II. General Regulations

Admission

Admission Requirements

In the Graduate Calendar, the typical Canadian university curriculum and university system are understood to be the academic standard of reference. Herein, grades are as assessed by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Admission to a graduate program, whether in the “Regular”, “Provisional”, or “Special” category (see section Enrolment and Registration, below) is, in all cases, based upon the recommendation of the program and department concerned and is subject to the approval of the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies) on behalf of the Board of Graduate Studies.

Note: Admission to advanced courses of instruction or to the privileges of research does not imply admission to candidacy for a higher degree.

Master’s: Normally, the minimum requirement for admission to a master's program is successful completion of an undergraduate degree/ baccalaureate, in an honours program or the equivalent, from a recognized university.

The applicant must have achieved a grade average of at least 70% (B-) in the last four semesters of study, normally the last two years of undergraduate study (full-time equivalent).

Applicants who have not achieved the minimum grade average may wish to upgrade their academic qualifications prior to applying to a master's program. For information on upgrading, see "Upgrading Standards" below.

Applicants who hold the DVM degree (or equivalent) and who are applying to the master's program must have achieved an overall average grade of at least 70% (B-) in their DVM program.

Applicants are advised that for admission to some master’s programs, a higher program grade average than the minimum 70% (B-) average may be required.

For information on alternate admissions criteria for master’s programs, see “Alternate Admissions Criteria” below.

Doctoral: Normally, the minimum requirement for admission to a doctoral program is the successful completion of an undergraduate/baccalaureate degree, and successful completion of a graduate/master’s degree – both from recognized universities.

The applicant must have achieved a grade average of at least 73% (B) in the master's degree program. Applicants are advised that for admission to some doctoral programs, a higher program grade average may be required.

Applicants who have not achieved the minimum grade average may wish to upgrade their academic qualifications prior to applying to a doctoral program. For information on upgrading, see "Upgrading Standards" below.

Applicants who hold the DVM degree (or equivalent) and who are applying to the DVSc program must have achieved an overall average grade of at least 73% (B) in their DVM program.

Some programs offer direct admission to a doctoral program from an Honours undergraduate/Baccalaureate degree program. For details, refer to the section entitled “Direct Admission to PhD Programs from an Honours Undergraduate/ Baccalaureate Program”.

Upgrading/Non-degree: Students not currently registered in a graduate degree, graduate diploma, or non-degree program at the University of Guelph or elsewhere and who wish to enroll in graduate courses for academic/professional upgrading and/or personal interest should apply on-line through Undergraduate Admission Services, Office of Registrarial Services. At the time of application to Undergraduate Admission Services, the applicant should indicate clearly that they wish to apply as an undergraduate student, and that they are not currently registered for a graduate degree or diploma. A registered undergraduate student may take undergraduate courses or a graduate course with the permission of the chair or director of the academic unit offering the course and the permission of the instructor of the course. In certain limited circumstances, graduate courses taken by undergraduate students may be credited to a graduate program at the University of Guelph. See the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for details.