York Global Health admission requirements: a BA or a BSc, a mid-70s average and 70% to keep your offer

Global Health is the study of improving health and health equity for people around the world. York calls it Canada's first undergraduate program of its kind. You study topics such as global health policy, chronic and communicable diseases, health care ethics, human rights, and anatomy and physiology.

The program sits in the Faculty of Health at the Keele campus. You can study full time or part time, and first year entry is in the fall only.

York lets you apply directly to the Honours BA (OUAC code YHS) or the Honours BSc (OUAC code YHT). The department says both share the same 48 credits of core requirements. BSc students take extra math, science and computer science courses. BA students have more freedom with those credits.

Pick the BSc if you enjoy the senior sciences and want a more science heavy degree. Pick the BA if you want global health with more room for policy, law or social science electives. York lists medicine, nursing and law as careers that are possible with further postgraduate training.

For the BA, Ontario students need an OSSD with ENG4U and five more 4U or M courses. York recommends SBI4U but does not require it.

For the BSc, you need ENG4U, a 4U math and one of SBI4U, SCH4U or SPH4U, plus three more 4U or M courses. So one Grade 12 science is enough. Biology is the natural pick, since York recommends it for the BA and global health covers disease and the body. Plan your Grade 12 year with our course planner.

York says applicants with averages in the mid-70s or higher may be considered for both the BA and the BSc. The department page lists the same mid 70s minimum. York also says the required average is set each year by program, and admission is not guaranteed.

Once you have an offer, you must finish with a final academic average of 70% to keep it. York does not publish an acceptance rate or a past entering average for Global Health. Check where you stand with our Top 6 average calculator.

Selected core courses include GH 1010 Foundations of Global Health I, GH 2000 Global Health Policy, GH 2200 Global Determinants of Health, GH 3545 Promoting Global Health and GH 4510 Health and Human Rights.

Sample electives include IHST 1020 Agents of Change in a Global World, GH 4220 World Health Assembly Simulation, GH 3300 Introduction to Global Environmental Health and GH 4210 Global Mental Health. York also lists global learning such as summer abroad experiences.

The Specialized Honours option (BA or BSc) is for students who want a deeper focus and a placement. You complete 60 major credits, 15 credits in one stream and 12 credits of practicum preparation, placement and a fourth year research capstone. The five streams are Global E-Health, Global Health and the Environment, Global Health Law, Policy, and Governance, Global Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Global Mental Health.

To be eligible for the practicum, you must finish your core and stream courses, declare a stream, and keep Honours standing, which is a minimum cGPA of 5.00. In the fall you take GH 4600 3.00 Practicum Professionalization Seminar. In January you start GH 4601 6.00 Global Health Practicum, in Canada or abroad. A two week capstone follows.

Co-op is optional at York. You don't choose it on your OUAC application. York says the Co-op and Career Centre contacts you after first year about how to apply. Global Health is on the list of Faculty of Health programs with co-op.

First you take HH/COOP 2999 3.00 Preparing for Co-op Work in Health. You need at least 45 earned credits before your first work term and a GPA of 4.00 on York's 9.0 scale. Co-op lasts a minimum of 8 months. York is clear that positions are competitive and not guaranteed, and you search for your own jobs.

Based on 2026-2027 rates, there is a one time $200 co-op registration fee and each work term course costs $500.

York lists January 15, 2027 as the Fall 2027 deadline for Ontario high school students. Out of province high school, international, transfer and mature applicants have a March 24, 2027 deadline.

See our Ontario deadlines page for other schools.

York lists approximate Fall and Winter 2026-2027 tuition of $6,200 for domestic students and $40,000 for international students in most Arts and Sciences programs. It says fees are based on 30 credits, or five courses per term. Global Health is not listed on its own, so use the most programs figure as a guide.

Our estimate, not York's: a domestic student who also does co-op should add about $1,200 in co-op fees across a typical two work term plan ($200 plus two $500 course fees).

York gives an automatic entrance scholarship based on your admission average. It is $3,500 at 95% and up, $2,000 at 90% to 94.9%, $1,500 at 85% to 89.9% and $1,000 at 80% to 84.9%. No application is needed.

York says these can be offered on mid year results when your average is 80% or more, then confirmed on final grades. The award renews at all tiers if you keep an 8.0 GPA over at least 24 credits a year.

York lists several related programs in the Faculty of Health. Health Studies and Health Policy, Management and Digital Health look at health systems in Canada. Kinesiology and Health Science focuses on the body and movement. Global Health is the one with a world focus, a stream choice and a fourth year practicum that can be abroad.

Parents should know that the mid-70s entry point is open to many students, but the practicum needs strong university grades. Read our York Kinesiology guide and our York admissions overview to compare.