IV. Admission Information

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Admission Requirements to University Programs in 2012

Semester One Admission

Entry Point

Admission to Semester One of a degree program and General Studies is available in the Fall semester only. A Semester One degree applicant is defined as one who will receive fewer than 2.00 transfer credits upon admission.

1. Applicants from Ontario Secondary Schools

Students seeking admission to a degree program must present the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, and a minimum of six 4 U/M courses including ENG4U. All specific subject requirements must be 4 U/M. Specific subject requirements for admission to the various degree programs are outlined in this section. Students are also advised to consult Section X of the Calendar (Undergraduate Degree Programs) to note those subjects which are recommended for specific programs.

In some cases, applicants with high academic standing may be admitted if they are deficient in one of the specific subject requirements. The exceptions to this are Cooperative Education, Bachelor of Arts, Studio Arts and Criminal Justice and Public Policy, Bachelor of Science, Bio-medical Science, Bachelor of Applied Science, Applied Human Nutrition, and the Bachelor of Commerce Program for which applicants must have completed all of the specific subject requirements.

Offers of Admission will be released starting in February. All offers of admission which are based on interim grades will be conditional upon completion of the OSSD with six 4 U/M courses (or equivalent) including specific subject requirements. The minimum final admission average which the applicant will have to achieve will be stipulated in the condition. Conditions specified in the offer letter. Grades in specific subject requirements are included in the calculation of the admission average. The University reserves the right to revoke the offer of admission should a student fail to meet any condition in the offer.

Applicants also have the opportunity to complete and submit the Student Profile Form http://admission.uoguelph.ca/spf which is considered after the third round of high school offers in May. Leadership and citizenship qualities as well as extenuating circumstances of a medical or compassionate nature are considered for applicants whose admission average falls within a discretionary range below the determined program admission average.

Students will not be required to respond to the offer until the common response date for all Ontario universities. Those wishing to respond earlier may do so.

Applicants who have not received an offer of admission by the end of May may become eligible for admission consideration to all non-limited enrolment programs by submitting their final grades. Admission consideration will be given on the basis of final grades only when places are still available in the program and/or specialization to which the student has applied at the time that the final grades are received. Applicants may be required to possess an admission average higher than those used prior to the end of May.

It is the applicant's responsibility to submit final, summer school or correspondence course grades to Admission Services, Level 3, University Centre, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, as soon as they become available. The following methods for submission of final grades will be acceptable:

  1. report card issued by the secondary school

  2. certified copy of the report card

  3. a transcript of marks issued by the secondary school and forwarded directly to the University.

It is suggested that students follow method c) above in order to facilitate the processing of their application. Any offers based on faxed information are conditional upon receipt of the official document.

International Baccalaureate

Students applying for admission on the basis of the IB Diploma should possess a minimum score of 28. Bonus points may be taken into consideration. Applicants are advised that most programs will require a higher score for admission consideration. Students currently in their final year of the IB program are encouraged to present "predicted" scores on the seven point scale, which will be taken into consideration to extend conditional offers of admission. The predicted scores can include grades from the Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge. Students must include, among their higher and standard levels, the specific subject requirements for the program to which they are applying. Unspecified transfer credits, to a maximum of 2.00 credits, will be granted for grades of 5 or better on higher level courses where the applicant has been awarded the IB Diploma. Students may request specific credit it on an individual basis. Unspecified transfer credits, to a maximum of 2.00 credits, will be granted for grades of 5 or better on higher level courses where the applicant has been awarded the Certificate. Credit will be assigned upon receipt of official final results.

Ontario high school students registered in an IB program will automatically have their IB courses converted into Ontario U and M level equivalents. IB scores will be converted into grades on a percentage scale out of 100. Admissions and scholarships will be determined using the conversions submitted to the Ontario Universities Application Centre by the applicant's high school.

The English Proficiency Requirement will be waived for applicants who have completed the Diploma where the language of instruction is English.

Advanced Placement

Applicants who have completed Advanced Placement courses with a minimum grade of 4 may be eligible to receive university credit to a maximum of 2.00 credits. The granting of credits and exemptions is at the discretion of the appropriate faculty, and will be based on official final results.

2. Applicants from Outside Ontario

Applicants whose preparation to enter the University has been completed outside the Ontario secondary school system must have achieved, as a minimum requirement, academic standing equivalent to that required of Ontario students and must satisfy the subject requirements for the program desired. Students should refer to the information for Ontario applicants regarding specific subject deficiencies. The University will take into consideration the availability of specific course requirements in other countries or provinces to ensure that the applicant is not disadvantaged if particular senior secondary courses are not offered. Please refer to the information following this section regarding specific subject requirements and equivalents.

Conditional offers of admission may be released on the basis of interim and/or first term grades. Some decisions may be deferred until final grades are submitted. Applicants are encouraged to submit any academic information which might expedite an admission decision by April 1. The condition of the offer will be applied as outlined for Ontario applicants.

  1. Other Provinces and Territories of Canada - Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Yukon--Grade 12. Quebec--Senior High School Leaving Certificate or High School Leaving Certificate plus 12 academic credits from an appropriate CEGEP program. For further details, please visit Out of Province Admission Requirements

  2. United States of America - Students must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 from an accredited high school. In addition, they must present a minimum combined SAT score of 1100 based upon the critical reading and math sections or ACT score of 24. Where class rankings are reported on the transcript, a ranking in the top quarter is preferred. Students should include, among their senior level courses, specific subjects that are required for admission to the degree program of their choice. Particular attention is paid to performance in program prerequisites.

  3. British Patterned Education Systems - Applicants must present either the GCSE (or IGCSE) and the GCE showing one of:

    1. Minimum of two Advanced level passes and three GCSE or IGCSE (Ordinary level) passes.

    2. Two Advanced Supplementary (AS) level courses may be substituted for one Advanced level course.

    3. Applicants who have completed GCE Advanced level examinations with a minimum grade of 'C' may be eligible to receive a maximum of 3.00 unspecified credits (1.00 credit per course). Students may request specific credit on an individual basis.

  4. Other Countries - The secondary school graduation certificate which admits to an internationally recognized university in another country is normally acceptable, provided that it is the equivalent of admission requirements for the University of Guelph.

NOTE: Possession of these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Required levels of academic preparation may vary according to the jurisdiction or country in which course work was completed. Applicants are encouraged to contact Admission Services prior to formal application in order to obtain specific information on admission requirements. They are strongly advised to provide detailed information on their particular situation.

3. Applicants for Admission as Mature Students
Statement of the Regulation

Applicants who do not possess the published minimum requirements for admission consideration may be considered for admission to degree programs as space permits and if, prior to the beginning of the Fall semester, they

  1. will have been out of secondary school for at least two years.

  2. will have normally not attended another post-secondary institution.

  3. have completed their secondary school diploma

In addition, applicants must meet specific subject requirements or equivalents as outlined below for the degree programs to which they have applied. Admission as a Mature Student is available in the Fall semester only.

B.A. Program

Students who meet the requirements to be considered for admission as mature applicants must have acceptable standing as follows:

ENG4U and two additional 4U or 4M courses, one of which must contain a writing component.

B.A.S., B.Sc., B.Sc. (Agr.), B.Eng., B.Sc. (Env.), and B.A.Sc. Programs

Applicants for any of these programs who satisfy conditions a) and b) outlined in the "Statement of the Regulation" and wish to be considered for admission under the Mature Student Regulation must have obtained standing in the specific 4U subjects or equivalent which are required of regular applicants for these programs.

Applicants for B.Comp. or B.L.A. who wish to be considered for admission under the Mature Student Regulation should contact Admission Services for specific admission requirements.

B.B.R.M. Program

Applicants who satisfy conditions a) and b) outlined in the "Statement of Regulations" and wish to be considered for admission under the Mature Student Regulation must have obtained standing as follows:

ENG4U SBI4U, and one additional 4U/M course.

B.Comm. Program

Students who meet the requirements to be considered for admission as mature applicants must have acceptable standing as follows:

(TMGT, HAFA, PMGT): ENG4U, MHF4U, and one additional 4U/4M course.

(ACCT, FAB, HRM, MEF, MKMN, REH): ENG4U, MHF4U and one additional 4U Mathematics course.

Applicants will be required to submit a letter, for consideration by the Admissions Committee, in which they outline their academic goals.

General Notes and Recommendations

The minimum average required for admission consideration will normally be that required for regular admission from secondary school. Students applying under the Mature Student Regulation must submit official transcripts of any previous post-secondary work undertaken and are encouraged to write a letter explaining their activities since their last academic semester. This academic record will be considered by the Admissions Committee in reaching an admission decision.

General Studies

The objective of General Studies is to provide students who do not meet the normal University admission criteria the opportunity to take university courses before registering in a specific degree program or to take university courses for continued learning with no immediate intention of registering in a degree program. All applicants must be Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents. Applicants will normally:

  1. not have previously registered at a university

  2. have completed the O.S.S.D. or equivalent and

  3. have been out of secondary school for 3 years.

Applicants must submit a General Studies Profile Form which will provide their intended study objectives, including courses and program. The University, via the General Studies Admission Committee, reserves the right to grant or deny admission to a candidate based on the appropriateness of the applicant's submissions.

Applicants to the General Studies program who wish to transfer to a degree program in the future should contact Admission Services, Office of Registrarial Services for specific internal transfer admission requirements. These requirements may vary with the degree program for which transfer is sought.

Application to General Studies in the first instance is for part-time study only and available for Fall entry point only. As such, students may take a maximum of 1.50 credits in the first semester. In special circumstances, permission to study full-time may be granted by the Program Counsellor. Normally, successful completion (minimum 60% cumulative average) of 1.50 credits is required before full-time study in General Studies can be undertaken.

University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Canada
519-824-4120