The application deadline for all academic programs offered at the School is the 15th of January for the academic year beginning the following Fall. Application material is submitted using SLATE, McGill’s online application system. You will need a valid credit card to submit the application fee.
The program begins in the Fall term, and no admissions are possible for other dates. It is a full-time program.
Academic requirements
The M.U.P. program is open to students holding a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Anthropology, Architecture, Economics, Engineering, Geography, Law, Management, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, or Urban Studies. Students from other academic backgrounds may also apply.
We welcome applications from all potential students, whatever their stage of life or professional development. A typical student admitted to the M.U.P. program will have work and/or volunteer experience (in a wide variety of roles) as well as having completed their first (i.e., bachelor’s) degree at the time of application.
Basic (i.e., high-school level) proficiency in algebra is expected of all applicants, as preparation for the M.U.P. methods training in statistics and data analysis.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0/4.0 (B) or 3.2/4.0 (just below a B+) for the last two years of full-time studies of an undergraduate degree (or equivalent).
Language requirements
- If your first language is not English and you have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognised foreign institution where English is the language of instruction, or from a recognised institution (anglophone or francophone), you must provide documented proof of competency in oral and written English by the application deadline.
- McGill University accepts IELTS (International English Language Testing Systems) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The scores must be submitted electronically by an official test centre; no paper test report forms will be accepted. Applicants must ask the centre where the test is taken to send the scores directly to McGill electronically (institution code: 0935). The minimum acceptable exam results for the TOEFL are an overall score of 100 on the iBT with a score of at least 23 on each of its four components; for the IELTS, the minimum overall band is 7.0, with a score of at least 6.5 on each component.
- McGill University will also accept the McGill Certificate of Proficiency in English or McGill Certificate of Proficiency (English for Professional Communication: Certificate of Proficiency), but the certificate must have been awarded by the application deadline.
Concentrations in Transportation Planning or Urban Development and Urban Design
Students wishing to pursue the concentrations in Transportation Planning or Urban Development and Urban Design must apply for admission into the regular M.U.P. program. Toward the end of their first year of study, they will be invited to apply specifically for the concentration.
Only a limited number of students are admitted into each of these concentrations in any given year on the basis of an internal competition. Criteria for selection include students’ performance in the first year of study, in particular in subfield-related courses, their level of skill in subject-related research methods, and the quality of their letter of application for admission into the concentration.
Deadlines and documents
The deadline for submitting applications and uploading all supporting material, including letters of recommendation, is the 15th of January of each year. All supporting documents can be written in either English or French. All uploaded documents must be the final versions, so please verify that the correct version has been submitted!
How to apply
Applications must be submitted using SLATE, McGill’s online application system. You must ensure that you do the following::
- Complete the online application form, including payment of the application fee using a valid credit card. You will apply to the M.U.P. (Non-Thesis), identifying ‘Urban Planning -N’ as your AREA OF STUDY. Within 48 hours of submitting your payment, you will be able to upload the other required supporting documents.
- Upload a personal statement of one to two pages, explaining your motivation for applying to the School, area(s) of specific interest, and longer-term career goals.
- Upload your current curriculum vitae, including a summary of your academic background, professional experience, and other relevant activities (e.g., community involvement, volunteer work, etc.).
- Upload unofficial copies of transcripts for your complete university-level academic record to date, including ALL programs (complete, incomplete, and/or in progress).
- Identify two (2) individuals who will provide letters of recommendation, at least one of whom must be a current or past professor. The letters will be submitted directly to McGill by these individuals using the contact information that you provide, which must include a valid institutional email address. Within 48 hours of when you submit your application fee, an email will be sent to your referees inviting them to provide a reference by answering a series of online questions. They may also upload an additional free-form letter.
Please note that all programs offered by the School begin in the Fall term. You must select the correct program and term for which you seek admission (i.e., the Fall of the year in which you are applying); should you apply for the wrong term or the wrong program, you will have to reapply for the correct one. The University is neither able to refund application fees nor to change applications to the correct term or program.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Incomplete or inaccurate applications that are submitted can significantly delay or even prevent an admission decision (this includes letters of recommendations). Please verify the following on SLATE before submitting your application:
- Ensure that the title of the degree matches what is officially indicated on the transcripts, e.g., B.A., B.Sc., B.S.Sc., Licence, etc.; if you cannot find a complete match, please enter ‘Bachelor’ or ‘Master’.
- Ensure that the year that a degree was granted matches what is officially indicated on the transcripts.
- Ensure that you include a copy of the degree certificate (diploma) if the transcript does not indicate that a degree has been conferred. For degrees that follow the British system, please include the overall standing if applicable.
- Ensure that the documents include the transcript key/legend.
- Ensure that a separate record has been created for every institution that is mentioned in the transcripts that are uploaded, even if grades for those institutions are already reflected. This includes institutions where transfer credits were received, or where exchange terms were taken. The exceptions are high schools and Québec CEGEPs.
- Enter the CGPA for your degree(s). These entries facilitate the review process, but they are not binding. Links provided in this section will lead you to resources to help determine your CGPA. The School recognises that this is a complicated process, so please do not spend too much time on it; incorrect entries will not affect your application
If you have questions about admissions that are not addressed on this website or on McGill's application website, please contact us via admissions.planning [at] mcgill.ca. (Note: due to the volume of emails received, please anticipate a delay of up to one week for a response).
Please note: It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure the completeness of the application (including letters of recommendation) for each program to which you are applying. Applications may not be evaluated if they are still incomplete by the application deadline. It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify that the correct documents have been uploaded.