Admission Regulations for Certificate Programs

To be admitted to one of the 30-credit certificate programs offered by the School of Continuing Studies, applicants must hold a CEGEP diploma (Diploma of Collegial Studies in Quebec (DEC)) or equivalent, and meet the English Language Proficiency requirements. Applicants who are 21 years of age and over but do not have the normal academic background for admission may be admitted as mature students provided that they meet the English Language Proficiency requirements. Applicants between 18 and 21 years of age who do not have a CEGEP diploma but have at least a high school leaving certificate may be accepted into a qualifying program, determined by the department. Formal admission to a certificate program will normally follow upon satisfactory completion of the qualifying program provided that all other admission criteria are met. Students below 18 years of age without a CEGEP diploma will not be admitted to a certificate program nor will they be permitted to take courses.

Admission Requirements for Certificate Programs

To be admitted to a certificate program:

1. Students must hold a CEGEP diploma (Diploma of Collegial Studies in Quebec (DEC) or equivalent); or
2. Students 21 years of age and over who do not have the normal academic background for admission may be admitted as mature students.
3. Students between 18 and 21 who do not have a CEGEP diploma but have at least a high school leaving certificate may be accepted into a qualifying program to be determined by the School of Continuing Studies. Formal admission to the certificate program will normally follow upon satisfactory completion of the qualifying program.

Students below 18 years of age without a CEGEP diploma (DEC) will not be admitted to a certificate program, nor will they be permitted to take courses.

Proof of Proficiency in English

The language of instruction for most courses and programs at McGill is English. Students may submit any written work that is to be graded in English or French, except in cases where knowledge of the language is one of the objectives of the course.

Admission to undergraduate and graduate certificate programs at the School of Continuing Studies requires proficiency in English, except for certificates in proficiency, where knowledge of the language is the objective of the course, and for the Graduate Diploma in Legal Translation where applicants must write an entrance examination to test their preparedness for studies in both English and French.

Applicants must demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in English prior to admission, regardless of citizenship status or country of origin. McGill reserves the right to request proof of English proficiency if it is deemed necessary. In any situation you must provide documentation to support your answer.

If you meet any of the following conditions, you may not need to provide proof of English proficiency; however, you will be required to submit documentation to support your specific situation.

• You have lived and attended school for at least four years in a country where English is the acknowledged primary language

• You have completed both Secondary V (Quebec High School transcript issued by the Ministère de l'Éducation) and a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC) at a French CEGEP in Quebec
• You have completed a DEC at an English CEGEP in Quebec
• You have completed or will complete the International French Baccalaureate - (Baccalauréat Français International – BFI) (American or British section), or the previous ‘Option Internationale (OIB)’
• You have completed or will complete an International Baccalaureate (IB) Group 1 English (Language A: Literature, Language A: Language and Literature, or Literature and Performance) with a ‘5’ or better
• You have completed or will complete English as Language 1 or Language 2 in the European Baccalaureate curriculum (in the Schola Europaea system)
• You have completed or will complete the British Curriculum A-Level English with a final grade of C or better
• You have completed the British Curriculum GCSE / IGCSE / GCE O-Level English, English Language, English First Language, or English as a Second Language with a final grade of B (or 5) or better
• You have been attending school for at least four consecutive years in a non-English speaking country at an accredited educational institution where English is the primary language of instruction
• You have obtained an undergraduate degree from an accredited educational institution where the language of instruction in your program of study was English (minimum three years)
• You have obtained a graduate degree from an accredited educational institution where the language of instruction in your program of study was English (minimum two years)

Applicants who do not meet any of the conditions above must take an English proficiency test as part of their application (see list of McGill-approved tests below).

When a test of English proficiency is required, results must come directly from the examining institution to McGill; copies of test results uploaded by students will not be accepted. It is your responsibility to ensure that official test results are submitted to McGill.

McGill’s strong preference is to receive results electronically when possible. Note that the Institutional versions of the tests below are not accepted.

1. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language):
   iBT (internet-based test): minimum acceptable score of 90 overall (with a minimum individual component score of 21 in each of the four components, i.e., reading, writing, listening, and speaking).
    
2. IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Academic Versions: A band score of 6.5 or better; individual component scores must be 6.0 or better. Regular Academic and UKVI Academic versions are both accepted. Please note that the IELTS indicator test is not accepted by McGill University.
3. McGill Certificate in Proficiency in English or McGill Certificate in Proficiency – English for Professional Communication: Certificate in Proficiency awarded.
4. University of Cambridge: Cambridge C1 Advanced. Certificate awarded with a grade of B or higher (formerly Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)).
5. University of Cambridge: Cambridge C2 Proficiency. Certificate awarded with a grade of C or higher (formerly Certificate in Proficiency in English (CPE)).
6. Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) = overall band score of 70 or better; individual component scores of 60 or better. The paper, the computer and the online tests are accepted.
7. Pearson Test of English – Academic = Overall score of 65 or better individual component scores of 60 or better.
8. Duolingo English Test (DET): score of 115 or better.

Independent Studies (Special Student Status)

Please consult Special Student Status for School of Continuing Studies for information pertaining to Special Students.

Exemption by Examination

In general, certificates offered by the School of Continuing Studies are composed of 10 courses. Some programs, however, have corequisite and prerequisite courses that must be completed by the student in order for them to obtain their certificate, diploma, or graduate certificate.

Students who believe that they have taken the equivalent of one or more of the corequisites to the program, or one or more of the prerequisite courses that are not part of the program to which they have applied, may take an Exemption by Examination test for eligible programs as deemed by the Department. Students who have failed any of the corequisite courses to the program, or any of the prerequisite courses that are not part of the program to which they have applied, are not eligible to take the Exemption by Examination test for the course(s) that they have failed.

The Exemption by Examination test is intended for students who do not have the requisite academic background required, but who believe that they have the requisite level of knowledge needed. Students who successfully pass the Exemption by Examination test(s) with a minimum grade of 55%, with the exception of CMSC 000 Foundations of Mathematics which requires a minimum passing grade of 65%, will not have to take the course(s) for which the test(s) was taken. Those who fail the Exemption by Examination test(s) will not be permitted to repeat the test(s); instead, they must enrol in the course(s) for which the particular test was taken. Students will be notified in writing of their test results. Test results are valid for one academic year.

Students may find information and register for the Exemption by Examination test on the Recognition of Prior Learning site. There is a non-refundable application fee (payable by credit card) due at the time of registration. 

For further details on the Exemption by Examination test and dates, students should contact the School of Continuing Studies.

Note: The School of Continuing Studies reserves the right to reschedule test dates and to revise the application fee without prior notice.