Why Munk One?
Our program is about connecting big ideas with students who have an urge to tackle global challenges. A Munk One student is someone who wants to have impact – someone who wants to make a difference in the global community.
Munk One is a chance to engage professors, fellow students, and a network of experts on the value of innovation. Most importantly, it’s about building a community in your first year at U of T that will stay with you through your entire university career. Not just any collection of classmates, but a community of first year students with diverse interests who share a common goal: problem-solving for a global community. Munk One brings you smaller classrooms, professors you get to know, a network of friends, and opportunities to engage in more than just lectures.
Thank you for your interest in the Munk One program! Admissions for the 2024-25 cohort will open February 22, 2024.
What is a foundational year program?
Foundational Year Programs for Arts & Science students are offered by the Munk School, as well as Innis College, New College, St. Michael’s College, Trinity College, University College, Victoria College, Woodsworth College, U of T Scarborough and U of T Mississauga. These dynamic small-group offerings allow you to network with peers, mentors and professors, and explore a broad range of compelling issues.
Does it cost extra?
Absolutely not. These courses are part of your regular tuition fees. In the Munk One program, you’ll take two half credit courses (Global Innovation I: Issues and Perspectives and Global Innovation II: Challenges and Solutions) and a full credit course (Global Problem-Solving: Laboratory Opportunities) that takes place in research-based labs.
How many "One" programs can I apply to?
You can apply to as many “One” programs as you like. Please note that you are only allowed to admission into a single “One” program: Students are not allowed to take two simultaneously!
Eligibility
Faculty of Arts & Science (St. George) newly admitted first-year, full-time students only. You must be a full-time student entering your first year of studies in the Faculty of Arts & Science in September. You can be enrolled at any U of T college.
How to apply
Apply in your JOIN U of T portal. You can access the portal by using your JOINid login credentials. Please note that only candidates who have received an offer of admission from the University of Toronto for Fall 2024 entry are eligible to apply to Munk One.
As part of your application, you will be prompted to:
- Provide us with a copy of your resume, which pays particular attention to co-curricular/volunteer activities that you deem relevant to the Munk One Program.
- In no more than 300 words, write an essay on ONE of the following questions:
- Describe a social, economic, political or environmental problem that you think is being addressed in a way that could have a transformative impact. What does “transformative” mean to you and how does it apply in this context?
- Identify a problem you feel passionate about and an initiative you participated in or joined that helped to address it. Reflect on your experience. What are its weaknesses, risks, and repercussions? What would you do differently?
- Either question you choose to answer will be interesting to us. Whether from your personal experience or pulled from the news, we are interested in learning what sparks your imagination!
- Provide us with a writing sample (500 - 1000 words in a word document or PDF) that demonstrates your critical thinking abilities. This sample should be something you have already written, e.g. for a class assignment, a blog post, or for a job or internship, rather than something new. The purpose is to let us see your ability to think outside the box, so we will be interested in any topic you are passionate about!
Deadlines
First application deadline: March 25, 2024
Second application deadline: May 6, 2024
Decisions
All applicants who applied by the deadline are notified about their admission decision by end of June.