The home of deep learning
Geoffrey Hinton's students built AlexNet at the University of Toronto in 2012. The Vector Institute is downtown and the AI companies that followed are spread across the city.
Spend a year inside a Toronto startup while taking entrepreneurship classes at the University of Toronto. Experience one of the global homes of AI and AI research.
Partner uni
University of Toronto
Format
Intake
Audience
Undergraduates only
Ecosystem
Cohort size
~25 students per intake
Toronto is where the current wave of AI started. Geoffrey Hinton spent thirty years at the University of Toronto on neural networks after most researchers had written them off. In 2012 two of his students used them to win an image recognition contest so decisively that the field changed direction inside a year. Those students and the people that followed them built one of the most prolific AI ecosystems on the planet.
Your internship is only part of your experience. Toronto’s startup scene concentrates in buildings anyone can walk into. MaRS, DMZ, OneEleven, Communitech an hour west in Waterloo. Hackathons and open challenges take entries from anyone, not from anyone with an introduction. One NOC student entered the largest open innovation challenge in Canada, pitched at DMZ, and won a hackathon, all while working full time. Those opportunities are abundant in Toronto for those seeking growth and challenge.
Half of Toronto was born somewhere else. You are not the foreign student in the room, you are one more person who arrived recently. What makes anyone in Toronto standout is the work they do.
Geoffrey Hinton's students built AlexNet at the University of Toronto in 2012. The Vector Institute is downtown and the AI companies that followed are spread across the city.
You take entrepreneurship classes at the University of Toronto while you work. Eight of your forty NOC units come from them, and you are immersed in one of the most diverse student bodies in the world at UofT.
Interns at Toronto-based startups are expected to contribute and their presence is never spare. NOC students at CERT Systems, PolicyMe and TRIYO led projects and worked directly with founders.
You take entrepreneurship classes at the University of Toronto part-time while the internship runs. Eight of your forty NOC units come from those classes. The other thirty-two come from your internship.
Insulin in 1921. The pacemaker in 1950. Stem cells in 1961. Neural networks that actually worked in 2012. UofT keeps turning out things the rest of the world ends up needing and living with, and you take classes at the heart of those discoveries.
"We are conditioned to look for "model examples" - past year papers in school or "how it was done before" at work. NOC Toronto completely broke that habit for me. Returning for my final semester at NUS, my perspective has fundamentally shifted. Even in classroom settings, I no longer just "get things done." Now, I ask why I’m doing them and look for deeper ways to add my unique value."
“Your role doesn’t define what you do, what you do defines your role” this was what my CEO told me on my first day of NOC and it summarises my entire NOC experience in the best way possible! NOC is really #DoMoreLearnMore, a year in Toronto really allowed me to grow a lot both professionally and personally."
"I had no idea the journey that would be in store for me. That simple decision exposed me to the vibrant start-up and entrepreneurial culture which helped me gain confidence in myself, develop a unique thought process and become generally more creative and innovative when it came to problem-solving. The unique structure of the programme exposed me to what adult life felt like: going to work, buying groceries, settling bills, balancing it all with general self care and rest (which is very important)."
"Life Changing" would be how I would describe my NOC Toronto experience, as I can work in a startup, live overseas, and travel around North America. As a Mechanical Engineering student, I had to discover my own niche in Robotics to be adaptable and relevant to the current industry needs. NOC Toronto has been nothing short of amazing and I am always grateful for having this opportunity."
"This humbling experience has motivated me to take more risks and approach life with a continual growth mindset. My time in Toronto taught me that there is always more than meets the eye, and I am excited to keep pushing my boundaries and seeking new opportunities for personal and professional growth."
"Even as an intern at CERT Systems, I was responsible for key projects and milestones. I also had the privilege of fortnightly conversations with CERT's founders, to learn from their experiences and thoughts. Outside the internship, I had a plethora of unforgettable experiences, from the beautiful vistas of Banff National Park to the 4am caffeine fuelled hackathons."
"NOC has been transformative, not just in the past but continues to influence my life today through an invaluable network, a reshaped perspective, and a strengthened entrepreneurial spirit. It’s easy to say something like "it broadened my horizons," but living it—immersing myself in a new country’s startup ecosystem, brainstorming ideas with housemates, and taking initiative in a startup—truly defines the experience."
"At TRIYO, I work hand in hand with my CEO to create impact for our clients. I am privileged to have a mentor who entrusts me to lead projects and manage teams. Our company is based within OneEleven, a hive of start-up activity in downtown Toronto, so I get to meet founders and like-minded entrepreneurs every day."
Kyoeun Kim
NOC Toronto Alumna | 2025 | School of Computing
Corea Chua
NOC Toronto Alumna | 2024 | College of Design & Engineering
Eshani Gautam
NOC Toronto Alumna | 2023 | College of Design & Engineering
Zaw Hein Aung
NOC Toronto Alumnus | 2023 | College of Design & Engineering
Wit Yee Htet Oo
NOC Toronto Alumna | 2023 | NUS Business School
Wu Yongxin
NOC Toronto Alumnus | 2023 | College of Design & Engineering
Cheng Zhibin, Nicholas
NOC Toronto Alumnus | 2023 | NUS Business School
Clara Khoo Hui Xin
NOC Toronto Alumna | 2022 | Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
Cost of living [ $ ]
About SGD2,500 a month
Accommodation
NOC supports housing search.
Stipend & awards
Most students receive an internship stipend from their host company. NOC awards available via Awards & Scholarships
Visa
Canadian study permit. NOC covers the full application cost
Language
Climate
Time zone
Getting around
TTC subway and streetcars. GO Transit runs the corridor to Waterloo. A car isn’t necessary, but is convenient.
All three are submitted via myEduRec → External Study Online Application → Program Application → Supporting Document, before the application deadline.
NOC may withdraw your application if any are missing.
Rank Toronto-Waterloo in your application. Note that NOC reserves the right to assign you to any available location regardless of stated preference.
Start your application