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Considering a PhD? The admission selection process for the Rotman PhD program is highly competitive: on average only 15-20 students are admitted from a pool of 500-600 applicants. Here you can find everything you need to know about Rotman's highly competitive admissions, application requirements, online application, deadlines, and fees.

Minimum Academic Requirements

Minimum academic requirements for admission to the Rotman PhD Program include:

1a) A master’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university, in which the student received an average grade equivalent to a University of Toronto B+ or better. OR

b) In some cases, a four-year bachelor’s degree or equivalent from a recognized university, in which the student received an average grade equivalent to a University of Toronto A- or better will be eligible.

International Degree Equivalencies: Applicants educated at non-Canadian institutions should note that their educational background will be assessed for equivalency with a University of Toronto degree. Click here to go to the 'International Degree Equivalencies' page for a list of countries and the international credentials required for doctoral admissions at the University of Toronto.

2) Official GMAT or GRE score. - Please note that submitting GMAT/GRE scores is optional for Fall 2025 admission

3) Official TOEFL score (where applicable)

For a detailed list of the supporting documents required for your application, please see the Supporting Documents section.

Admission to the program is highly competitive, with the number of qualified applicants always greatly exceeding the number of available places. Meeting the requirements listed above does not guarantee admission.

Supporting Documents

The following supporting documents are required for your application to the Rotman PhD Program:

Letter of Intent
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended
Two Reference Letters. A third optional reference may be submitted.
GMAT or GRE score. - Please note that submitting GMAT/GRE scores is optional for Fall 2025 admission.
TOEFL score or any other acceptable English Facility Testing (see details below)

GMAT or GRE

All applicants are required to upload either the GMAT or GRE test score report. Test scores older than five years as of the application deadline are not valid. See Standardized Testing for more info. For the purpose of application, only a scan of your GMAT/GRE is required. Paper copies of score reports are only request after an offer of admission is made.

TOEFL or other English Facility Tests Applicants whose primary language is not English, and previous degree(s) have been completed at a non-Canadian university where the language of instruction and examination was not English, must submit an official English Facility test score report. Please note that results cannot be older than two years as of January 1st. The School of Graduate Studies recognizes the following tests: TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB and U of T School of Continuing Studies COPE and International ESL Program. For details, please review the SGS Website. For the purpose of application, only a scan of your TOEFL/IELTS/MELAB is required. Paper copies of score reports are only request after an offer of admission is made.

Reference Letters Upon payment of the application fee the School of Graduate Studies will contact the referees and provide complete instructions to submit their references. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make arrangements with their referees and make sure that letters are submitted by the document deadline.

Applications are considered complete and can be reviewed only after all supporting documents are uploaded on the online application and payment is received; this includes Letter of Intent, Curriculum Vitae, Transcripts, Letters of Reference, Test Scores (GMAT or GRE and TOEFL or other acceptable English Facility Test). All supporting documents must be submitted through the online application by the documentation deadline as set by the Rotman School of Management.

Rotman PhD: Standardized Testing

GMAT and GRE

Please note that submitting GMAT/GRE scores is optional for Fall 2025 admission

All applicants are required to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Test scores older than five years as of the application deadline are not valid. The GMAT or GRE test is an admission requirement that cannot be waived regardless of academic background.

We do not have a minimum GMAT or GRE score requirement. There is no minimum score which would result in an application being automatically rejected, however strong test scores are expected for competitive applicants. As a reference, the average test scores for students who have received an offer of admission in the past 3 years are: GMAT 719; GRE verbal 159, GRE quantitative 166. Test scores of successful applicants may vary around this average.

For the purpose of application, only a scan of your GMAT/GRE is required. Paper copies of score reports are requested only after an offer of admission is made.

Applicants whose primary language is not English and previous degree(s) have been completed at a non-Canadian university where the language of instruction and examination was not English, are required to take a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Written English (TWE) to demonstrate competence in the English language. Test scores older than two years are not valid.

For the purpose of application, only a scan of your TOEFL is required. Paper copies of score reports are only request after an offer of admission is made.

Minimum scores required in the TOEFL:

• Paper-based: 600 (with at least 5.0 out of 6.0 on the TWE)

• Internet-based: 22/30 for both Writing and Speaking Sections; 100/120 on overall TOEFL score

You are not required to complete an English-language facility test if you are a Canadian citizen who studied at a Canadian university where the language of instruction is French.

If you are an international applicant whose primary language is not English, you may not be required to complete an English-language facility test if you have completed a program of study at a university where the language of instruction and examination has largely been in English. This is at the discretion of the Rotman PhD Program. If you are such an international applicant, please consult with the PhD Program Office to determine if the test will be required. In some cases, an official statement from your institution will be required confirming the use of English as the language of instruction and examination.

NOTE: All test scores need to be uploaded on the online application.

How to Apply to the Rotman PhD

Applying to a PhD program can be exciting and stressful. Find out the details of our application process at the Rotman School of Management so you can plan ahead. Below is information on our online application tool and what you need to prepare. Start your application early so you have plenty of time to gather the required items and submit your finished package.

APPLICATIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 2025 ARE NOW OPEN. Application deadline is January 10, 2025.

We are offering application fee waivers for the first 60 qualified black and/or indigenous students as well as students from iran and ukraine. please note that applicants must meet admission requirements, complete their admission application, submit all required documentation including transcripts, cv, letter of intent and english language proficiency test scores, if applicable, as well as apply for the application fee waiver ..

There is no January admission to the program. Admission is not offered on a rolling basis.

1. Log in to the online application . Applications must be completed, and payment made by January 10, 2025 .

2. Provide the biographical and education information requested.

PLEASE NOTE: Personal (contact) information , Program of Study selections, Academic History , English Facility Tests, and Additional Information submitted can not be changed. Please review this information carefully before making payment.

3. Be prepared to submit contact information for at least two referees. Only institution email addresses are accepted. Advise your referees to expect an email from the University of Toronto with instructions for providing reference letters. 4. Submit your payment (online payment is preferred but mail-in payment is available). 5. Upload all supporting documents as listed on the Supporting documents section by the deadline, January 10, 2025.

Notes on the Application

Applicants may apply to only one of the following areas of specialization within the PhD Program in Management: Accounting, Business Economics, Finance, Marketing, Operations Management, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Strategic Management.

Applications to the PhD Program in Management at the Rotman School must be submitted to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) using an online application which is housed on a secure server at the University of Toronto.

The online application allows applicants to manage and submit biographical and educational information as well as all supporting documents (i.e. Letter of Intent, Curriculum Vitae, Scanned Transcripts, Letters of Reference, Test Scores (GMAT or GRE and TOEFL or other acceptable English Facility Test if required). Applicants can edit an in-progress application and check the status of all documents submitted using a secure password and UserID.

Applications are considered complete and can be reviewed only after all supporting documents are uploaded on the online application and payment is received by the School of Graduate Studies. A valid e-mail account is needed to complete the online application as the University will correspond with applicants using e-mail.

Please complete all parts (personal information, education, program of study, payment) of the online application and upload all supporting documentation (Letter of Intent, Curriculum Vitae, Scanned Transcripts, Letters of Reference, Test Scores - (GMAT or GRE (optional) and TOEFL or other acceptable English Facility Test (if applicable)) by this date. Do not submit hard copies of supporting documents at the time of application. Official transcripts and test scores are only required once an offer of admission is made.

Admissions Decision: Mid-February to March

The review process begins in early February and applicants are normally notified of the results within six to eight weeks.

For additional admissions information and/or questions about the application process, click here to e-mail the Rotman PhD Program.

Fees and Financial Support

Your funding.

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto provides one of North America’s most competitive financial support packages for graduate studies at the doctoral level. Read more for information on our minimum funding package, tuition fellowships and work opportunities. Additional fellowships and scholarships competitions are available throughout the school year.

The Rotman School provides financial support to all PhD students from years one through five. The minimum annual funding package for eligible, full-time doctoral students in the Rotman School of Management is as follows:

Year 1: $36,000 plus the tuition fee

Years 2-4 : $29,000 plus tuition. Students may choose to apply for research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and instructor positions to earn additional funds.

Year 5 : $36,000 plus tuition (if the student is on the academic job market; otherwise, $29,000 plus tuition)

Year 6 and beyond: no funding is guaranteed

Tuition and supplementary fees for 2024-2025 are provided below in Canadian dollars. Students receive a tuition scholarship in years one through five that covers full academic fees. Students must register in each of the three terms during the year.

Bachelor of Commerce

School of Graduate Studies

Management, phd, program overview.

The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is home to Canada’s premier management doctoral program, one of the top-ranked PhD programs in the world. The Rotman PhD program is a growing, vibrant, and intellectually rich environment for those interested in developing new insights in management. This close-knit community of scholars value and celebrate insightful, breakthrough research.

The PhD program offers specialization in seven fields: