university-of-toronto-faculty-of-law-llm-in-canada
Introduction
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law offers a full-time, eleven-month Master of Laws (LLM) program, beginning each year in September. Offered jointly with the Faculty’s Centre for Innovation Law and Policy, our LLM in Technology, Law and Entrepreneurship will prepare you to launch or advance your career in innovation-driven industries by providing you with a deep understanding of cutting-edge legal issues that arise in these contexts. The program combines rigorous academic instruction with practical learning opportunities and professional skills training so that you can quickly implement what you have learned while at law school.
University of Toronto Faculty of Law – LLM in Canada
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1887 as the first law school in Ontario and one of the first to open in all of Canada, it became part of the University of Toronto in 1903.* The faculty offers programmes including:
- Bachelor’s degree programs at the master’s level;
- Doctoral programs; and
- LLM (Master’s) program.
About Us
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law (UTFL) is one of Canada’s top law schools. With an international reputation for excellence, it has educated more than 23,000 lawyers since opening its doors in 1850.
The UTFL offers several programs with both Canadian and American accreditation: the JD/LLM in Taxation program; the JD/LLM in International Business and Trade Law program; and the JD/LLM in Corporate Finance program. Students who want to specialize can choose from these concentrations: Business Law & Securities Regulation; Commercial Litigation; Corporate Finance & Securities Regulation; Environmental Law; Family & Children’s Law; Health Law & Policy; International Business Transactions (IBT); Intellectual Property Disputes and Conflicts of Interest Practice Course (ICOCP).
Students can also take advantage of all that Toronto has to offer by studying at one of its many campuses around town—including downtown at UTM or UTSC, St. George campus near Bloor Street West or King’s College Circle near Spadina Avenue East—and get involved with clubs like the Student Legal Society (SLS).
Our LLM Programs
The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law offers LLM programs in four areas: Technology, Law and Entrepreneurship; Business Law; Intellectual Property Law; International Law; Taxation Law; Health Law; Human Rights.
The course curriculum varies depending on the program you enroll in. You can also choose to specialize in one of five areas: Competition law (which includes mergers and acquisitions); Energy regulation (which covers oil and gas regulation); Financial regulation (which focuses on derivatives); Intellectual property management (covering patents, copyright and trademarks); or Environmental law.
Admission Requirements
University of Toronto Law School (UTLS) is a highly regarded institution that offers a number of programs and specializations. The LLM in Canada is a two-year program with an application deadline in February. Admission requirements include:
- A first degree from an accredited university.
- An acceptable English language proficiency test score (TOEFL / IELTS).
- A minimum GPA of 2.7/4.0 or equivalent on the last degree awarded, or 3/4 as part of a five-year integrated program, or 4/5 as part of seven year integrated program; and
- Three references who have known you for at least two years, one academic reference and two personal references
Application Procedure
The process for applying to the University of Toronto LLM program is relatively straightforward.
To apply, you will need to register with the LSAC (Law School Admission Council) and submit an online application. The application deadline for the Fall 2019 intake is May 1, 2019. Prospective students should also be aware that there is a nonrefundable application fee of $100 CAD ($80 USD).
Applicants must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Hold a J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school; OR
- Have completed all requirements for a J.D., except exams, within 6 months prior to admission; OR
- Have passed all parts at least before September 30th in previous year and have had official transcripts sent directly to us; OR
- Are currently enrolled in an ABA approved law school located outside Canada or the United States of America who have not yet completed their first year or have earned their Juris Doctorate degree
Tuition Fees and Financial Aid
Tuition fees for international students are $28,000 Canadian dollars per year. However, there are some financial aid options available to help with the cost of tuition. The University of Toronto offers need-based grants and bursaries that reduce your total costs. These awards vary depending on your situation and can be applied to tuition, books and other expenses that you incur while studying at the university. International students can also apply for a full or partial scholarship from their home country’s government or embassy in Canada. There are also several external scholarships available through various organizations:
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law offers a full-time, eleven-month Master of Laws (LLM) program, beginning each year in September. Offered jointly with the Faculty’s Centre for Innovation Law and Policy, our LLM in Technology, Law and Entrepreneurship will prepare you to launch or advance your career in innovation-driven industries by providing you with a deep understanding of cutting-edge legal issues that arise in these contexts. The program combines rigorous academic instruction with practical learning opportunities and professional skills training so that you can quickly implement what you have learned while at law school.
Our LLM program is designed to provide you with a broad range of skills that will enable you to launch or advance your career in the legal profession. The curriculum combines rigorous academic instruction with practical learning opportunities and professional skills training so that you can quickly implement what you have learned while at law school.
- You will gain a deep understanding of cutting-edge legal issues that arise from new technologies, business models, and innovations in law and policy;
- You will learn how to navigate the rapidly changing landscape related to technology companies, start-ups, venture capital firms, regulation (including financial regulation), intellectual property rights (including patents), enforcement issues including securities violations and advocacy before administrative tribunals;
- You will be trained in the latest areas such as blockchain technology; artificial intelligence; e-commerce transactions; data privacy protection; cybersecurity among others
Conclusion
Congratulations, Law School of the University of Toronto is proud to be one of Canada’s leading law schools. We offer an LLM in Technology, Law and Entrepreneurship with a specific focus on the legal challenges facing startups. Our programs are taught by world-renowned faculty who have extensive experience in the field. We offer an outstanding education at a reasonable price for non-Canadian students.
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Master of Laws (LLM) Admissions
The Master of Laws (LLM) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law offers a flexible and rigorous academic program for Canadian and international law graduates seeking opportunities for advanced study and research. LLM students have gone on to pursue further graduate legal education (through a doctoral program), entered directly into university teaching positions, or resumed practice with private firms, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. The LLM program is a one-year degree that can be taken in either a thesis-intensive format or a coursework-only format.
Master of Laws with a Concentration in Business Law
With active scholarly workshops, a rich curriculum, and a very strong Faculty complement in the area, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is the premier Canadian centre for learning about how law and regulation impact business here in Canada and internationally. Graduate students pursuing this concentration in the LLM program will obtain a nuanced understanding of key debates in debates in Canadian and international business law and will have the opportunity to pursue in-depth research in the field from a wide range of topical, theoretical, and methodological vantage points.
Master of Laws with a Concentration in Criminal Law
Criminal law at the University of Toronto is a multifaceted subject that sits at the intersection of several academic disciplines, and cuts to the core of fundamental matters of domestic and international public policy and social justice. The Faculty’s criminal law curriculum boasts course offerings ranging from theory to policy, history to doctrine, and from domestic to comparative to international contexts, and faculty research in the field of criminal law represents a wide variety of methodological approaches and areas of interest.
Master of Laws with a Concentration in Legal Theory
Legal theory as an underpinning of legal scholarship extends beyond questions of policy to theoretical and methodological approaches, such as law and philosophy, law and economics, legal history, law and society, and many others. Graduate students at the Faculty of Law are already exposed to legal theory through our mandatory graduate seminar, Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship, but the Legal Theory concentration is designed to enable students to deepen and broaden their engagement with legal theory beyond the exposure that Alternative Approaches provides.
Master of Laws with a Concentration in Health Law, Ethics and Policy
The area of Health Law, Ethics and Policy encompasses a wide spectrum of legal and ethical challenges posed by quickly evolving changes in health care. Many of these challenges are pressing and complex, with far-reaching consequences for both individuals and social institutions. The Faculty’s highly regarded health law scholars are at the forefront of this field, with expertise in areas such as bioethics, constitutional law, drug regulation, end-of-life issues, genetics, health systems and insurance, human rights law, reproductive and sexual health law, and research ethics and regulation. Students in this concentration will have the opportunity to study topics of compelling importance in an environment distinguished by an impressive breadth and depth of interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies.
For more information visit Faculty’s Master of Laws programs.
Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM)
The University of Toronto, Faculty of Law Global Professional Master of Laws is a 12-month innovative program designed to help realize your professional potential through exposure to a robust legal education that is focused on the areas of law that are most salient to professionals.
The one-year program attracts students from a range of professional backgrounds and is structured in order to help balance demanding professional commitments with intensive study and professional development. Our executive GPLLM combines academic excellence, innovation and practical skill development. The GPLLM is offered in four concentrations: Canadian Law in a Global Context, Business Law, Innovation, Law and Technology and Law of Leadership.
Canadian Law in a Global Context Concentration
Canadian Law in a Global Context is intended to provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on the impact of globalization on the law and sophisticated legal institutions to: (1) foreign trained lawyers and judges, including lawyers who have obtained their legal degrees abroad, foreign trained Canadians, and professionals trained in the civil law system who want to become accredited to practice law in Ontario; and (2) professionals who do not wish to become licensed to practice law, but who want to obtain a professional graduate level legal education in the Canadian Common Law tradition.
Business Law Concentration
Business Law is intended to provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on the impact of globalization on the law and sophisticated legal institutions to business leaders, lawyers and policymakers. Through comparative examples, case studies and real business deals, non-lawyers will gain a solid understanding of the constructs of Canadian business law and add immediate value to their career. The GPLLM will help business leaders excel in the practice of business and law within the context of today’s important global influences and forces.
Innovation, Law and Technology
Innovation, Law and Technology is the first offering of its kind in Canada It will provide legal and other professionals, including lawyers, legal services professionals founders, makers, business, IT, compliance, financial, and others, with the sophisticated legal knowledge and professional skills required to understand the relationship between the law and technology, including the impact of technology on the law, and to successfully navigate a career in the innovation economy.
Law of Leadership
Law of Leadership is the first degree of its kind in Canada. It will provide leaders in the non-profit, higher education, health, public and private sectors with a robust legal education in the areas of law with which leaders of sophisticated institutions most frequently engage and in which they need to be conversant.
University of Toronto (UofT) – Faculty of Law
LL.M. facts
- Tuition42,606 CAD
- Duration12 months
- IntakesSeptember
- Minimum TOEFL100
- Minimum IELTS7.5
Quick links
- Full-Time
- Go to programs
- Listed in Top LL.M.s for Health Law Top 10 LL.M. Programs in Canada Top Law Schools for Business Law
Full Profile
The Program
Master of Laws (LLM) The Master of Laws (LLM) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law offers a flexible and rigorous academic program for Canadian and international law graduates seeking opportunities for advanced study and research. LLM students have gone on to pursue further graduate legal education (through a doctoral program), entered directly into university teaching positions, or resumed practice with private firms, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. The LLM program is a one-year degree that can be taken in either a thesis-intensive format or a coursework-only format. Master of Laws with a Concentration in Business Law With active scholarly workshops, a rich curriculum, and a very strong Faculty complement in the area, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is the premier Canadian centre for learning about how law and regulation impact business here in Canada and internationally. Graduate students pursuing this concentration in the LLM program will obtain a nuanced understanding of key debates in debates in Canadian and international business law and will have the opportunity to pursue in-depth research in the field from a wide range of topical, theoretical, and methodological vantage points. Master of Laws with a Concentration in Criminal Law Criminal law at the University of Toronto is a multifaceted subject that sits at the intersection of several academic disciplines, and cuts to the core of fundamental matters of domestic and international public policy and social justice. The Faculty’s criminal law curriculum boasts course offerings ranging from theory to policy, history to doctrine, and from domestic to comparative to international contexts, and faculty research in the field of criminal law represents a wide variety of methodological approaches and areas of interest. Master of Laws with a Concentration in Legal Theory Legal theory as an underpinning of legal scholarship extends beyond questions of policy to theoretical and methodological approaches, such as law and philosophy, law and economics, legal history, law and society, and many others. Graduate students at the Faculty of Law are already exposed to legal theory through our mandatory graduate seminar, Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship, but the Legal Theory concentration is designed to enable students to deepen and broaden their engagement with legal theory beyond the exposure that Alternative Approaches provides.
Master of Laws with a Concentration in Health Law, Ethics and Policy The area of Health Law, Ethics and Policy encompasses a wide spectrum of legal and ethical challenges posed by quickly evolving changes in health care. Many of these challenges are pressing and complex, with far-reaching consequences for both individuals and social institutions. The Faculty’s highly regarded health law scholars are at the forefront of this field, with expertise in areas such as bioethics, constitutional law, drug regulation, end-of-life issues, genetics, health systems and insurance, human rights law, reproductive and sexual health law, and research ethics and regulation. Students in this concentration will have the opportunity to study topics of compelling importance in an environment distinguished by an impressive breadth and depth of interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies. For more information visit Faculty’s Master of Laws programs.
Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) The University of Toronto, Faculty of Law Global Professional Master of Laws is a 12-month innovative program designed to help realize your professional potential through exposure to a robust legal education that is focused on the areas of law that are most salient to professionals.
The one-year program attracts students from a range of professional backgrounds and is structured in order to help balance demanding professional commitments with intensive study and professional development. Our executive GPLLM combines academic excellence, innovation and practical skill development. The GPLLM is offered in four concentrations: Canadian Law in a Global Context, Business Law, Innovation, Law and Technology and Law of Leadership.
Canadian Law in a Global Context Concentration Canadian Law in a Global Context is intended to provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on the impact of globalization on the law and sophisticated legal institutions to: (1) foreign trained lawyers and judges, including lawyers who have obtained their legal degrees abroad, foreign trained Canadians, and professionals trained in the civil law system who want to become accredited to practice law in Ontario; and (2) professionals who do not wish to become licensed to practice law, but who want to obtain a professional graduate level legal education in the Canadian Common Law tradition.
Business Law Concentration Business Law is intended to provide a multi-disciplinary perspective on the impact of globalization on the law and sophisticated legal institutions to business leaders, lawyers and policymakers. Through comparative examples, case studies and real business deals, non-lawyers will gain a solid understanding of the constructs of Canadian business law and add immediate value to their career. The GPLLM will help business leaders excel in the practice of business and law within the context of today’s important global influences and forces.
Innovation, Law and Technology Innovation, Law and Technology is the first offering of its kind in Canada It will provide legal and other professionals, including lawyers, legal services professionals founders, makers, business, IT, compliance, financial, and others, with the sophisticated legal knowledge and professional skills required to understand the relationship between the law and technology, including the impact of technology on the law, and to successfully navigate a career in the innovation economy.
Law of Leadership Law of Leadership is the first degree of its kind in Canada. It will provide leaders in the non-profit, higher education, health, public and private sectors with a robust legal education in the areas of law with which leaders of sophisticated institutions most frequently engage and in which they need to be conversant. For more information on the GPLLM, visit: http://www.gpllm.law.utoronto.ca
Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) The Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) is a three-year thesis degree aimed at aspiring scholars. The SJD provides an opportunity for outstanding law graduates to pursue original academic research at the highest level. The school has also established several collaborative research programs in recent years, focusing on important and topical branches of legal studies. Our program consistently produces scholars of the highest calibre, and recent graduates of the SJD program are now teaching at our own school, and at other schools in Canada and around the world. For more information visit Doctor of Juridical Science. Masters in Studies in Law (MSL) The Masters in Studies in Law (MSL) is a short, one-year intensive degree aimed at established scholars in disciplines related to law. The MSL is a very small program designed for established academics and scholars who work and write in a discipline related to law, and who wish to acquire a knowledge of law in order to add a legal dimension to scholarship in their own discipline. For more information visit Masters in Studies in Law. Collaborative Programs The Faculty’s collaborative programs are designed for students pursuing graduate degrees at the Faculty of Law who would like an interdisciplinary perspective through one of the programs in which the law school is a partner. They include programs on bioethics, global health, sexual diversity, women and gender and women’s health. For more information visit Collaborative Programs.Read More: The School
Programs at UofT
Full-Time
1. LL.M. in Business LawLanguageEnglishIntakesSeptemberDuration12 monthsTuition42,606 CAD Features
- Program offered as either a thesis-intensive format or a coursework-intensive format.
- Listed tuition is based at the current program cost for international students.
- Tuition for domestic students is 10 921 CAD.
https://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/graduate-programs/llm-program-master-laws/llm-concentr…2. LL.M. in Criminal LawLanguageEnglishIntakesSeptemberDuration12 monthsTuition42,607 CAD Features
- Program offered as either a thesis-intensive format or a coursework-intensive format.
- Listed tuition is based at the current program cost for international students.
- Tuition for domestic students is 10 921 CAD.
https://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/graduate-programs/llm-program-master-laws/llm-concentr…3. LL.M. in Legal TheoryLanguageEnglishIntakesSeptemberDuration12 monthsTuition42,607 CAD Features
- Program offered as either a thesis-intensive format or a coursework-intensive format.
- Listed tuition is based at the current program cost for international students.
- Tuition for domestic students is 10 921 CAD.
https://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/graduate-programs/llm-program-master-laws/llm-concentr…4. LL.M. in Health Law, Ethics and PolicyLanguageEnglishIntakesSeptemberDuration12 monthsTuition42,607 CAD Features
- Program offered as either a thesis-intensive format or a coursework-intensive format.
- Listed tuition is based at the current program cost for international students.
- Tuition for domestic students is 10 921 CAD.
https://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/graduate-programs/llm-program-master-laws/llm-concentr…5. Global Professional LL.M. in Business LawLanguageEnglishIntakesSeptemberDuration12 monthsTuition64,047 CAD Features
- Listed tuition is based at the current program cost for international students.
- Tuition for domestic students is 35 211 CAD.
https://gpllm.law.utoronto.ca/programs/business-law Show all Full-Time programs from UofT
Discussions About UofT (133)
Related LLM News
LLM GUIDE Updates Top LL.M. Lists by Speciality for 2020
Feb 27, 2020Top 10 Lists help users find the best LL.M. programs for certain fields, such as Banking / Finance Law, Environmental Law, Tax Law and moreThe University of Toronto Updates its Global Professional LL.M. With New Concentration Apr 24, 2019University of Toronto Beginning Global Professional LL.M. in September Jun 08, 2011University of Toronto To Begin Global Professional LL.M. Nov 17, 2010
The admission standards and the application process for the Master of Laws (LLM) program are described below. Please read thoroughly.
- Admission Deadlines
- Admission Standards
- Admission Process
- Video – How to write an awesome LLM application
- Collaborative Programs
- Application Management
- Results
1. Admissions Deadlines for the 2020-2021 Academic Year
Application System opens: September 3, 2019 (9:00am EST)
Application Deadline (application system closes)*: December 13, 2019 (11:59pm EST)
Application Documents Deadline*: January 17, 2020
Decisions**: last two weeks of April.
*December 13th is the deadline to pay the application fee. The deadline to upload all documents to the Online Admissions Application System is January 17th, 2020. Therefore, applicants who pay the application fee by December 13th, 2019, will still have until January 17, 2020, to upload all the necessary documents to complete their application.
**Please note that applications are no longer considered on a rolling basis. All admission decisions will be sent during the last two weeks of April.
2. Admission Standards
The admission standards listed below are minimum requirements. Admission to our LLM program is incredibly competitive and meeting admission requirements does not guarantee admission.
The LLM program does not admit applicants that do not meet minimum admission requirements.
a) Academic Requirements
LLM applicants must hold a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or Juris Doctor (JD) from a recognized University, and must have achieved the equivalent of a University of Toronto B+ standing in the final year of their LLB/JD.
If an applicant is still in the process of completing their LLB or JD at the time of application, the grades from their second-last year of the program will be averaged along with the grades available for the final year.
Please note: Grades from other degrees obtained will be reviewed, but the admitting grades for the LLM program are those obtained in the final year of the LLB or JD.
International Equivalencies:
International applicants should compare their grades to the University of Toronto’s standard using the School of Graduate Studies’ International Degree Equivalencies Tool, which lists qualifications from a number of educational systems around the world. The academic standings listed within this tool are normally accepted as equivalent to a University of Toronto mid-B grade average, if the degree obtained was awarded from a recognized university.
b) English Proficiency Requirements
As English is the primary language of instruction and communication at the University of Toronto, applicants must demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in English.
International applicants must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application (see exceptions below). Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of their application.
i) Testing Services:
Several English language testing services are acceptable. The most common tests are the TOEFL or IELTS.
For the TOEFL the TWE (Test of Written Language) is compulsory. The minimum TOEFL score requirement is 600 with a TWE of 5 on the paper-based scale; and 100 (out of 120) on the internet-based test with a 24 (out of 30) in each component.
The IELTS test is available in two test formats: Academic or General Training. The Academic version of IELTS measures English language proficiency needed for an academic, higher learning environment. This is the format that is required for an application to the University of Toronto. The minimum IELTS score required is an overall score of 7.5, with at least 7 in each component.
Language requirements must be met at the time an application is submitted. Offers of admission conditional upon successful completion of an English language test cannot be made.
ii) Exemptions:
If an applicant meets any one of the following conditions, they are not required to submit proof of proficiency in English:
- Native language is English (language first learned and still used on a daily basis).
- A Canadian citizen who studied at a Canadian university where the language of instruction is French.
- Has obtained their admitting degree from an institution recognized by the University of Toronto and where the language of instruction and examination is uniformly English.
Applicants should provide an official academic transcript with a note confirming the use of English as the language of instruction and examination. If the official academic transcript does not have this note, applicants should make arrangements for an official statement to be sent from their institution directly to the graduate unit confirming the use of English as the primary language of instruction and examination.
- Completed a degree in one of the following countries/regions: Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Ghana, Guyana, Hong Kong, Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Malta, Namibia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Zambia, and Zimbabwe
Note: Some applicants from the above mentioned countries/regions may be required to provide proof of English proficiency as English is not the sole language of instruction at all universities.
3. Admission Process
The application process is all done online. All application documents must be submitted on the Online Admissions Application System. General application instructions may also be found on the School of Graduate Studies’ “How to Apply” webpage.
Hardcopy documents will only be accepted by the Faculty on an exceptional basis. If admitted applicants will need to submit hardcopies of their transcripts.
STEP 1: SGS Online Application Form
Applicants mustcomplete the SGS Application Form online, including providing the requested biographical information and identifying the program to which you wish to apply.
STEP 2: Application Fee
There is a $120 (CAD) application fee which must be paid in order to proceed with your application. Please ensure you are applying to the correct program before submitting your payment.
This application fee is non-refundable, non-transferable, and cannot be waived.
Payment must be made online using a Visa or Mastercard. Debit payments will not be accepted. You can find more details about the application fee on the School of Graduate Studies Frequently Asked Question webpage.
Once the application fee is paid, applicants will be permitted to upload the supporting documents required to complete their application.
STEP 3: Upload Supporting Documents
The documents which must be submitted in support of an application to the LLM program are listed below. Any forms which must be completed are available through the application system for download and completion.
To download PDF files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. To download Word documents, you will need Microsoft Word or a compatible word processor installed on your computer. i) Transcripts All applicants must upload electronic versions of their transcripts from each university attended using the SGS Online Admissions Application system. Secondary school transcripts, Bar results, or other certificates are not accepted. All foreign language transcripts must be translated into English through an official translator. Exception: French is an official language of Canada and we therefore do not require English translations of transcripts in French. ii) Application Supplement form
The form is available for download on the Online Admissions Application system.
Please note that applicants are not encouraged to contact potential faculty supervisors before applying. All applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee and then forwarded to potential supervisors.
iii) C.V.
Applicants should submit a Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) of three pages maximum. It should include the applicant’s education, scholarships and awards received, scholarly publications, work experience and relevant extra curricular activities.
iv) English Language Score (if applicable)
Applicants who are required to provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application will need to upload an official scan of their English Language Proficiency test score on the Online Admissions Application system. All scores must be uploaded by the document deadline.
In addition, applicants must also arrange for the testing agency to submit their official test score directly to the University of Toronto (Enrolment Services office). The TOEFL institution code for U of T is 0982. There is no need to specify a department. For IELTS, you must only specify University of Toronto, Enrolment Services.
If this requirement is not applicable to you, it will be waived when your online application is reviewed. There is no need to contact SGS or the faculty of law to get this requirement waived.
v) Financial Assistance Application (if applicable)
Applicants who wish to apply for financial assistance should indicate as much on the Financial Assistance section of the Application Supplement and will need to fill out the Financial Assistance Application Form. The form is available for download on the Online Admissions Application system.
This requirement will be waived when an applicant indicates that they do not wish to apply for financial assistance on the Application Supplement. There is no need to contact SGS or the faculty of law to get this document waived.
The Faculty’s internal awards are listed on our Graduate Fellowships and Awards webpage. Further information on our Award Distribution Policy can be found on our Graduate Program Fees and Financing webpage. All LLM applicants are expected to independently investigate and apply for all types of external funding for which they are eligible (e.g., SSHRC, OGS). University-wide and external awards must be applied to well in advance of the start of the graduate program.
vi) Personal Statement
Applicants must submit a personal statement (1 page maximum) indicating why they wish to pursue graduate studies, and why they are applying to the University of Toronto.
vii) Plan of Study (coursework applicant) OR Thesis Proposal (thesis applicant)
Coursework Stream: Applicants to the Coursework stream must submit a plan of study (1 page maximum) indicating their area of interest and proposed course of study.
Short Thesis Stream: Applicants to the Short Thesis stream must submit a 1 page thesis proposal, indicating what topic they are considering writing their thesis about and why.
Long Thesis Stream: Applicants to the Long Thesis stream must submit a 2 to 5 pages thesis proposal indicating what issues they plan to examine in their thesis, why them think it is worth studying, and what approach they expect to take in their analysis.
viii) 2 Letters of Reference
Referee’s contact information:
Two academic letters of reference are required. Applicants will need to enter referees’ names and institutional email addresses into their SGS Online Application Form (see STEP 1). Please note that personal email addresses, i.e gmail.com, yahoo.com, mail.com, etc. are not accepted.
If a referee does not have an institutional email address, the applicant will need to email the Graduate Program and provide links to their University’s faculty page that lists the referee’s personal email address as part of their official contact information. If that is not an option either, the referee will have to send a hard copy reference letter on official letterhead to the Graduate Program directly, the letters must be received by the document deadline.
If an applicant cannot obtain academic references, and will be submitting professional references instead, they should explain why in their personal statement.
The system will automatically email an electronic submission request to each referee when the application fee is paid. Although applicants will provide the referees’ information before payment, the system will not notify the referees until after the application fee is paid. It is highly recommended that applicants contact their referees ahead of time to check their availability.
Letters’ content:
Referees are not provided with a template letter to complete. The system-generated request will ask them to provide the following information:
- Their academic rank or position
- How long they have known the applicant (months or years) and in what capacity;
- The name and address of their institution, telephone number and email contact; and
- Whether they have reviewed the applicant’s research proposal and, if so, their comments on the proposal and the applicant’s ability to undertake the proposed research project.
Referees will also be asked to speak to the applicant’s academic abilities within their letter and to comment on the applicant’s ability to:
- Conduct independent research (searching for and organizing relevant material);
- Analyze and criticize the positions of others;
- Develop their own arguments;
- Produce original work (for LLM Thesis only)
4. How to write an awesome LLM application
5. Collaborative Programs
Applicants to the Master of Laws (LLM) program can include an interdisciplinary perspective by applying to participate in one of the Faculty of Law’s graduate collaborative programs.
Interest in a given collaborative program may be indicated within an applicant’s Online Admission Application. However, admission to a collaborative program is a separate process and must be approved by both the home faculty as well as the collaborative program unit. A collaborative program can only admit an applicant until after the home faculty has communicated their admission.
Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to review the admissions procedures on the graduate collaborative program’s website.
6. Application Management
Once the application fee is paid, applicants can monitor the status of their application through their account on the Online Admissions Application system, it will reflect the most up-to-date information. Staff at neither the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) nor the Faculty of Law will be able to provide applicants with additional information.
The application system will display one of the following descriptions: Draft – IncompleteDraft – CompletePayment PendingDocuments PendingUnder ReviewDecision Made
7. Results
Admission decisions will be sent during the last two weeks of April, unsuccessful applicants might receive notice prior to April. We are unable to provide individual admission feedback to applicants. We have very few places in the program for the number of applications we receive, and as a result, even outstanding applicants may be refused admission. Admission to the program is extremely competitive, and meeting or exceeding the admission requirements does not guarantee admission.
Applicants being offered admission to the LLM program are given two weeks to reply to an offer of admission. Should an applicant not reply within two weeks their offer will expire and their spot will be offered to an applicant on the wait-list.
Should an applicant accept our offer of admission, they will need to pay a $500 tuition deposit and submit original and final transcripts from each of the institutions from which they have been awarded a degree before the start of the academic year. For transcripts to be considered original they need to be in a sealed envelop, and signed/stamped by the registrar or by an authorized official of the university.
Under no circumstances will application materials be released to applicants, regardless of the final decision.
LLM Program (Master of Laws)
The LLM program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law offers a flexible and rigorous full-time academic program for Canadian and international law graduates seeking opportunities for advanced study and research. LLM students have gone on to pursue further graduate legal education (through a doctoral program), entered directly into university teaching positions, or resumed practice with private firms, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Each year, students focus on a diverse range of areas like constitutional law, international human rights, law and economics, and legal theory.
The LLM program can be undertaken with a strong emphasis on a thesis (long or short, in combination with some coursework), or coursework-only (with a course-based writing requirement).
The thesis-intensive format allows students to elect to write a thesis of between 4 and 16 credits, written in combination with some coursework. The longer thesis is aimed at law students who have demonstrated a strong potential for advanced research and writing in accordance with the standards of the Faculty of Law, many of whom desire a career in legal academia. The shorter thesis option is aimed at law students who wish to undertake significant independent research but also want exposure to other areas of law through coursework.
*** Please note that we do not encourage candidates to contact potential faculty supervisors before applying. All applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee and then forwarded to potential supervisors. ***
The coursework-only format is designed for law students who wish to specialize in a specific area of law, particularly in one of the Faculty of Law’s several strengths, to develop an understanding of North American legal processes and laws, or to explore the common law at an advanced level.
The Faculty offers concentrations in the area of Business Law, Criminal Law, Legal Theory, and Health Law, Ethics and Policy within the LLM degree program. They can be pursued in either the thesis-intensive or coursework-only formats. Entry into these concentrations is on a competitive basis.
The LLM diploma will not reflect whether you took the thesis intensive or coursework only LLM, in accordance with our view that all our LLMs meet exactly the same academic standard. However, students accepted into a concentration within the LLM program will have the area of concentration designated on their transcript.
All LLM candidates participate in the LLM seminar, which will have substantive and skills based classes. All LLM candidates in the thesis stream will participate in the Alternative Approaches to Legal Scholarship, which is designed to expose students to various approaches to legal scholarship, including law and philosophy, law and economics, feminism and the law, legal history, law and society, analytical jurisprudence and critical legal theory.
Graduate students choose their other courses from those available in the JD program, which are posted on-line in the summer. Graduate students are expected to choose the more senior level seminar courses. The selection of courses is subject to the approval of the Associate Dean (Graduate).
During the academic year, we offer a course in Canadian Legal Methods and Writing for students who are new to Canada and/or common law.
An LLM does not qualify foreign-trained candidates to practise law in Ontario, and LLM students are not permitted to take courses from the first year JD program. Contact the National Commitee on Accreditation for information on practising law in Ontario. See also information on NCA-related offerings at the Faculty of Law.
The MSL and LLM programs are not bridges to the JD program, and applicants should not take these degrees with the expectation that course credits will be transferable to any other program.
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