What should be included in a “statement of intent”?

Your statement of intent, also known as a statement of research interests, tells the admissions committee about your background as well as the thesis research that you hope to complete with us. The statement should be two pages long, double-spaced. It should provide any necessary background on you, such as your past research and related experience (for example, a description of a previous honours thesis or master’s thesis that you have completed). The majority of the two pages should then be dedicated to describing, as best you can, the proposed research area of the thesis you would like to complete with us.

For Ph.D. applicants, this research statement will likely be quite specific and detailed. For M.A. applicants, it may be less developed. You may also suggest a potential supervisor and/or other faculty members in our program that you would like to work with.

Finally, if you are interested in one of our collaborative programs (e.g., Digital Humanities, African Studies, Climate Change, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Political Economy, etc.) you should mention this in your statement.