International Baccalaureate (IB) Students
Cindy is a Pharmacology graduate beginning medical school in the fall. She is the co-founder and president of the Raising Hopes Student Initiative, aimed at supporting the well-being of health care workers.
IB Students Excel Here
We know you are going places, and the U of A is going to get you there. As a top-tier research-based institution, we provide the kind of academically focused environment in which International Baccalaureate (IB) students can thrive.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. Hear from one of our current U of A students who participated in the IB program!
A+ Rewards for an A+ Student
You did the work — taking IB has its perks!
Advanced Standing
If you achieve a final IB grade of 6 or higher on identified IB exams,* you can receive advanced standing and bypass certain courses by one of the following means:
1. Transfer Credit
You can receive university-level transfer credit for IB work completed in high school. This means you will have the option to not take that course in university. For more information, visit our Transfer Credit web page.
2. Advanced Placement
Register in a senior-level course without taking the junior-level course first and jump straight into more advanced areas of a subject you are interested in.
Advanced placement cannot be declined. When given advanced placement, it is your responsibility to make sure you are registered in the appropriate course(s).
3. Credit by Special Assessment (CSA)
Challenge a university course for credit by writing a special exam. Contact an advisor through the Student Service Centre of your respective faculty to start the process.
Before choosing to challenge a course through CSA, there are a few things to consider:
- This method is like writing a final exam worth 100% of your grade.
- The mark you earn on your CSA exam will appear on your official U of A transcript and will be factored into your GPA.
- When is the exam? Is it during finals? How many other finals are you writing at that time?
Please note: You do not need to decline CSA if you are eligible but not interested.
*For a list of eligible IB exams and the Advanced Standing options offered, please see Chart 4 in the University Calendar.
Ready for Research
Many IB students like to dive into research opportunities — even while still in high school. The Festival of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (FURCA) invites IB students to present their research, receive constructive feedback and network with current U of A students who are involved in exciting research across all disciplines.
Start with a Scholarship
The U of A administers over $52 million in undergraduate financial support every year. Historically, more than half of eligible IB students receive a scholarship offer. Learn more and view all entrance awards at our Scholarships and Awards page.
- Enriched Scholar Scholarship: As an IB student, you may be eligible to receive up to $5,000 as recognition for your achievements in an academically rigorous program.
Admission for IB Students
Dual-Admission Advantage
If you are completing IB exams in conjunction with your high school curriculum, we will use the higher of either your IB score or high school grade that appears on your final transcript for admission. For example, if you present both IB English (score of 6) and English 30-1* (percentage of 85%), we will convert your IB score to 90%. Therefore, we will use your IB grade when calculating your admission average required for your program as it is a higher mark. You are not at a disadvantage in choosing to write an IB exam!
*This is the Alberta Grade 12 English. See here for Grade 12 out-of-province equivalencies.
IB Grade Conversion Scale
To calculate an admission average using IB results, we will convert your scores into percentages as follows:
| IB Result | IB Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 7 | 98% |
| 6 | 90% |
| 5 | 82% |
| 4 | 73% |
| 3 | 55% |
| 2 or 1 | Not accepted for admission |
Alberta High School Equivalences
For more information on which IB high school courses may be used on your application for admission, please review the following:
- Alberta High School IB Course Equivalents Chart
- Out-of-Province High School IB Course Equivalents Chart
Admission for Diploma Candidates
The U of A offers full IB diploma candidates admission, based on predicted grades, to all direct-entry faculties.
To be considered for admission through this process, you need to:
- Apply to the University of Alberta.
- Present six IB courses (five of which need to be the required subjects for your program).
- Present a competitive diploma score with no grade less than 4. Previous competitive scores range from 30-37 points depending on your program. Visit the Competitive Requirements page for more information on historical competitive average ranges for each program.
- Have your IB Coordinator submit a Predicted Grades Form between March 1 and April 30.
We are proud to grant three additional units in a 100-level open elective to students who successfully complete the IB Diploma.
IB Transcripts
All IB students are required to submit a final and official IB transcript by August 1. Ask your IB Coordinator to request your transcript be sent directly to the U of A, or contact IB directly.
FAQ
First identify which of the five courses are required for your program of interest by visiting the Program Tool. Then, using the Alberta High School Courses Equivalents for IB chart, you can determine what the Alberta course equivalent is for the IB course you are taking. From there, assess whether you have the necessary coursework to fulfill the admission requirements.
Once you identify you are an IB or enriched curricula student on your application, we will ask you to self-report both your IB final marks and provincial final marks. You will receive a 1-7 score on your IB exam. Take this score and convert it to a percentage equivalent using the conversion chart provided on the self-report page of the application. For your provincial mark, list the final course mark that shows on your provincial transcript. Using our dual-admission process, we will use the higher of the two grade percentages.
For the purposes of U of A admission, all 35-level IB coursework is deemed not equivalent to 30-level provincial coursework. 35-level courses will be equated to a 20-level for admission purposes. In the absence of a final 30-level course (i.e., the course is in progress or you are planning to take it), we would take the higher of the 35- or 20-level. However, 30-level courses always take precedence over 35- or 20-level courses and are required for all U of A programs.
Under Course Status, list the course as In Progress (if you are currently taking) or Planning to Take (if you are taking the course in the following semester(s)). If you have your final provincial mark, but have not yet written the IB exam, list your final provincial grade on your application.
If you are awarded transfer credit, you do not need to accept it as this is an automatic process. It will be applied to your Bear Tracks account in late summer/early fall. Should you wish to decline transfer credit, you need to initiate the process by submitting an IB Decline Transfer Credit form.
All IB courses eligible for transfer credit can be found on our IB Transfer Credit web page. If you are awarded transfer credit, you will not be assigned a specific grade for that course nor will an IB grade appear on your U of A transcript. U of A transcripts will simply reflect credit already achieved towards a degree. For example, transfer credit earned for IB Biology (HL) will show as ★3 BIOL 107 units towards a U of A degree.