How to Apply to Chemistry at Simon Fraser University: Apply Directly to the Faculty of Science, Optional First Year at Surrey, Pre-Calculus 12 for BC Students, and Admission and Prerequisite Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Simon Fraser University (SFU) is in Metro Vancouver. Chemistry is a Bachelor of Science in the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science. Below is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on SFU's official pages, for domestic students (Canadian citizens and permanent residents), international students, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Degree, options and how to apply

• Degree: the program page lists the degree as a Bachelor of Science and describes chemistry as the study of matter's physical properties and transformations, in a program known for cutting-edge and multidisciplinary research. Chemistry is on the Faculty of Science list of majors you can apply to directly on the application.
• Minors: the page says the program offers an Environmental Chemistry minor and a Nuclear Science minor, and a minor can be added to any major.
• Joint programs: the SFU calendar page for Molecular Biology and Biochemistry (MBB) lists a Chemistry and MBB joint major and joint honours; their requirements were not read for this guide, so check the SFU calendar. A chemistry honours degree, ACS or Canadian Society for Chemistry accreditation, co-op and a final research project are not stated on the pages read here; please check the Department of Chemistry website.
• Surrey campus: the page says you can start at the Surrey campus. The how-to-apply page says to choose the Faculty of Science in section 4 of the EducationPlannerBC application and then Chemistry, or (fall only) Chemistry - 1st yr Surrey.
• Staying in the major: the calendar says that after 20 units of Science courses, a Science cumulative GPA of at least 2.20 is required to continue as a Chemistry major. Below 2.20 you get a warning letter and, if it is still below after the next term, you are withdrawn from the major (you can re-enter if the GPA recovers). After 90 or more units, a Science GPA below 2.20 but above 2.00 lets you finish the major. A D in a prerequisite means you cannot enrol in the CHEM course that follows.
• Outside this guide: medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health are not covered here; see SFU's website. For biology, see SFU's pages for Biological Sciences and related majors.

2. Program structure and labs

• The spring 2027 calendar entry for the Chemistry major requires 120 units in total, with 44 units at the upper division level. The upper division part is 34 units including named courses such as Introductory Instrumental Analysis (CHEM 316), plus another 15 units of upper division CHEM, MBB or NUSC courses (at most 3 units of MBB and 3 of NUSC), including at least 6 units of 400-level CHEM courses. The research courses CHEM 481, 483 and 484 can count for up to 5 of those units. The rest are electives, which must also meet the university's writing, quantitative and breadth (WQB) requirements.
• The lower division covers general chemistry with laboratories, analytical chemistry with a lab, inorganic chemistry with a lab (CHEM 236W is a writing-intensive lab), physical chemistry (atoms, molecules, spectroscopy) with a lab, organic chemistry with labs, and calculus courses such as MATH 152. See the calendar for the exact course choices. The calendar advises completing mathematics and physics courses as early as possible.
• Where you start: the calendar says the point of entry depends on your chemistry background. CHEM 110 and 111 are not required for the BSc and are available as electives for students with no chemistry knowledge or who start from BC Chemistry 11; students with BC Chemistry 12 (or equivalent) normally start with CHEM 121. The prerequisite for CHEM 121 is a minimum B in Chemistry 12 (or CHEM 111, or CHEM 110 and 115).
• Physics: the calendar encourages the standard physics stream (PHYS 120, 121, 132, 133) or the advanced stream (PHYS 125, 126, 132, 133); students can also take the studio stream (PHYS 140, 141). It says students who complete the life sciences stream (PHYS 101, 102, 130 with at least a B, with a BISC 100/101/102 corequisite) should have enough preparation for the major.
• For physical or theoretical chemistry, the calendar says more mathematics and physics courses than listed, and a computer programming course, are needed.

3. Prerequisites

BC high school (Chemistry admission requirements page)

• Grade 11: two of Chemistry 11, Life Sciences 11 and Physics 11.
• Grade 12: at least five approved academic courses; one of English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12; at least two of Anatomy and Physiology 12, Calculus 12, Chemistry 12 and Physics 12; and Pre-Calculus 12 is required. The page also requires at least 70% in Language Arts 11, English 12 or an equivalent. Equivalent AP or IB courses can replace these courses.
• Admission uses all approved Grade 11 and 12 courses. For BC students, early admission decisions are usually released between November and January and standard admission decisions generally between February and April.
• Note: the admission requirements page does not make Chemistry 12 mandatory (it is one of four courses, of which two are needed), but the course prerequisite for CHEM 121 is Chemistry 12 with at least a B, so plan your high school courses with both in mind.

Ontario high school (Ontario requirements page)

• For all Faculty of Science programs: Grade 11 ENG3U, one of MCF3M or MCR3U, SCH3U (Chemistry 11) and SPH3U (Physics 11); Grade 12 at least six U/M courses, including ENG4U (minimum 70%) and MHF4U, two 4U/M math or science courses, and two more courses from List A or List B.
• SFU says AP and IB courses may replace approved 4U/M courses and that the course lists are not exhaustive, so ask admissions about specific courses.
• SFU has separate pages for other provinces' high schools that were not read for this guide; check the Canadian high school requirements page for your province.

University-wide

• Quantitative and analytical skills requirement: at least 60% or a C in an approved Grade 11 or 12 math course; or 3 in IB Mathematics (HL/SL); or a D in GCE A/AS math or a C- in GCSE O-level math; transfer students can meet it with a C- in a 3-unit math or Q course. SFU adds that 70% in one of the math courses is needed to enrol directly in Q courses.
• IB Diploma: the historical admission grade ranges page says a minimum of 26 points is required for consideration for all programs, and the competitive minimum varies by program.

4. Application route, deadlines and fees (fall 2027 entry)

• Route: the apply page says all applications to BC post-secondary institutions go through EducationPlannerBC. The non-refundable application fee is $86 for domestic and $130 for international students (the page does not state the currency; check when you apply).
• High school applicants (the fall term dates page): the application opens on October 1, 2026 and closes on January 31, 2027. Early admission consideration for BC 12 applicants runs from mid-November 2026 to January 2027; decisions for most high school applicants are rolling from January to late April. BC applicants must submit the Student Transcript Service (STS) form by January 31; the document submission deadline for all high school applicants is February 28; most students must accept their offer by May 1; high school courses must be completed by June 30 to meet the conditions of an offer. The first day of classes for fall 2027 is September 7.
• Historical admission ranges (from the SFU page): for the past three years, the Faculty of Science (listed as "All programs") shows the mid 80s for Canadian citizens and permanent residents and the high 80s for students on a study permit. SFU stresses that meeting a range does not guarantee admission.
• Essays and references: neither the chemistry page nor the apply page mentions an essay or reference letters. This is not stated on the pages read here; please confirm with SFU admissions.

5. International students, including applicants from China

General requirements for international students

• English (the English language requirement page): you can meet it through the language of your schooling or a test: IELTS Academic overall 6.5 with no part below 6.0; TOEFL iBT, for tests taken from January 21, 2026, overall 4.5 with no part below 4.0 (earlier tests: overall 88, no part below 20), in a single sitting; Duolingo 125; PTE 65 with at least 60 in each communicative skill; CAEL 70 with no part below 60; Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency overall 176 with no part below 169; LanguageCert Academic 70 with no part below 65; IB Diploma including English A with a 3; GCSE O-level English grade 4 (or C); or 70% in a senior-level English after three years of full-time English-medium secondary school (four years at a recognized international school). Language tests older than two years are not accepted. SFU also says that first-year writing-intensive courses need higher grades than the admission grades.

Applicants from China (the SFU China page)

• Documents: the Senior Middle School Graduation Diploma, and a transcript with grades for all courses and the final grades for the first semester of Senior Year 3. Admission is calculated on Senior Year 3 academic subjects.
• Mathematics: at least 70% in Senior Year 2 or Senior Year 3 mathematics, based on a 60% pass scale.
• Gaokao: offers are conditional on receiving Gaokao results in July, and the required results depend on the program; applicants following an IB curriculum or taking GCE A-Levels do not need to submit Gaokao results. The page does not state a Gaokao score or percentage for chemistry; please ask SFU admissions.
• Faculty of Science subjects: the China page lists the Faculty of Science (including Chemistry) as needing Senior Year 3 Math plus two of Senior Year 3 Biology, Chemistry or Physics.
• Pathway: if you are missing a required course or do not quite meet the admission score, SFU points to the pathway program at Fraser International College.
• Interviews and recognition agencies for applicants from China are not stated on the pages read here; see the official China page.

6. Transfer students (including from colleges)

• The transfer requirements page says you need at least 24 units of transferable post-secondary work attempted and can transfer up to 60 units. With fewer than 24 units you are evaluated on your final high school requirements and grades, provided your post-secondary GPA is at least 2.00. You must be in good standing with at least a 2.00 GPA (60%). Admission is based on high school courses only for 0 to 8 units, usually on both high school grades and post-secondary GPA for 9 to 23 units, and on post-secondary GPA for more than 23 units.
• Faculty of Science (including Chemistry): at least 24 units of transferable course work including one transferable math course; for admission from Spring 2026, also two additional transferable Faculty of Science courses (can be from one subject such as CHEM, BISC, MATH or PHYS on SFU's list). Senior high school math or science courses may be used in place of transferable ones.
• Historical transfer ranges: for the past three years, the Faculty of Science shows C+ to B for Canadian citizens and permanent residents and B- to B for students on a study permit.
• Dates: for fall 2027, transfer applications are accepted from March 1 to April 15 (the apply page agrees) and the document deadline is May 15.
• BC Associate of Arts or Science degree holders get admission preference at a GPA 0.25 lower than regular transfer, but not below 2.00. The BC Transfer Guide lists transferable courses; courses not listed are not transferable. Chemistry-specific requirements for transfer students are not stated on the pages read here; please ask the Department of Chemistry.

7. Fees and scholarships

• Fees (the fees and scholarships page): the page gives 2026/27 estimates for a typical Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences or Faculty of Science program, two terms and 10 courses (30 units): tuition and fees (including a transit pass) $7,675 for Canadian and $38,944 for international students; textbooks, technology and supplies $2,400; a single residence room with a meal plan $15,014; medical insurance $365 and $945; totals in CDN$ of $25,454 (Canadian) and $57,303 (international). SFU warns that current students' tuition may rise by up to 6% a year. Figures for 2027/28 are not stated on the pages read here; please check.
• USES entrance scholarship (the SFU page): open to domestic and international high school students admitted for the fall term; you must apply, with a minimum average of 90% or 31 IB points (excluding bonus points) in the courses required for admission. Awards run from $20,000 up to $60,000 for domestic students and $140,000 for international students, and further living-allowance funding may go to exceptionally talented students with financial need. Applications open October 1, 2026 and close December 15, 2026, with supporting documents due January 31. It also brings priority residence access and course enrolment priority.
• SFU also lists the Uggla Family Scholarship and other entrance scholarships, awards and bursaries, and offers guaranteed housing to first-year students entering from high school in the fall who accept an offer by May 1.

8. A few reminders

• Where a date on an SFU page has no year, check that it is for 2027 entry; this guide follows pages that say fall 2027.
• The chemistry page gives no admission average of its own, only the Faculty of Science range, which is a guide and not a threshold.
• An inconsistency on SFU's pages: the admission requirements page does not require Chemistry 12, while the course prerequisite for CHEM 121 starts from Chemistry 12 with a B. Use the course prerequisite for planning courses and the admission page for applying.