Admission Requirements for Studying Business in Canada
So, you want to study Business in Canada? Can you use the same high school subjects for a Business degree in Canada as you do for one in Pakistan? In a Pakistani high school, you are probably studying Accounting, Economics and Business Studies at the A levels, or if an HSSC Intermediate student, you are studying I Com. Will these subjects meet admission requirements for a Canadian college or university?
What Subjects are Needed for Business at a Canadian University?
For Business, the only subject that is compulsory is Mathematics. Students can take any combination of subjects outside of Math. You can select from the Sciences, Business courses, Social Sciences, etc. If you have Math, you will probably meet admission requirements if you meet other admission requirements such as ELP requirements and having the right competitive average. Universities want 70% and upward (this percentage varies from university to university) to meet admission averages.
Examples of accepted subjects would be Math, Physics, Biology, Accounting, Computer Science, Business Studies (A levels/IB), Economics (A levels/IB), Psychology, Urdu, History, English, etc.
While I Com and an FA in Intermediate studies and A levels without Math can get you into a Business program in Pakistan, it might not be possible in Canada. All major universities such as the University of Alberta and Waterloo require Mathematics at the A levels. Even smaller universities like MacEwan University, Thompson Rivers or Memorial still require Math at the senior level.
I know of only one university where you can start your Business degree without A level Math. The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) will admit students based on O level Math, but they will need to complete a Pre-Calculus Math course in their first year of Business before proceeding to second year.
What Subjects are Needed for Business at a Canadian College?
Students who do not have Mathematics at the senior level may fare better at a college. Douglas and Durham Colleges and some other colleges will offer admission to students based on O level Math (considered grade 11). So even if you had in mind a high-ranking university, without a senior Math course, you might want to consider going to a college for your degree.
I Com students have only one choice once it comes to admission to a Canadian College. Even though they have Math at the Intermediate level, Business Math is not enough to meet admission requirements for a Canadian university or even most Canadian colleges. But North Island College in beautiful British Columbia accepts I Com students who meet other admission requirements such as an IELTS score and 50% and above.
Again, a combination of core subjects such as Sciences, Urdu, English, Psychology, History, Economics, Business Studies (A levels/IB) could be used to meet admission requirements.
Some colleges such as Seneca College may still require Math in the senior year, depending on the program. Degree programs will require Math at the senior year, but some Business programs will accept Grade 11 Math to meet their admission requirements.
How to Make Up for the Needed Math Subject?
If you have your heart set on attending one of Canada’s top universities, is there anything you can do to make up the Math admission requirement? The answer is yes.
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Many universities such as all Ontario universities including Waterloo, Trent, Windsor, Western and Ontario Tech will accept an online Math course mark from an online high school such as Ontario Virtual School or Rosedale Academy. AS level students could consider doing the course during their summer break between AS and A2 levels. If you are already into your A2 levels or final year IB, then again, you need to do it while doing your final year or the summer and apply for a January term at select universities that offer January intakes such as UNB, Trent, Algoma, St Francis Xavier or the University of Windsor. If you are an Intermediate student, this might be problematic because you are missing both Grade 11 and Grade 12 Math. You would have to consider doing Additional Math from a Pakistani board.
So there you have it, Math is needed to meet admission requirements at Canadian universities. While there are several ways to meet the Math requirement, there is no getting around it, Math is necessary. When doing presentations at a school or fair in Pakistan, I jokingly say “We love Math in Canada.” Well at least our universities do.
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