York University criminology admission requirements: ENG4U, an average in the low 80s and a B in first-year criminology

York's Criminology program is a BA in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS), taught by the Department of Social Science at the Keele campus. You can study full time or part time and start in fall, winter or summer. The OUAC code is YFZ.

York describes the program as the study of crime, criminal justice and the systems that shape society. Courses link criminology to gender and cultural studies, immigration, global studies, surveillance, and business and finance. The department says graduates have gone into law, human rights work, probation and the courts, border control, police services, public policy and research.

York Future Students lists the OSSD with ENG4U and five more 4U or M courses. There is no math, science or history requirement.

The department's admission page words it a little differently. It asks for at least six Grade 12 U or U/C courses, including Grade 12 U English. Both pages agree that ENG4U is the one required course. Pick your other five from courses where you do well, since they set your average. Courses with lots of reading and essays, like history, law or world issues, are good practice. Plan the year with our course planner.

York Future Students says applicants with averages in the low 80s or higher may be considered. To keep your offer, you need a final academic average of 80%. That is higher than many York arts programs. For example, York lists the low to mid 70s for Political Science, with 70% to keep the offer.

The department's own page says the minimum average will normally range from 80% to 85%, set each year by demand and available teaching resources. The two pages don't use the same words, so treat 80% as the floor and aim for the mid 80s. Confirm with York if your average is close. Check your number with our Top 6 average calculator.

Criminology has no supplementary application, essay or interview. York's deadlines page lists supplementary deadlines only for certain programs, such as the Schulich BBA and Concurrent Education. Your grades decide the offer.

This is the rule most students miss. To move from first to second year in Criminology, you need at least a B in CRIM 1650 6.0, Introduction to Criminology. You also must keep a cumulative GPA of at least 5.0, which is a C+.

If you get a C+ in CRIM 1650, the department may let you retake it. You ask the program coordinator. If you earn the B on the second try, you return to the program. Students who don't meet the grade rules are removed from Criminology and choose another degree. The department names Interdisciplinary Social Science, Sociology, Psychology, Law and Society and Political Science as common choices.

The department lists a 120 credit Honours BA, a Double Major BA, a linked Double Major Interdisciplinary BA and a Major/Minor BA with Criminology as the major. In the Honours single major you complete 54 criminology credits.

In a double major you take 48 criminology credits and 42 to 48 credits in your second major. In a major and minor you take 48 criminology credits and 30 in the minor. Honours students must keep a cumulative GPA of at least 5.0. If it falls below that, York has year-level progression rules that may let you continue on warning.

York does not publish an acceptance rate or an admitted average for Criminology. What it does publish is the low 80s range, the 80% rule to keep your offer, and the department's 80% to 85% range. Those are well above the 70s York lists for many arts majors.

The department also says that becoming a Criminology major is a competitive process because of high demand. For current York students who want to switch in, it normally opens a limited number of spots, about 25 a year, decided only on GPA. So getting in from high school is the easier route.

York lists co-op and placement as applied learning options. You do not choose co-op on OUAC. For LA&PS co-op, you must be in an honours degree, study full time and have at least 45 credits by your first work term, with at least 18 credits left after it. You need a cumulative GPA of at least 5.0 and must attend an information session and a resume workshop.

LA&PS co-op fees are a $200 enrolment fee plus $500 for each four months of work. York lists a total of $1,200 for the minimum 8 months and $2,700 for the maximum 20 months.

The department also runs CRIM 4667, a placement course in fourth year. You work about one day a week for 15 weeks, roughly 120 hours, at a government, community or non-profit group. You need a B in the first-year intro course, a 7.0 GPA and 84 credits. You apply, and some students are invited to interview. Placements depend on what partners need.

York's deadline for Ontario high school students for Fall 2027 is January 15, 2027. Winter 2027 entry closes November 18, 2026, and Summer 2027 entry closes April 1, 2027.

See our Ontario deadlines page to line up York with your other schools.

York's tuition page gives an approximate domestic tuition of $6,200 a year for most arts and science programs in fall/winter 2026-2027. International students pay about $40,000. York notes a 2% increase in domestic tuition over 2025/2026.

Supplementary fees are charged per credit and typically run $40 to $50 per credit. Our estimate, not York's: on a 30 credit year that adds roughly $1,200 to $1,500. Co-op fees are extra.

York's Automatic Entrance Scholarship needs no application. It pays $1,000 for an 80% to 84.9% average, $1,500 for 85% to 89.9%, $2,000 for 90% to 94.9% and $3,500 for 95% or higher. You can renew it at every tier if you keep a GPA of at least 8.0 over 24 or more credits a year.

Since Criminology admits are in the low 80s or higher, many will qualify for at least the first tier. York says many students get the offer from mid-year marks and confirms the amount on final grades. Browse more in our scholarship finder.

York lists Law and Society, Business and Society, Global Work and Labour Studies, Psychology, Philosophy of Law and Political Science as related programs. If your average is under 80%, some of these may be a better fit, and the department names several as common next steps for students who leave Criminology.

To compare criminology across Ontario, read our TMU Criminology page and our Laurier Criminology page.

There are two grade checks after the offer. Your child needs an 80% final average to keep the offer, then a B in CRIM 1650 in first year to stay in the major. A plan for steady first-year study habits matters as much as the Grade 12 average.

Co-op is optional and comes later. York lists careers such as lawyer, police officer, policy analyst, human rights worker and correctional officer. Some of these need more education after the BA.