How to Apply to Psychology at the University of Manitoba: Apply to Arts or Science and Choose Psychology After Admission, and Requirements and Timeline for Canadian and Chinese High School Students and Transfer Students

The University of Manitoba (UM) is in Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. Psychology can be studied as a Bachelor of Arts (Faculty of Arts) or a Bachelor of Science (Faculty of Science); the psychology requirements largely overlap, and the difference lies in the non-psychology courses. You apply to Arts or Science without choosing a major and select psychology after admission. Here is what you need to know, based on the university’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. Choosing a degree

• Three BA options:
  • General: three years, 90 credit hours, with a GPA of at least 2.0 in the major, suited to work or professional programs after graduation;
  • Advanced: four years, 120 credit hours, entered after 24 credit hours with a GPA of at least 2.0;
  • Honours: four years, 120 credit hours, preferred for graduate study. Apply after 24 credit hours and PSYC 2260; Psychology Honours requires a degree GPA of at least 3.75, with applications to the Faculty of Arts by June 7.
  Students admitted to Arts start in the General degree and apply separately for Advanced or Honours.
• BSc: Major and Honours programs, normally entered after second year with specified courses and grades; Honours also requires a degree GPA of 3.75.
• Co-op: available with the BA Single Advanced Major, with 12 months of paid work before graduation. Entry requires at least a C in PSYC 2260 and a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and students must secure a placement with an employer.
• Areas: course choices can focus on applied behaviour analysis, brain and cognitive science, clinical, developmental, quantitative, school psychology, and social and personality psychology.

2. Academic requirements: Canadian high schools

• BC and Yukon high school students: high school graduation with four Grade 12 university-preparatory credits.
  • Arts (BA Psychology): English 12, Mathematics 12 and two academic Grade 12 university-preparatory courses, with a 70% average and at least 60% in each.
  • Science (BSc Psychology): English 12; Pre-Calculus 12 or Foundations of Math 12; one of Anatomy and Physiology 12, Chemistry 12, Computer Programming 12 or Physics 12; and one academic Grade 12 university-preparatory course, with an 80% average and at least 60% in each.
• Note: these are minimums; when applicants exceed spaces, higher averages are needed.
• If not admitted: unsuccessful direct-entry applications are automatically considered for University 1 (a first-year general program) at no extra fee. For BC students, University 1 requires English 12, Mathematics 12 and two academic courses with a 70% average and at least 60% in each. After 24 credit hours with a GPA of 2.0, University 1 students can transit to Arts or Science each June.
• Grades: self-report your Grade 12 courses and actual or estimated grades when applying. Submit interim or final Grade 12 grades by May 1; only grades received by then are used for direct-entry assessment.
• Application fee: CAD $100 for Canadian applicants and CAD $130 for international applicants.

3. Academic requirements: high schools in China

• Credential: the upper middle school graduation certificate with five senior-level courses. UM does not list a Gaokao requirement for Chinese students.
• Arts: English, mathematics and two academic courses, with an equivalent average of at least 70% and at least 60% in each.
• Science: English, mathematics (or pre-calculus), one of biology, chemistry, computer science or physics, and one more academic course, with an equivalent average of at least 80% and at least 60% in each.
• Another route into University 1: from fall 2026, international students who did not take senior English or math because of their curriculum stream can apply to University 1 with English or math plus three academic courses, averaging 80% with at least 70% in each.
• Documents: transcripts not in English need English translations from the school or a certified translator, sent in sealed envelopes as required.

4. English requirements

• IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each module; One Skill Retake is accepted.
• TOEFL iBT: for tests on or after January 21, 2026, 4.5 overall with at least 4.0 in each section; for earlier tests, 86 with at least 20 in each; the Home Edition is accepted.
• Other tests: Duolingo 120 (105 in literacy, comprehension and production); PTE 58; CAEL 60; Cambridge C1 or C2 180. Results are valid for two years and must still be valid when classes start.
• Waivers:
  • three consecutive years of high school (five courses a year) or post-secondary study in Canada immediately before attending;
  • ten consecutive years of residency in Canada;
  • a 4 or higher in IB HL English or AP English.
  From fall 2026, four consecutive years at a CIS-accredited school or a school offering a full Canadian curriculum, with non-ESL Grade 12, also qualifies.

5. Transfer students

• Who transfers: applicants with 24 or more credit hours apply as Advanced Entry; those with fewer apply as direct entry and also need a post-secondary GPA of at least 2.0.
• Into Arts: at least 24 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (C). Below 2.0, a 2.0 GPA on the best 24 transferable credit hours may allow consideration on the Dean’s recommendation.
• Into Science: at least 24 credit hours with an adjusted GPA (AGPA) of 2.0; with 30 or more credit hours, the lowest 6 to 12 credit hours are dropped. From fall 2027, applicants also need a 3-credit-hour course meeting the university mathematics requirement and 6 credit hours of 1000-level Science courses, each with a C or better.
• Transfer credit: only courses from the last ten years are assessed, and course outlines may be requested.
• Deadlines (fall 2026 Advanced Entry, for reference): March 1 for international applicants and June 1 for Canadians.

6. Timeline

The current bulletins cover 2026–27; fall 2027 dates will be posted later. For reference, the fall 2026 direct-entry dates were:

• December 1: early application date. Applicants by this date in the last cycle were entered in a draw for ten CAD $5,000 tuition prizes (five for domestic and five for international students).
• March 1: deadline for direct-entry programs including Arts and Science, and for the international entrance scholarship.
• May 1: last date to submit interim or final Grade 12 grades.
• University 1: May 1 for international and August 1 for Canadian applicants.
• Some programs send preliminary offers based on self-reported grades; provisional offers follow once grades arrive by May 1.

7. Tuition and scholarships

• Tuition estimates (including program and lab fees, Winnipeg Transit U-Pass, gym pass and the UMSU health and dental plan; international fees include Manitoba international student health insurance; books not included):
  • Arts: about CAD $6,900 for Canadians and CAD $24,000 for international students;
  • Science: about CAD $8,200 and CAD $28,000;
  • University 1: about CAD $7,400 and CAD $25,800.
• International Undergraduate Student Entrance Scholarship: for international students from international high schools who apply by March 1 with at least 85% in their best five academic courses, in tiers by average. For 2024–25, for example: 95%+ CAD $3,000, 90%+ CAD $2,000, 85%+ CAD $1,000.
• International Excellence Entrance Scholarship: based on community engagement and leadership, with CAD $25,000 for first place and CAD $10,000 each for second and third; the top award requires 90% in five specified subjects.
• The university awards about CAD $3.5 million in entrance scholarships each year.

Checklist

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

• Apply to Arts (English 12, Mathematics 12 and two academic courses, 70% average) or Science (English 12, Pre-Calculus 12 or Foundations of Math 12, a science and another academic course, 80% average), with at least 60% in each
• Apply early (last cycle: early date December 1, deadline March 1) and submit grades by May 1
• If not admitted directly, you are automatically considered for University 1

Students at high schools in China:

• Graduation certificate and transcripts with certified English translations; Arts needs English, math and two courses at 70%, Science 80%
• IELTS 6.5 (6.0 in each, One Skill Retake accepted), TOEFL 4.5 or Duolingo 120
• Apply by March 1 to be considered for the international entrance scholarship

Transfer students:

• 24+ credit hours with a 2.0 CGPA for Arts or a 2.0 AGPA for Science (with added math and science requirements from fall 2027)
• After admission, apply to the psychology Advanced Major or Honours (Honours requires a 3.75 GPA)

Sources: University of Manitoba, Psychology (BA); Psychology (BSc); Direct entry requirements; Faculty of Arts requirements; Faculty of Science requirements; International admission requirements; English language proficiency; Tuition estimates; International student awards; Calendar: Psychology; Calendar: Psychology BA Single Honours. Requirements and dates are from the current 2026–27 bulletins; check the University of Manitoba for fall 2027 updates.