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Admission to the Faculty of Science is competitive. Presentation of the minimum admission requirements and average does not guarantee admission to any given subject area (see Undergraduate Admission, Admission Decision Process ). Applicants will be assessed on the basis of their academic records as described below.
Bachelor of Science (Major and Honors)
Note:
Starting Fall 2024, students admitted into the Bachelor of Science are subject to the requirements and regulations associated with the new Major/Honors degree structure (see Bachelor of Science (Major and Honors) for more information).
The Bachelor of Science degree is designed to provide students with a diversified education and specialization in at least one subject area. Students in the Bachelor of Science degree must declare a Major subject area, and may declare a Minor subject area. Students in certain subject areas may declare a second Major subject area (from a list of eligible subject areas).
Alternatively, students may choose to complete a Bachelor of Science with Honors degree, which provides a challenging and rewarding learning experience within a subject area. It offers a greater depth of engagement, including a research or capstone experience, and demands a higher standard of performance. Students following this degree must declare an Honors subject area. They may declare a Minor subject area; they may not declare a second Major or Honors subject area.
Notes:
- Certain subject areas are under enrolment management and therefore are competitive. Presentation of the minimum GPAs does not guarantee admission into these subject areas.
- For information on transfer credit and credit by special assessment, see the corresponding section under Faculty of Science Regulations .
- Albertan applicants may be given preference for admission to the Planning subject area (Major and Honors).
- For admission into BA or BA (Honors) in Mathematics or Psychology please see Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Arts Honors , respectively.
High School Applicants
High school applicants will be considered for admission based on their average on the required five admission subjects outlined below. See High School Applicants for minimum grade and admission average requirements. Grade 12 courses listed below are based on the Alberta Education curriculum.
Required Grade 12 Admission Subjects for Bachelor of Science:
- English Language Arts 30-1
- Mathematics 30-1
- Two of Biology 30; Chemistry 30; Mathematics 31; Physics 30; Computing Science (CSE) Advanced Level-Career and Technology Studies (CTS)
- Subject from Group A, B, or C
Notes:
- Only 5-credit courses will be used for admission purposes.
- High school applicants should be aware that their chosen program may contain courses for which there are specific Grade 12 prerequisites that must be met in addition to the subjects used for admission. Please see the Bachelor of Science Course Prerequisites webpage for more information.
- Consideration for the Bachelor of Science with Honors degree requires a minimum application average of 80% on the required five admission subjects outlined above. It is not necessary to apply to the Bachelor of Science with Honors degree in the first year. Students may apply to transfer to the Bachelor of Science with Honors degree after completion of at least 24 units of course work transferable to the University of Alberta.
Nonmatriculated Applicants
Nonmatriculated applicants are considered for admission based on their average on the following three admission subjects (only 5-credit courses will be used for admission purposes, and a minimum passing grade in each of the three admission subjects is required):
- Mathematics 30-1
- Two of Biology 30; Chemistry 30; Mathematics 31; Physics 30; Computing Science (CSE) Advanced Level-Career and Technology Studies (CTS)
Other requirements are:
- Presentation of the Faculty of Science’s competitive average on the three admission subjects listed above.
- Presentation of no more than 6 units of postsecondary level course work. Any nonmatriculated applicant who has completed more than 6 units of postsecondary level course work will be assessed as a Postsecondary Transfer Applicant.
- Presentation of minimum competitive AGPA on any postsecondary level course work presented.
Nonmatriculated applicants are only eligible for consideration for admission to the Bachelor of Science (Major) degree. Successful applicants may apply to transfer to the Bachelor of Science with Honors degree after completion of at least 24 units in the Bachelor of Science (Major) degree.
See also Nonmatriculated Applicants .
Postsecondary Transfer Applicants
See also Postsecondary Transfer Applicants .
Students currently registered in the Faculty of Science should also see Bachelor of Science (Major and Honors) - Changes to Program and/or Subject Area .
Applicants must meet the admission subject requirements as outlined in Required Grade 12 Admission Subjects to be eligible for consideration.
Applicants with 6 units or less of transferable postsecondary work will be considered for admission as a High School Applicant (see High School Applicants).
Applicants who have successfully completed more than 6 units and less than 24 units of course weight transferable to the University of Alberta will be considered for admission on the basis of both their high school average (see High School Applicants) and their postsecondary Grade Point Averages as outlined in Minimum Grade Point Averages and Additional Criteria.
Applicants with satisfactory standing in the Faculty of Science who discontinued their postsecondary education for at least one year will be readmitted.
Applicants with marginal standing in the Faculty of Science who discontinued their postsecondary education for at least one year will be readmitted to a Major program on academic warning (see Academic Standing ).
Applicants who have never been required to withdraw (or equivalent by the standards of the Faculty of Science) in their postsecondary education and who have successfully completed 24 units of course weight or more transferable to the University of Alberta may be considered for (re)admission on the basis of their postsecondary Grade Point Averages as outlined in Minimum Grade Point Averages and Additional Criteria.
Applicants with one previous requirement to withdraw from the Faculty of Science who have discontinued their postsecondary education for at least one year will be readmitted to a Major program on probation, subject to terms specified by the Associate Dean, Undergraduate.
Applicants with one previous requirement to withdraw (or the equivalent by the standards of the Faculty of Science) in their postsecondary education and who have chosen to requalify for admission by taking further postsecondary work (including the Fresh Start Program) may be considered for Fall admission or readmission. Subsequent to having been required to withdraw, such applicants must present 24 units of course weight transferable to the University of Alberta. Consideration for (re)admission will be on the basis of their postsecondary Grade Point Averages as outlined in Minimum Grade Point Averages and Additional Criteria.
Applicants who have been required to withdraw two times (or the equivalent by the standards of the Faculty of Science) are ineligible for (re)admission to the Faculty of Science, except when the second requirement to withdraw was issued by the Faculty of Science (see Academic Standing ).
Applicants who have been required to withdraw three times (or the equivalent by the standards of the Faculty of Science) are ineligible for (re)admission to the Faculty of Science.
Applicants who have been expelled from any postsecondary institution are ineligible for admission to the Faculty of Science.
Minimum Grade Point Averages and Additional Criteria
Major - all subject areas except Mathematics and Finance:
- A minimum 2.0 AGPA.
Major - Mathematics and Finance subject area:
- For Year 2 entry, a minimum 2.7 AGPA and a minimum 2.7 GPA on the following courses (or their equivalents):
- For Year 3 entry, a minimum 2.7 AGPA, completion of 60 units, and a minimum 2.7 GPA on the following courses (or their equivalents):
Honors - all subject areas except Mathematics and Finance, Neuroscience, Planning, and Psychology:
- A minimum 3.0 AGPA.
Honors - Mathematics and Finance subject area:
- For Year 2 entry, a minimum 3.0 AGPA and a minimum 3.0 GPA on the following courses (or their equivalents):
- For Year 3 entry, a minimum 3.0 AGPA, completion of 60 units, and a minimum 3.0 GPA on the following courses (or their equivalents):
Notes:
Honors - Neuroscience subject area:
- A minimum 3.3 AGPA.
Honors - Planning subject area:
- A minimum 3.0 AGPA.
- Successful completion of EAS 100 and HGEO 100 (or their equivalents).
- Admission into the Honors Planning program is permitted after completion of a minimum of 48 units of course weight. Admission is contingent upon securing a research supervisor by June 15. Students planning to apply for admission should contact the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
Honors - Psychology subject area:
- A minimum 3.0 AGPA.
- Successful completion of PSYCH 104 and PSYCH 105 (or their equivalents).
- Admission into the Honors Psychology program is permitted after completion of a minimum of 48 units of course weight. Admission is contingent upon securing a research supervisor by June 15. Students planning to apply for admission should contact the Department of Psychology.
Minor in Business
The Minor in Business requires completion of a minimum of 24 units and is competitive. To be considered for the Minor in Business, students must present:
- A minimum 2.3 AGPA.
- A minimum 2.3 GPA on the following courses, which must have been successfully completed:
- 6 units in junior ENGL or 3 units in junior ENGL and 3 units in junior WRS
- ECON 101 and ECON 102
- One of MATH 117 , MATH 134 , MATH 144 or MATH 154
- 3 units in additional Mathematical Sciences (Mathematics, Computing Science, or Statistics)
- 6 units chosen from Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Physics or Science Psychology
In ranking students to meet the quota, 40% weight is given to the student’s AGPA and 60% weight to the student’s average on the required courses listed above. If a student has repeated a course, the first passing grade is used to calculate the student’s ranking. This ranking is normally completed at the end of Year 1, and preference is given to students who request the Minor in Business at that point in their program.
After Degree Applicants
The Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science with Honors degrees are available as After Degrees (restricted to individuals holding one or more undergraduate degrees from recognized postsecondary institutions).
All After Degree applicants must meet the admission subject requirements as outlined in Required Grade 12 Admission Subjects to be eligible for consideration. They must provide a written letter of intent by the application deadline and present competitive grade point averages as outlined in Minimum Grade Point Averages.
Notes:
- There may be a limit on the number of After Degree students admitted each year because the Faculty of Science is under enrolment management. Admission priority will be given to students applying for their first After Degree from the Faculty of Science.
- After Degree applicants must select their Major or Honors subject area(s) and any Minor upon application; they may not select Undeclared.
- An After Degree may not duplicate the degree(s) previously completed. The Minor/Major/Honors subject area may not be the same as any previous Minor/Major/Honors subject area, respectively. Students may upgrade a Minor subject area to a Major or Honors subject area, or a Major subject area to an Honors subject area.
- For additional regulations governing Science After Degrees, please see Faculty of Science Regulations .
Bachelor of Science (Specialization in Science and Education) and Bachelor of Education (Secondary) Combined Degrees
The Faculties of Science and Education offer a combined degrees program that is more highly structured than a BSc followed by a BEd After Degree. It provides less flexibility in course choice and scheduling than taking the degrees sequentially because it is designed to meet the minimum requirements of both degrees in less time.
High School Applicants
High school applicants will be considered for admission based on the average on the required five admission subjects outlined below. See High School Applicants for minimum grade and admission average requirements. Grade 12 courses listed below are based on the Alberta Education curriculum.
Required Grade 12 Admission Subjects for Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Education Combined Degrees:
- English Language Arts 30-1
- Mathematics 30-1
- Biology 30
- Chemistry 30
- Subject from Group A, B, or C
Spoken English Requirement:
Applicants must also meet a Spoken English requirement (see Spoken English Proficiency ).
Notes:
- Only 5-credit courses will be used for admission purposes.
- High school applicants should be aware that their chosen program may contain courses for which there are specific Grade 12 prerequisites that must be met in addition to the subjects used for admission. Please see the Bachelor of Science Course Pre-requisites webpage for more information.
- For information on transfer credit and credit by special assessment, see the corresponding section under Faculty of Science Regulations .
Postsecondary Transfer Applicants
A student in an undergraduate program may transfer into this combined degrees program after the first year if all course and academic standing requirements of the Bachelor of Science (Specialization in Science and Education) and Bachelor of Education (Secondary) combined degrees program have been met at the time of transfer. Applicants must also meet the admission subject requirements as outlined in Required Grade 12 Admission Subjects and the Spoken English Requirement. Transfer will normally not be possible after the completion of two years (60 units of course weight). Such applicants should apply for admission to either the Bachelor of Education or Bachelor of Science program and on completion apply to an After Degree program in Science or Education.
A student transferring into this combined degrees program with transfer credit normally will be required to complete at least 90 units of course weight (normally the last 90 units of course weight) while registered in the combined program.
For information on transfer credit and credit by special assessment, see the corresponding section under Faculty of Science Regulations .
Indigenous Applicants
Please refer to Admission of Indigenous Applicants for regulations and requirements.
Visiting Students
Students from other postsecondary institutions are eligible to be considered for admission to the Faculty of Science as visiting students if:
- They are degree program students at their home institution;
- Their home institution provides a letter of permission;
- They have completed a minimum of 24 units of course weight at the home institution;
- Their academic record shows satisfactory standing.
Priority for visiting student status is given to students who are applying under the auspices of a formal exchange program. Visiting student status is granted for one academic year. Visiting students must reapply each year and present a new letter of permission from their home institution. As all admissions to the Faculty of Science are subject to enrollment management, visiting student admissions may be restricted.
Special Students
Special students are those who have been permitted to register over a one year period in one or more courses which are not being taken for credit toward a degree program. To be considered for admission as a special student, applicants must normally have received a university degree in science from an accredited postsecondary institution, must present a competitive AGPA, must meet English language proficiency requirements specified in Language Proficiency Requirements and must provide a written letter of intent to the Faculty of Science Student Services Office by the application deadline. Priority in admission is given to applicants to degree programs and to applicants who have not previously attended as special students. There may be a limit on the number of special students admitted each year because the Faculty of Science is under enrolment management. Special students may not have access to all courses offered by Science departments.
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