Does McGill University give transfer credit for IB Biology HL?
Montreal, QC
Yes, Transfer Credit Available!
Minimum Grade Required
Credit Granted
BIOL 111 + BIOL 112 (6 credits; program exceptions apply)
💡Expert's Take
This is a named-course equivalency, which is the strong outcome: IB Biology HL maps onto two real McGill Freshman science courses rather than generic elective credit. BIOL 112 is the prerequisite for BIOL 200, so the award clears a genuine gate in the life-science stream, not just a credit total.
The award is not the same in every faculty. The full BIOL 111 and BIOL 112 exemption applies only to the faculties named in McGill's chart. Two Engineering programs are treated differently:
- BEng Bioengineering: 3 credits for BIOL 112 only.
- BEng Software: either BIOL 112 or CHEM 110, not both.
- Nursing here means the B.Sc.N. specifically, which is a separate entry from the BNUR program in McGill's own legend.
If you are entering one of these programs, the six-credit figure on this page overstates what you will actually receive. Check your program against the eligible faculty column in McGill's IB chart before counting on it.
Do not retake a course you were exempted from. McGill states plainly that if you receive an exemption for a subject but decide to take the course at McGill anyway, you will not receive credit for it and it will not be calculated into your McGill GPA. Sitting BIOL 111 or BIOL 112 "for the review" costs you tuition and a term slot with nothing on your record to show for it.
These six credits are not simply added to your total. Full IB Diploma students are granted up to 30 transfer credits, with the actual figure set by your HL combination and entering program, not by summing subjects. Biology HL contributes to that ceiling rather than sitting on top of it, so treat any tuition-savings estimate built on a straight per-subject total as an upper bound.
Advanced standing and course exemptions are also two different things on your record: credits reduce what you have left to complete, while exemptions waive specific courses. Advanced standing alone does not necessarily discharge your Foundation program requirements.
Entering at Macdonald Campus through AES: the campus equivalent of BIOL 111 is AEBI 120, so the course you are exempted from will not appear under the downtown code you were expecting.
SL: Biology SL does not earn transfer credit at McGill. See the Biology SL page.
Official award line (IB Biology HL):
Minimum score: 5
Credit granted: BIOL 111 and BIOL 112
Eligible faculty/program entry: AES, Arts, Arts & Science, Education, Management, Nursing (B.Sc.N.), Science
Exceptions: BEng Bioengineering only: 3 credits for BIOL 112 (as of June 2017) · BEng Software: either BIOL 112 or CHEM 110 (as of July 2021)
McGill Transfer Credit & Advanced Standing, International Baccalaureate
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Your Potential Savings
Credit Awarded
6
credit (1 course = 3 credits)
Quebec Resident
~$104/credit
~$624
Potential Tuition Value
Out-of-Province
~$324-$433/credit
~$1,946 - $2,597
Potential Tuition Value
(Rate B / Rate A by admit year)
International
~$1,061-$2,390/credit
~$6,367 - $14,337
Potential Tuition Value
(varies by faculty)
*2026-27 tuition-only rates. Non-Quebec Canadians admitted Fall 2024+ pay Rate A and receive a $3,000/yr Canada Award. Values assume the award replaces tuition you would otherwise pay. Actual cash savings can be $0 under flat-rate or full-time billing unless credit reduces a billed term or time to completion.
📊 Compare Biology HL at Other Universities
See how Biology HL transfer credits compare across Canadian universities. Click column headers to sort.
| University | Min Grade | Credit Granted | Tuition Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton UniversityOttawa, ON | 5/7 | BIOL 1103 + BIOL 1104 (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| Concordia UniversityMontreal, Quebec | 4/7 | 9 transfer credits toward the 120-credit Extended … | View estimate | → | |
| Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS | 5/7 | BIOL 1010.03 + BIOL 1011.03 (6 credit hours) | View estimate | → | |
| Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay, ON | 5/7 | Biology 1-00 (Unspecified First Year Full Credit) | View estimate | → | |
| McMaster UniversityHamilton, ON | 5/7 | BIOLOGY 1A03 and BIOLOGY 1M03 | View estimate | → | |
| Memorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John's, NL | 4/7 | Biology 1001 (HL 4) or Biology 1001 + 1002 (HL 5) | View estimate | → | |
| Queen's UniversityKingston, ON | 5/7 | BIOL 102 + BIOL 103 (6.0 units) | View estimate | → | |
| Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC | 5/7 | SFU BISC 101 (4), B-Sci; SFU BISC 102 (4), B-Sci | View estimate | → | |
| Toronto Metropolitan UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | BLG 143 and BLG 144 | View estimate | → | |
| University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB | 6/7 | BIOL 107 (3 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC | 6/7 | BIOL_V 1st-year level (8 credits), with exemption … | View estimate | → | |
| University of CalgaryCalgary, Alberta | 5/7 | Biology 211 (Biomolecules and Cellular Systems) | View estimate | → | |
| University of GuelphGuelph, ON | 5/7 | BIOL 1070 (0.50 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB | 4/7 | BIOL 1020 (3) + BIOL 1030 (3) | View estimate | → | |
| University of New BrunswickFredericton & Saint John, NB | 5/7 | Saint John: BIOL 1205 Fredericton: BIOL 1001 & BIO… | View estimate | → | |
| University of OttawaOttawa, ON | 5/7 | BIO 1XXX (3 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ReginaRegina, SK | 5/7 | BIOL 100 + BIOL 101 | View estimate | → | |
| University of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, SK | 5/7 | BIOL 120.3 + BIOL Jr.3 = 6 credit units | View estimate | → | |
| University of TorontoToronto, ON | 5/7 | BIO1**Y (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| University of VictoriaVictoria, BC | 4/7 | BIOL 184 (1.5 units) and BIOL 186 (1.5 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of WaterlooWaterloo, ON | 5/7 | BIOL 239 + BIOL 130L (0.75 units ≈ 1.5 courses) | View estimate | → | |
| University of WindsorWindsor, ON | 5/7 | BIOL-1101 + BIOL-1111 (Cell Biology + Biological D… | View estimate | → | |
| Western UniversityLondon, ON | 5/7 | Biology 1001A (0.5 cr) + Biology 1002B (0.5 cr) = … | View estimate | → | |
| York UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | SC/BIOL 1000 3.0 + SC/BIOL 1001 3.0 (6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| Ontario Tech UniversityOshawa, ON | N/A | No transfer credit | — | → |
Tip: Open a university to compare same-province, out-of-province, and international tuition values. Flat-rate or full-time billing can make the immediate cash saving $0.
Other IB Subjects at McGill University
Related subjects you might be interested in at McGill University
Physics HL
Chemistry HL
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL
Psychology HL
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL
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