Does Queen's University accept Chemistry HL?

💡Expert's Take

“A POWERFUL CREDIT – BUT WATCH THE 'PRE-MED' TRAP

The Good News: Queen's is generous. A score of 5+ grants you CHEM 112 (6.0 units), allowing you to skip first-year chemistry and jump straight into CHEM 281 (Organic Chemistry).

The Reality Check: Unlike some might suggest, CHEM 112 is NOT a massive step up.

Syllabus Overlap: The IB HL curriculum covers the vast majority of CHEM 112's theoretical content (Quantum, Thermodynamics, Equilibrium).

The Gap: The only real gap is Lab Skills. IB labs are often less rigorous than university wet labs.

The "Pre-Med" Trap: If you plan to apply to Medical School (especially uOttawa or US schools), be careful. Many med schools require "1 Full Year of General Chemistry with Labs." Transfer credits prove you know the theory, but they don't prove you did the labs.

Strategic Advice: If you skip CHEM 112, you MUST ensure you take upper-year courses with significant lab components (like CHEM 281/282) to satisfy these strict admissions criteria.

⚠️ ENGINEERING ALERT: Smith Engineering grants NO transfer credit for IB Chemistry. You must take the core engineering chemistry courses (APSC 131/132). While you might technically see a CHEM 112 credit on your transcript, it does not count toward your Engineering degree requirements.

Verdict:

For General Science: TAKE THE CREDIT. Save yourself the 3-hour weekly labs.

For Pre-Med: Check your target med schools. If they are strict about "General Chem Labs," consider retaking CHEM 112 for the "safe" transcript line.”