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Admission Requirements

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at The University of Western Ontario coordinates the admission process with each of the graduate programs selecting and admitting prospective students to graduate study. Please review this information to ensure you are prepared with the knowledge necessary to succeed in your educational pursuits.

Master's Program

Minimum Requirements

For admission to Master's programs at Western applicants must possess a four-year degree from an accredited university.  The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requires at least a 70% average across courses taken in the last two full-time years of the undergraduate degree.  Equivalent qualifications may be considered based on the standards of the discipline or profession.

Program Requirements

For admission to the Masters program, applicants must possess, or be in the process of completing, the equivalent of a four-year Honours degree in science, engineering, math, computer science, or a related discipline from an accredited university. An average of 78% (or the Canadian equivalent for international degrees) over the last two years of the Bachelor's degree is considered competitive. Equivalent or professional qualifications may be considered based on the standards of the discipline or profession.

Accelerated M.Sc. Program Requirements

For admission to the Accelerated Masters program, applicants must possess, or be in the process of completing, the equivalent of a four-year Honours degree in science, engineering, math, computer science, or a related discipline from an accredited university. An average of 75% (or the Canadian equivalent for international degrees) over the last two years of the Bachelor's degree is required.

Doctoral Program

Minimum Requirements

For admission to Doctoral programs at Western, applicants must possess a Master's degree or equivalent from a university, college or institute, and provide evidence of research potential. The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies requires at least a 70% average in the Master's degree, as determined by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

Program Requirements

For admission to the Doctoral program, applicants must possess, or be in the process of completing, a Masters degree or equivalent from an accredited university and provide evidence of research potential. Equivalent qualifications may be considered based on the standards of the discipline or profession.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language by a satisfactory* achievement within the last two years in one of the following:

  • The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable score is 92, with no individual score below 20 and a minimum of 23 in the speaking component. [Western's TOEFL ID is 0984].
  • The International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) of the British Council. The minimum acceptable score is 6.0 in all four categories and 6.0 overall. The IELTS is offered in 6 test centres in the US and 3 in Canada.

We do not offer conditional admission for applicants with below-standard English proficiency scores. Applicants who cannot meet SGPS's minimum proficiency standards will not be offered admission.

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