thesis and the oral defence. If a candidate has more than one supervisor, only one supervisor may vote. After the exam, the votes are recorded by the exam Chair and the results are returned immediately to the MIE Graduate Studies Office.

The members of the committee vote on whether to pass or fail a student; the decision requires a simple majority. If the vote is to pass the student, then the committee also votes on the following:

thesis accepted as is;
thesis requires minor corrections, that can be completed in one week or less, that the supervisor will oversee;
thesis requires major corrections, that must be completed within three months; a sub-committee (two members of the exam committee) will confirm completion of the corrections.

If the committee votes unanimously to fail the student on a first exam, then the supervisor will write the student a letter explaining the vote, submit a copy of the letter to the Graduate Studies Office, and the Graduate Coordinator will immediately submit a recommendation to SGS to terminate the student’s program.

If the committee votes 1 to 1 (or 2 to 1) in favour of failing the student on a first exam, then the exam is adjourned and a second exam is scheduled for within 12 weeks. The supervisor will write the student a letter explaining the reasons for adjournment, and submit a copy of the letter to the Graduate Studies Office. The format of the second (reconvened) exam is the same as the first, except that the committee must have 3 voting members and can only vote to pass or fail, as determined by a simple majority of the votes. The second exam will be chaired by the MIE Associate Chair of Graduate Studies who is a non-voting member.

After the exam

Following a successful oral examination, the student must submit their corrected, final thesis to their supervisor for approval. If the student's supervisor requests a printed copy, visit the SGS website for standard formatting requirements. Note additional MIE formatting requirements if a printed report is requested by the supervisor:

the binding of theses should be good quality buckram hard-cover, with gold lettering. Colour of MASc thesis cover must be red.

Once the thesis has been approved by their supervisor, the student must upload the document to ProQuest following the SGS thesis submission guidelines.

After submitting their thesis to ProQuest, the student must:

Complete Clearance Form online
Review the GRADUATION CHECKLIST and Confirm convocation date with Office of Convocation website: https://governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/convocation
Notify the MIE Grad Office if you require a Degree Completion letter for proof of program completion prior to the convocation date. The Grad Office will confirm your graduation eligibility and send confirmation to the School of Graduate studies. Students will then be able to request the Degree Completion letter from SGS by completing their request form and submitting it to SGS.

Fall 2025 MASc Final Oral Exam scheduling considerations for MIE

September 3	Recommended deadline to defend the MIE MASc thesis in order to meet completion deadlines. Note that any balance of degree outstanding will be charged even if this deadline is met. The minimum degree fee for an MIE MASc degree is he equivalent of two years of FT fees. https://studentaccount.utoronto.ca/ (Tuition & Fees – Current Fall-Winter Fee & Refund Schedules - Graduate Studies, School of – All Graduate Programs).
September 24	Final date for MIE MASc students to upload the final corrected thesis to ProQuest and request an MIE clearance form to be eligible for October Convocation. After the Exam.
September 29	Final date for receipt of degree recommendations and submission of any required theses for master's degrees for October Convocation. MIE Grad Office prepares the degree recommendation following receipt of clearance form. Required processing time is 1-3 business days from receipt of clearance form.

Scholarships, Funding, and Fees

MASc students receive a funding package and financial support, for more details, please see:

https://www.mie.utoronto.ca/programs/graduate/scholarships-funding/

Registered MASc candidates receive enough funding to cover tuition and incidental fees. In addition, MASc candidates receive a minimum of $21,000 per year for up to two years.

Most students earn more than the minimum as a result of teaching assistantships and scholarships, such as from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), and the Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) program. MASc students within the funded cohort are expected to apply for all awards for which they are eligible.

View the Scholarships & Funding page for more information.

For funding letters, please visit Graduate Management System (GMS)

Teaching Assistantships

All full-time graduate students are eligible to apply for Teaching Assistant (TA) paid positions at MIE. TAs assist undergraduate and graduate course instructors with supervision of labs, leading tutorials and marking assignments and tests.

Apply for TA positions and view more opportunities on the Professional Development page.

Transferring to PhD program

There are two ways by which an MASc student may apply for a transfer to the PhD program before completing the MASc program requirements: the Fast-Track Transfer and the Retroactive Transfer.

Both transfers are one-way, meaning students cannot re-enter the MASc program if their application is successful. If the student fails the PhD qualifying exam, or is deemed no longer in good academic standing, the student must withdraw from the PhD program and will not receive an MASc or PhD degree.

The MIE Graduate Studies Committee decides on the application to transfer to the PhD program. The Committee has the right to solicit additional information from any source and has the right to deny an application even if the student meets the minimum academic standard. The Committee will only grant a transfer if it is convinced that the student will excel in the PhD program.

Fast-Track Transfer

Eligibility requirements:

Applicant must have completed at least two sessions of the MASc program, but no more than three sessions
Applicant must have completed at least three graduate HCE courses with a minimum average of A- and no grade lower than B+

To apply:

Applicant must submit a letter requesting a fast-track transfer to gradoffice@mie.utoronto.ca. The letter must include:
- Summary of evidence of research ability
- Summary of progress in MASc program
- Research plan for PhD program
- Clear statement that the student understands the transfer is one-way
- Two letters of recommendation: One from the student's supervisor and one from another faculty member

Please note that Fast-track PhD students are funded for five years from initial MASc registration.

Retroactive Transfer

Eligibility requirements:

Applicant must have been admitted to the MASc program "with a possible upgrade to PhD," meaning they have already completed another Master's degree, but the student's research ability could not be evaluated prior to admission to MIE.
Applicant must have completed one session of study, but no more than three
Applicant must have completed at least two 1000-level graduate HCE courses with a minimum average of A- and no grade lower than a B+

To apply:

Applicant must submit a letter requesting a retroactive transfer to gradoffice@mie.utoronto.ca. The letter must include:
- Summary of evidence of research ability
- Summary of progress in MASc program
- Research plan for PhD program
- Clear statement that the student understands the transfer is one-way
- Two letters of recommendation from the student's supervisor and at least one other faculty member

Please note that Retroactive PhD students are funded for four years from initial MASc registration.

AMIGAS

AMIGAS is the graduate student association at MIE. They host social, athletic, academic, and professional development events for all MIE graduate students, aiming to enrich their professional and personal leadership experiences.

Helpful Links

School of Graduate Studies (SGS)

Student Information Systems

ACORN
- Student administrative system
- Enrol in courses
- Check fees
- View timetable
QUERCUS
- Course materials & info
ProQuest
GMS
U of T webmail

Questions?

Email:
mie.gradoffice@utoronto.ca

MASc & PhD applicants:
Email: mie.grad.admission@utoronto.ca

Office:
MC108, 5 King's College Road

Hours:
Monday to Friday, 10 am - 4 pm

Mailing address:
Graduate Studies Office, MC108
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
University of Toronto
5 King’s College Road
Toronto, ON M5S 3G8 Canada

Professor Eric Diller

Associate Chair of Graduate Studies