General Admission Requirements and Procedures
9. High School Applicants
Ontario
The minimum admission requirements to be considered are:
- the completion of the OSSD; and
- six 4U/M courses, including specific program prerequisites.
The overall admission average and mix of 4U/M courses required is dependent upon the degree or program for which the student is applying. Detailed admission requirements for each undergraduate degree program can be found in the "Summary of Admission Requirements" following this section.
Holding the minimum admission requirements only establishes eligibility for consideration to Carleton University programs. Admission averages and required marks will vary from year to year and will be determined by the availability of places and by the number of applicants. The overall admission average may be higher than the stated minimum requirements.
Students who feel that their high school grade average does not reflect their potential are encouraged to apply to the Enriched Support Program. For more information, see the Enriched Support Program information following the Admissions section of this Calendar.
Carleton University uses, for admission purposes, the credit system as defined by the Ministry of Education, Universities and Colleges.
Quebec
Students from the Province of Québec may apply for admission into first year either upon completion of the Grade 12 program or after completing work towards the Collegial diploma. (See the information on Québec CEGEPs in this section.)
Other Canadian Provinces
Applicants to degree programs at Carleton must normally be admissible to a university in their own province.
From the Canadian provinces and territories whose pre-university studies culminate in 12 years of schooling, graduates are considered for direct admission into first year. At the present time, graduates from high schools in the following provinces and territories are considered for admission. The overall average required is dependent upon the degree or program for which the students are applying.
Alberta
British Columbia and The Yukon
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan
It is recognized that the curriculum of some provinces does not include an introductory course in calculus, or that a final-year mathematics course may have only a few weeks of an introduction to calculus, or that only a few schools in a particular province or territory may offer a calculus course to a selected group of students. In instances where no calculus is presented, and there is a requirement for it in the university program to which the student is admitted, adjustments may have to be made to include an extra half-credit beyond the normal degree program requirements.
It should be noted that for some restricted-enrolment programs, preference may be given to applicants who, along with a high academic standing, have completed an introductory course in calculus.
The United States
- Applicants who have completed Grade 12 in the United States or in a U.S. overseas school will be considered for admission to first year. The Grade 12 program must include at least four academic units, and a minimum of 16 academic units must have been completed in Grades 9 to 12.
- An average of B- or higher is required for admission. For Honours programs and some limited enrolment programs, a higher average may be required.
- Applicants are encouraged to submit SAT or ACT scores to supplement their application for admission to the University.
Advanced Placement (AP)
Applicants who have completed AP exams with a minimum grade of 4 will be granted appropriate advanced standing credit, subject to the discretion of the appropriate Faculty, to a maximum of 3.0 credits.
International Baccalaureate (IB)
Students applying on the basis of having completed the IB diploma must possess a minimum score of 28 points. Applicants should have completed the diploma with six subjects: three higher level (HL) and three subsidiary level (SL). Students should also include the specific subject requirements for the program for which they are applying among their higher level and subsidiary level subjects. Usually we expect prerequisite courses to be at the higher level. Students with a minimum score of 28 may be given transfer credit for higher level courses with grades of 5 or higher, to a maximum of 3.0 credits.
Other High School Systems
Applicants who have completed high school diploma requirements in other than Canadian or American high school systems will be considered for admission at the appropriate level of entry. Individuals from foreign systems of education will be considered for admission to first year only if they are able to present sufficient evidence that their secondary school background is appropriate to this level of entry with respect to academic content and level of achievement.
Generally speaking, such applicants must meet requirements for admission to a university in their own country.
The following certificates may be accepted to meet admission requirements to first year:
United Kingdom, West Indies, East and West Africa, Hong Kong: The General Certificate of Education (or the equivalent) with satisfactory standing in five subjects at Ordinary Level (or equivalent) and two suitable subjects at Advanced Level.
International: The International Baccalaureate, the French Baccalaureate.