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Graduate Program in Disaster & Emergency Management Faculty of Graduate Studies
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How to Apply

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Application Instructions

  • Applications can be found online at futurestudents.yorku.ca/graduate.
  • A non-refundable application fee of $140.00 is required at the time of application.
    • Acceptable forms of payment include VISA or Mastercard.
    • If you do not have a VISA or Mastercard, or if you do not wish to submit your credit card information online, you must contact the Office of Admissions at (416) 736-5000.
    • Please do not contact the Graduate Program Office for questions about your application fee as we do not process the payment for your application.
  • Within five business days after you submit the online application and pay the application fee, you will have access to Myfile, through which you will upload your documents.
  • All supporting documentation, including your transcripts, must be uploaded on Myfile, as part of the application, within two weeks of submitting your online application.

The following documents must be uploaded as part of your application:

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Admissions Requirements

Your statement should be approximately 500 words, single- or double-spaced (applicants are welcome to write more than 500 words). Please specify any relevant professional or volunteer experience.

Your sample paper can be a term paper or a professional report and must be your own work, unedited by another person. It should be a minimum of 5 pages. Please ensure that you submit a clean copy (no grades/comments included).

Transcripts from all institutions attended must be uploaded through MyFile. These transcripts will be considered "unofficial". If you receive a decision of conditional admission to our program, you must send one official transcript for every postsecondary institution you have attended, to the Graduate Admissions Office. To be considered official, it must be evident that you have had no direct access to the transcripts. Transcripts must come directly from, and bear the seal of, the issuing institution. If the institution issues transcripts directly to you, the envelope must be sealed by the institution and remain sealed until opened by York University. Photocopies of faxed transcripts are not accepted. If transcripts are in another language, an official English translation is required. If the name of your transcript differs from the legal name that you currently use, please make sure that you include your former name on your application form.

There is no need for you to submit a York University transcript when you apply to our program if you have (i) taken one or more courses at York; (ii) earned a degree from York; (iii) completed a certificate program at York. Graduate Admissions will run off your York transcript for you. Please note, however, that if you have an outstanding debt with York University, a transcript will not be released and your application will not be processed.

Please fill out the supplementary information form (.pdf) and submit the form on MyFile.

On MyFile, you will have an option to submit the names of your two referees and their contact information. Once submitted, the Office of Graduate Admissions will contact your referees and provide them with a link to the online reference form. Your referees will submit their letters online directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. You do not need to submit a hard copy of your referee's letter if they have submitted an online reference form.

Applicants are required to submit a statement of interest of roughly 1000-1500 words, single or double spaced. In the statement, applicants should:

  • Share information regarding their suitability and/or motivation for applying to York University’s PhD program in Disaster & Emergency Management.
  • Specify areas of research interest and/or potential research focus.
  • List the name of at least one full-time faculty member in the Disaster or Emergency Management program at York University that they believe could serve as a potential supervisor.  Applicants should explain how their research interests align with that of the professor(s) they mention.

Applicants should submit a writing sample of a minimum of five pages, which must be their own work (unedited by another person or composed with the aid of artificial intelligence). The submission should demonstrate your abilities at writing in the English language, analysis, and critical thinking, and your suitability for the PhD program. While the topic of the writing sample will ideally relate to the field of Disaster and Emergency Management, this is not a requirement. Examples of writing samples include a paper for a past course, a master’s thesis or Major Research Paper, an academic article, or a professional report. Please ensure that you submit a clean copy of the writing sample (no grades/comments included).

Transcripts from all institutions attended must be uploaded through MyFile. These transcripts will be considered “unofficial”. If you receive a decision of conditional admission to our program, you must send one official transcript for every postsecondary institution you have attended, to the Graduate Admissions Office. To be considered official, it must be evident that you have had no direct access to the transcripts. Transcripts must come directly from, and bear the seal of, the issuing institution. If the institution issues transcripts directly to you, the envelope must be sealed by the institution and remain sealed until opened by York University. Photocopies of faxed transcripts are not accepted. If transcripts are in another language, an official English translation is required. If the name of your transcript differs from the legal name that you currently use, please make sure that you include your former name on your application form.

There is no need for you to submit a York University transcript when you apply to our program if you have (i) taken one or more courses at York; (ii) earned a degree from York; (iii) completed a certificate program at York. Graduate Admissions will run off your York transcript for you. Please note, however, that if you have an outstanding debt with York University, a transcript will not be released and your application will not be processed.

Applicants are required to submit the names of at least two referees and their contact information on MyFile. Once submitted, the Office of Graduate Admissions will contact your referees and provide them with a link to the online reference form. Your referees will submit their letters online directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions. You do not need to submit a hard copy of your referee’s letter if they have submitted an online reference form.

Academic references are preferred, especially those from the applicant’s most recent academic degree.  However, professional references are also acceptable.

Applicants must provide a Curriculum Vitae (CV), which is a comprehensive document outlining the applicant’s academic and professional achievements, qualifications, and experiences. There is no specific format required for the CV.

Please fill out the supplementary information form (.pdf) and submit the form on MyFile.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview by the admissions committee and/or prospective supervisor once all applications have been reviewed after the January 15 deadline.  Applicants will be informed of the format/process of the interview once shortlisted.

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The Graduate Program in Disaster & Emergency Management at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

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How to Apply