Niagara College Canada

Admission Requirements

Submitting Requirements to Admissions

Applicants can view detailed information about which requirements the Admissions Office has received, and what is still outstanding, by logging in to MyNC. Once logged in, click on “Evaluation Status” under the “Application and Resources” section.

The below are minimum admission requirements, listed by program type. Visit the program’s webpage for comprehensive admission requirements.

Postsecondary Programs

• Ontario Secondary School Diplom (OSSD), or equivalent
• English – any Grade 12 (C) or (U), or equivalent

Some programs may admit students with a lesser English requirement. Please check the program’s webpage for details.

Honours Bachelor’s Degree Programs

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent.
• English–any Grade 12 (U), or equivalent (minimum grade 60%)
• Mathematics–any Grade 12 (U) or Grade 12 Accounting (M), or equivalent (minimum grade 60%)
• Four additional Grade 12 (U) or (M) level courses in any field of study
• An overall average of 65% in the six Grade 12 (U) or (M) courses

Note: Secondary school grades from co-op courses and half credit courses are not considered.

Apprenticeship Programs

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent AND
• Employment in the trade

For further information, please contact the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Apprenticeship Client Services in person at their office on 301 St. Paul St. W, 10th Floor, St. Catharines, ON L2R 7R4, by phone at 905-704-2991, by fax at 905-704-2985, or online at www.ontario.ca/apprenticeship.

Graduate Certificate Programs

• Ontario College Diploma (or equivalent) or Bachelor’s Degree
• Proof of English proficiency

Most private college courses and/or credentials are not acceptable as admission requirements for Niagara College programs. Please contact the admissions office at admissions@niagaracollege.ca for assistance with your particular program of interest.

Mature Students (19+) with no Secondary School Diploma

If you are age 19 or older as of the first day of classes, and do not have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, you may be considered for admission as a mature student. You must meet all specific admission requirements (courses, portfolio, written statement, audition, pre-admission testing, etc.) for the program to which you are applying.

Equivalency testing is available in Mathematics and English for applicants age 19 or older. Testing is not available for Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Test fees are payable at the time the test is written. To review eligibility for admission, please contact the Admissions Office at 905-735-2211, ext. 7619 or email admissions@niagaracollege.ca.

Additional Requirements

The minimum academic requirements listed pertain to most programs. Some programs may also require:

• specific pre-requisite courses
• pre-admission testing
• attendance at an information session
• participation in an audition session
• submission of a portfolio
• completion of an essay or questionnaire
• or additional assessment of equivalency to required courses

It is important to note that meeting admission requirements does not guarantee admission to Niagara College programs. You can find specific up-to-date admission requirements as well as selection and ranking information posted on individual program webpages.

Admission Decisions for Open Programs

• Applications are evaluated based on published admission requirements.
• When the applicant provides proof of meeting the requirements, an offer of admission can be issued, provided space is available in the program.
• Where a required course is in progress at the time of evaluation, a decision will be rendered upon receipt of course enrolment.
• Offers of admission granted where one or more admission requirements are in progress will be conditional upon successful completion of the requirement.
• A conditional offer of acceptance will be revoked if proof of completion of all requirements is not received by the Admissions Office before the start of classes.

Admission Decisions and Selection and Ranking for Competitive Programs

A program is considered competitive when the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number required to fill the program. Eligible applicants will be ranked for offering or placement on a wait list based on ranking as determined by Program Selection Criteria grouped by:

• Permanent residents of Ontario
• Permanent residents of other provinces and territories in Canada
• Applicants from other countries

For more information, please see Policy: Admissions & Pathways – Postsecondary.

• Applications, as well as proof of all admission requirements, must be received by the Admissions Office according to the deadlines listed under application deadlines to Niagara College, available at niagaracollege.ca/dates.
• Applications received on or before the application deadline will be equally considered, based on published admission requirements and residency priority.
• Selection is based on the average of final grades in required courses and, where required, pre-admission test scores, audition or portfolio evaluations.
• The highest senior level final grade available at the time of evaluation is considered.
• Mid-term grades are not considered for competitive programs however, where the required grade 12 course is in progress, grade 11 final grades will be used for ranking.

Example 1:

When an applicant is enrolled in a required grade 12 Math, and has no previous final grade for grade 12 Math at the time of evaluation, ranking is based on the final grade for grade 11 Math at the appropriate level. Offers of admission granted in this circumstance will be conditional upon successful completion of the required grade 12 Math.

Example 2:

When an applicant is enrolled in a required grade 11 or 12 Chemistry, and has no previous final grade for grade 11 or 12 Chemistry at the time of evaluation, the applicant will not be considered for admission to a competitive program. Final grades must be available at the time of evaluation.

Tip:

Applicants currently attending a semestered secondary school are strongly encouraged to complete the subject-specific requirements for the programs to which they are applying in the first semester of their final year or during their 3rd year of studies in order that final marks for these courses may be used in the selection. This is particularly important for programs requiring SCH4C where no grade 11 Chemistry mark can be used in selections.

Re-Admittance

• Students who wish to be readmitted to the first semester of any program must apply to ontariocolleges.ca.
• Standard application rules and deadlines, as well as admission requirements for the current application cycle will apply.
• Students wishing to return to a term other than the first term of a program may contact Enrolment Services for further information by calling 905-735-2211 ext. 7500 or emailing registrar@niagaracollege.ca.

Deferrals of Admission

• A deferral of admission may be considered on an individual basis under extenuating circumstances.
• Applicants must submit their request in writing to the Admissions Office.
• Applicants must meet all program admission requirements for the start date they wish to defer to.
• If a deferral is requested to the next application cycle, a new application and payment of the application fee at Ontario Colleges will be required.