If you are wondering whether is GRE required for masters in Canada, then the answer is yes! Although not mandatory, a few universities in Canada may specify a certain GRE score requirement to study MS in Canada.
One of the exams that qualify you for admission to master's degree programmes at institutions all around the world, including Canada, is the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). In any given year, a sizable number of international students choose Canada as one of their top study abroad destinations. Because of this, Canadian academic institutions use GRE scores to assess applicants with different educational backgrounds. Canadian universities that require GRE scores might establish cut-offs for acceptance, whereas other institutions might not enforce any minimum standards. For business and management courses, GRE General Test scores are used, while subject exams are given in Mathematics, English, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Psychology.
More than 200,000 international researchers and students decide to pursue academic endeavours in Canada. All Canadian MS institutions that accept the GRE scores place a greater emphasis on imparting practical knowledge. Both on-campus and off-campus research possibilities are available at Canadian universities. Research in a variety of fields, including agriculture, science, and technology, is greatly supported by all Canadian universities that offer MS programmes. Therefore, if you achieve a high GRE score for MS in Canada, you can be admitted to the most prestigious and competitive Canadian universities, increasing your chances of having a promising future and lucrative career.
In this article, we will drive you through the top GRE accepting universities in Canada for MS, the minimum GRE score requirement for admission, exams other than GRE for masters in Canada, and more.
Is GRE Required for Masters in Canada?
If the question is, is GRE a fundamental requirement for studying or pursuing masters in Canada, then the answer is no. Although some Canadian universities demand a good GRE score for admission, others do not ask for a competitive GRE score from international students and hence allow them to study masters in Canada without GRE.
Several top Canadian universities accept applications on the basis of students' IELTS or TOEFL scores for their MS programmes. The universities that accept GRE test scores may or may not specify cut-offs, the same goes with the scores obtained in other exams, so it is advisable to have an idea of the general trend those universities follow.
Know More About GRE for MS in Canada Requirements!
Top GRE Accepting Universities in Canada for MS
After knowing about is GRE required for masters (MS) in Canada, you must be wondering about all the possibilities and different universities that allow international students to study MS in Canada with or without the GRE exam.
If you are aspiring to study at one of the top-ranked and world-class universities in Canada, then it is advisable to take the GRE exam and obtain a competitive score for your Masters programme. Having said that, it is true that a GRE score is not required for admission to most courses; nonetheless, as an international applicant, a good GRE score gives you an advantage at the time of admission.
As a result, it is strongly advised to submit GRE scores when completing university application forms. Let us take a look at some of the most popular and prestigious GRE accepting universities for masters in Canada.
University Name |
QS World University Rankings 2023 |
GRE Score Requirement |
---|---|---|
=308 |
Quant: 155 Verbal: 165 AWA: 5.0 |
|
31 |
Quant: 160 Verbal: 160 & above AWA: 4.0 |
|
New York Institute of Technology |
- |
Quant: 150 & above Verbal: 130 AWA: 4.0 & above |
=246 |
Quant: 150 Verbal: 160 AWA: 4.0 |
|
St Francis Xavier University |
- |
Quant: 150 Verbal: 160 AWA: 4.0 |
110 |
Quant: 155 Verbal: 135 & above AWA: 5.0 & above |
|
47 |
Quant: 155 & above Verbal: 130 & above AWA: 4.0 |
|
=34 |
Quant: 150 & above Verbal: 140 AWA: 5.0 & above |
|
=359 |
Quant: 156 Verbal: 140 AWA: 4.0 |
|
154 |
Quant: 155 Verbal: 160 AWA: 4.0 & above |
|
751-800 |
Quant: 150 & above Verbal: 140 AWA: 5.0 |
Minimum GRE Score Requirement for Masters in Canada
Let us now walk you through some of the most popular and prestigious GRE-accepting universities in Canada with their popular programmes and the minimum GRE requirement.
GRE-Accepting Universities for Masters in Canada |
Popular MS Courses |
Minimum GRE Requirement |
---|---|---|
University of Alberta |
MEng Chemical and Materials Engineering MBA MEng Joint Program in Chemical and Materials Engineering |
No minimum GRE requirements Recommended GRE Quantitative scores of 155 and 4.0 in the Analytical Writing Section |
University of British Columbia |
MArch MBA Master of Business Analytics Master of Public Health |
Overall GRE score of 307 |
McGill University |
MS/ MA in Psychology MSc/ MEng in Electrical and Computer Engineering |
300 or above |
McMaster University |
MEng Electrical and Computer Engineering MBA MA Anthropology |
Average GRE score of 300 or above is expected. |
Queens University |
MSc Management/ Finance MSc Psychology MSc Computer Science MBA/Executive MBA MEng Mechanical and Materials Engineering MEng Computer Engineering |
300 or above is expected |
Simon Fraser University |
MSc Professional Computer Science |
No minimum GRE requirements |
University of Toronto |
MBA Master of Management Analytics Master of Financial Economics MSc Computer Science |
No minimum GRE requirements GRE Quantitative score of 167 or above is recommended |
University of Waterloo |
MSc Computer Science MSc PsychologyMSc Pharmacy MSc Data Science Master of Management Science |
300-310 is recommended |
GRE Score Requirement for Different Fields of Study
The universities in Canada often require different GRE scores for their Master's programmes in different fields of study and specialisations. Hence, here are some of the top fields to study in Canada with the average GRE exam scores required for masters in Canada:
Field of Study |
Average GRE Score |
---|---|
Arts and Humanities |
300-310 |
Business and Management |
300-320 |
Computer Science |
260-300 |
Education |
300-305 |
Engineering |
300-320 |
Life Sciences |
300-305 |
Social and Behavioural Science |
300-310 |
Course-Wise Sectional GRE Score Required for Masters in Canada
You must take the GRE to be admitted to renowned colleges and competitive programmes if you are interested to study MS in Canada. Most programmes will likely accept applicants without the GRE score requirement. However, as an international applicant, it is highly advised that you submit these scores to satisfy the GRE requirement for Canadian universities. The following table shows course-wise sectional GRE score requirement for masters in Canada:
Course Name |
GRE Quantitative Reasoning |
GRE Verbal Reasoning |
GRE Analytical Writing Assessment |
---|---|---|---|
Anthropology |
158 |
150 |
3.5 |
Artificial Intelligence |
155 |
155 |
4.0 |
Arts and Humanities |
150 |
156 |
4.1 |
Business and Management |
153 |
150 |
3.6 |
Civil Engineering |
159 |
149 |
3.4 |
Computer Science |
160 |
150 |
3.3 |
Education |
148 |
151 |
3.9 |
Life Sciences |
151 |
151 |
3.6 |
Mechanical Engineering |
159 |
149 |
3.4 |
Social and Behavioural Science |
151 |
151 |
3.6 |
List of Masters in Canada Without GRE Courses
As discussed, GRE is an essential requirement for receiving MS admission to prestigious Canadian universities. Although many institutions require it, you can still enrol in a reputable MS programme without a GRE score. The following table highlights a list of such MS courses that do not mandatorily require GRE scores along with the respective Canadian university that offers the programmes:
MS Course |
Universities Accepting Without GRE Score |
---|---|
Engineering |
Lakehead University |
Biotechnology |
Any Canadian University (with a few exceptions) |
Computer Science |
University of Toronto |
Master of Science (Applied Computing) |
Any Canadian University (with a few exceptions) |
Any programme (with a few exceptions) |
McGill University |
Any programme (with a few exceptions) |
University of British Columbia |
List of Universities for Masters in Canada Without GRE
If you still believe that GRE is an important requirement for masters in Canada, then listed below are some of the leading examples of Canadian universities that are offering masters in Canada without GRE.
Universities Offering Masters in Canada without GRE |
Admission Requirements for Masters in Canada |
---|---|
GRE and IELTS both are not required |
|
GRE not required IELTS score of 6.5 bands (no minimum score less than 6.0) or TOEFL 80 |
|
GRE not required IELTS- 6.0 bands or PTE Academic- 55 |
|
GRE is not required but accepted |
|
GRE not required IELTS score of 6.5 bands with no sub-score less than 6.0 |
|
GRE not required |
|
GRE and IELTS both are not required |
|
GRE not required IELTS overall score- 6.5 bands is required |
|
GRE is optional |
|
Laval University |
GRE not required IELTS 6.5 bands is required |
GRE not required IELTS 6.5 bands is required |
|
GRE/GMAT required only for specific programs IELTS- 6.5 bands (Writing-7 bands) or TOEFL 600 is required |
|
GRE is not required for specific programs IELTS minimum 4.0 band is required |
|
GRE and IELTS both are not required |
|
GRE required only for specific programs GMAT not required |
|
GRE not required IELTS- 6.0 bands in each band or iBT TOEFL 80 is required |
Exams Other than GRE for Masters in Canada
Although the GRE is an important requirement for masters in Canada, many universities also accept a number of entrance exam scores other than or in place of the GRE while taking admission to different masters programmes. In addition to admission tests, Canadian universities also require international students to submit scores on English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, etc.
You are required to have knowledge of the type of exams your chosen university prefers for your chosen course. Below are the names of some of those exams that are accepted by the admission committee of different universities for Masters in Canada:
Entrance Exams for MS in Canada
-
GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test is a standardised test for MBA aspirants that evaluates the potential of the students.
English Proficiency Tests for MS in Canada
-
TOEFL: The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures your communication ability in English across all four language skills namely, listening, reading, writing and speaking.
-
IELTS: The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an internationally accepted direct English language assessment across all four language skills namely, listening, reading, writing and speaking.
-
PTE Academic: PTE stands for Pearson Test of English. It is an international computer-based English Competency test and helps international students to prove their English language competency.
-
Duolingo: The Duolingo English Test is a modern language competence assessment tool built for today's worldwide students and institutions. It provides an English proficiency score, a video interview, and a writing sample in a user-friendly, quick, and secure testing environment.
Related Reads:
GRE Scores for Masters (MS) in USA | GRE Scores for Masters (MS) in UK |
GRE Scores to Study Masters in Australia - Check Cutoffs at Top Universities | GRE Score Requirement to Study Abroad |
Should I Take GRE General Test or GRE Subject Test to Study MS in Canada?
The GRE General Test can be taken by students who wish to study MS in Canada whereas GRE Subject Tests can only be taken by those who have graduated in particular subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Psychology. The GRE General Test is not restricted to a particular subject and can be attempted by graduates from every discipline. The test assesses the critical thinking skills and abilities that are mandatory for graduate studies.
Hence, we arrive at the most essential question of whether you should take the GRE General or GRE Subject tests for MS in Canada. Well, if you intend to study MS in any one of the above subjects, then you can opt for a relevant GRE Subject Test. Also, you must note whether the university where you would be applying requires the scores of this particular test format. In case both requirements get fulfilled, you can register for a GRE Subject Test or simply opt for GRE General Test. In some cases, the scores can supplement your GPA or other criteria for admissions and give you an added advantage. Therefore, you must weigh all the possibilities before making the final decision.
In the end, international students planning to study masters in Canada are not compulsorily required to take the GRE, although they are welcome to do so to demonstrate their fundamental qualitative comprehension if they wish to. It is time to set a score goal for yourself now that you are acquainted with the GRE requirements for admission to a prestigious Canadian university. You will find it much simpler to reach your targeted GRE score once you are well-versed with the minimum GRE score required for masters in Canada.
If you are still confused about whether to take GRE for MS in Canada or even choosing an ideal specialisation for you, reach out to us at abroad@collegdekho.com. to waive your confusion.
Know the Right MS Specialisation to Study in Canada!