How to Apply to Psychology at Western University: Apply to Social Science, Enter an Honours Module After First Year, and Requirements and Timeline for Canadian and Chinese High School Students and Transfer Students

Western University is in London, Ontario. Its Department of Psychology is part of the Faculty of Social Science and offers psychology as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.). Like the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo, Western does not let you choose the psychology program when you apply: you apply to the Faculty of Social Science and enter a psychology module after completing the required first-year courses. Unlike Waterloo, both the B.A. and the B.Sc. start from the same faculty, so you do not have to choose between them when you apply. Here is what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on Western’s official information, for students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students and international students in Canada), students at high schools in China, and transfer students.

1. What to apply to

• Apply to Social Science (OUAC code EO): Western admits students to faculties rather than to specific programs, apart from a few direct-entry programs. Psychology is in the Faculty of Social Science, so EO is the choice to add. Add each faculty only once and do not apply to the same code twice.
• Admission average guideline: Social Science lists an admission average guideline of the low to mid 80s, with a first-year class of about 850. The guideline reflects Ontario high school students and does not guarantee admission. Western’s typical first-year class has an entering average of around 88%.
• Psychology programs: the department lists an Honours Specialization in Psychology (B.A.), an Honours Specialization in Psychology (B.Sc.), an Honours B.Sc. in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, a five-year combined Psychology and Ivey HBA program, and a Major and a Minor in Psychology. The department recommends the honours specializations for students who plan graduate study in psychology; students headed for professional programs such as education, law, business or medicine can take the Major or combine it with another major in an honours double major.
• B.A. vs B.Sc.: the B.A. honours module covers the biological, social and psychological foundations of behaviour; the B.Sc. honours module focuses on the biological foundations of behaviour, with courses mainly in neuroscience, cognition, sensation and perception, and adds first-year biology and chemistry (or physics or computer science).
• Psychology plus Ivey: the Ivey HBA starts in Year 3. High school students can apply for Advanced Entry Opportunity (AEO) status by checking the Ivey AEO box when adding Social Science on the OUAC and submitting a separate Ivey AEO application by January 15, 2027.
• Fees: the OUAC fee is CAD $159 for three choices and CAD $51 for each additional choice. Applicants from high schools outside Ontario (Group B, including BC and China) also pay a CAD $125 supplemental evaluation fee.

2. Academic requirements: Canadian high schools

• BC high school students: a secondary school diploma by June and five acceptable academic Grade 12 courses, including English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12.
  • Social Science requires only English, at 70% or higher.
  • Math is recommended (any of Pre-Calculus 12, Calculus 12 or Foundations of Math 12): all psychology majors and honours specializations require a first-year university math course.
  • For the B.Sc. in Psychology: Western recommends Anatomy and Physiology 12 plus Chemistry 12 or Physics 12. The Faculty of Science notes that you need Grade 12 Biology and Chemistry to take first-year biology and chemistry at Western.
  • How your average is calculated: five courses, always including English Studies 12, then your top acceptable courses. Required courses do not have to be in the average but must be completed. If you repeat a course, the highest grade counts; Challenge for Credit grades are not used.
  • Submitting grades: after you apply, complete the Self-Reported Grades form in Student Center and list every Grade 12 course, including those without grades yet.
• Ontario high school students: English (ENG4U) is required, and the OUAC sends your grades to Western. Offers go out in rounds from December to May, with every application reviewed in each round; the largest round is usually in mid-May.
• International students at Canadian high schools: follow the requirements for your province. If you completed four full-time years at an English-language secondary school and took Grade 12 English, you can request an English proficiency waiver (see below).

3. Academic requirements: high schools in China

• Documents: your senior secondary transcript (all completed and in-progress subjects), the Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma, the Academic Proficiency Test (Huikao) results and your Gaokao results. If your province does not hold the proficiency tests, your school must provide a letter explaining the policy. Documents not in English need official English translations.
• Courses: Social Science has no required courses; math is recommended. For the B.Sc. in Psychology, biology plus chemistry or physics is recommended. All courses must be senior level.
• Grades: Western says admitted students typically have at least the equivalent of a B (3.0) average on the Canadian scale. Western calculates your average based on curriculum, grading practices and grading scale; some programs are more competitive, so aim as high as you can.
• Applying before you graduate: Western uses mid-year or in-progress results and usually makes a conditional offer that requires you to graduate and keep a minimum average. Once your final documents show you met the conditions, the offer becomes unconditional.
• After you accept: your school must send all transcripts and official documents directly to WES Canada for a WES-Basic Document-by-Document ICAP report. If the verified results differ from what you submitted, Western may cancel your offer.
• Decision time: applicants outside Ontario can expect to wait up to six weeks after all documents are in. The Letter of Acceptance for your study permit is on the last page of your offer letter in Student Center, and Western emails instructions for requesting a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL).

4. English requirements

• IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, with at least 6.0 in each band.
• TOEFL iBT: for tests taken on or after January 21, 2026, 4.5 overall, at least 4.0 in reading, speaking and writing and 4.5 in listening; for earlier tests, 83 overall with at least 20 in each section. Institution code 0984.
• Other tests: PTE Academic 58 (56 in each section); Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 176 (169 in each); CAEL 60 (60 in each); Duolingo 115 (100 in each subscore).
• Test dates: for fall 2027 entry, take the test before March 2027; tests written before January 1, 2025 are not accepted. Use the same name and date of birth as on your OUAC application so the scores can be matched. Results must reach Western by mid-April.
• Waivers: one of the following must apply: four full-time years at an English-language secondary school, two full-time years at an Ontario college in English, or one full-time year at a university in English. In addition, your classes must have been taught in English, you took academic courses, you did not take ESL courses, and, at a Canadian high school, you are taking or took Grade 12 English. You request a waiver by email with a school letter confirming the language of instruction.
• If you are close: if you meet all other requirements and your scores are close, Western may offer a place in the nine-week English Boost program in the summer before you start, with no separate application. For example, IELTS 5.5 overall with 5.5 in reading and writing and 5.0 in the other bands may be considered.
• Compared with other schools: Western’s IELTS requirement of 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each band is less demanding than Waterloo’s, which requires 6.5 in writing and speaking.

5. After first year: entering a psychology module

• First-year courses:
  • Introductory psychology: Psychology 1002A/B and 1003A/B (or Psychology 1000), with at least 60% in each.
  • 1.0 credit of math: Data Science 1000A/B is mandatory, plus another 0.5 credit of first-year math; the department recommends Mathematics 1228A/B. These courses require a Grade 11 or 12 university-level math course in high school.
  • For the B.Sc. honours module, also 1.0 credit of first-year biology and 1.0 credit of chemistry, physics or computer science.
• Major and Minor: not competitive; you need at least 60% in both first-year psychology courses. Major students may declare before finishing the math courses but should complete them as soon as possible.
• Honours specializations are competitive: enrolment is limited. You must complete 5.0 first-year credits by May 1 with no failures and have at least 75% in 3.0 principal courses (including psychology and math) with no mark below 60%. The 75% is only a minimum: the department lists recent cut-offs of about 79% for the B.A. and about 80% for the B.Sc., and another department page gives 81%; cut-offs vary from year to year. You apply for the B.Sc. honours module during Intent to Register in March.
• Once you are in: honours students must keep a modular average of at least 75%, with 70% and 75% minimums in the second-year research methods and statistics courses. Students entering after Year 2 or 3 are assessed on their last 10.0 credits. If you are not admitted after first year, the department recommends following your target module’s courses and reapplying.
• Honours double major: a Psychology Major plus a major in another subject, with at least 70% in each, also leads to an honours degree.

6. Transfer students

• From a university (Canadian or international): an overall average of at least 70% (about B- or 2.7 GPA) in all previous university studies. Social Science has no required high school courses; biology plus chemistry or physics is recommended for the B.Sc. in Psychology. First-year students may receive a conditional offer based on first-semester results and their high school average; students in second year or higher are assessed on mid-year results and all previous university work.
• BC students: if you are in a university transfer program at a college in BC or Alberta, you apply under the university transfer guidelines.
• From a college: a cumulative average of at least 78% in a two- or three-year diploma, or at least 80% in the first year of General Arts and Science or Pre-Health. Social Science requires high school English at 70% and strongly recommends math.
• Transfer credit: assessed after you accept. Courses from Canadian universities need at least 60% (C-); international university courses need at least a C. You must complete at least 10.0 credits on Western’s Main Campus to earn a Western degree; college transfers usually receive up to 5.0 credits, about one year. Western and six other Ontario universities, including Toronto, McMaster and Waterloo, grant specific credit for more than 20 popular first-year foundational courses.
• Psychology credits: once your transfer credit is assessed, see the psychology department’s counsellor to check whether earlier psychology and math courses meet first-year requirements, with course outlines, evaluation methods and textbooks.
• Scholarships: admission scholarships are for students coming directly from high school; students who have attended college or university are generally not eligible.

7. Timeline for September 2027 entry

• Late September 2026: OUAC applications open. Western’s undergraduate programs start only in the fall.
• January 15, 2027: deadline for guaranteed consideration, also the Ivey AEO deadline. Later applications are accepted but space is not guaranteed.
• Within about 10 business days of applying: you receive an email to set up your Western Student Center and upload grades and documents from your To Do List.
• February 14, 2027: National Scholarship application deadline.
• March 1, 2027: Special Consideration and extracurricular profile deadline. Applicants outside Ontario must have their application and all documents in by this date for guaranteed consideration for the Western Scholarship of Excellence.
• Before March 2027: take your English test; results must arrive by mid-April.
• December to May: offers go out in rounds, with the largest round for Ontario high school students usually in mid-May; other applicants usually hear within six weeks of completing their file.
• June 1, 2027: the earliest response deadline for Ontario high school students; other applicants follow the date in their offer and accept on the OUAC. Applicants a few percent below the cut-off may be waitlisted and contacted in early June, starting with the most qualified, if spaces remain.
• June 3: residence questionnaire and prepayment deadline. July 9: Admission Bursary deadline. August 1: deadline to request a one-year deferral.

8. Scholarships and costs

• Automatic admission scholarships (no application needed for students admitted directly from high school and registered full-time):
  • Western Scholarship of Excellence: 250 scholarships of CAD $8,000 each ($6,000 in first year plus $2,000 for an optional study abroad experience), awarded to the top admission averages. Recipients from international or out-of-province high schools may also receive a $2,000 Travel Grant.
  • Western Scholarship of Distinction: final admission average of 92.0% to 100%; $2,500 in first year plus $1,000 for study abroad.
  • Western Admission Scholarship: final admission average of 90.0% to 91.9%; $1,500 in first year plus $1,000 for study abroad.
  • Averages are not rounded. Western calculates averages for students outside Canadian curricula.
• Scholarships you apply for: the National Scholarship Program recognizes all-around excellence, with a February 14 deadline; international students are eligible for three $100,000 International President’s Entrance Scholarships.
• International students: the Welcome to Canada and Continue in Canada admission scholarships run only through 2026–27 and are not offered for 2027 entry.
• BC students: students coming from another province can apply for a $3,000 Out-of-Province Student Admission Bursary.
• Estimated costs (first-year tuition and fees, based on 2025–26): about CAD $9,300 to $16,900 for Canadian students from outside Ontario and CAD $48,000 to $64,400 for international students. International tuition rises by no more than 4% a year after Year 1. Residence and a meal plan for eight months cost about CAD $16,510 to $19,140 (2024–25 estimate).

Checklist

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Add Social Science (EO) on the OUAC by January 15, 2027; check the Ivey AEO box and submit a separate application if you want psychology plus business
• BC: English Studies 12 at 70% or higher, with a Grade 12 math recommended; for the B.Sc., Anatomy and Physiology 12 and Chemistry 12 (or Physics 12) are recommended
• Complete the Self-Reported Grades form in Student Center
• Request an English waiver if all four years were full-time at English-language schools

Students at high schools in China:

• Transcript, graduation diploma, Huikao and Gaokao results, with official English translations
• Math recommended; biology plus chemistry or physics for the B.Sc.
• IELTS (6.5, 6.0 in each band), TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo or another accepted test taken before March 2027
• Applicants outside Ontario: all documents by March 1 for guaranteed consideration for the Scholarship of Excellence
• After accepting, WES verification of your final transcript and diploma

Transfer students:

• A university average of 70%+, or 78%+ in a college diploma
• All university and college transcripts; after admission, ask the psychology department to assess earlier psychology and math courses

Sources: Western University, Social Science programs; How admission decisions are made; BC high school requirements; China high school requirements; English language proficiency; Transfer from a Canadian university; Transfer from a Canadian college; Transfer from an international university; Admission deadlines; Applying on the OUAC; Choosing program codes; Waiting for a decision; Costs and financial support; Office of the Registrar: admission scholarships; Department of Psychology: future students; Department of Psychology: which program is for me; Department of Psychology: Honours Specialization BA; Department of Psychology: Honours Specialization BSc. Information is for September 2027 entry; admission averages and module cut-offs are guidelines. Check Western for the latest details.