How to Apply to Psychology at York University: Direct Entry to the BA or BSc in the Faculty of Health, and Requirements and Timeline for Canadian and Chinese High School Students and Transfer Students

York University is in Toronto. Psychology is offered by the Faculty of Health at the Keele Campus as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or a Bachelor of Science (BSc). Like Ottawa and Calgary, York lets you apply directly to psychology. Here is what you need to know for 2027 entry, based on York’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. Which program to apply to

• Two codes: BA in Psychology, OUAC code YHA; BSc, YHB. Full-time and part-time study are both available.
• Three intakes: fall, winter and summer entry, for first-year and upper-year (transfer) students.
• What you study: the mind and behaviour from social, developmental, clinical and biological perspectives, including child development, social behaviour, memory, intelligence, motivation, personality, perception, culture, abnormal psychology and neuroscience, along with statistics, research methods and theory. York says its Keele Campus offers Canada’s largest and most diverse selection of psychology courses.
• Hands-on learning: research, course-based labs, community projects or optional co-op.
• Rankings: York cites the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, placing its psychology program in the top five in Canada and top 75 worldwide.

2. Academic requirements: Canadian high schools

• BC high school students: the BC Secondary School Graduation Diploma.
  • BA: English 12 or English 12 First Peoples, plus four additional Grade 12 academic subjects.
  • BSc: English 12 or English 12 First Peoples, senior-level math, one of Anatomy and Physiology 12, Chemistry 12 or Physics 12, plus two additional Grade 12 academic subjects.
• Averages: for both programs, applicants with averages in the mid-70s or higher may be considered, and keeping the offer requires a final academic average of 72%.
• Ontario high school students: the BA needs ENG4U plus five 4U/M courses; the BSc needs ENG4U, a 4U math, one of SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH4U, plus three 4U/M courses. The same averages apply.
• How to apply: through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC); high school students outside Ontario use the OUAC 105 application.

3. Academic requirements: high schools in China

• BA: the Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate.
• BSc: the Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate plus Grade 12 math and one of Grade 12 biology, chemistry or physics.
• Averages: York says the overall average required for international curricula is set each year by program, some programs have limited enrolment, and admission is not guaranteed. It does not list a Gaokao requirement for Chinese students.
• Documents: final admission requires official originals sent directly by your school; you can receive a conditional offer on unofficial documents, but must submit official transcripts before classes start.

4. English requirements

• Exemptions: four full years of English-language study at an accredited high school in Canada or a country where English is the official primary language; four years at a high school where English is the primary language of instruction; one full year in an English-language university degree program; or two full years in an English-language college diploma program. ESL time does not count. IB Diploma or AP study may also qualify. York notes that completing senior high school English is not grounds for a waiver.
• Test scores (valid for two years):
  • IELTS Academic 6.5, One Skill Retake accepted;
  • TOEFL iBT 88 for tests before January 2026, or 4.5 for later tests, code 0894, Home Edition accepted;
  • Duolingo 120; PTE Academic 60; CAEL 60; Cambridge C1 Advanced 180.
• Psychology follows York’s standard requirements; only some programs, such as nursing, require higher scores.

5. Transfer students

• From a university: at least four full-year courses or one year of full-time degree study, with an overall average of 2.3 or better on a 4-point scale.
• From a college: a completed diploma or at least two full semesters / one year of full-time academic study, with an overall average of 3.0 or better on a 4-point scale.
• Prerequisites: for the BSc, 4U math and biology, chemistry or physics (or equivalents) must have been completed within the previous five years. College and university applicants may be admitted with one missing prerequisite, to be completed in first year in the Faculty of Health.
• Transfer credit: assessed automatically after admission, with no separate application; continuing education and private career college courses are generally not eligible.
• Processing: begins once all documents arrive and typically takes six to eight weeks.

6. Timeline for fall 2027 entry

• Ontario high school students: apply by January 15, 2027 for guaranteed consideration.
• Out-of-province high school, international and transfer applicants: March 24, 2027.
• After the deadline: York continues to assess applications until each program is full, but recommends applying early to leave time for a study permit.
• Other intakes: winter 2027 (January) entry closes November 18, 2026; summer (May) entry closes April 1, 2027.
• Scholarships: the President’s International Scholarship of Excellence student application is due January 27, 2027, and school nominations by February 4.

7. Tuition and scholarships

• Estimated tuition (2026–27, full-time, five courses per term): most arts and sciences programs cost about CAD $6,200 for domestic students (out-of-province rates depend on your province) and about CAD $40,000 for international students, plus supplementary fees of about CAD $40–50 per credit.
• Automatic entrance scholarships for Canadian high school students (no application, based on final admission average): 95%+ CAD $3,500; 90–94.9% $2,000; 85–89.9% $1,500; 80–84.9% $1,000. Students with 80%+ may receive scholarships on mid-year grades.
• Automatic international entrance scholarships: York currently lists the 2025–26 program; 2027 details will follow:
  • 85%+: CAD $15,000 in year 1 and $7,500 a year after, up to $37,500;
  • 80–84.9%: $10,000 in year 1 and $5,000 a year after, up to $25,000;
  • 75–79.9%: a one-time $5,000;
  • transfer students with 24+ transfer credits and 75%+: a one-time $2,500.
  Renewal requires 24 credits a year with a GPA of at least 7.5 (B+); awards can be regained the next year if the GPA recovers.
• President’s International Scholarship of Excellence: for international high school applicants with academic excellence, volunteer and extracurricular commitment and leadership, worth CAD $180,000 over four years ($45,000 a year).
• You do not need an offer to apply for scholarships, only an application to York.

Checklist

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

• Apply through the OUAC (the 105 form outside Ontario) to YHA (BA) or YHB (BSc): by March 24, 2027 outside Ontario, January 15 in Ontario
• BC: the BA needs English 12 plus four Grade 12 academic subjects; the BSc needs English 12, senior math, a science and two academic subjects
• An average in the mid-70s or higher, and a final average of at least 72%

Students at high schools in China:

• Graduation certificate and transcripts; Grade 12 math and a Grade 12 science for the BSc
• IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 4.5 or Duolingo 120
• Apply by March 24, 2027; for the President’s International Scholarship, apply by January 27

Transfer students:

• A 2.3+ average from university or 3.0+ from college; one missing prerequisite is allowed
• Apply by March 24; transfer credit is assessed automatically after admission

Sources: York University, Psychology program and admission requirements; Application deadlines; Language proficiency requirements; Canadian high school students outside Ontario; Transfer students; International scholarships; Scholarships and bursaries; Tuition fees. Information is for 2027 entry. Check York University for the latest details.