To get into Toronto Metropolitan University, Ontario applicants need the OSSD with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English, a minimum 70% overall average, and program prerequisites — though competitive programs sit far higher, from the high 70s to the low 90s. Most applicants apply through the OUAC.
This guide walks through TMU admission requirements program by program, then covers every applicant pathway: Ontario domestic, international, mature, transfer and out-of-province.
About Toronto Metropolitan University
Toronto Metropolitan University — known as Ryerson University until 2022 — is a publicly assisted university in the heart of downtown Toronto, headquartered at 350 Victoria Street. It offers more than 60 undergraduate programs across the Ted Rogers School of Management, The Creative School, the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Community Services, the Faculty of Arts, and the Lincoln Alexander School of Law.
TMU also operates a School of Medicine campus in Brampton, at 150 Central Park Drive, with clinical learning at affiliated sites throughout Peel Region — the first new medical school in the Greater Toronto Area in over a century.
Its most-searched undergraduate programs include Nursing (Collaborative BScN), Business Management, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Architectural Science, Journalism, Media Production, Fashion, Image Arts: Film, and Performance: Acting. TMU’s identity is applied and city-facing: co-op, placements, studio work and industry projects run through most programs.
Toronto Metropolitan University Admission Requirements at a Glance
The baseline is the OSSD with six Grade 12 U/M courses and a 70% overall average, plus a Grade 12 U English course and program-specific prerequisites. Everything above that baseline is decided by competition each year.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Diploma Basis (Ontario) | OSSD with six Grade 12 U or M courses |
| Minimum Overall Average | 70%, calculated on the best six 4U/M courses to two decimal places, not rounded |
| Mandatory English | Grade 12 U English—ENG4U, ETS4U, or EWC4U (or Anglais: EAE4U, EAL4U, or EAC4U). ENG4U/EAE4U is preferred for every program and required for Journalism, Media Production, and Sport Media. |
| Prerequisite Grades | Normally 65–75% university-wide; most program pages specify a minimum of 70% in each prerequisite. |
| Repeated or Upgraded Courses | Permitted—TMU states that the overall average may include repeated or upgraded course marks. |
| Grade 11 Marks | May be used in the early admission offer process. |
| Non-Academic Requirements | Required for “Grades-Plus” programs only (portfolio, audition, essay, or interview), plus a $50 CAD assessment fee where applicable. |
| International Credential Basis | Equivalent of the OSSD with six Grade 12 U/M courses; TMU determines equivalency. |
| IB Diploma | 4 or higher in three Higher Level and three Standard Level subjects, including prerequisites, with a total score of 28 or higher. |
| GCE A Level | Two or more A Levels at B and C, alongside qualifying GCSE, IGCSE, or O Levels. |
| English Proficiency (Overall Scores) | IELTS Academic 6.5 · Duolingo 120 · PTE 60 · Cambridge C1/C2 180+ · CAEL 60 for Engineering and Science, except Computer Science and Architectural Science, or 70 for all other programs · TOEFL iBT at TMU’s current published minimum. |
| English Test Exemption | Four years of full-time secondary study in Canada, in a listed exempt country or territory, or at a school where English is the primary language of instruction. |
| Application Route | OUAC undergraduate application for most applicants; TMU Application or TMU International Application in defined cases. |
Figures are drawn from TMU’s undergraduate admissions pages and are subject to change — confirm current requirements before you apply.
How to Apply to Toronto Metropolitan University (Step by Step)
Most applicants apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre, then complete the file in TMU’s own applicant portal. TMU releases decisions on a rolling basis rather than all at once.
- Select your programs and confirm they are open. Review each program page for prerequisites, grade ranges, and non-academic requirements, then verify that the program is still accepting applications.
- Choose the correct application form. Current Ontario secondary school students must use the OUAC 101. Out-of-province, international, mature, transfer, and previously graduated applicants must use the OUAC 105. According to OUAC, TMU classifies these applicants as Group A and Group B, respectively.
- Use a TMU application form only if it applies to you. The TMU Application costs $90 for two program choices and is intended for current and former TMU students, part-time-only applicants, special students, and applicants seeking readmission or reinstatement. The TMU International Application is for international students, except international students currently attending an Ontario secondary school, who must apply through OUAC.
- Activate your TMU online identity. Your acknowledgement email will include a nine-digit TMU Student Number. Use it to activate your account and access the ChooseTMU Applicant Portal.
- Upload your required documents through ChooseTMU, including transcripts, the optional TMU supplementary form, English proficiency results, and any non-academic requirements. Group B applicants are responsible for arranging all secondary and post-secondary transcripts and must pay a $90 document evaluation fee through OUAC.
- Submit non-academic requirements by the deadline. For Grades-Plus programs, these requirements are due on the equal-consideration date or 10 business days after you apply, whichever is later. The assessment fee must be paid before your submission will be reviewed.
- Monitor your applicant portal and respond to your offer. Most admission decisions are communicated between February and late May. Unless your offer states otherwise, all admission requirements must be completed by the end of June. A summer school extension form is available if needed.
Admission Pathways to TMU
TMU assesses every applicant’s complete academic history — secondary and post-secondary — through the same competitive process, but the route in differs by background.
(a) Ontario domestic students
Apply on the OUAC 101 as a Group A applicant. Your guidance office transmits your grades to OUAC, so you don’t submit high school transcripts yourself. You need the OSSD, six 4U/M courses, a 70% minimum overall average, Grade 12 U English, and your program’s prerequisites at the stated grade. Group A applicants pay no document evaluation fee and cannot submit the supplementary form.
(b) International students
Present the equivalent of the OSSD with six Grade 12 U/M courses; TMU is the final arbiter of equivalency. IB, A Levels, AP/US Grade 12, CAPE, the French Baccalauréat, NCUK IFY, BTEC Level 3, Indian CBSE/CISCE and Chinese Senior High credentials are all recognized, each with its own grade thresholds. Note that Calculus is required for all Engineering programs, Accounting & Finance, and select Science programs, and Physics at A Level is required for all Engineering programs.
You will also need English proficiency unless you qualify for an exemption — and a senior-level English course is required either way. Separately, most new international undergraduates need a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to apply for a study permit; per Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, a PAL or territorial equivalent is required of all study permit applicants unless they fall under a published exception, and applications submitted without one are returned unprocessed.
(c) Mature students
If you don’t meet the standard high-school requirements, TMU will consider you as a mature student where you are 21 by December 31 of your starting year, have been away from formal education for at least two years, are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or government-sponsored, and have completed your program’s prerequisites — typically at 70% or higher. Your admission average is calculated from those prerequisite grades, so a small number of well-chosen 4U courses can carry the whole application. A supplementary form explaining your program choice, career goals and work experience is required. Mature guidelines don’t apply to the formal transfer pathways.
(d) Transfer students
More than 3,000 transfer students join TMU each year. Formal pathways exist into Business Management Direct Entry, Business Technology Management, Child and Youth Care, Disability Studies, Early Childhood Studies, Health Administration, Nursing Advanced Entry, Nursing Post-Diploma, Occupational Health & Safety, Public Health, Retail Management, Social Work Advanced Standing and Urban & Regional Planning — and for these, secondary school transcripts aren’t required. The senior English course requirement is waived. Outside the formal pathways, individual transfer credits are assessed through MyServiceHub or previewed on ONTransfer, and at least 50% of your degree must be completed at TMU.
(e) Out-of-province Canadian students
Apply on the OUAC 105 as a Group B applicant; TMU publishes admission requirements province by province. If you’re currently in Grade 12 outside Ontario and Quebec, complete the self-reported grades section of the supplementary form. You’re responsible for arranging your own transcripts, and the $90 document evaluation fee applies.
Program-Specific Requirements and Prerequisites at TMU
TMU divides programs into Grades-Only (decided on academic performance alone) and Grades-Plus (academic performance plus portfolio, audition, essay or interview). The published grade range reflects the average required in previous years, not a guaranteed cut-off.
| Program | Prerequisite Courses (min. 70% each) | Approx. Competitive Average Range | Supplementary? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing – Collaborative (BScN) | ENG4U/EAE4U, SCH4U, SBI4U, plus one Grade 11 or 12 mathematics course (MCF3M, MCR3U, MCV4U, MDM4U, or MHF4U) | Low 90s (TMU site); mid-80s (Centennial College site) | No — grades only; CASPer not required |
| Architectural Science (BArchSc Hons) | ENG4U/EAE4U, SPH4U, and one of MCV4U or MHF4U | Low 90s | Yes — portfolio of 12–14 creative works, a set “home exercise” documented in three images, a writing sample of 150 words or fewer, and a $50 assessment fee |
| Computer Science (BSc Hons) | ENG4U/EAE4U, MHF4U, one of MCV4U (preferred) or MDM4U, and one of SPH4U, SCH4U, or SBI4U | Low 80s | No — grades only |
| Biomedical Engineering (BEng) | ENG4U/EAE4U, MHF4U, MCV4U, SPH4U, and SCH4U | Low 80s | No — grades only |
| Business Management (BComm Hons) | ENG4U/EAE4U and one of MCV4U (preferred), MHF4U, or MDM4U | High 70s | No — grades only |
| Journalism (BJourn) | ENG4U/EAE4U specifically | See the program page for the current published grade range | No — grades only |
| Fashion (BDes) / Image Arts: Film (BFA) / Performance: Acting (BFA) | Grade 12 U English plus program-specific requirements — see each program page | See each program page | Yes — portfolio, work samples and written statement, or audition with written statements and photograph; $50 assessment fee |
TMU Admission Averages and Competitiveness
Your TMU admission average is your best six Grade 12 U or M courses, calculated to two decimal places and never rounded up or down. Crucially, TMU states that this average may include repeated or upgraded course marks — one of the more flexible policies among Ontario universities.
A few structural points matter more than any single number. The overall average may or may not include your prerequisite courses, depending on the program. U and M courses can be mixed freely, but equivalent courses aren’t double-counted, and the out-of-school component of a 4U/M co-op course doesn’t count toward admission or scholarships.
The published grade ranges cluster meaningfully: management and communication programs tend to sit in the high 70s to low 80s, science and engineering in the low 80s, and the most oversubscribed programs — Nursing at the TMU site, Architectural Science — in the low 90s. Grade 11 results may be used to generate early offers, with final Grade 12 conditions stipulated in the offer letter. Meeting minimums never guarantees admission.
TMU Application Timeline Structure
The cycle opens in the autumn for the following September. OUAC sets a January deadline, and TMU guarantees equal consideration for complete applications received by its early-February deadline. Many programs keep reviewing after that date, subject to space.
From there the sequence is predictable. Non-academic requirements fall due on the equal-consideration date or 10 business days after you apply, whichever is later. English proficiency scores are due in early spring for fall entry, with a separate autumn deadline for winter international entry. Decisions are released on a rolling basis, most between February and late May. Admission requirements must be complete by the end of June unless your offer states otherwise, and residence applications close in early June.
Because these dates shift annually, confirm current deadlines on TMU’s application dates page and on OUAC before you plan around them.
How Canadian Virtual School Can Help You Qualify
If a missing prerequisite or a weak 4U mark is what stands between you and a TMU program, an Ontario Ministry–inspected online school is one legitimate way to fix it. Canadian Virtual School (BSID #882250) has granted OSSD credits since 2008, and its credits appear on an Ontario transcript exactly as any day school’s would.
Four situations where this is practically relevant:
- Earning a missing prerequisite. Applying to Computer Science without MHF4U, or to Architectural Science without SPH4U, is simply not assessable. CVS offers these as standalone Ontario curriculum online courses.
- Upgrading to lift your admission average. Because TMU calculates on the best six 4U/M courses and permits repeated or upgraded marks, replacing one weak grade can move you within a program's range. CVS runs a dedicated course upgrading pathway.
- Earning recognized Ontario credits as an international student. Ontario credits sidestep the equivalency assessment entirely, and a 4U English credit satisfies TMU's senior English requirement — separate from any language test you may still owe. CVS has written more on which Ontario universities accept online high school credits.
- Fast-tracking before a deadline. Continuous enrolment means a prerequisite can be started outside the school-year calendar when a February or June deadline is closing in.
CVS is one option among several — school board continuing education and other Ministry-inspected private schools also offer 4U credits — and no course guarantees admission to a competitive TMU program. It only ensures your application is complete and assessed at its strongest.
Student Experiences
Success Stories
Stories like these are common among applicants who use online courses strategically.
Stories like these are common among TMU applicants, and outcomes always depend on competition in the year you apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What average do you need to get into Toronto Metropolitan University?
A 70% overall average in six Grade 12 U/M courses establishes eligibility, but competitive programs require more. TMU’s published grade ranges run from the high 70s for Business Management, to the low 80s for Computer Science and Biomedical Engineering, to the low 90s for Architectural Science and Nursing at the TMU site. Ranges reflect previous years and fluctuate with applications and available spaces.
What are the English requirements for Toronto Metropolitan University?
Every applicant must present a senior-level English course — Grade 12 U English in Ontario, with ENG4U/EAE4U preferred and required for Journalism, Media Production and Sport Media. Some applicants must also submit a test score: IELTS Academic 6.5, Duolingo 120, PTE 60, Cambridge C1/C2 180+, or CAEL 60–70 depending on the program. ESL courses and test scores cannot replace the English course.
How do international students apply to Toronto Metropolitan University?
Through the TMU International Application, unless you’re an international student attending an Ontario secondary school — then use the OUAC. You’ll present the equivalent of the OSSD with six Grade 12 U/M courses, arrange your own transcripts with certified English translations, upload everything to the ChooseTMU portal, and satisfy English proficiency. A study permit and, for most undergraduates, a Provincial Attestation Letter come after your offer.
Can I upgrade a course to get into Toronto Metropolitan University?
Yes. TMU explicitly states that the overall average is calculated on the best six Grade 12 U or M courses and may include repeated or upgraded course marks. Upgrading through a Ministry-inspected school such as Canadian Virtual School is a recognized route, and TMU’s own mature student page points applicants toward board and private upgrading options.
Does Toronto Metropolitan University accept online high school credits?
Yes — when they come from a school inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education, such as Canadian Virtual School (BSID #882250). Credits from inspected schools appear on an Ontario transcript identically to day school credits and are transmitted through OUAC in the same way. What matters to TMU is the course code, the level and the grade.
What is the difference between a Grades-Only and a Grades-Plus program at TMU?
Grades-Only programs are decided on academic performance alone. Grades-Plus programs weigh academic performance plus non-academic criteria such as a portfolio, audition, essay or interview, and TMU notes that your ability to follow the submission instructions is itself part of the assessment. Architectural Science, Fashion, Image Arts and Performance are Grades-Plus; Nursing, Business Management, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering and Journalism are Grades-Only.
Does TMU look at Grade 11 marks?
Yes, in the early admission process. TMU states that Grade 11 results may be used to generate early offers, with final Grade 12 results stipulated as conditions in the offer of admission. Strong Grade 11 performance can therefore bring an offer forward — but a soft Grade 11 year is not decisive, since final Grade 12 grades ultimately determine whether an offer is confirmed.
Can I apply to the TMU School of Medicine in Brampton straight from high school?
No. The MD program at the Brampton campus requires completion of a minimum four-year undergraduate degree in any discipline before Year 1, and applications go through OMSAS rather than the OUAC undergraduate application. High school students interested in medicine typically enter a TMU undergraduate program first — Biomedical Sciences, Biology or Biomedical Engineering are common starting points.
Do I apply to TMU through OUAC 101 or OUAC 105?
Current Ontario secondary school students use the OUAC 101 — TMU’s Group A applicants — and their guidance office submits grades directly. Everyone else uses the OUAC 105 as a Group B applicant: out-of-province, international, mature, transfer and previously graduated applicants. Group B applicants arrange their own transcripts and pay TMU’s $90 document evaluation fee through OUAC.
Is Toronto Metropolitan University the same as Ryerson University?
Yes. Ryerson University was renamed Toronto Metropolitan University, and OUAC still lists the institution as “Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).” Degrees, program codes and admission requirements carried over unchanged, though you may still encounter older pages, transcripts and rankings under the Ryerson name.
Conclusion
TMU’s admissions logic is unusually legible: a 70% floor, a published grade range per program, a clear split between Grades-Only and Grades-Plus, and an average built from your best six 4U/M courses — upgrades included. That last detail is the one most applicants overlook, and it means a single weak mark or missing prerequisite is a fixable problem rather than a closed door.
Start from the program page, work backwards to the prerequisites you’re missing, and give yourself enough runway before the February equal-consideration deadline. If a missing 4U credit or a mark you’d like to improve is standing in the way, you can browse CVS course offerings, register for a course, or contact a CVS guidance advisor to map out the sequence. You may also find our guide to the [top public and private schools in Toronto](INSERT WHEN PUBLISHED) useful for context, and our overview of flexible online high school options if you’re weighing a full-time move.
Plan Your University Prerequisites