Extended Education General Studies applicant admission requirements (2025-2026)

Fall: August 1, 2025
Winter: December 1, 2025
Summer: One month before start of class

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.

General Studies provides opportunities for students to take credit courses at the University of Manitoba without being enrolled in a degree program. Students in General Studies include professionals developing their careers, seniors enriching their lives, students visiting from other institutions and individuals exploring a career change. General Studies is a good opportunity for students to take coursework to satisfy the entrance requirements for other programs and to improve their GPA for competitive programs without being in a degree program.

Students intending to pursue a degree should apply to the appropriate degree program. 

A. Academic Requirements

Students may be eligible for admission to Extended Education, General Studies in one of the following ways:

1. General (Special Student) Category

This category is for students who have completed one year (24 credit hours) or more of college or university studies, who are looking to take degree level coursework but are not currently seeking a University of Manitoba degree. Applicants must be in good academic standing at their previous institution (for example: not on active suspension) and must meet the University of Manitoba’s English language proficiency requirements. Students must ensure that they meet any high school or university prerequisites for the course(s) to be taken at the University of Manitoba and provide high school transcripts as proof. Applicants who have a Canadian Armed Forces affiliation should indicate this on the application.

2. Visiting Student Category

Visiting students are those registered at another university or college who wish to take courses at the University of Manitoba. Applicants must provide a letter of permission from their home institution. International students are not normally considered as visiting students unless they are studying at a university or college in North America.

3. Auditing Student Category

Applicants who wish to attend lectures for a particular course(s) but do not wish to write the exams or receive any degree credit for the course(s) should apply as an Auditing Student. This option is limited to Canadian citizens/permanent residents. Applicants will require written permission from the instructor to audit the course.

4. Senior Student Category

Canadian citizens or permanent residents who are 65 years of age (by September 1 for Fall Term; May 1 for Summer Term; January 1 for Winter Term), can apply as Senior Students. Application, tuition, student union, and associated fees are waived for Senior applicants (books and supplies are not). Seniors who are seeking course credit should apply as Special students while Senior applicants who are not seeking credit and wish to Audit should apply as Senior Auditing students. Special students must meet all application and entrance requirements. Proof of Age is required and, if applicable, proof of citizenship/residency and English proficiency.

Notes:

• As General Studies is not a degree program, students will be admitted as Special Students. If you are intending to pursue a degree program, you are required to apply to the faculty of your choice as soon as the admission requirements for the target faculty will be met and applications are made available.
• The Admissions Office may request verification of Academic Standing in order to proceed with admission assessment.
• Transcripts will not be assessed for transfer credit by the Admissions Office. The General Studies Office will enter overrides for external course(s) that have been evaluated by the University of Manitoba and that satisfy prerequisite requirements. Students are required to contact the General Studies Office upon admission and prior to registration to ensure overrides have been loaded into Aurora. Students are able to view the Transfer Credit Equivalency database to see if the institution attended has been evaluated for possible transfer credit equivalencies.
• Members of the Canadian Armed Forces who have completed fewer than twenty-four (24) credit hours of recognized post-secondary study are eligible to apply as a Military Mature applicant, provided proof of Military Status is submitted with the application. All post-secondary transcripts (if applicable) are also required.

Government student aid information

Manitoba residents enrolled in General Studies are allowed to apply for provincial/loan funding, so long as they are registered in a minimum of 18 credits hours over the fall and winter terms (with a minimum of 9 credit hours per term). Students who are residents of other provinces are encouraged to contact their provincial loan authority prior to applying to determine application eligibility, as some programs are not recognized across provinces.

Links to all provincial agencies can be found on the Financial Aid and Awards website:

Government student loan opportunities

B. 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.

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.

A. Application Fees

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, specifically around the deadlines and important dates listed below.

B. Deadlines and Important Dates

Summer 2025

Fall 2025

Winter 2026^*

^*Applicants who apply close to or on the December 1st deadline should be aware that due to the University Holiday Closure, admission decisions may not be available until January.

Summer 2026

1. Registration for classes will open well before the final deadline for applications to Extended Education, and applicants who apply late or submit their documents late should be aware that they might not be able to register for the classes of their choice. Applicants should also be cautioned that application refunds will not be granted if course offerings are unavailable; please apply early.

C. Required Application Documentation

The following documents will be required to complete your application:

Please send all documentation to the following address:

Admissions for General Studies
University of Manitoba
424 UMSU University Centre
65 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 our office receives all required information. Applicants must notify the Admissions Office immediately should they either enroll at a post-secondary 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.

Notification of Decision

General Studies is an open program, however submitted applications must be complete and meet the requirements outlined in this document for consideration. Students applying to General Studies should ensure the courses they seek to complete have availability. Neither refunds nor deferrals will be granted if course offerings are unavailable.

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 by the posted deadline date. If the offer is not accepted by the deadline date indicated in the letter, the offer will lapse. Lapsed offers are considered a decline and students will need to reapply for a future term.

It is imperative that email accounts remain current and that emails and application portals are regularly checked.

Individuals who wish to have their applications reconsidered should submit their request 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. All appeals must come directly from the applicant and not a third party (e.g. parent, sibling, friend, agent, etc.).

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

• Review the Senate Committee on Appeals Procedures

Applicants are advised that appeals of reconsideration decisions by the Senate 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 Extended Education program office and Admissions Office are able to assist applicants who seek counselling regarding admission to Extended Education, General Studies. 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.
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.