FAQs

This program requires that applicants have a secondary school diploma equivalent to Academic Grade 11. Your grades from Grade 11 must meet Dalhousie's admission requirements to be eligible for the IPY.

The following degrees or certificates are prerequisites for admission to Dalhousie. If you do not meet these requirements, you are required to complete a qualifying year in order to meet Dalhousie’s admission requirements. Completion of the IPY Program will fulfill any missing requirements. 

Click here for a full list of admission requirements by country.

English Language Proficiency: One of the following options covers the minimum requirement to enter the IPY program:

a. IELTS 5.0
b. TOEFL iBT 61
c. Cambridge First B2 (FCE)
d. Result B1 or equivalent on the Placement Test at Dalhousie University or online.

Note: If you do not meet the English requirement for the program, you can complete English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Foundations 1 and/or Foundations 2 prior to beginning the IPY Program. Learn more about the EAP program here or contact the English Language Studies Department at els@dal.ca to discuss your options. 

The IPY Program runs for 8 months, from April 2024 to December 2024 at Dalhousie University. There are two, 1-week breaks built into the schedule.

Program Dates:

• First Term: April 8 – June 27, 2024
• Second Term: July 8 – August 30, 2024
• Third Term: September 11 – December 7, 2024

The approximate total cost of the IPY Program is $33,727 Canadian dollars (convert to your home currency) and includes:

• EAP Levels 1 and 2 (288 hours each)
• Five University Preparatory (UPrep) courses (600+ course hours)
• One university credit course (Foundations for Academic Success)
• Accommodation and meals in homestay or Dalhousie University residence
  Access to all services for international students at Dalhousie University
• Dalhousie International Student Health Insurance
• All required textbooks

Total cost: $33,727

Note: The cost does not include the processing of the relevant visa or incidental expenses.

• Bachelor of Arts 
• Bachelor of Science 
• Bachelor of Computer Science 
• Bachelor of Commerce 
• Bachelor of Management 
• Bachelor of Health Promotion 
• Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation 

For information about admission to all other Dalhousie degree programs, contact admissions@dal.ca.

1. Follow the instructions on this page for steps to complete the Dalhousie program entry form.
2. On the entry form, please indicate that you are applying to Dalhousie University and that you will take the IPY Program before starting your undergraduate studies.

Please contact Dalhousie University's Faculty of Open Learning and Professional Development (els@dal.ca) for more information.

Students will have successfully completed the IPY Program when they:

• Have achieved a score of 73% (B) in EAP Level 1 
• Have achieved a score of 73% (B) in EAP level 2 
• Have achieved a minimum score of 70% in each of the UPrep courses (Note: These courses and admission averages may vary depending on the university program the student has chosen)

During the program, you will complete Foundations for Academic Success or another credit course that can be applied to your Dalhousie degree. UPrep courses are non-credit preparation courses. These courses are accepted for admission to Dalhousie University and most universities in Canada. 

This an upper-intermediate course at the B2 level in English for Academic Purposes (EAP), helping develop students’ listening, speaking, reading, writing, research and academic skills in preparation for study at university.

The course focuses on key spoken and written academic genres and provides learners with opportunities to:

• develop a range of listening skills and strategies: 
• participate in various speaking situations in the academic context; 
• develop academic reading skills; 
• improve writing ability over a range of academic genres. 

The course also includes instruction on research and library skills along with academic behaviour, such as time management, study skills for effective independent learning and knowledge of academic integrity.

This C1 level course prepares students for undergraduate or graduate-level study in English.

It allows students to:

• develop the ability to read effectively and comprehend high-level academic texts; 
• acquire a rich academic vocabulary; 
• apply listening and note-taking strategies to lectures on a variety of academic topics.

Writing and research skills are honed as students produce texts in several important written academic genres and develop speaking ability for presentations, discussions and debates. Students will have the opportunity to delve into the vocabulary and genres associated with their disciplines of study. Academic integrity, along with other academic behaviours, such as time-management, autonomous learning and collaboration, are also taught and practiced.

This course is designed to help students understand the nature of university learning and academic expectations. Students will learn how to build a solid foundation for academic success. This course is recommended for anyone seeking to develop a strategic approach to learning. Students will also increase self-awareness by exploring their learning styles, motivation and study habits. Topics will include time management, reading, note-taking, critical thinking, academic writing and preparing for exams.

Academic Math has been developed to prepare you for the math involved in non-calculus courses. This course is accepted by Dalhousie University in place of NS Math 12 Academic.

Course Topics include: 

• a review of integers, order of operations, fractions and factoring
• solving linear, quadratic, cubic, exponential and logarithmic equations
• using x and y intercepts to graph linear, quadratic and cubic functions
• using slope and y intercept to graph linear functions
• using transformations to graph quadratic, exponential and trigonometric functions and to get equations from graphs
• using leading coefficients, end behavior, turning point, domain and range to analyze graphs
• using a graphing calculator to get the equation of the line or curve of best fit 
• laws of exponents and third law of logarithms
• getting an exponential equation from a table of values 
• using logarithms to solve pH, decibel and Richter scale problems 
• degrees, radians and using the unit circle to get sin and cos of any rotation 
• modelling with sin functions 
• simple and compound interest and present value  

Pre-calculus Math has been designed for students requiring Pre-calculus to gain admittance to Dalhousie programs.  

Course Topics Include: 

• a review of exponents, radicals and scientific notation 
• multiplying and factoring algebraic expressions 
• solving quadratic, radical, rational, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric equations 
• solving quadratic and rational inequalities
• functions and their inverses
• using transformations to graph quadratic, radical, absolute value, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric functions
• using calculus methods to graph polynomial and rational functions
• using limits to find slopes of tangents and areas under curves
• the power rule
• maximum/minimum problems 
• combinations of functions 

If you have never taken chemistry or want to improve your knowledge before taking a university chemistry course, University Prep Chemistry is designed for you. There is no laboratory work.  Evaluation is based on a number of quizzes, a midterm exam, and a final exam. This course is accepted by Dalhousie in place of NS Grade 12 Chemistry and may be used as the prerequisite for all Dalhousie first-year Chemistry classes. 

Course Topics include:

• The different types of matter, properties of matter and changes in matter
• Atomic theory
• The periodic table and trends in properties of the elements
• Chemical bonding, including intermolecular bonding
• Balancing chemical equations, types of chemical reactions and nomenclature 
• Introduction to chemical kinetics
• The mole, including stoichiometry, limiting reagents, mole conversions, percentage composition, empirical and molecular formula, and percent yield 
• Solutions, including solubility and formation of precipitates and concentration of a solution 
• Chemical equilibrium, including writing the equilibrium constant K, calculating K, and Le Chatelier’s principle 
• Oxidation and reduction, including oxidation number, oxidizing and reducing agents, and the activity series of metals
• Acids and bases, including properties, Bronsted-Lowry theory, conjugate acids and bases, acid-base neutralization equations, titration problems 

The University Prep Biology can be beneficial to you if you have never taken biology or want to improve your knowledge before taking a university Biology course. Designed by Faculty in the Dalhousie Biology Department, this course is accepted by Dalhousie University in place of NS Grade 12 Biology.

Course Topics include:

• What is life and the Scientific method
• Cells and the Chemistry of Life 
• Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
• Cancer, mitosis and meiosis
• Mendelian genetics, Inheritance of traits 
• DNA replication and Forensics
• Genes, Proteins and Genetic Engineering
• Reproduction and Development 
• The Nervous system, Mental illness, Drugs
• Evidence for Evolution, Natural Selection, Human health 
• Life's Origins, Biodiversity and Human Origins 

This course offers a multidisciplinary introduction to Canadian history and contemporary issues of importance. In addition to becoming thoughtful and knowledgeable citizens who value an inclusive society, participants will gain valuable knowledge of Canada, focusing on historical events, which have led to the further development of cultures, economies and political systems.

Learners will: 

• Reflect on the complexity of Indigenous cultural landscapes in Canada, the efforts of individuals and groups in Canada to address inequities in Canadian society, and evaluate the effectiveness of responses of Indigenous communities to political, economic and social injustices
  
• Evaluate the impacts of the Constitution Act, 1982 on Canadians 
• Evaluate the factors that influence Canada’s response to international conflicts and agreements 
• Analyze Canadian responses to environmental justice issues 
• Implement research strategies in response to a question relating to Canadian history
• Identify and discuss Canada’s main political, economic, social, and cultural features that have shaped its past and current realities