Perspective

McGill University is one of Canada’s best-known institutions of higher learning and one of the country’s leading research-intensive universities. With students coming to McGill from about 160 countries, their student body is the most internationally diverse of any medical-doctoral university in Canada. The oldest university in Montreal, McGill was founded in 1821 from a generous bequest by James McGill, a prominent Scottish merchant. Since that time, McGill has grown from a small college to a bustling university with two campuses, 11 faculties, some 300 programs of study, and more than 34,000 students. The University partners with four affiliated teaching hospitals to graduate over 1,000 health care professionals each year.

Admissions Requirements

The following outlines the minimum requirements for admission to graduate studies at McGill. These minimum requirements apply to both Canadian and international candidates. Please review the list carefully, as you must meet all of the minimum requirements in order to be considered for acceptance.

Keep in mind that meeting the minimum admissions requirements does not guarantee your admission. Admission to graduate studies is highly competitive and also depends on the admissions requirements of the academic unit and the availability of resources such as supervision, funding, laboratory space, class size, etc.

Make sure your application is submitted before the Date for Guaranteed Consideration as displayed on the information page of the department to which you are applying. Applications received after this date may not be reviewed for admission.

McGill will stop accepting applications as of:

• June 30 (April 30 for International applicants) for the Fall term
• November 15 (September 30 for International applicants) for the Winter term
• March 30 (February 28 for International applicants) for the summer term.

Minimum requirements:

• A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent as recognized by McGill University) in a subject closely related to the one selected for graduate work. If you have obtained your educational credentials at an institution outside of Canada, they will be assessed for equivalency with a McGill University degree. Please consult the International Degree Equivalency page for more information.

• High academic achievement: The minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is 3.0 out of a possible 4.0, or a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 out of 4.0 in the last two years of full-time studies. In some departments, however, a higher CGPA is required for admission. Consult the program page for details.

• Proficiency in English: The primary language of instruction at McGill is English. You may make arrangements to write papers, examinations or theses in French, except in cases where knowledge of the English language is one of the objectives of the course. Prior to admission, you may need to demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in English. For more information, visit the English Language Proficiency page.

• Other requirements: Some academic units may have additional requirements such as test scores (GMAT, GRE, etc.), essays or other documents. Please refer to the program page for details.

Proof of proficiency – not required:
Normally, if you meet any one of the following conditions you are not required to submit proof of proficiency in English:

• Mother tongue (language first learned and still used on a daily basis) is English
• Has obtained (or is about to obtain) an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction
• Has obtained (or is about to obtain) an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized institution in Canada or the United States of America (anglophone or francophone)
• Has lived and attended school, or been employed, for at least four consecutive years, in a country where English is the acknowledged primary language.

Proof of proficiency – required:
If you do not meet any of the above-listed conditions, you must demonstrate proficiency in English using one of the following options: minimum acceptable scores TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) are: for iBT (internet based test it is 86 overall, (no less than 20 in each of the four component scores and for PBT (paper based test) it is 550.The CBT is no longer being offered. CBT results will no longer be accepted as ETS no longer reports these results. N.B. an institutional version of the TOEFL is not acceptable. IELTS (International English Language Testing System): a band score of 6.5 or greater.

For further information, please visit: http://www.mcgill.ca