Does McGill University give transfer credit for IB Psychology HL?
Montreal, QC
Yes, Transfer Credit Available!
Minimum Grade Required
Credit Granted
PSYC 1XX (3 or 6 credits)
Generic Credit: Counts as an elective, but may not replace a mandatory prerequisite for your major.
💡Expert's Take
McGill awards generic 100-level psychology credit (PSYC 1XX) for Psychology HL, and for IB Diploma holders, that typically means 6 credits, not 3. These are useful elective credits, but they don't exempt you from any specific required psychology course. The real question for aspiring psych majors is what comes next: PSYC 204 (Introduction to Psychological Statistics).
The reality: PSYC 204 is a gateway course for psychology majors, it's a prerequisite for four upper-level courses: PSYC 305 (Statistics for Experimental Design), PSYC 310, PSYC 336, and PSYC 406. Delay it and you create a bottleneck that can push back your entire upper-year sequence. The course covers frequency distributions, measures of central tendency, hypothesis testing, t-tests, correlations, and chi-square tests, a significant step up from the qualitative research methods in IB Psychology.
That said, the old advice that "every psych major must take PSYC 204, no exceptions" is now outdated. Under a new policy effective Fall 2025, B.Sc. Major and Liberal students who hold a MATH 203 exemption, whether from CEGEP or advanced placement, can skip PSYC 204 and proceed directly to PSYC 305. IB students who took HL Mathematics: Applications & Interpretation and scored 5+ receive a MATH 203 exemption from McGill, which may open this bypass route.
What to watch for:
- Your credit is PSYC 1XX, a generic placeholder, not PSYC 100 (Introduction to Psychology). If your program requires PSYC 100 specifically, this credit won't substitute for it. Check with your departmental advisor.
- Engineering students receive a maximum of 3 credits for Psychology HL, not the standard 6 that most other faculties grant to Diploma holders.
- If you plan to apply for Honours Psychology, you must complete both PSYC 204 and PSYC 305 by the end of U1 to be eligible. Even if you can skip PSYC 204 via the MATH 203 exemption, you'll still need PSYC 305 in your first year.
Strategic tip: If you don't have a MATH 203 exemption and need PSYC 204, take it in Fall U1, the prerequisite chain is real and delays compound. If you do have the MATH 203 exemption (e.g., from IB Math A&I HL), consider jumping straight to PSYC 305 in Fall U1 to get ahead on the upper-level sequence. Either way, your IB Psychology HL credit is best treated as free elective padding, not a head start on the major itself.
Official award line (IB Psychology HL):
Minimum score: 5
Credit granted: PSYC 1XX, 6 credits for IB Diploma holders in most faculties; Engineering: max 3 credits
Excluded faculties: Engineering receives a maximum of 3 credits
Need help preparing for IB Psychology HL?
Your Potential Savings
Credits Earned
6
Quebec Resident
~$101/credit
~$606
Est. Savings
Out-of-Province
~$420/credit
~$2,520
Est. Savings
International
~$1,050-1,700/credit
~$6,300 - $10,200
Est. Savings
(Sci/Eng/Mgmt higher)
*Tuition rates are for Fall 2025 and may vary by faculty and program. Always verify with McGill's official sources before making decisions.
📊 Compare Psychology HL at Other Universities
See how Psychology HL transfer credits compare across Canadian universities. Click column headers to sort.
| University | Min Grade | Credit Granted | Est. Savings | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS | 5/7 | Psychology 1011.03 + Psychology 1012.03 = 6 credit… | $2,052 | → | |
| Memorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John's, NL | 4/7 | Psychology 1000 + 1001 + three unspecified credit … | $2,025 | → | |
| University of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, SK | 5/7 | PSY Jr.6 = 6 credit units | $1,554 | → | |
| Western UniversityLondon, ON | 5/7 | Psychology 1002A/B (0.5 cr) + Psychology 1003A/B (… | $1,440 | → | |
| Queen's UniversityKingston, ON | 5/7 | PSYC 102 + PSYC 103 (6.0 units) | $1,398 | → | |
| Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC | 4/7 | SFU PSYC 100 (3), B-Soc; SFU PSYC 102 (3), B-Soc | $1,398 | → | |
| Carleton UniversityOttawa, ON | 5/7 | PSYC 1001 (0.5) & PSYC 1002 (0.5) | $1,365 | → | |
| University of OttawaOttawa, ON | 5/7 | PSY 1101 + PSY 1102 (6 units) | $1,320 | → | |
| University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB | 6/7 | PSYCH 104 (3 units) + PSYCH 105 (3 units) | $1,302 | → | |
| McMaster UniversityHamilton, ON | 5/7 | Psychology 1X03 and 1XX3 | $1,200 | → | |
| University of WaterlooWaterloo, ON | 5/7 | PSYCH 101 + PSYCH 1XX (1.0 units) | $900 | → | |
| York UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | HH/PSYC 1010 3.0 (3 credits) | $729 | → | |
| University of GuelphGuelph, ON | 5/7 | PSYC 1000 (0.50 credits) | $720 | → | |
| University of TorontoToronto, ON | 5/7 | PSY1**H (0.5 cr, A&S No/No/No) · PSY1**Y (1.0 cr, … | $659 | → | |
| University of CalgaryCalgary, Alberta | 5/7 | Psychology 201 | $597 | → | |
| University of VictoriaVictoria, BC | 4/7 | PSYC 100A (1.5 units) and PSYC 100B (1.5 units) | $555 | → |
Tip: Different provinces have different tuition rates. Use these comparisons to find the best value for your residency status.
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