Admission Information

Admission Requirements:

The Certificate Program in Human Resource Management is a limited enrolment program.  The qualifications listed below are considered acceptable for admission consideration but do not guarantee acceptance in any given year.  

A completed three-year undergraduate degree from a recognized university in a field other than HRM or related fields, with an acceptable cumulative grade point average (70%+), is the minimum required for admission consideration to the Certificate Program in Human Resource Management.   

Applicants must hold Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Resident Status.  We are unable to consider international applicants.

Important Notes:  

You should apply to this program only if you meet the minimum admission requirements. The $94 application fee is non-refundable. Letters of reference will not be used as part of the admissions process.

Students whose academic background overlaps significantly with this program at an undergraduate or graduate level are not eligible for this program and are advised to research other Canadian institutions offering HR-related studies here.   

Students who do not hold degrees may apply for admission consideration to the Faculty of Arts and Science, undergraduate studies, and request enrolment in the IRHR major program after year 1. 

University policies on access to student records and personal privacy allow us to speak only with the applicant unless we have written permission to discuss the application with someone else.

Application Form:  CHRM 2025 Applicaton Form.pdf

Application and Document Deadline:

February 1, 2025 -  For classes starting in 2025 Summer and 2025-26 Fall/Winter
Admission decisions are released by mid-February, via email.

A complete application consists of:

1. A signed application with all the sections completed  
2. The $94 non-refundable application fee
3. Official Transcripts  
4. Proof of English Facility

The completed application can be emailed to IRHR@utoronto.ca.  Payment must be mailed to the Program Office. 
Students wishing to drop off the application and fee should email the office as office hours vary.

NOTE: 

• We do not provide a pre-application evaluation service.
• Only those applicants who have attained a competitive level of academic achievement should apply for admission consideration to this program.
• Apply by the deadline;  check this page for updates on extensions.

Documents

Official transcripts are documents mailed directly from the issuing institution to our office.

• We accept electronic transcripts provided we receive them from a secure site formally linked to the sending institution.
• Hard-copy transcripts and other academic records are considered "official" only when they arrive in a sealed, stamped, official envelope with the seal and any other security feature intact.
• Documents received by the Program Office become the property of the University and will not be returned or forwarded to other institutions.

Note:

Graduates from

• University of Toronto (1998 onwards) do not need to request transcripts provided the release section on the CHRM application has been signed.
• North American Universities: An official transcript of all postsecondary studies must be forwarded directly to the Program Office from the issuing institution(s).
• International Universities: An official transcript of all postsecondary studies, and diploma/graduation certificates, must be forwarded directly to the Program Office from the issuing institution(s). If the original transcript is not in English, applicants must submit a translation in addition to all original documents. Additional documents may be requested once the initial assessment is completed.

Application Payment

A money order in the amount of $94, payable to the University of Toronto, must mailed to the Program Office.   Applications received via email will be processed once the application fee is received.

If you wish to drop off the application form and fee, please email the Program Office to confirm office hours.

Mailing Address
CHRM Program Office - CIRHR  - UofT
236-119 St. George Street 
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A9

IRHR@utoronto.ca

English is the language of instruction and examination at U of T, and success in our programs requires a high level of English language proficiency.  If English is not your first language (i.e. is not the first language you learned at home as a child), you will need to provide evidence of adequate English facility for admission consideration, unless you qualify for an exemption.  You may qualify for an exemption from the English facility requirement if one of the following applies to you:

• You have completed/are completing four or more years of full-time academic study in a recognized Canadian school (in Canada) that teaches in English
• You have completed/are completing four or more years of full-time academic study in an English language school located in a country where the dominant language is English
• Your first language is French and you have completed four or more years of full-time academic study at a Canadian school

If you meet any of the exemption criteria listed above, please contact us at irhr@utoronto.ca to inquire.  Most applicants will present IELTS or TOEFL, acceptable scores are noted below. If you are required to present evidence of English language facility, you can satisfy the requirement by completing one of the tests/qualifications listed in the PDF below with acceptable results.   We will not accept your Grade 12 English results, your results in any other English course/test, or letters of reference from your school or employer for this purpose.  For acceptable tests please download this:CHRM English Facility Requirements.pdfTOEFL Internet-based Test (including Home Edition):

Minimum Requirement          Total score 100 + 22 on Writing

Discretionary Requirement   Total score 89-99 + 22 on WritingTest results that fall into the discretionary range will be reviewed automatically.

Applicants will be notified if their discretionary range score satisfies the English language requirement. As we cannot guarantee that these scores will be accepted, it is recommended that applicants arrange to take another test if the official results can be submitted to us by the appropriate document deadline.  Applicants must achieve the scores listed above on a single test date. TOEFL MyBest (super-scored) results will not be used.  We do not accept TOEFL Essentials, TOEFL ITP, or TOEFL ITP Plus For China for admission purposes. Results must be sent to us electronically from ETS – TOEFL. The institution code is 0982-00. For information visit: www.ets.org/toefl.

IELTS Academic Module

The minimum requirement is an overall band of 6.5, with no band below 6.0. For information visit www.ielts.org(external link).Note: we do not accept the IELTS Indicator test.We only accept scores submitted electronically by the IELTS test centre. An institutional code is not required. Contact your IELTS test centre directly to arrange for your scores to be sent electronically to our account via the IELTS Results Service. All test centres worldwide are able to transmit your scores to our system. You must provide the following information to your test centre when submitting:

IELTS Results Service Account name: University of Toronto - CHRM Post Baccalaureate Certificate Program

• IELTS Results Service Account address:  Post Baccalaureate Certificate Program Office, 236-119 St. George Street, Toronto ON M5S 1A9

Tuition fees are subject to change from year to year and do not include the cost of books or other course materials. There may be additional ancillary fees levied for enrolment in specific courses or for individual circumstances.These will be reflected in the student's invoice. Students who drop from full-time to part-time after the 100% refund period will be charged full-time incidental fees. 

To give applicants an idea of the tuition cost, please review the current schedule, here.

OSAP:  The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a government financial aid program that assists eligible Ontario residents attending postsecondary studies through a combination of loans and grants. For more information please check this link.

Students in most undergraduate and graduate programs leading to a certificate, diploma, or degree are eligible to apply for OSAP funding. 

Part-Time OSAP is open to Ontario residents of any age who are:

• Canadian citizens; 
• Permanent residents, or 
• Protected persons. 

To view all the eligibility requirements, please consult the OSAP website.

Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, students who are verified as having a permanent disability (PD), or persistent or prolonged disability (PPD)(external link) may be considered for additional funding through OSAP such as the Canada Student Grant for Students with Disabilities(external link).

If you have completed undergraduate degree-level university courses similar to those offered in CHRM you may qualify for transfer credits.

A total of 2 full-course equivalents (2.0) may be transferred to the CHRM program. A maximum of one full course equivalent (1.0) may be transferred for courses listed under Group B. For more information please refer to the CHRM Program Requirements.

Requests for transfer credits are processed only after the student has been admitted to the program. Students are notified in writing of the transfer credits to which they are entitled as soon as possible, usually along with the letter of admission. We do not accept requests to have courses assessed for possible transfer credits unless the person has submitted a complete application and is admitted to the program.

Some factors taken into consideration during the transfer credit assessment are:

• content and credit weight of the course;
• level and type of instruction;
• academic structure and grading system used by the accredited university and grade achieved in the course (normally a minimum passing grade of 60% is required).

Only the credit weight (not the grade) is transferred to CHRM.

Transfer credits are not granted for courses that are practical, clinical, internship, or pedagogical in nature. Transfer credit is also not granted for coursework more appropriate for programs taught in other Divisions of the university (e.g. graduate studies, nursing, law, education). Courses offered by HRPA, Community College, and School of Continuing Studies are non-transferable.

For what careers might CHRM prepare me? Students who wish to pursue careers in areas such as human resources, industrial relations, public service, or to become professional union staff will find this program to be a useful preparation.

CHRM students have access to the Career Centre. The Centre offers career counselling and employment services to currently enrolled students and recent graduates through either workshops or individual appointments. Job search seminars are held regularly. The Career Resource Library is a valuable resource in the formulation of career plans and in the search for employment.

I have completed the IRHR Undergraduate Program. Can I apply to this program? No. This program is designed for students who have not previously studied IRHR (or Employment Relations) at the undergraduate/graduate level.

Is there a co-op option in CHRM? A co-op option is not available in this program. Students interested in completing a co-op program are advised to investigate certificate programs offered at other post-secondary educational institutions in the Greater Toronto Area. Students who are admitted to the CHRM program have access to the Career Centre's counselling and employment services.

Is there a graduate program in IRHR at UofT? The Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources offers both a Master's degree and a Ph.D. degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources. 

I’m interested in the MIRHR program at UofT and wish to finish the CHRM program in one year, is that possible? CHRM is a part-time program and the majority of students will finish the program over two academic years. Students who have been granted transfer credits and are able to enroll in a conflict-free course schedule (while meeting all the course prerequisites) may be able to complete the program is less than two academic years. Students wishing to get a head start in CHRM should complete some introductory courses during the summer session. Prerequisites are strictly enforced. No exceptions are made.

How does CHRM compare to other programs? It depends on your goals. Ask yourself why you are interested in pursuing these studies. The answer usually falls into two categories: Professional or Academic endeavours. Of course, time and financial commitments are part of the decision-making process. Here are some general guidelines:

• Professional: If you are interested in taking courses to improve your job prospects or pursue professional accreditation in the HR field (with HRPA) there are many institutions that offer HR programs and courses. For more information visit the Human Resources Professional Association website.
• Academic: If you are interested in pursuing graduate studies you need to investigate the institutions’ admission guidelines and program options. Admission guidelines differ in every institution and for this reason we are unable to comment on how other universities might assess your academic qualifications.