Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences degree programs applicant admission requirements (2024-2025)

Fall: May 1, 2024
Winter: October 1, 2024

Admission to the Winter term is on a space available basis only.

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

• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Agribusiness
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Agriculture
  • Animal Systems
  • Agronomy
  • Plant Biotechnology
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Agroecology
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Food Science
• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) Human Nutritional Sciences

In addition to the degree programs, the School of Agriculture offers an Agriculture Diploma. Interested applicants should consult the Agriculture Diploma program page.

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 Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences (Degree) programs in one of the following ways, depending on their previous academic history:

Direct Entry

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 General Entrance and Specific Admissions Requirements as listed in the Direct Entry programs applicant admission requirements.

Direct Entry applicant information

Advanced Entry (applicants with university/college background)

Applicants in this category will have fulfilled all Eligibility Requirements as described below. Applicants who do not fulfill all Eligibility Requirements will be deemed ineligible.

1. General Applicants

Applicants under this category must:

• Complete a minimum of twenty-four (24) credit hours of university degree level course work. Work completed at the college level may be acceptable (Review Section 4: Selection Process)
• Achieve an Adjusted Grade Point Average of 2.0 or higher (See Section 4: Selection Process)

Notes:

• It is expected that the required 24 credit hours will be completed by the end of the April 2024 examination period for Fall admission or August 2024 examination period for Winter admission. Students who need to complete courses during the 2024 Summer Session for Fall admission or 2024 Fall Session for Winter admission in order to meet the Admission Requirements will only be considered for admission on a space available basis after all other eligible students have been considered.
• If the number of eligible candidates exceeds the available spaces, an adjusted grade point average higher than the minimum may be required for admission.
• The written English and Mathematics requirements are satisfied by required courses in each program. These courses will be available to students upon admission.
• Applicants who have been awarded a first degree from a recognized university, with a minimum Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) of 2.00 or higher may be eligible for admission to Human Nutritional Sciences Second Degree program. Applicants with degrees will be ranked with the rest of the Advanced Entry applicants.
• Although the Faculty does not require any specific university-level courses in the requirements for admission, applicants wanting to complete their degree in the minimum amount of time should consider taking the courses listed in the First Year Planning Guide.

2. UM Agriculture Diploma to Degree Applicants

This category is for applicants to the B.Sc. Agribusiness, B.Sc. Agriculture, and B.Sc. Agroecology degree programs only.

To be eligible, applicants must have graduated from the Diploma in Agriculture program at the University of Manitoba with a minimum degree grade point average of 2.0.

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.

A. Application fees

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

Fall 2024

Winter 2025

C. Required Application Documentation

The following documents will be required to complete your application:

• Interim official transcripts showing all completed course work and current registration. Transcripts are required from any university or college attended other than University of Manitoba (including exchange, transfer, and letter of permission).
• Final official transcripts from any university or college attended other than University of Manitoba are required (including exchange, transfer, and letter of permission). Student copies or photocopies are not acceptable. Transcripts become the property of University of Manitoba and will not be returned. An English translation of international transcripts in languages other than English must be provided by the issuing institution or by a certified English translator. A translation must include a copy of the document on which the translation is based. The certified translator must include the original language photocopy and the English translation in sealed envelopes and endorse the envelopes by signing across the seal.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform the Admissions 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.

• Course Outlines for coursework completed at accredited post-secondary institutions including universities and colleges are required. It may take several weeks to evaluate a transcript from another accredited post-secondary institution for possible credit transfer and admission eligibility. The Admissions Office must be able to evaluate previous coursework before the final admission selection process can be completed.
• Proof of Canadian Citizenship, Permanent Residence or Refugee Status is required if born outside of Canada.
• Name change documentation is required if name change has occurred as a result of marriage, divorce or other reason.
• Proof of proficiency in the use of the English language (see Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, B. English Language Proficiency Requirements).

Please send all 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.

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 should select 'Share' and then 'Organization' instead of opting for 'email'.

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.

D. Transfer Credit Information

At the University of Manitoba, all prior course work from recognized post-secondary institutions will be considered as part of the application for admission process for our undergraduate degree and diploma programs.

Courses are evaluated for advanced standing or transfer credit on a course-by-course basis and assigned a University of Manitoba equivalent, where applicable. Where a direct equivalent does not exist, students may receive general (unallocated) credit. The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences will only consider external courses completed within the last 10 years.

Courses deemed acceptable for transfer credit will be awarded, subject to program approval, up to the maximum allowed under the program of admission, based on the Faculty or School’s transfer credit policy and residency requirements (consult the section of the University's Academic Calendar for details).

• Explore the Academic Calendar

Students may be asked to provide comprehensive and accurate course outlines or syllabi, as issued by their institution of study, for all courses lacking a current evaluation. Course outlines or syllabi should include information on course objectives, outline of the units studied, textbook(s) used, assignments, and accompanying laboratory information, if applicable, to assist in the transfer credit assessment process. 

An online transfer credit resource is available for information on current course evaluations receiving credit.

While we appreciate that some institutions do not have course information readily available, many students have been able to provide the information requested by contacting the individual departments or instructors at their prior institutions. Students that are unable to provide the requested course information may render themselves ineligible for programs that have specific minimum university degree level credit hour  requirements. Only successful applicants will be notified of transfer credit results.

Additional information related to transfer credit is available on the Admissions website.

Transfer credit information

A. Selection

1. General Applicants

An Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) will be calculated using all post-secondary course work including original grades of repeated courses.

The Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) is calculated by excluding the lowest credit hours of university level course work in accordance with the following table:

Notes:

• The Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences accepts credit from community college, technical college, or other accredited college course equivalents as assigned by the relevant discipline departments at the University of Manitoba. Such courses are considered for potential transfer credit to the programs and only those courses will be used in establishing eligibility and in the calculation of the AGPA.
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform the Admissions 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.

2. UM Agriculture Diploma to Degree Applicants

Up to 25 seats will be reserved for applicants under this pathway each academic year. If there are more than 25 eligible applicants, the top graduating degree grade point averages from the Diploma program will be used to rank applicants. Additional applicants will be considered and ranked through the General Applicants category.

B. 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.

C. Notification of Decision

Decisions will be posted to the applicant’s portal. Applicants must log into their application portal to view the decision and to accept or decline their offer. If the offer is not accepted by the deadline date indicated in the letter, the offer will lapse. Lapsed offers will be considered a declined response. It is imperative that emails and application portals are regularly checked.

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 written 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 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 Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Admissions Office are able to assist applicants who seek counselling regarding admission to the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences. 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 (see 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.