School of Agriculture Diploma in Agriculture applicant admission requirements (2024-2025)

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.

Programs offered

Diploma in Agriculture

A. Academic Requirements

The University of Manitoba will require graded coursework to fulfill all admission requirements as outlined in this bulletin. Pass grades will not be considered for meeting any of these requirements unless otherwise stated. Students may be eligible for admission to the School of Agriculture, Agriculture Diploma Program in one of the following ways, depending on their previous academic history:

1. Direct Entry Category

Applicants in this category are current high school students or students who have already graduated from high school but have completed fewer than twenty-four (24) credit hours at a recognized university/college.

Applicants must meet the Specific Admissions Requirements as listed in the Direct Entry Applicant Information Bulletin. Applicants who would otherwise fall under the Direct or Advanced Entry Category but who do not meet the academic requirements may apply under the Individual Consideration Category.

Direct Entry applicant information

2. Advanced Entry Category

The Advanced Entry option is for applications who have completed one year or more of studies in another faculty at the University of Manitoba or another recognized post-secondary institution. Applicants in this category must have fulfilled all eligibility requirements as described below.

Applicants must:

• Complete a minimum of 24 credit hours from a recognized university or college.
• Achieve a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0 or higher (see Section 4: Selection Process, A. Calculation of the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)). If the number of eligible candidates exceeds the available spaces, a CGPA higher than the minimum may be required for admission.

3. Individual Consideration Category

This category is for students who would fall under either the Direct Entry or Advanced Entry category but whose academic records may not be competitive in the selection process. Such students may apply for individual consideration only if they meet the criteria as described below. Meeting the eligibility requirements of this category is not a guarantee of admission. Up to 10% of admission spaces are available to Individual Consideration Candidates recommended by the Diploma Selection Committee.

Applicants would be eligible for individual consideration if they either:

• Have academic records that are not a true reflection of their academic and intellectual merit because of their exceptional life circumstances (exceptional circumstances include physical, social, educational, economic, medical, geographical, and other obstacles by the applicant), or
• Display skills and attributes in any or all personal, work, or community activities which indicate that they can make a significant contribution to Manitoba’s agri-food industry and/or rural and northern Indigenous communities.

Students who apply for individual consideration must submit electronic versions of the following documents as part of the application process:

• A typed personal statement (not to exceed 800 words) which includes the specific reasons why their application merits consideration within the Individual Consideration category.
• A typed personal resume.
• Three letters of recommendation. We are collecting this information in the strictest of confidence and it will not be released to the applicant. This is done to ensure the integrity of the recommendation process.

Those candidates who are applying on the basis of exceptional circumstances must submit supporting documentation to verify their exceptional circumstances (e.g., if a student is applying on the basis of exceptional medical circumstances, the student must submit official supporting documentation from a qualified medical professional).

All candidates will be interviewed by the Selection Committee and may be administered an academic skills test. Criteria used when evaluating Individual Consideration applicants include the applicant’s maturity, scholastic ability, agricultural experience, motivation, leadership, and/or demonstrated initiative relevant to an agricultural career.

A holistic review of these characteristics along with all required documentation is used for consideration of applications in the Individual Consideration category, with no particular weight to any one requirement. Decisions are necessarily subjective; reasons are neither recorded nor given.

Individual Consideration Applications will take place over the summer. Individual consideration applicants may not get a formal offer until late July.

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.

• English language proficiency requirements

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.

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 and specifically around the deadlines and important dates listed below.

B. Deadlines and Important Dates

C. Required Application Documentation

Please send application documentation to the following address:
Admission for Agriculture
University of Manitoba
424 UMSU University
Centre 66 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 postsecondary 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.

A. Calculation of the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

The Cumulative Grade Point Average will be calculated using all recognized post-secondary course work including original grades of repeated courses. It is expected that these courses will be completed by the end of the April examination period. Students needing to complete courses during Summer Session to meet the minimum 24 credit hour requirement will only be considered for admission on a space available basis after all other eligible applicants have been considered.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform the Admission Office in writing of any deferred exams or grade changes. All final grades, including grade changes, must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the document deadline in order for them to be included in the final selection process. Grade changes will not be accepted after the documentation deadline date. If a grade is not available by the documentation deadline date, an ‘F’ grade will be used in the final admission determination and calculation.

Should a grade be retained on your record yet excluded from your institutional GPA calculation, that grade will be used to meet admission requirements and the GPA calculation for your application to the University of Manitoba.

B. Selection of Applicants

Should the number of eligible applicants exceed the available spaces in the Direct Entry and Advanced Entry categories, applicants will be rank ordered based on highest admission average (Direct Entry) or AGPA (Advanced Entry).

International Direct and Advanced Entry applicants will be rank ordered separately with a target of 10% of the annual spaces allocated to the top international candidates.

If there is a shortfall of applicants in any of the admission categories, movement of available seats will be allowed in the following preferential order to achieve the target enrolment:

• Direct and Advanced Entry Categories (Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents)
• Individual Consideration Category
• Direct and Advanced Entry Categories (International applicants)

C. Tie Breaking Procedure for Offers

In the event of a tie, the following procedure will be used:

1. Increase the number of significant figures used in the calculation.
2. Where a tie still exists, the application that was received first will be used to break the tie.  All completed applications are time stamped upon submission; in the case of a paper application, these applications will be time stamped after they have been entered into the system by a University of Manitoba Admissions Office staff member.

D. Notification of Decision

Once a decision has been made, all applicants will receive an email notifying them to log into their application portal to view the decision. Students that are offered admission will be required to confirm their acceptance. If you do not accept the offer by the deadline date indicated in the letter, your offer will lapse and you will need to contact our office to discuss the possibility of an extension. It is imperative that your email account remains current and that you check it regularly or arrange for someone to check it in your absence.

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.

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

• Review the Senate Committee on Admission Appeals policy and procedures

Applicants are advised that appeals of reconsideration decisions by the Senate Admissions 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 School of Agriculture and Admissions Office are able to assist applicants who seek counselling regarding admission to the School of Agriculture. 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. Admission is determined by the Committee on the basis of an annual competition.
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 (review 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.