Direct Entry programs applicant admission requirements (2024-2025)

This information is available with, and constitutes part of, the application. It is assumed that all applicants have read and understood it prior to submitting the completed application.

A. Academic Requirements

Direct Entry applicants are those who have not attended a post-secondary institution or have completed fewer than 24 credit hours at a recognized university or college. The table below lists the minimum program-specific admission requirements for Manitoba applicants.

Please see equivalency information for all other Canadian provinces and information for international curriculum for applicants outside of Manitoba.

• Provincial course equivalencies
• International admission requirements

In cases where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces, applicants will require higher averages than stipulated to be successful in the admissions competition.

Please note that some programs may have alternate admission routes for applicants not competitive in the admission process or not meeting the requirements listed below (see Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, B. Alternate Admission Categories for further information).

1. High school grade requirements

General admission requirements

Manitoba high school graduation including 5 full credits at the Grade 12 level in courses designated S, G, U or C.

1. For a list of academic courses, refer to Appendix 1: Academic 40S Course List
2. Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents only

2. High School Grade Requirements - Diploma

Applicants to the following diploma programs need only meet the program-specific requirements as listed below (the General Admission Requirements listed in the table above are not required). In cases where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces, applicants will require higher averages than stipulated to be successful in the admissions competition.

3. Post-secondary grade requirements

In addition to the minimum requirements listed above, applicants with previous post-secondary studies must be in good academic standing at any previous post-secondary institutions and must have completed fewer than 24 credit hours of recognized university or college studies (or equivalent). Applicants to all programs except University 1, Music, or Fine Arts must have a minimum 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) over all attempted courses (see Section 4: Selection Process, E. Calculation of the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)).

In cases where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces, the average over high school course requirements as listed in the tables above will be used for selection ranking purposes. So long as a minimum 2.0 CGPA is met over all postsecondary courses, CGPA will not be used for selection purposes.

B. Alternate Admission Categories

Students not competitive in the selection process or those not meeting the minimum admission requirements as listed above for certain programs may be eligible for admission under the alternate admission categories as follows:

The Canadian Indigenous Ancestry Category is intended for all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit applicants who have completed the above minimum admission requirements, but who do not meet the cutoff average established for this year’s admission. In cases where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces, applicants will require higher averages than stipulated to be successful in the admissions competition. Applicants under this category will automatically be considered in the general category if they meet the selection cut-off average.

3. Mature applicant category

General eligibility requirements

• Must be 21 years of age or older by September 30 for classes starting in September, January 31 for classes starting in January, May 1 for classes starting in May, and July 1 for classes starting in July.
• Must not meet the academic requirements of the applicable program.
• Must have limited experience at college or university (fewer than 24 credit hours).
• Must be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident.

4. Canadian Military Mature Applicant Category

Members of the Canadian Armed Forces are eligible to apply to the Faculty of Arts, Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources (Bachelor of Arts in Geography only), or the Faculty of Science as Mature Students.

To be eligible for admission as a Mature Status student, applicants must:

• Be active members of the Canadian military, and
• Be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents, and
• Have completed fewer than 24 credit hours of work at any other university of college, and
• Be 21 years of age or older by the end of the first month of the first term of studies.

Applicants who have completed more than 24 credit hours of post-secondary coursework should apply as an Advanced Entry applicant to the program of their choice. Advanced Entry applicants will be required to meet the General Entrance and Specific Admission Requirements as outlined in the Applicant Information Bulletin for their respective program.

5. Homeschool and Non-Funded Independent School Applicants

Applicants who reside in Manitoba and are either homeschooled or attend a Non-Funded Independent School recognized by Manitoba Education are eligible to apply to University 1 or the Faculty of Music ². To be eligible for admission applicants must provide:

Homeschool Applicants

• Grade 12 Notification Forms stamped by the province
• January and June Grade 12 Homeschool Progress Reports stamped by the province

Non-Funded Independent School Applicant

• High School Transcript

1. If the required average for high school students is higher than the minimum average, the same average will be used for mature students.
2. Music applicants must complete additional nonacademic requirements such as an audition, theory test, and letters of recommendation. Please refer to the Music applicant admission requirements page for more detailed information.

C. English Language Proficiency Requirements

All applicants whose primary language is not English and do not qualify for a waiver under the University of Manitoba’s English language proficiency regulations will be required to demonstrate proficiency in English.

Additional information regarding specific proficiency requirements, waiver information, and test options can be found on the English language proficiency requirements page.

• English language proficiency requirements

Results for most language tests, including TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo, expire two years from the test date. Test scores must be valid at the start of classes. Please confirm the validity of your test results.

Applications are not considered received until the application is submitted and the non-refundable application fee has been paid by the posted deadline. All correspondence, including decision release information will be sent via email and posted to your application portal.

Please ensure your email account remains current and will accept emails from the University of Manitoba. Check your filters.

It is important to check your email and application portal regularly and specifically around the deadlines and important dates listed below:

B. Documentation Deadlines and Important Dates

1. Late applications and auditions may be considered. Please contact the Desautels Faculty of Music for more information.
2. Only grades received by the May 1 deadline can be used to calculate eligibility for Direct Entry programs (University 1, Music, and Fine Arts excluded). All applications with no grades after this deadline will be deemed ineligible and will automatically be moved to the University 1 program.

1. Registration for classes will open well before the final deadline for applications, and applicants who apply or submit their documents after July 7, 2024 should be aware that they may not be able to register for the classes or schedules of their choice.

C. Required Application Documentation

The following documents will be required to complete your application:

Please send all documentation to the following address:

Direct Entry Admissions
University of Manitoba
424 UMSU University Centre
66 Chancellors Circle
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2

Electronic transcripts should be submitted to applicant.services@umanitoba.ca.

In order to be considered official, electronic transcripts must be sent directly from the email of the office responsible for issuing transcripts. Transcripts emailed or forwarded by the applicant are considered unofficial.

The University of Manitoba is a registered receiving organization with MyCreds^TM. Applicants from participating member universities and colleges can release their transcripts to the University of Manitoba through their MyCreds^TM portal. Applicants should select 'Share' and then 'Organization' instead of opting for 'email'.

Applications are not complete until all necessary documents are received. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the Admissions Office receives all required information.

Applicants must notify the Admissions Office immediately should they either enroll at a postsecondary institution not previously declared on their application or enroll in additional coursework not declared on the previously submitted final transcript provided for assessment. Applicants will be required to provide proof of registration.

D. Transfer Credit Information

At the University of Manitoba, all prior course work from recognized post-secondary institutions will be considered as part of the application for admission process for our undergraduate degree and diploma programs.

Courses are evaluated for advanced standing or transfer credit on a course-by-course basis and assigned a University of Manitoba equivalent, where applicable. Where a direct equivalent does not exist, students may receive general (unallocated) credit. The regulations regarding transfer credit are program specific and vary considerably depending on the faculty or school of application. Faculties and schools will only consider external courses completed within the last ten (or fewer) years.

Courses deemed acceptable for transfer credit will be awarded, subject to program approval, up to the maximum allowed under the program of admission, based on the Faculty or School’s transfer credit policy and residency requirements (consult the section of the university's Academic Calendar for details).

• Explore the Academic Calendar

Students may be asked to provide comprehensive and accurate course outlines or syllabi, as issued by their institution of study, for all courses lacking a current evaluation. Course outlines or syllabi should include information on course objectives, outline of the units studied, textbook(s) used, assignments, and accompanying laboratory information, if applicable, to assist in the transfer credit assessment process. An online transfer credit resource is available for information on current course evaluations receiving credit.

While we appreciate that some institutions do not have course information readily available, many students have been able to provide the information requested by contacting the individual departments or instructors at their prior institutions. Students who are unable to provide the requested course information may render themselves ineligible for programs with specific course requirements. In cases where outlines have not been provided, unsuccessful course attempts, including F grades, may be assessed as part of the academic assessment regulations of a student's program of study. Only successful applicants will be notified of transfer credit results.

Additional information related to transfer credit is available on the Admissions website.

Transfer credit information

A. Self-Reporting High School Courses and Grades

Canadian applicants currently completing high school studies will be asked to list all senior year (Grade 12) level courses along with the completion date and actual or estimated final grade in each course. This information, along with academic background information, will assist our office in making a preliminary assessment of eligibility for the chosen program. Estimations of final grades should be as realistic as possible, but all final decisions about admission, including any provisional admission, will require official high school transcripts. Applicants do not need to contact the Admissions Office if original estimates were too high or too low.

B. Offers of Admission

For Fall applicants, admission decisions for Direct Entry programs will be based on final and/or midterm grades received by the May 1st transcript deadline.

For current high school students, all offers are conditional upon meeting minimum program requirements with final grades.

C. Alternate Choice of Program

If an application for direct entry admission is unsuccessful, it will be automatically considered for admission to University 1. Applicants do not need to reapply for this alternative or pay a second application fee.

If an applicant wishes to be considered for an alternative program other than University 1, an additional application must be submitted and paid for. The second application must be completed by the application deadline. Applicants can choose to apply for a second application before the results of the first application are available.

D. Preference in Admission

In cases where the number of eligible applicants exceeds the available spaces, applicants will require higher averages than stipulated to be successful in the admissions competition.

Due to enrolment limitation, many faculties at the University need to restrict the admission of international students to their programs.

E. Calculation of the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

The Cumulative Grade Point Average will be calculated using all recognized post-secondary course work including original grades of repeated courses.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform the Admission Office in writing of any deferred exams or grade changes. All final grades, including grade changes, must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the document deadline in order for them to be included in the final selection process. Grade changes will not be accepted after the documentation deadline date. If a grade is not available by the documentation deadline date, an ‘F’ grade will be used in the final admission determination and calculation.

Should a grade be retained on your record yet excluded from your institutional GPA calculation, that grade will be used to meet admission requirements and the GPA calculation for your application to the University of Manitoba.

F. Tie Breaking Procedure for Offers

In the event of a tie, the following procedure will be used:

1. Increase the number of significant figures used in the calculation.
2. Where a tie still exists, the application that was received first will be used to break the tie. All completed applications are time stamped upon submission; in the case of a paper application, these applications will be time stamped after they have been entered into the system by a University of Manitoba Admissions Office staff member.

G. Notification of Decision

Decisions will be posted to the applicant’s portal. Applicants must log into their application portal to view the decision and to accept or decline their offer. If you do not accept the offer by the deadline date indicated in the letter your offer will lapse, and you will need to contact our office to discuss the possibility of an extension. It is imperative that email accounts remain current and that emails and application portals are regularly checked.

In addition to accepting the offer of admission, successful applicants to Fine Arts and Engineering will be required to pay an enrolment deposit to hold their offer of admission. Students that are offered admission will be required to confirm their acceptance and pay a deposit online. If the offer is not accepted or the required deposit is not paid by the deadline date indicated, the offer will lapse. Lapsed offers will be considered a declined response. The enrolment deposit for Fine Arts applicants is $100; the deposit for Engineering is $250. The deposit is non-refundable but will be applied to tuition fees.

The university reserves the right to rescind any offer of admission if the successful candidate does not indicate they are accepting the offer of admission (and, if need be, paying the enrolment deposit) by the deadline.

H. Deferral Requests

Most undergraduate programs do not offer admission deferrals. If, for any reason, you are unable to begin your studies, you will be required to reapply for your desired admission intake in the future.

The only program that has an approved admission deferral process is the Asper School of Business.  Students who have been offered admission and have accepted their offers on or before July 1 of the application year can submit a written request for a deferral.

Deferral requests will be considered from applicants who:

1. Have extenuating personal circumstances such as illness, or family hardship, or
2. Are experiencing issues related to relocating to Canada and need more time to address immigration or other issues associated with the relocation.

Other circumstances may also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Written requests must outline the circumstance(s) of why the request is being made. Supplemental documentation supporting the request for a deferral (i.e., medical documents) will be reviewed if submitted.

Written requests are to be sent to the Undergraduate Program Manager, no later than August 1 of the application year.

Email Written Deferral Request

Individuals who wish to have their applications reconsidered should submit their request in writing to the Admissions Office. Past experience has shown that most inquiries can be satisfied at this level without further reference. Persons wishing reconsideration of the decision shall direct their request to the Admissions Office within ten (10) business days of the posted decision date.

Should the student wish to pursue the reconsideration decision further, such an appeal will be made in accordance with the Senate Committee on Admission Appeals Procedures.

• Review the Senate Committee on Admission Appeals procedures

Applicants are advised that appeals of reconsideration decisions by the Senate Admissions Appeal Committee focus on questions of correct adherence to published policies and procedures, and not on subjective issues or the relative merits of the application.

The Admissions Office is able to assist applicants who seek counselling regarding admission to the University of Manitoba. However, it is policy not to instruct applicants as to a specific course of action they should follow, but rather to provide the information needed for applicants to make their own choice with respect to the alternatives available. The following points require special attention:

1. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their plans with all who can usefully advise them, but they should be aware that second and third hand information about admission policies may not be accurate.
2. No official at the university can guarantee the admission of any applicant. Admission is determined by the Committee on the basis of an annual competition.
3. All applicants are advised to supplement any personal enquiries with a written request so that an official written response can be made. It is only these written responses which will be considered as evidence of any advice given (see Section 8: Contact Information).

The University of Manitoba is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. If you are a student with a diagnosed disability (permanent, chronic, or temporary) who may require academic accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility Services at 204-474-7423 or by email at student_accessibility@umanitoba.ca to learn more about the confidential supports that are available.

The following other contacts may also be useful.

A. Entrance Scholarships

All students that have submitted and paid for an application by March 1, 2024 will automatically be considered for an entrance scholarship.

To be eligible to receive a scholarship, at least five courses are required from the list of eligible scholarship courses, with a minimum average of 85% over the best five eligible courses. More information for Domestic and International students as well as the list of eligible courses may be found at the links provided below:

• Eligible Course List and Domestic Entrance Scholarship Information
• International Entrance Scholarship Information

The following is a list of one credit courses from the Manitoba subject table handbooks which may be used toward meeting admission requirements as an ‘academic 40S course’.

Please note that the list of courses is subject to change based on provincial course changes. Courses will only be used if issued a percentage grade.