University of Guelph International Development Studies admission requirements: ENG4U and a 75% to 80% estimated cut-off

International Development Studies is an interdisciplinary BA major in Guelph's College of Social and Applied Human Sciences. The calendar says it looks at the causes, consequences and solutions to social, political and economic inequalities, in Canada and around the world.

The program page says it is run by the Guelph Institute of Development Studies, one of the first of its kind in Canada. Topics include poverty, food insecurity, humanitarian crises and climate change.

We checked the calendar for a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BAS) major in IDS. There isn't one. The calendar lists the IDS major and co-op major in the Bachelor of Arts, a general area of concentration, and a minor. It notes that BAS students taking the IDS minor need 1.00 extra IDEV credits.

So if you apply from high school, you are choosing the BA major, with or without co-op. The minor is a way to add development studies to another degree.

Guelph asks Ontario students for an OSSD and at least six 4U or 4M courses. The only required course is English (ENG4U), plus five more 4U or 4M courses.

Guelph recommends a 4U math for students pursuing social science majors. It isn't required, but it helps if you later take statistics or economics. Co-op courses are not used for admission. Our course planner can help you map Grade 11 and 12.

Guelph lists an estimated cut-off range of 75% to 80%. It says the range is based on admission averages from previous years. It also says the exact cut-off depends on the number and quality of applications and the space available, and that an average in the range does not guarantee admission.

For co-op, Guelph says the minimum average to be considered is normally 80%, and that co-op averages will often exceed the estimated range. If you aren't admitted to co-op, you're considered for the regular program. Guelph does not publish an acceptance rate. Check your number with our Top 6 average calculator.

There is no required supplementary application for IDS. Guelph encourages every applicant to send the optional Student Profile Form (SPF), due April 1, 2027. It covers leadership, citizenship and anything outside your control that hurt your marks.

Guelph says the SPF may be considered if your average in May falls within a discretionary range of up to 5% of the final cut-off. If you are near the line, it is worth sending.

The honours major needs at least 10.00 credits in IDS requirements: 7.50 core credits and 2.50 credits in an area of emphasis. In first year you take IDEV*1000 Understanding Development and Global Inequalities in the fall and IDEV*1100 Theoretical Perspectives on Development in the winter. The rest of first year is electives.

In second year you take IDEV*2000 Decolonizing Development, IDEV*2200 Policy, Economy and Society and UNIV*2010 Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Oppression. With an 80% average in your IDS courses you can write a thesis, IDEV*4100 and IDEV*4150.

The calendar and the program page both list five areas of emphasis, chosen in second year: Agriculture and Food Security; Inequalities and Social Justice in the Canadian Context; Politics and Conflict in Development; Environment and Sustainable Development; and Gender and Inclusive Development.

The IDS co-op information page lists four, with different names, including Development in Fragile Contexts. The calendar is the official rule book, so we follow it here. Confirm the current list with Guelph before you plan your courses.

IDS is on Guelph's list of Bachelor of Arts programs that offer co-op. The calendar says the co-op program is four and a half years, with four work terms. You study in first year, take your first work term in the summer after second year, and finish with an academic semester in the fall of year five.

The co-op sheet lists recent employers such as Global Affairs Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada and the International Development Research Centre. Students are paid by the employer. To apply, you select the co-op option on your OUAC application.

The program page mentions field schools in places such as Guatemala, Costa Rica, the Yukon and Ecuador. It also lists study abroad, course based experiential learning and internships.

Guelph encourages IDS students to study more languages and take part in learning beyond the program. Field school spots and locations can change from year to year, so ask what runs in your years.

Guelph's high school page gives a January 15 OUAC deadline and says the application deadline is January 15, 2027 for students coming straight from high school. It keeps accepting applications after that, but asks you to apply early.

Offers go out in rounds from November through mid May. All Ontario grades must reach Guelph by April 22, 2027. Program changes on OUAC must be made by April 15 for equal consideration. Compare other schools on our Ontario deadlines page.

Guelph's fee page for Fall 2026, Winter 2027 and Summer 2027 lists tuition of $3,106.37 per semester for Ontario students in Arts and Science programs, and $3,886.87 for students from other provinces. That applies when you take 2.00 credits or more, and it is tuition only.

Our estimate: a fall and winter year for an Ontario student comes to about $6,212.74 in tuition, before compulsory fees. Co-op students also pay a $405.00 co-op fee in academic semesters and in each work term.

For Fall 2027, Guelph gives an automatic entrance scholarship to Canadian citizens and permanent residents based on admission average. A 90.0% to 94.9% average earns $1,000. A 95.0% or higher average earns $2,000. It is for first year only.

Need based entrance awards use the Entrance Financial Need Assessment Form, due April 15. You can send it even before you have an offer.

Political Science at Guelph has the same course rule, ENG4U plus five 4U or 4M courses, and the same 75% to 80% estimated cut-off. Both are on the co-op list.

Choose IDS if you want a mix of politics, geography, food systems and sociology around one theme. Choose Political Science if you want government and international relations in more depth. Guelph's program page also suggests Anthropology, Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics and Environmental Governance.

IDS is direct entry with no required supplement. The two decisions are co-op and the final average. Co-op adds a semester and needs a higher average, but it brings paid work and contacts before graduation.

Careers the program page lists include policy analyst, immigration officer, international aid worker and economic development officer. Our Guelph admissions overview gives the wider picture.