Canada / Entry requirements
General requirements for undergraduate courses
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- Alberta – a General High School Diploma is generally considered to satisfy the entrance requirements of British Higher Education (HE) if awarded with an average of at least 65% in five acceptable grade 12 courses.
- British Columbia – the Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma is generally considered to satisfy the entrance requirements of British HE institutions if awarded with at least five Bs (BBBBB) in acceptable grade 12 courses.
- Manitoba – the High School Graduation Diploma is generally considered to satisfy the entrance requirements of British HE if five credits have been awarded at 300 level in at least four subject areas and with at least 65% achieved in each of these areas.
- Ontario – the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) is required with an average of 80% in six Grade 12 U/M courses. Certain programmes may require Grade 12 U/M courses in specific subjects.
- Saskatchewan – the Completion Grade 12 Standing/Division IV Standing (Secondary School Diploma) is generally considered to satisfy the entrance requirements of British HE if awarded with an average of at least 65% in five acceptable subjects.
Important notice
OSSD entry requirements are currently under review for 2024 entry – any applications already submitted for 2024 are on hold until the review is complete.
Applicants are advised that the following information is subject to change. We advise waiting until this review is complete before applying.
We will update this page with further information shortly.
General information
The University considers the Canadian-Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) for entry with the following conditions:
- where it has been taught in person at a school officially authorised to grant credits towards the diploma;
We recognise that due to the COVID-19 pandemic many schools have had to move to some or all online teaching. We will consider students who have been taught online as a direct result of the pandemic but will require proof from the school that this was a necessary course of action.
- where it has been taught remotely through a formalised partnership between the awarding school and an overseas school. The awarding school will be asked to provide details of the partnership, and the teaching and assessment arrangements used. We reserve the right to make our own judgement regarding this;
- we do not generally consider the diploma where it has been taught online only, through a virtual or online school, without a formalised partnership. Where it has been taught wholly online, we expect to see the home address of the student on the UCAS form and not the address of the teaching body.
- the student who is applying to study at Manchester will need to provide evidence of English Language proficiency (especially if they have studied online). An English Language proficiency test may be required;
- awarding schools must be listed on the Canadian Ontario Government website as a school authorised to award Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits:
- accelerated routes (fast track routes) to the diploma are not accepted. We expect students to have achieved all 30 credits from Canadian OSSD courses, and for these to be detailed on their transcript;
If the applicant has been studying in the Ontario education system for fewer than three years, the awarding school will be asked to provide details of all courses taken in the previous school which meet the requirements of the Canadian Ontario Secondary School Diploma curriculum, and the number of credits that have been awarded on that basis.
The University will not consider a Canadian OSSD if it is not shown that courses studied in a different education system cover all the areas expected from a student who has studied only in the Ontario education system.
- transcripts can only be accepted if they are provided directly by the school and confirmed as being the final results. Transcripts provided by applicants will not be considered.
General requirements for postgraduate/research courses
If you completed an undergraduate degree at a Canadian university, you will need a GPA of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) in a relevant subject area. Strong applicants will not be asked to provide a GMAT report, except for our MBA (minimum 550).
If you wish to study for a PhD at Manchester, you will need to hold an undergraduate degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 (out of 4.0) and, in most cases, a master's degree as well.
English language requirements
All applicants to the University (from the UK and overseas) are required to show evidence of English language proficiency.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the ‘B2 level’.
Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English language policy, including a list of some of the English language qualifications we accept, can be found here.
Please note that, under certain circumstances, a university degree from Canada may be sufficient evidence of English language proficiency. Please check with the academic School you would like to apply to.
Additionally, under certain circumstances, the University may consider Advanced Placements (English Language and Composition) or Canadian high school certificates with good grades as a recognised English language qualification.
Some Schools ask that the appropriate score has been met before you apply for a course, while other departments give conditional offers subject to applicants achieving our general entry requirement level of English Language proficiency before starting the course.
Other entry requirements
Please note that this is generic information only. Faculties and Schools have different entry requirements and some qualifications may not be acceptable for certain courses, so it is important to check with the School directly before you apply.
Some courses have additional entry requirements, such as previous work experience, submission of written work with the application, or previous study of a particular subject.