IV. Admission Information

Specific Subject Requirements and Recommendations

University of Guelph Programs

Specific subject requirements for the following programs offered by the University of Guelph are listed below:

Bachelor of Applied Science

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts and Sciences

Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management

Bachelor of Commerce

Bachelor of Computing

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

Bachelor of Engineering

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Technology

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

While specific subjects are listed under the new OSS Curriculum, some applicants may still present both OACs and Grade 4U and 4M courses. Students are advised to avoid course content duplication if they will be presenting courses from both the OAC and OSS curriculum. If two courses are presented which are deemed to be equivalent, only one will be used in calculating the admission average (e.g. OAC English and 4U English). The Non-Academic component of 4U/M co-op courses is not accepted as a contribution to admission requirements.

Out of province applicants should visit http://admission.uoguelph.ca/outofprov for applicable subject requirements. Students applying with educational credentials obtained outside of Canada should consult http://admission.uoguelph.ca/equivalency.

Bachelor of Applied Science--B.A.Sc.

Child, Youth and Family; Adult Development

ENG4U; one course in a 4U Mathematics; SBI4U or SCH4U; three additional 4U or 4M courses.

Applied Human Nutrition

ENG4U; one course in a 4U Mathematics; SBI4U; SCH4U; two additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:
  • Biology (SBI4U) is the recommended science course for students pursuing a major in Child, Youth & Family or Adult Development

Bachelor of Arts--B.A.

ENG4U; five additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:
  1. All applicants to programs in the Social Sciences are strongly encouraged to offer a course in Mathematics among the additional five courses.

  2. Students planning on entering programs in are strongly advised to include Economics; Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics; or Mathematical Economics.

Bachelor of Arts and Sciences--B.A.S.

ENG4U; MHF4U; two 4U courses from SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH4U; one 4U or 4M Arts or Social Science; one additional 4U or 4M course.

Bachelor of Bio-Resource Management--B.B.R.M.

ENG4U; SBI4U; four additional 4U or 4M courses.

Bachelor of Commerce--B.Comm.

Accounting, Food and Agricultural Business, Leadership and Organizational Management, Marketing, Management Economics and Finance, Real Estate and Housing Undeclared

ENG4U; MHF4U; one additional 4U Mathematics course, three additional 4U or 4M courses.

Hotel and Food Administration, Public Management, Tourism Management

ENG4U; MHF 4U; four additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:
  1. Hotel and Food Administration and Tourism Management: Applicants are considered on the basis of academic performance and review of a Background Information Sheet submitted to the Admissions Committee. The BIS deadline date for the Hotel and Food Administration and Tourism Management majors is March 1. Late applications may be considered if spaces are available.

  2. Marketing: If available, students are encouraged to include Economics and/or Administrative or Organizational Studies and/or Accounting among their 4U or 4M courses.

Bachelor of Computing--B.Comp.

ENG4U; MCV4U; four additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:
  1. Computing and Mathematics of Data Management courses are recommended, as are any other courses necessary to prepare the student for study in an "Area of Application".

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture--B.L.A.

ENG 4U; five additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:
  1. Applicants are required to submit a Background Information Form. A breadth of courses in the social, physical and biological sciences as well as the arts and languages is encouraged for all applicants.

Bachelor of Science--B.Sc.

ENG4U; MHF4U or MCV4U (see note 5); two 4U courses from SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH4U; two additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:

It is highly recommended that students select one of the two additional courses bearing in mind:

  1. Their eventual specialization.

  2. Regulation I on Introductory Courses, Section IX-B.Sc. Applicants who lack one specific 4U requirement but who have a high overall academic standing are encouraged to apply for admission to the regular (non-coop) program.

  3. Students contemplating admission to the D.V.M. Program should include the following 4U courses: Biology, Physics and Chemistry.

  4. Applicants are advised to include Biology, Chemistry and Physics among their 4U courses.

  5. Applicants to the following B.Sc. majors must include MVC4U: Biological and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Chemistry, Biological and Medical Physics, Chemical Physics, Physics, Theoretical Physics, Nanoscience, Mathematics, Physical Science, Environmental Geoscience and Geomatics.

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture--B.Sc. (Agr.)

ENG4U; MHF4U; two 4U courses from SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH4U, two additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:
  1. Students contemplating admission to the D.V.M. Program should present 4U Physics, Biology and Chemistry.

  2. Students who are lacking a specific 4U subject requirement but who have a high overall academic standing are encouraged to apply for admission.

Bachelor of Engineering--B.Eng.

ENG4U; MHF4U; MCV4U 2 4U courses from SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH 4U; one additional 4U or 4M course.

Recommendations and Notes:
  1. All applicants are encouraged to include both 4U Physics and Chemistry in their courses.

  2. Applicants are considered on the basis of academic performance and a review of a Student Profile Form submitted to the B.Eng. Admission Committee. In addition, due to the nature of the program, personal interviews and/or special tests may be used to assist in the selection of candidates. Differential criteria may prevail for admission to the various B.Eng. programs. Students who are admitted but lack specific required courses must complete replacement courses available at the University which do not all count towards the 23.50 credits required for the B.Eng. program. Students intending to enrol in these courses should consult the timetable and Section XII of the Calendar to determine the semesters during which they are offered.

  3. Applicants who lack one specific subject requirement but who have a high overall academic standing are encouraged to apply for admission to the regular (non-coop) program. Replacement credits are available at the University of Guelph and 0.50 may be counted for credit in the degree only where a free elective is part of the degree major.

  4. Students selecting a major in Environmental Biological or Biomedical Engineering are advised to include Physics, Chemistry and Biology in their program of study. Students intending to major in Mechanical or Water Resources Engineering should include Physics, Chemistry and one of Biology or Computer Studies; Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Engineering Systems and Computing majors should include Physics, Chemistry and Computer Studies.

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences--B.Sc. (Env.)

ENG4U; MHF4U; two 4U courses from SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH4U, two additional 4U or 4M courses.

Recommendations and Notes:
  1. To be best prepared for semester one of the program, all applicants are advised to include 4U Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

  2. Students who lack any one specific subject requirement but who have a high overall academic average are encouraged to apply for admission to the regular (non-coop) program. Students who are admitted with a deficiency in one of the secondary school requirements are encouraged to seek advice from their academic or admission counsellor. This deficiency must be resolved in the first year of the program.

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine-D.V.M.

The class size in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) Program is limited to approximately 120 students.

Academic Requirements

For admission to the D.V.M. Program, a minimum of four full-time semesters (10.00 credits), including:

  1. Biological Sciences - 1.00 credits (2 semester courses, with recommended emphasis on Animal)

  2. Cell Biology - 0.50 credit (1 semester course)

  3. Genetics - 0.50 credit (1 semester course)

  4. Biochemistry - 0.50 credit (1 semester course)

  5. Statistics - 0.50 credit (1 semester course with a Calculus prerequisite)

  6. Humanities or Social Sciences - 1.00 credit* (2 semester courses)

Applicants must complete prerequisite courses while registered on a full-time basis (e.g. University of Guelph 2.50 credits per semester, the equivalent of five half-year courses per semester).

Note: Academic requirements for applicants to the D.V.M. Program for 2016 Entry.

To be eligible to apply for September 2016 entry to the D.V.M. Program students must have completed a minimum of four full-time semesters, including all D.V.M. admission course requirements, at a recognized university before December 31, 2015.

The earliest time at which applicants may apply for 2016 admission to the D.V.M. Program is during third year of their first undergraduate degree program. Please refer to 2016 D.V.M. application and required document deadline dates at: http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/future/dvm/

*Students entering the D.V.M. Program should be able to operate across discipline boundaries recognizing the relevance of the humanities and the social sciences to their career choice. In selecting these courses from among those acceptable, the prospective veterinary student should consider topics such as ethics, logic, critical thinking, determinants of human behaviour and human social interaction.

All courses must be at university level. Applicants should consult the list of acceptable University of Guelph courses and subject areas online at http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/future/dvm/. Courses need not be completed in a specialized college or faculty or in a designated Pre-Veterinary program. Students wishing to undertake their preparatory work at the University of Guelph should seek admission to the Bachelor of Science or the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture programs. Students who wish to undertake their preparatory work at another university should select an institution that offers the specific course requirements listed above as part of a degree program and that has rigorous entrance requirements and a reputation for academic quality.

Applications will also be considered from persons who have successfully completed a science graduate program and from persons currently enrolled in a science graduate program. For those persons currently enrolled, all the requirements of the program must be successfully completed by August 1st of the year of entry to the D.V.M. Program. Persons who qualify must indicate their desire to be considered in the graduate student cohort. Their application will then be removed from the undergraduate applicant pool and considered separately. Selection for interviews will be made on the basis of academic achievement including grades in acceptable prerequisite subjects (undergraduate and graduate courses), evaluation of the Background Information Form, two letters of reference from persons assessing the applicant's skills and knowledge of veterinary medicine and two letters of reference for persons familiar with the applicant's performance as a graduate student. Final selection will be based on this information and an interview. Normally a maximum of five students will be selected from this cohort each year.

Because of limitations in class size, all candidates should have an alternative career objective and course selection should be compatible with this objective.

Residence Requirements

Canadian citizens or individuals who have Permanent Resident Status of at least one year's duration are eligible to apply as domestic students if they also satisfy the Ontario residency requirement. 'Resident' in this context is interpreted to mean someone who has resided in Ontario for twelve months, exclusive of time spent in post-secondary institutions.

Selection Criteria

Since the number of applicants who satisfy the specific course requirements exceeds the number of available spaces in the D.V.M. Program, the Admissions Sub-Committee may use the following criteria to determine those who will be admitted. The members of the Sub-Committee endeavour to select those well-qualified applicants who, in their judgement, will be best able to successfully complete the veterinary medicine curriculum and who exhibit potential to become competent, responsible veterinarians dedicated to a lifetime of productive public service and continued learning. Candidates should pay attention to the selection criteria and attributes required for entry into the D.V.M. Program and use this information to guide them in preparation for application.

1. Academic Achievement and Aptitude

In view of the need to efficiently and quickly learn large amounts of factual material and to solve problems, applicants must have demonstrated achievement in the comprehension of scientific material. This will be evaluated by the scrutiny of transcripts of previous academic records. Attention will be paid to both the quality and consistency of grades in the program presented as preparation for admission, particularly for those applicants who have spent more than the minimal time in preparation. Course selections in an applicant's last two full-time semesters will be reviewed for academic coherence. For the purpose of D.V.M. admissions, a full-time semester will include at least 5 half-year courses (2.50 credits] from the acceptable list. It is expected that the level of an applicant's courses will correspond to the semester level (year) of his or her program. Please refer to information regarding acceptable courses at:http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/Undergrad/potential/admission.shtm.

2. Animal and Veterinary Experience

As part of the application process, candidates must demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the profession, its dimensions and the industries it serves to permit the candidate to make and defend his or her career choice. This requires the candidate to spend adequate time under the supervision of veterinarians in clinical practice situations (volunteer or paid) in order to gain hands-on experience with a range of animal species. Practice situations include, but are not limited to, large, small, mixed, avian and exotic animal clinics; thus introducing the applicant to food producing, companion, zoo and wildlife animals, or aquaculture. Other work or volunteer experience with veterinarians can include non-practice situations such as industry (e.g. veterinary products, pharmaceutical), research and academia (universities), and government (e.g. public health, regulatory affairs). There is an expectation that candidates will be able to demonstrate for each animal or veterinary experience the role of the veterinarian, production and breeding systems, general features of housing and feeding, productivity measures and norms, marketing systems, animal behaviour relevant to restraint, feeding and reproduction, and emerging trends and issues in the industry.

3. Background Information and Referees' Assessments

Successful candidates should have integrity, reliability, maturity and determination. It is important that professionals have excellent communication and leadership skills, and that they have a talent for effectively working with others. To assist in identification of candidates who possess these and other attributes, applicants must complete a Background Information Form, in which they will describe their academic program, work experience and extra-curricular activities. In addition, applicants will be asked to write a short essay about why they wish to study veterinary medicine. Confidential referee reports will be required from three persons qualified to give unbiased, informed, critical assessments of the applicant. A minimum of two of the three references that applicants select must be veterinarians with whom he or she has obtained animal and veterinary experience in the fulfillment of the selection criteria outlined in Section 2.

4. Interviews

Applicants may be invited to an interview. The interviews for undergraduate Canadian applicants to the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program follow the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. Graduate cohort applicants will be interviewed individually in the traditional format. The MMI consists of a series of short, timed, structured interview stations that draws multiple samples of a candidate’s ability to think on their feet, communicate opinions and ideas, critically appraise information and demonstrate advanced thought/knowledge of the issues facing the profession. At each station candidates are presented with a scenario to which they must react and explain their interpretation of the scenario to assessors who then mark the candidate based on a scoring rubric. Each of the scenarios has been constructed to assess Ethical Behaviour, Empathy, Judgement, Critical and Creative Thinking, or Personal Management Skills. All stations will assess Communications skills. The non-academic skills assessed by the MMI reflect the educational goals and objectives of OVC as well as the skills identified by the veterinary profession in Ontario as being necessary for a successful career. All interviews are held at the University of Guelph (no exceptions can be made).

Additional Attributes Required for Entry into the D.V.M. Program

Applicants should be aware that a number of attributes are required for admission to the Program. In addition to those already identified above under SelectionCriteria (e.g. academic achievement, academic aptitude, integrity) a number of others, some of which relate to certain University of Guelph Learning Objectives, have been identified. These are presented here to assist prospective candidates in preparing themselves for admission.

1. Literacy and Numeracy

Literacy and numeracy are the bases on which all knowledge is founded. The ability to read, write, and calculate are fundamental intellectual tools. Students entering the D.V.M. Program will be able to demonstrate literacy skills at least to the basic level as described under Literacy in the University of Guelph Learning Objectives. They will be able to assimilate and comprehend written language at a basic level, to summarize information in a coherent manner, and use appropriate language in context. Successful applicants must be able to devise a topic or concept for discussion, frame its bounds and communicate its content.

Students entering the D.V.M. Program will understand the value and principles of describing situations in numeric terms. They will be able to assimilate and comprehend numeric data and use appropriate tools to manage such information. They must be able to use skills of numeracy to check validity of information, to use and correctly interpret appropriate statistics to describe the distribution of observations in individuals and populations, and be able to perform basic tests of hypotheses (t-test, chi-square and simple regression) and interpret these correctly.

2. Communication Skills

Communication is the process of interacting with others respectfully and involves an exchange of information, feelings and values. It includes intrapersonal communication (self-understanding, self-evaluation, and reasoning) and interpersonal communication (interaction with others, relationship and self-disclosure). Through interpersonal communication, relationships are started, maintained, or destroyed. Good communication involves an understanding of self-awareness, of self-esteem, of feelings and emotions, the development of listening skills and the willingness to disclose oneself truthfully and freely. Good communication also requires an understanding of principles of language and verbal interaction, principles of non-verbal communication, and of interpersonal communication and relationships (relationship development and deterioration, improvement of interpersonal communication, conflict management, interviewing skills etc.)

Students entering the D.V.M. Program will be able to: listen respectfully and comprehend appreciatively; practice the elements of good interpersonal communication successfully; demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively; and communicate effectively by oral, written, and electronic means at the appropriate literacy level. Successful applicants will be able to recognize the non-verbal aspects of communication by considering feelings, emotions, and values as elements of communication.

3. Judgement

Students entering the D.V.M. Program will be able to use knowledge, observational and analytical skills, with due consideration of value systems, to evaluate and implement decisions. They will be able to identify and articulate their personal value system; identify ethics and standards of conduct; and identify the values and assumptions that may be operative in various contexts. They must be able to identify, critically evaluate and accept the implications and consequences of decisions, to re-evaluate decisions based on new information, and deal effectively with uncertainty. They will be able to accept that self-assessment of ethics and standards of conduct is a professional responsibility, and accept that others may have different values and assumptions and respect those differences.

4. On-Going Curiosity (self-initiated learning)

Students entering the D.V.M. Program must be able to use self-initiated learning to maintain and enhance depth and breadth of understanding. They must recognize limitations of their knowledge, skills and attitudes, identify sources of ongoing learning opportunities, and demonstrate a commitment to on-going learning and self-evaluation.

5. Forms of Inquiry

Students entering the D.V.M. Program will be able to identify and articulate the strengths and weaknesses, similarities and differences of various forms of inquiry (i.e. those used by the physical scientist, the biological scientist, the social scientist and the scholar of the humanities). They will be able to describe and apply the scientific method, and articulate and evaluate personal problem-solving processes.

6. Essential Skills and Abilities

Please refer to Essential Skills and Abilities required for the Study of Veterinary Medicine at: http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca/future/dvm/admissions/documents/OVCAdmissionsPolicyDocumentMay2006.pdf/

Application Procedure

Domestic applicants currently or previously registered at the University of Guelph must obtain an internal application for transfer or readmission from Admission Services on-line at http://admission.uoguelph.ca/internal. All other domestic applicants must apply using the Ontario Universities Application Centre by accessing the computerized application service http://www.ouac.on.ca/.

International applicants should apply through the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS). For further details see http://aavmc.org/vmcas/vmcas.htm. Alternatively, international applicants can apply using the University of Guelph International Application found at http://admission.uoguelph.ca.

Application Deadline Dates

For Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada who satisfy the Ontario residency requirement applying to the first year of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program, application forms must be received no later than January 1, 2016.

Please refer to deadline dates for supporting documentation, references, official transcripts and the Background Information Form at: http://www.ovc.uoguelph.ca.

The deadline for International applicants using the VMCAS application is October 1. Those applying directly to the University of Guelph must apply and submit all supporting documentation by December 1.

Application Limitation

In total, only four applications for admission to the D.V.M. Program will be considered from an individual.

Requests for Deferrals

Requests for deferral of admission to the D.V.M. program will not be permitted except on approval by the Admissions Committee due to significant medical, psychological or compassionate reasons.

Rabies Immunization

A condition of admission to the D.V.M. Program is agreement to a rabies immunization program which includes blood titre evaluation. Exemption from this condition may be granted in exceptional circumstances, but the student concerned must sign a release absolving the University of further liability.

Use of Animals

Live animals may be used for teaching purposes in some courses in the Veterinary Program, and this must be accepted by students admitted to the program. All animals are protected by the Animals for Research Act of Ontario (1980), the Guidelines for the Care and Use of Experimental Animals (Canadian Council on Animal Care), and the Animal Care Policies of the University of Guelph.

University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Canada
519-824-4120