What Can I Study?
Before beginning to determine which U of T faculty is the best fit for your intended studies, please review the English language requirements for exchange at U of T.
What you can study while on exchange at U of T largely depends on which faculty you are admitted to. Below you will find details about eligibility, academic options and restrictions, and application requirements by U of T faculty. All graduate-level exchange students should be nominated to the School of Graduate Studies.
City University of Hong Kong
Country: China
Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
U of T Engineering is a thriving community that provides unparalleled experiential learning opportunities and produces some of the world’s most innovative engineering research. The Faculty is Canada’s top engineering school and among the world’s best across international rankings.
Exchange students admitted to U of T Engineering may take courses from any of the Faculty’s programs:
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Mineral Engineering
- Engineering Science
COMPUTER SCIENCE VS. COMPUTER ENGINEERING
At the University of Toronto, computer science courses and computer engineering courses are taught in separate faculties. Exchange students interested in studying computer science or computer engineering at U of T need to decide which of the following faculties best suits their interests, based on course access:
Option 1: Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
- Access to engineering courses in the Faculty’s programs listed above provided space is available and the pre-requisite requirements are met.
- Possible limited access to Arts & Science courses:
- Students may request to enrol in up to two Faculty of Arts & Science courses per term; however, many Arts & Science courses, including chemistry, physics, statistics and computer science courses, are restricted to engineering exchange students. A list of restricted Arts & Science courses is made available in June each year.
- Engineering students do not receive enrolment priority for Arts & Science courses. Arts & Science courses may be full by the time engineering exchange students can enrol.
- Because of the aforementioned restrictions, engineering exchange students should expect to take the majority of their courses within U of T Engineering.
- Required to enrol in a minimum of four courses. A maximum of five courses may be taken per term.
- Courses are only offered on the St. George campus.
Option 2: Faculty of Arts & Science
- Access to the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Computer Science (CSC) courses, as well as many other courses in Arts & Science (some restrictions apply).
- No access to U of T Engineering courses, including courses in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
- Required to enrol in a minimum of three courses. A maximum of five courses may be taken per term.
- Choose from one of the three campuses: St. George, Mississauga and Scarborough
The above option is only available if your institution has a university-wide agreement that includes the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the Faculty of Arts & Science. Please check with your exchange office before you apply. If your institution’s exchange agreement is only with one of the Faculties, this option is not available to you. This applies to undergraduate and graduate studies.
Campus(es)
St. GeorgeContact(s)
CIE Inbound Exchange
Eligibility
Minimum CGPA: 2.25
Restrictions
U of T Engineering Courses
The following departments and courses have very competitive enrolment and/or small class sizes. As such, they are difficult for exchange students to successfully enrol in. While students may request enrolment in the following departments and courses, they may need to choose alternates due to availability constraints:
- Applied Science & Engineering (APS)
- Joint minor (JRE)
- Final-year design (XXX498H) and thesis (XXX499Y1) courses
Arts & Science Courses
Engineering exchange students may take up to two Arts & Science courses per term, but do not receive priority enrollment. Some courses may not be available to engineering students. The list of restricted courses is available in June each year.
Application
After your home institution nominates you, you will be invited to apply for exchange at the University of Toronto via our Mobility Online portal.
Please review the documents U of T Engineering requires.
Student applicants must submit:
* All student documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Statement of interest (1-2 pages).
- Course descriptions: A typed chart or list that briefly details all post-secondary courses you have/will complete before coming to U of T. The chart or list should include course titles and a short description or list of the main topics covered in each course (copying and pasting from a course calendar/syllabus is fine).
Partner institution staff must submit:
* All partner documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Academic transcripts of all previous post-secondary studies.
- English language test, if applicable: Please refer to our English language requirement page for details.
The University of Toronto Mississauga campus is situated on 225 acres of protected greenbelt along the Credit River, 33 kilometres west of the university’s St. George campus in downtown Toronto. UTM has many of the same Arts & Science departments as the downtown St. George campus, as well as unique courses in Forensic Science and Commerce/Management (open to business students who are not eligible for Rotman Commerce at our downtown campus).
Exchange students admitted to undergraduate studies at UTM are able to take courses from multiple departments within the faculty – there is no restriction on taking courses from within only one discipline/department.
Campus(es)
UTMContact(s)
UTM International Education Centre CIE Inbound Exchange
Eligibility
Minimum CGPA of 2.25
Restrictions
All second year Commerce (MGT) and Management (MGM) courses are not available for registration, but selected upper year (3rd + 4th year) courses may have limited spaces available for exchange students. Commerce and Management courses are generally reserved for UTM Commerce and Management students and spaces in these courses are not guaranteed for incoming exchange students. You may request to be enrolled in any upper year Commerce and Management course; enrollment will be based on availability, and you may be placed on a waitlist for courses.
Application
After you have been nominated by your home institution, you will be invited to apply for exchange at U of T via our Mobility Online portal.
Student applicants must submit:
* All student documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Statement of interest (1-2 pages)
- Course descriptions: A typed chart/list that briefly details all post-secondary courses you have/will complete before coming to the University of Toronto. The chart/list should include course titles and a short description or list of the main topics covered in each course (copying and pasting from a course calendar/syllabus is fine).
*Students interested in pursuing a research course as part of their academic exchange must connect with the UTM International Education Centre at global.utm@utoronto.ca at the time of nomination to discuss their options.
Partner institution staff must submit:
* All partner documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Academic transcripts of all previous post-secondary study
- English language test, if applicable: Please refer to our English language requirement page for details.
The University of Toronto Scarborough campus is a 300-acre campus in the Highland Creek Valley, one of Toronto’s most spectacular natural settings, situated in the east-end of Toronto.
Experiential education is the hallmark of the UTSC campus. Students get a head start on their futures through hands-on research, community engagement and a vibrant campus life.
UTSC is home to the new Aquatics Centre and Field House, which represents Canada’s largest investment in amateur sport infrastructure, opened in 2015 for the Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.
UTSC offers standard Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Management programs (English literature, Statistics, Economics, etc.), but also some interesting and unique programs listed below.
- Arts Management,
- Global Asia Studies,
- Population Health,
- International Development Studies,
- Migration & Ethnic Diversity,
- Food Studies
- Mental Health Studies,
- International Business
- City Studies.
Exchange students admitted to undergraduate studies UTSC are able to take courses from multiple departments within the faculty – there is no restriction on taking courses from within only one discipline/department. There are, however, department-specific restrictions that exchange students should be aware of that are listed below.
Campus(es)
UTSCContact(s)
CIE Inbound Exchange
Eligibility
Minimum CGPA of 2.25
Restrictions
The following courses/programs of study are not available to exchange students:
Scarborough (UTSC) Campus
- Co-op (work placement) programs
- Applied Microbiology (IMC)
- Environmental Science and Technology (STE)
- Journalism (JOU)
- New Media Studies (NME)
- Paramedicine (PMD)
- Studio Art (VPS)
Courses with Limited Spaces
The following is a list of high demand courses where there are very few spaces available for exchange students:
- Selected Biology courses: BIOA11H3F, BIOB12H3S, BIOB32H3S, BIOB35H3S, BIOC10H3S, BIOC14H3S, BIOC17H3S, BIOC23H3S, BIOC62H3S, BIOD17H3S, BIOD19H3S, BIOD23H3F, BIOD26H3F, BIOD27H3F, BIOD29H3S, BIOD33H3S, BIOD48H3F, BIOD43H3S, BIOD65H3F/S
- City Studies C and D-level courses
- ENGA10
- ENGA11
- FREA96
- FREA97
- Geography GGR D-level courses
- All Health Studies courses
- LGGA80
- LGGA81
- LGGA60*
- LGGA61*
- Management C and D-level courses
- Neuroscience C-level courses, specifically: NROC60H3, NROC63, NROC64
- Neuroscience D-level courses
- Selected Political Science courses: POLB30H3, POLC32H3. POLC36H3, POLC38H3, POLC39H3, POLC56H3, POLC68H3, POLD30H3, POLD42H3, POLD45H3
- Psychology C-level courses with a lab component: PSYC70, PSYC71, PSYC72, PSYC73, PSYC74, PSYC75, PSYC76
- Psychology D-level courses
- Computer Science D-level courses
Housing
UTSC Student Residence provides ~765 self-catered spaces on-campus to both international and domestic students. Students generally live in their own room with shared cooking and common areas, either in the Townhouses or Joan Foley Hall (apartment-style). Students on exchange are not guaranteed a space but are given priority provided they apply by deadlines.
Application
After you have been nominated by your home institution, you will be invited to apply for exchange at U of T via our Mobility Online portal. The Faculty of Arts and Science UTSC requires the following documents:
Student applicants must submit:
* All student documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Statement of interest (1-2 pages)
- Course descriptions: A typed chart/list that briefly details all post-secondary courses you have/will complete before coming to the University of Toronto. The chart/list should include course titles and a short description or list of the main topics covered in each course (copying and pasting from a course calendar/syllabus is fine).
Partner institution staff must submit:
* All partner documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Academic transcripts of all previous post-secondary study
- English language test, if applicable: Please refer to our English language requirement page for details.
At U of T, the Faculty of Arts & Science incorporates all arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences (including computer science) programs/departments. U of T Arts & Science is one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in North America and the heart of one of the world’s leading universities.
Exchange students admitted to U of T Arts & Science are able to take courses from multiple departments within the faculty – over 4,000 courses in a wide range of disciplines. There is no restriction on taking courses from within only one discipline/department.
The Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology and the Department of Chemistry offer summer research programs to students from their select partners. You can find more information on our undergraduate summer research page.
St. George Campus
U of T’s downtown St. George Campus blends historical architecture and inviting green spaces as a backdrop to a truly remarkable community.
Set in the centre of Toronto, one of the world’s most dynamic and diverse cities, it is a place where students, staff and faculty engage with a vibrant academic life and countless co-curricular activities.
Just beyond the campus are the many events, neighbourhoods and industries that Toronto has to offer. From Nuit Blanche, an annual art festival that runs from dusk until dawn, to sports games at one of the Varsity Centre’s high-performance facilities, this location is intrinsically linked with the city’s renowned cultural offerings to create a rich and unique experience for everyone.
Campus(es)
St. GeorgeContact(s)
CIE Inbound Exchange
Eligibility
Minimum CGPA of 2.25
Restrictions
While we do our best to keep you informed of any exchange student course restrictions, this list is not necessarily comprehensive, as course offerings and availability vary from year to year. We cannot guarantee enrollment in any course. It is important to maintain an expectation of flexibility in your course load.
Closed Courses
The following courses are not available to exchange students:
- English Language Learning (ELL)
- Peace, Conflict and Justice (PCJ)
- Research Opportunities Program (ROP)
- Many 100-level courses hosted by our colleges (e.g., VIC1XX, NEW1XX, INI1XX, UNI1XX, WDW1XX, SMC1XX, TRN1XX)
- Many 100-level courses that are open to Year 1 FAS students only (e.g., ANT19X, AST19X, CHM19X, CSC19X, EAS19X, ENG19X, ESS19X, FAH19X, GGR19X, HIS19X, MAT19X, PHL19X, PHY19X, POL19X, PSY19X, SOC19X, STA19X, etc.)
- Academic Bridging Program through Woodsworth College
- Biochemistry (BCH): All courses except BCH210 and BCH311 (BCH210 and BCH311 have limited spaces for exchange students)
- Economics (ECO): All 100-level courses
- Human Biology (HMB): All 400-level courses, and HMB322
- Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (MGY) laboratory courses
- All Restricted (R1) Sociology (SOC) courses are not available: SOC201, SOC202, SOC204, SOC251, SOC252, SOC254, SOC319-354, and all 400-level SOC courses
- Statistics (STA): STA130, STA49* courses (STA490, STA492, or the reading courses STA496, STA497, STA498, and STA499), JSC courses
Restricted Enrollment
The following departments/courses have very competitive enrollment and/or small class sizes and are therefore difficult for exchange students to get into at the St. George campus. However, many of these programs/courses are also available at our Mississauga (UTM) and Scarborough (UTSC) campuses. If you wish to take a full course-load in Computer Science, Sociology, or Statistics, we strongly recommend you consider one of our other two campuses.
Please do not expect to take a full course-load in these areas at the St. George campus:
- Computer Science (CSC)
- Exchange students may request 300- and 400-level CSC courses after the enrollment period for degree-seeking students. However, these advanced CSC courses tend to be over-subscribed once enrollment opens to exchange students, and it is unlikely that all exchange students are able to get in. Historically, many of the 400-level courses and the following 300-level courses tend to be full and exchange students should not expect to be able to take these courses:
- CSC301H1: Introduction to Software Engineering
- CSC303H1: Social and Information Networks
- CSC304H1: Algorithmic Game Theory and Mechanism Design
- CSC311H1: Introduction to Machine Learning
- CSC369H1: Operating Systems
- Exchange students may request 300- and 400-level CSC courses after the enrollment period for degree-seeking students. However, these advanced CSC courses tend to be over-subscribed once enrollment opens to exchange students, and it is unlikely that all exchange students are able to get in. Historically, many of the 400-level courses and the following 300-level courses tend to be full and exchange students should not expect to be able to take these courses:
- Drama (DRM)
- Political Science (POL) 400-level courses
- Many 400-level POL courses have very small class sizes (10-13 people), so we cannot enroll many exchange students into them
- English (ENG) 400-level courses
- Human Biology (HMB)
- Sociology (SOC)
- Statistics (STA)
Rotman Commerce (Business) Restriction
Business courses at the St. George campus (course code: RSM) are not available to exchange students from your home institution. If you are pursuing a business degree (e.g., B.B.A. or B. Comm.) or a similar degree at your home institution, and you want to take business courses while on exchange, you should be nominated to one of our other campuses:
- University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) – management
- University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) – commerce/management
Computer Science
Eligibility
If you are interested in taking more than 1.5 credits (3 courses) in 300- or 400- Computer Science (CSC) courses at the Faculty of Arts and Science, you must:
- Be pursuing a degree or major in Computer Science at your home institution.
- You must be nominated to the Faculty of Arts & Science on Mobility Online.
Course restrictions
- Students who are not enrolled in a Computer Science degree or major at their home institution are limited to a maximum of 1.5 credits (3 courses) in 300-/400-level CSC courses. This program at the home institution must be Computer Science (e.g. students in Computer Engineering, Information, etc. will be limited to 1.5 credits.)
- There is high demand for upper-level CSC courses, and many courses fill quickly with Arts & Science students. Not all exchange students will receive a space in requested CSC courses, so it is important for all students requesting CSC courses to identify alternative courses for enrolment.
Faculty of Law
If you are studying law and your home institution does not have a partnership with the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Arts and Science offers a number of law-related courses that may be of interest to you, such as Ethics, Society and Law or the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies. Speak with your home institution’s exchange office to determine your eligibility to be nominated for exchange to the Faculty of Arts and Science at U of T.
Application
After you have been nominated by your home institution, you will be invited to apply for exchange at U of T via our Mobility Online portal. The Faculty of Arts and Science requires the following documents:
Student applicants must submit:
* All student documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Statement of interest (1-2 pages)
- Course descriptions: A typed chart/list that briefly details all post-secondary courses you have/will complete before coming to the University of Toronto. The chart/list should include course titles and a short description or list of the main topics covered in each course (copying and pasting from a course calendar/syllabus is fine).
Partner institution staff must submit:
* All partner documents must be submitted in PDF (Word or other forms will not be accepted).
- Academic transcripts of all previous post-secondary study
- English language test, if applicable: Please refer to our English language requirement page for details.
Course Enrolment
After you are admitted to U of T Arts & Science, you will receive an email with instructions on how to submit course requests. The course selection process will begin in June for the upcoming fall and winter terms.