Admission Requirements

The standards outlined in this section are the minimum requirements for admission to the University. Individual programs may have set higher standards for entry than the minimum stated here; students should consult the individual faculty and department descriptions or Undergraduate Admissions for their regulations.

Applicants from Secondary School

1. British Columbia/Yukon and other Canadian Provinces

The table on this page shows the requirements for admission to Year 1 for each faculty. These are the minimum requirements for graduates of secondary schools in British Columbia. Graduates of secondary schools in other provinces require equivalent qualifications to those specified in the table.

BC students must have written provincial examinations in any subject where it is mandatory in order to meet BC Graduation Program requirements. In years where students could elect to write an optional grade 12 provincial exam, the higher of the school mark or the blended grade (school mark and provincial exam result combined) will be used in the admission average calculation.

Approved Grade 11 and 12 Courses

For a complete, up-to-date list of approved courses visit <registrar.uvic.ca/undergrad/admissions/requirements/bc.html>.

2. Expanded Qualifications

Academic performance is the main criterion for admission and is used exclusively in the majority of cases.

However, the University recognizes that some candidates have other attributes that demonstrate an ability to succeed at university.

To be considered for admission under this policy, applicants must complete the personal information profile for the faculty to which they are applying.

This admission category is currently available in the Faculties of Humanities, Social Sciences, Human and Social Development (Child and Youth Care only), and Engineering.

Faculties may select a limited number of new first-year students who are in their graduation year at Canadian secondary schools, taking into account these expanded qualifications in order to recognize other indicators of likely academic success. The decisions of the faculties are final.

This policy applies only to candidates who meet the published minimum academic admission requirements.

More information concerning selection criteria, application procedure and documentation is available at <registrar.uvic.ca>.

3. Other Provinces/Territories Except Ontario and Quebec

Applicants from secondary schools in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories and Nunavut must meet the same admission requirements, present the same number of subjects and present equivalent secondary courses at the appropriate level as those prescribed by each UVic Faculty for graduates of BC secondary schools.

4. Ontario

Applicants from Ontario must have completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), including a minimum of six 4U/4M courses with an overall average of at least 67%, calculated on English 4U and five additional 4U/4M courses.

Applicants from Ontario who entered Grade 11 prior to September 2001 must have completed the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), including a minimum of six Ontario Academic Courses (or grade 13 courses) with an overall average of at least 67% calculated on OAC English and five additional OACs. Transfer credit will not be awarded for OAC or Grade 13 courses.

All applicants from Ontario require qualifications equivalent to those subjects shown in the table for students from British Columbia secondary schools.

5. Quebec

Applicants must have completed at least one full year of an approved program at a CEGEP with an overall grade average of at least B. No transfer credit will be granted for courses used to qualify for admission to Year 1. Completion of grade 11 (Secondaire V) is not sufficient for admission. Applicants require qualifications equivalent to those shown in the table for students from British Columbia secondary schools.

Applicants who have completed more than one year of a CEGEP program should refer to the CEGEP entry.

6. General Education Diploma (GED)

Applicants with a GED are considered for admission on an individual basis. Applicants must have a minimum standard score of 58.5 on the GED to be considered for admission.

7. International Baccalaureate Diploma

Applicants may be considered for admission on the basis of a completed International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum of 24 points (excluding bonus points.) For transfer credit, see "International Baccalaureate Credits".

8. Accelerated Entry for Distinguished Secondary School Students

Distinguished senior secondary school students may apply for special admission to the University before they graduate if they meet the following criteria:

1. The student is recommended for admission by the secondary school principal.
2. The student has normally completed grade 10 and is maintaining a minimum 80% average in all academic subjects and a minimum 90% average in the field of study the student plans to undertake at the University. If the student is not currently able to take courses needed to prepare for the planned field of study, the school principal must make a special recommendation, in writing, stating the student’s particular aptitudes.
3. The University department(s) concerned support(s) the student’s application, which requires a personal interview with the department Chair(s).
4. The student is completing the full range of grade 11 and grade 12 courses required to gain normal admission to the University. If the student is currently in grade 10, then a list of expected grade 11 and 12 courses is required. Except in special circumstances, students must be at least 16 years of age to be admitted to first year, and at least 17 to be admitted to second year.

Students who meet the above criteria are admitted to the University as “special students” and may register in no more than 6 units of courses in any given academic session.

The University will grant credit towards a degree for courses successfully completed when the student is authorized to register in a degree program.

9. BC Adult Graduation Diploma

Applicants with a BC Adult Graduation Diploma (the Adult Dogwood) may apply for admission if the following minimum requirements are met:

1. The applicant is at least 19 years of age.
2. Successful completion of English, Mathematics (academic), a laboratory Science, and Social Studies 11 or equivalent at the advanced or grade 11 level. Courses done through the secondary system must each be worth 4 credits.
3. Successful completion of English plus three approved academic subjects at the grade 12 level. Courses done through the secondary system must each be worth 4 credits, and provincial examinations must be written if mandatory in the subject taken. All courses presented for admission must be graded. A minimum average of 67% is required for consideration.

All applicants must have the appropriate prerequisites for the program to which they have applied. Admission requirements for the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Science and the Health Information Science program parallel those for BC secondary school graduates.

10. Applicants with Credit for Secondary School Calculus

All prospective UVic students who have completed or are registered in a secondary school calculus course are eligible to write a Calculus Challenge Examination. Students who pass this examination will be able to obtain credit for MATH 100 at UVic.

Application must be made to the Mathematics department hosting the Calculus Challenge Examination. (Each year one of BC's four universities hosts the examination.) Only one attempt is permitted. After completing the Calculus Challenge Exam and registering at UVic, a student may contact Undergraduate Records to receive credit for MATH 100. The student's transcript will then show challenge credit for MATH 100 and the grade obtained.

Enquiries regarding application deadlines, fees, course syllabus, sample examinations with solutions and related matters should be directed to:

Students already eligible for transfer credit because of high AP or IB scores will keep this eligibility regardless of their examination score, and can waive the examination score and/or credit.

11. Applicants with College Board Advanced Placement Credits

Applicants who have passed the Advanced Placement examination in 1989 or later in selected subjects, with a grade of 4 or 5, will receive transfer credit. Refer to the BC Transfer Guide at <www.bctransferguide.ca> for further information.

Applicants who pass the AP examination with a grade of 3 will be granted advanced standing for the purpose of meeting a prerequisite but no transfer credit. Applicants should consult with the department concerned for course advice.

12. Home-Schooled Applicants

UVic welcomes applications from individuals with varying academic backgrounds. Home-schooled applicants should be aware of the following:

• It is an admission requirement to be a secondary school graduate. Therefore, home-schooled applicants must be able to present proof of completion of a program that has met graduation requirements from a recognized educational jurisdiction and also faculty-specific minimum subject and academic average requirements.
• All applicants are required to take provincial exams, or equivalent, for all courses in which they are mandatory. Therefore, if a home-schooled student is participating in a program with provincial examinations, or equivalent, those courses with mandatory examinations must be taken.
• In cases where applicants do not meet the above-mentioned requirements, they must submit an appeal letter documenting the reasons for not being able to meet these requirements and provide SAT scores and/or any other relevant documentation for consideration by the Senate Committee on Admission, Reregistration and Transfer.