Does University of Toronto give transfer credit for IB English A: Language and Literature HL?
Toronto, ON
Yes, Transfer Credit Available!
Minimum Grade Required
Credit Granted
ENG1**Y (St. George/UTM); ENGA**H + ENGA**H (UTSC)
💡Expert's Take
A 5 or higher earns 1.0 transfer credit, but the award is division specific, not university wide. The Faculty of Arts & Science (St. George) and UTM award ENG1**Y, a 1.0 unspecified first-year English transfer credit rather than a taught course, while UTSC splits the same 1.0 into two ENGA**H half credits. The Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering awards no IB transfer credit at all, so do not count on this credit in an Engineering offer.
The credit's practical value differs sharply by campus. At St. George it carries BR=1 (Creative and Cultural Representations) and counts for program requirements and prerequisites; at UTM it counts as Humanities distribution on the same terms; at UTSC the half credits carry BR=Arts only and satisfy no program admission, requirement, or prerequisite. Even at St. George the head start is narrower than it looks: 200-level ENG courses are open to anyone with 1.0 ENG credit or any 4.0 credits, and students with neither may enrol concurrently in ENG110Y1, ENG140Y1, or ENG150Y1. The IB credit mainly lets a first-year student satisfy the 1.0 ENG route early, and only once it is actually recorded: transfer credits are normally not on the academic record when course enrolment begins, and a department may remove a student whose prerequisite is not yet recorded, so confirm with the English department before relying on it.
What to watch for:
- Program admission is a separate hurdle, and it changed for 2026-27. The former English Major is now two streams: Literature and Language is open enrolment after 4.0 credits, Creative Writing requires at least 77% in ENG110Y1, ENG140Y1, or ENG150Y1 (or in each of 2.0 200-level ENG credits), and the Specialist requires 73% by the same routes. An ungraded transfer credit cannot supply those marks.
- The 100-level cap. All three St. George English programs count no more than 1.0 credit of 100-level ENG toward completion, so if you take ENG1**Y plus a graded first-year course for the Specialist or Creative Writing route, only one of the pair counts toward the program.
- UTM has no named-course gateway. UTM English 200-level courses open after any 4.0 credits, and the Specialist requires a CGPA of at least 2.0 plus at least 70% in 1.0 ENG credit. Note that ENG110Y5 is retired; the current course is ENG110H5.
- Deadlines differ by campus. UTM and UTSC require results by July 31, 2026. St. George instead processes results received by the end of July (credits added by the end of August) or by the end of August (added by the end of September), and asks later submitters to contact Arts & Science. If you want to give the credit up: St. George uses a forfeit form at your College Registrar's Office, UTSC's forfeit deadline is October 31, 2026, and UTM's mark-as-extra deadline is May 31, 2027.
- The 3.0 cap. St. George and UTSC cap secondary school transfer credit at 3.0 credits, so this award uses 1.0 of that allocation.
Strategic advice: Accepting the credit is sensible for most students, but it is not an automatic lighter year: secondary school transfer credits do not count toward your course load or full-time status, and taking fewer courses may have implications for fees, financial aid, legal status, and program enrolment, so plan any reduced load with your College Registrar. If your IB course was the Literature track, the award is identical; see the English A: Literature HL page.
Official award line (IB English A: Language and Literature HL):
Minimum score: 5 / 7 (HL only; SL: no credit at any campus)
Credit granted (St. George Arts & Science and UTM): ENG1**Y, 1.0 unspecified credit
Credit granted (UTSC): ENGA**H + ENGA**H, 1.0 credit total
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Your Potential Savings
Credit Awarded
1
1.0 credit (FCE); one full course
Full-time program-fee billing can make the immediate saving $0 unless transfer credit reduces a billed term or total time to completion.
Ontario Resident
~$1,220-$3,180/1.0 FCE
~$1,220 - $3,180
Potential Tuition Value
(Arts and Science to Rotman Commerce)
Out-of-Province
~$1,522-$3,974/1.0 FCE
~$1,522 - $3,974
Potential Tuition Value
International
~$13,222-$15,030/1.0 FCE
~$13,222 - $15,030
Potential Tuition Value
(varies by faculty)
*2026-27 tuition-only rates per 1.0 FCE (annual program fee divided by 5.0 FCE). 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 English A: Language and Literature HL at Other Universities
See how English A: Language and Literature HL transfer credits compare across Canadian universities. Click column headers to sort.
| University | Min Grade | Credit Granted | Tuition Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton UniversityOttawa, ON | 5/7 | ENGL 1XXX (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 | ENGL 1991W.03 + ENGL 1992W.03 = 6 credit hours | View estimate | → | |
| Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay, ON | 5/7 | English 1115 and Arts 1-10* (*Unspecified First Ye… | View estimate | → | |
| McGill UniversityMontreal, QC | 5/7 | ENGL 1XX (6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| McMaster UniversityHamilton, ON | 5/7 | ENGLISH 1XXX (6 units) | View estimate | → | |
| Memorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John's, NL | 4/7 | St. John's: ENGL 1090 + ENGL 1191 Grenfell: Englis… | View estimate | → | |
| Ontario Tech UniversityOshawa, ON | 5/7 | Transfer credit, grade "T" (unspecified/elective, … | View estimate | → | |
| Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC | 4/7 | SFU ENGL 111 (3), ENGL 1XX (3) or WL 102 (3), WL 1… | View estimate | → | |
| Toronto Metropolitan UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | 2 Language LLS | View estimate | → | |
| University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB | 6/7 | C LIT 100-level (3 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC | 5/7 | ENGL_V 1st-year level (6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of CalgaryCalgary, Alberta | 5/7 | 3 units junior English | View estimate | → | |
| University of GuelphGuelph, ON | 5/7 | HUMN 9110 (0.50 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB | 4/7 | ENGL 1200 Representative Literary Works | View estimate | → | |
| University of OttawaOttawa, ON | 5/7 | ENG 1100 + ENG 1120 (6 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ReginaRegina, SK | 5/7 | ENGL 100 + ENGL 110 | View estimate | → | |
| University of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, SK | 5/7 | ENG 110.6 = 6 credit units | View estimate | → | |
| University of VictoriaVictoria, BC | 4/7 | ENSH 101 (1.5 units) and 100-level ATWP course (1.… | View estimate | → | |
| University of WaterlooWaterloo, ON | 5/7 | ENGL 1XX (0.5 units), elective credit | View estimate | → | |
| University of WindsorWindsor, ON | 5/7 | ENGL-1xxx (1st Year English Course) | View estimate | → | |
| Western UniversityLondon, ON | 5/7 | English 1020E (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| York UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | AP/EN 1001 3.0 + AP/EN 1002 3.0 (6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| Queen's UniversityKingston, ON | N/A | No transfer credit | — | → | |
| University of New BrunswickFredericton & Saint John, NB | N/A | Not yet verified | — | → |
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.
Taking more than English A: Language and Literature HL?
Add all your IB subjects and predicted scores to estimate your total transfer credit across Canadian universities, side by side.
Other IB Subjects at University of Toronto
Related subjects you might be interested in at University of Toronto
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Data Disclaimer
This information is compiled from University of Toronto official sources and verified community reports. It is NOT a substitute for official academic advising. Always confirm with your advisor before making decisions.
Last updated: August 2026
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