McGill Kinesiology admission requirements: mid 80s to mid 90s, MCV4U, two sciences and a February 1 deadline

Kinesiology at McGill is a Bachelor of Science, but it belongs to the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in the Faculty of Education. McGill's Quebec requirements page spells this out: you select the Faculty of Education on the application, then the B.Sc. Kinesiology. If you look for kinesiology under the Faculty of Science, you won't find it.

This matters for planning. Our McGill Science guide covers the Faculty of Science program groups. Kinesiology has its own prerequisites and its own typical range, listed below.

McGill's admissions page describes kinesiology as the study of human movement, also known as exercise or sport science. Courses run in the McGill Sports Complex at the base of Mount Royal.

From an Ontario high school, McGill lists three prerequisites for kinesiology: 4U English or French, 4U Calculus and Vectors, and two of 4U Biology, Chemistry or Physics. These are the same science prerequisites McGill asks for in its science-heavy programs, so plan Grade 11 chemistry and biology early.

McGill builds your average from its own 'Top 6' calculation. You need at least six 4U, DU or 4M courses. At least four of the six, and all prerequisites, must be at the 4U or DU level. Only two 4M courses can count. Your prerequisite courses are always included in the Top 6.

Two Ontario details catch kinesiology applicants. The only health and physical education course McGill will count in the Top 6 is PSK4U. And math and science prerequisites must have been completed within the last five years.

Use our high school course planner to check that your Grade 12 timetable covers all three prerequisites.

McGill publishes typical minimum admission ranges, not a fixed cut-off. For Ontario kinesiology applicants, the range is the mid 80s to mid 90s for the Top 6, and the mid 80s to low 90s in math and science courses. For other Canadian provinces, McGill uses a Top 5 average, with a range of mid 80s to low 90s.

McGill says these values are a guideline only and may not show the grades needed for the next intake. Admission is competitive and depends on space, so minimum grades move from year to year. A grade at or above the range does not guarantee an offer. McGill does not publish an acceptance rate for kinesiology.

Aim for the top of the range, not the bottom. Your math and science marks are checked on their own, so a weak chemistry mark can hurt even when your overall Top 6 looks fine.

Work out where you stand with our Top 6 average calculator. It uses Ontario's 4U and 4M structure.

If you're in a Quebec CEGEP, McGill lists English 603 (or French 601) plus biology, chemistry, math and physics prerequisites for kinesiology. The published R-score cut-offs are 29.5 overall, 29.5 in math and science, and 26.0 in English or French.

McGill says applicants who present all prerequisites generally have an advantage when a program is highly competitive. You may still be accepted with at least four prerequisites, including Math NYA, Math NYB and any two science prerequisites. Missing courses are then added to your McGill program. The Quebec application deadline is March 1.

Kinesiology has no essay, interview or personal statement. McGill's Ontario page lists the programs that need extra documents: B.A. Population and Global Health, Education, Global Engineering, Music, Nursing and Religious Studies. For Education, the extra documents are language tests for specific teaching programs such as TESL. McGill says that if none of the listed cases apply, extra documents are not considered and should not be sent.

What you do need is self-reported grades. Ontario applicants report grades in the McGill Applicant Portal during two windows. The first, February 1 to March 1, is optional. The second, April 1 to May 15, is mandatory. You report all Grade 11 and Grade 12 courses, with at least ten courses in total. Supporting documents in your checklist are due May 4.

McGill also warns that when space is tight, it may favour applicants whose files are complete early. Incomplete files can be cancelled if a program fills before the document or self-reporting deadline.

McGill's important dates calendar lists Monday, February 1, 2027 as the Fall 2027 deadline for Education applicants studying in a Canadian high school outside Quebec. Since kinesiology is in Education, that is your deadline. The Major Entrance Scholarship application and documents are due February 7.

McGill considers Ontario applicants in two rounds. Its estimated decision window for Ontario high schools is mid-February to the end of May 2027. For other provinces it's mid-January to mid-May. Decisions go to the strongest applicants first.

You apply through McGill's own application and Applicant Portal. McGill only asks for your OUAC number if you get an offer. See all your other dates on our Canadian university deadlines page.

McGill describes the B.Sc. Kinesiology as theory plus practical training across movement science. Topics include anatomy, ergonomics, physiology, exercise psychology, health and nutrition, and adapted physical activity. Sample courses on the admissions page are BIOL 111 Principles: Organismal Biology, EDKP 261 Motor Development, ANAT 315 Clinical Human Musculoskeletal Anatomy and EDKP 395 Exercise Physiology.

The admissions page names two streams, Major and Honours. The department's programs page describes the B.Sc. major as General, Applied and Honours. Honours has no separate application. At the end of year two you find an Honours research supervisor, then ask the department's student adviser to transfer you into Honours. Your final year then includes advanced courses and a supervised research project.

Careers McGill lists include certified kinesiologist, exercise physiologist, rehabilitation specialist and recreational therapist. McGill says the degree can also lead to further study.

McGill does not list a co-op stream for kinesiology on its admissions or department pages. What it does offer is internships. Both the Major and Honours programs let you put theory into practice through internships as early as second year.

The department also runs the Adriano Tassone Internship Award, a summer research internship for kinesiology and physical education students who have finished U1 or U2. The 2026 application deadline was March 20. Check the awards page for the 2027 date.

McGill's 2026-27 fee table for Canadians from outside Quebec, admitted from Fall 2026, groups the B.Sc. Kinesiology with the Faculty of Education. Tuition is $12,985.50. With society fees, student services and athletics, administration, copyright, IT charges and SSMU health and dental insurance, McGill's estimated total is $15,524.38. McGill says the fees and insurance are estimates.

The per-credit rate explains the number. For 2026-27, Canadian students admitted since Fall 2024 pay Rate A of $432.85 a credit. That is the Quebec rate of $103.92 plus an out-of-province supplement of $328.93. Quebec residents pay the Quebec rate only.

McGill says students admitted in 2026-27 can expect tuition to rise each year, and estimates about 3% depending on the Quebec government. Residence, meals and books are extra.

McGill's central entrance awards come in two types. One-year scholarships are worth $3,000 and need no separate application. You are considered automatically if you meet the minimum academic requirements. Major Entrance Scholarships are worth $12,000 to $48,000, paid as $3,000 to $12,000 a year and renewable for up to four years if you meet the renewal rules.

Major Entrance Scholarships need their own application. For Canadian high school applicants outside Quebec, that application and its documents are due February 7. Meeting the minimum does not guarantee an award.

The closest option is the B.Ed. in Physical and Health Education, run by the same department. It is a professional teaching program that leads to the Quebec Teaching Permit, with field experience in every year. For Ontario applicants, McGill's typical range for Physical Education is the low 80s, and it asks for 4U English or French rather than math and science.

If you want a broader science degree, the B.Sc. in the Faculty of Science uses different program groups and ranges. Science students can also add a Minor in Kinesiology. See our McGill Science guide for those numbers.

McGill decides on grades alone for kinesiology, so the Grade 12 math and science marks carry the most weight. McGill checks them as a separate group, not just inside the overall average.

Budget for the out-of-province rate. For 2026-27 that is $12,985.50 in tuition and an estimated $15,524.38 with fees, before housing. Our McGill university guide covers residence and life in Montreal.