English-Taught Programs in Canada: Where to Find Them & IELTS Needs

Most Canadian universities teach in English, so finding an English-taught program is easy outside Quebec. Of the 93 Canadian universities FindUniPath tracks, 72 list English-taught programs in our database: 4,085 bachelor's, 2,653 master's and 1,230 doctoral program entries. In Quebec, McGill, Concordia and Bishop's are English-language universities, while most others teach in French.

Below: where the programs are, how to search them officially, and the English scores you need for admission and later for the Post-Graduation Work Permit.

Universities with the most English-taught programs

Counts reflect the program entries we have recorded from each university's official program pages, and a university may group or split programs differently. Use them to compare breadth, not as an official total. Universities with zero English-taught entries in our data are mostly French-language institutions, plus a few universities whose English-taught program lists we have not recorded yet.

Program examples by level

Bachelor's programs

Canadian bachelor's degrees usually take four years, and many offer a co-operative (co-op) version with paid work terms that adds time. Examples from official program pages:

• Memorial University: Bachelor of Commerce (4 years) and Bachelor of Commerce (Co-operative, 5 years); co-operative Bachelor of Engineering in civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, ocean and naval architectural, process and other disciplines (5 years).
• University of Manitoba: BComm (Honours) in Accounting and Actuarial Mathematics, BSc in Actuarial Mathematics, Agribusiness, Agroecology and Agronomy (4 years each).
• University of Calgary: Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, BSc in Actuarial Science, BA and BSc in Anthropology and Archaeology (4 years each).
• Concordia University: BComm in Accountancy and BEng in Aerospace Engineering; Concordia notes a 120-credit Extended Credit Program for many international students.

Master's and PhD programs

Graduate programs are either course-based (often 1 to 2 years) or research-based with a thesis. Examples with official fall 2027 deadlines include the University of Waterloo's MMath in Computer Science (1 December 2026), McGill's MSc in Computer Science (15 December 2026), Queen's Computing MSc and PhD (15 January 2027) and Concordia's MCompSc (1 March 2027). HEC Montreal's English-taught MSc programs are 45 credits over 16 to 24 months, with thesis and supervised-project streams.

Research programs often expect you to find a supervisor before applying, while course-based professional programs usually do not. Course-based programs also tend to cost more and offer less funding, so check both the curriculum and the funding policy.

How to search programs officially

• EduCanada program search: the Government of Canada's college and university search covers programs, typical costs and living costs.
• University program finders: each university lists its programs, for example UBC, Toronto or Manitoba's program pages.
• Provincial portals: OUAC for Ontario undergraduate programs and EducationPlannerBC for BC public institutions.
• DLI list: confirm the school is a Designated Learning Institution and check PGWP eligibility on the IRCC DLI list.

Do you need French?

Not for an English-taught program. Outside Quebec, the universities in our list mainly teach in English (a few, such as the University of Ottawa, are bilingual). In Quebec, check the language carefully:

• McGill and Concordia (Montreal) and Bishop's (Sherbrooke): English-language universities.
• HEC Montreal: French-language business school with seven MSc specializations and a 1-year MBA offered in English; its BBA is not fully in English.
• University of Ottawa: bilingual; programs are in English, French or both. Its CAN$15,000 per year English admission scholarship applies to eligible English-taught programs.
• Most other Quebec universities (for example the Université du Québec network, Université de Montréal and Laval) teach mainly in French, and we list no or very few English-taught programs for them.

English test requirements for admission

Most universities accept IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Duolingo English Test, PTE Academic, CAEL and Cambridge English. Requirements below are for undergraduate admission in the 2027/28 cycle unless stated.

Graduate programs ask for more

Graduate minimums are often higher and set by each program. Examples: University of Toronto graduate studies IELTS 7.0 with each band 6.5; Dalhousie graduate IELTS 7 and TOEFL 92; York University asks for IELTS 7.5 or TOEFL 100 in humanities and social sciences, and IELTS 6.5 in some sciences. Nursing and education programs commonly ask for IELTS 7.0.

Exemptions and conditional offers

• Many universities waive the test if you studied in English in certain countries. Afghanistan is often not on these lists (for example at Kwantlen, Crandall and Vancouver Island University), so Afghan applicants should plan to take a test.
• Brandon University accepts three years of English-medium secondary or post-secondary study, and accepts test results up to 2 years old.
• The University of Regina may offer conditional admission without a test if you complete its English for Academic Purposes program.
• The University of Toronto's International Foundation Program and Memorial's Intensive English Program at Grenfell help students who meet academic but not English requirements.

A different English test for the PGWP

If you plan to work in Canada after graduation, note that the Post-Graduation Work Permit uses immigration tests, not the academic tests universities accept. IRCC lists CELPIP-General, IELTS General Training and PTE Core for English, and TEF Canada and TCF Canada for French. Results must be less than 2 years old and cover all four skills. University degree graduates need CLB/NCLC 7 (IRCC PGWP documents).

Tips for your English test

• Take the Academic version of IELTS for university admission unless the university says otherwise.
• If you take TOEFL iBT after 21 January 2026, your score is on the new 1 to 6 scale. Compare it with the new-scale minimum the university lists, not the old 0 to 120 figure.
• Book early. You need results before many January and February deadlines, and some programs ask for the official score report sent directly by the test provider.
• Aim above the minimum in every band. A single low band (for example writing) can make you ineligible even if your overall score is high.

How to choose among English-taught programs

1. 1

   Start with your budget

   International tuition differs by province: Statistics Canada's 2026/27 undergraduate averages range from CAN$18,911 (Newfoundland and Labrador) to CAN$50,088 (Ontario). See cost of studying in Canada.

2. 2

   Check PGWP eligibility

   Confirm that the school and program appear on the DLI list as PGWP-eligible.

3. 3

   Match your English score

   Check every band, not just the overall score. Many programs require 6.0 in each IELTS band.

4. 4

   Look at co-op and work options

   Some programs include co-op terms, such as Memorial's co-operative Bachelor of Commerce and Engineering programs.

5. 5

   Track the deadlines

   Track deadlines for free on FindUniPath to see official dates for each university.

For entry rules beyond English, see Canada university admission requirements, or browse the Canada country hub.