Does University of Toronto give transfer credit for IB Physics HL?
Toronto, ON
Yes, Transfer Credit Available!
Minimum Grade Required
Credit Granted
PHY1**H + PHY1**H (1.0 cr, A&S, equivalent to PHY131H1 + PHY132H1) · PHY1**H + PHY1**H (1.0 cr, UTM, equivalent to PHY136H5 + PHY137H5) · PHYA**Y (1.0 cr, UTSC, No/No/No) · Engineering: no IB credit
💡Expert's Take
All three U of T campuses award 1.0 credit for Physics HL at a 5, but the three awards are not worth the same thing, and one U of T division awards nothing at all.
Start with who is covered. This award belongs to the Faculty of Arts & Science at St. George, to U of T Mississauga, and to U of T Scarborough. If you are admitted to Engineering, U of T states plainly that the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering does not provide transfer credit for International Baccalaureate subjects. Plan on zero IB credit there, no matter what you score.
Note also what is actually granted. None of the three campuses award a named course. Arts & Science grants two unspecified PHY1**H half credits and records that you have the equivalent of PHY131H1 and PHY132H1, officially titled Introduction to Physics I and Introduction to Physics II. UTM grants the equivalent of PHY136H5 and PHY137H5. UTSC grants PHYA**Y, which its own glossary defines as a course with no exact equivalency in the Faculty.
What to watch for:
- UTSC reads No, No, No. The credit counts toward degree completion and the NatSci breadth category, but it cannot be used for program admission, program requirements, or prerequisites. The table gives the reason: all physics programs and prerequisite requirements are calculus-based, which IB Physics HL does not satisfy.
- UTM points you at the wrong physics stream for a Physics program. PHY136H5 and PHY137H5 are the life and environmental sciences sequence. The UTM Physics Major is built on PHY146H5 and PHY147H5 with a minimum grade of 60% in PHY147H5, and the Calendar tells students who hold PHY136H5 and PHY137H5 to speak with the Chemical & Physical Sciences academic counsellor. Treat the Yes columns as a general clearance, not as automatic entry to the Physics Major or Minor.
- Arts & Science is the strongest of the three. The Physics Specialist, Major and Minor all write their first-year physics requirement as PHY131H1/PHY151H1 and PHY132H1/PHY152H1, so the IB equivalency satisfies it. PHY151H1 and PHY152H1 are described as recommended for the Specialist, not required, so you are not forced to repeat the year.
- The 3.0 credit ceiling is roomier than it looks. Effective September 2025, Arts & Science allows a maximum of 3.0 transfer credits for each secondary school curriculum and an overall maximum of 3.0 across all curricula; UTSC caps at 3.0 across all secondary school curricula. Physics, Chemistry and Biology HL are worth 1.0 each in Arts & Science, so all three together land exactly on the ceiling rather than competing for it. Worth knowing: Chemistry HL is the weak one of that trio, marked No, No, No.
If you decide the credit is not worth keeping, the three campuses use three different mechanisms and three different clocks. Arts & Science calls it forfeiture, runs it through a form to your College Registrar's Office, advises doing it at the end of first year, and will not reinstate the credit later. UTM does not use forfeiture at all: you submit a request to mark the credit extra, with a deadline of May 31, 2027 for 2026 to 2027 admits. UTSC requires an email to its high school transfer credit office no later than October 31, 2026, offers the option only to students who have not attended another post-secondary institution, and does not reinstate forfeited credit. Confirm your own campus procedure before acting on any of it.
Physics SL earns no U of T transfer credit; see the Physics SL page for that award.
Official award line (IB Physics HL):
Minimum score: 5 or higher
Faculty of Arts & Science, St. George: PHY1**H + PHY1**H, 0.5 + 0.5 FCE, BR=5, equivalent to PHY131H1 and PHY132H1. Program Admission: Yes. Program Requirements: Yes. Prerequisites: Yes.
U of T Mississauga: PHY1**H + PHY1**H, 0.5 + 0.5 FCE, 136 (Sci) and 137 (Sci), equivalent to PHY136H5 and PHY137H5. Program Admission: Yes. Program Requirements: Yes. Prerequisites: Yes.
U of T Scarborough: PHYA**Y, 1.0 FCE, BR=NatSci. Program Admission: No. Program Requirements: No. Prerequisites: No.
Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering: no transfer credit awarded for IB.
Arts & Science IB Higher Level transfer credit tableUTM IB transfer credit chartUTSC IB transfer credit chartU of T transfer credit policy for high school students
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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 Physics HL at Other Universities
See how Physics HL transfer credits compare across Canadian universities. Click column headers to sort.
| University | Min Grade | Credit Granted | Tuition Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton UniversityOttawa, ON | 5/7 | PHYS 1107 (0.5) & PHYS 1108 (0.5) | View estimate | → | |
| Concordia UniversityMontreal, Quebec | 4/7 | 9 transfer credits toward the 120-credit Extended … | View estimate | → | |
| Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS | 5/7 | Physics 1280.03 + Physics 1290.03 = 6 credit hours | View estimate | → | |
| McGill UniversityMontreal, QC | 5/7 | PHYS 101 + PHYS 102 (8 credits; B.Sc.Arch. PHYS 10… | View estimate | → | |
| McMaster UniversityHamilton, ON | 5/7 | Physics 1A03 and 1AA3 | View estimate | → | |
| Memorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John's, NL | 4/7 | Physics 1020 + Physics 1021 | View estimate | → | |
| Ontario Tech UniversityOshawa, ON | 5/7 | Transfer credit, grade "T" (unspecified/elective, … | View estimate | → | |
| Queen's UniversityKingston, ON | 5/7 | PHYS 117 (6.0 units) | View estimate | → | |
| Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC | 4/7 | SFU PHYS 101 (3), Q/B-Sci; SFU PHYS 102 (3), Q/B-S… | View estimate | → | |
| Toronto Metropolitan UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | Individual evaluation (HL 5 or higher); no publish… | View estimate | → | |
| University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB | 6/7 | PHYS 124 + PHYS 126 (6 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC | 6/7 | PHYS_V 100 (3) + PHYS_V 1st-year level (3) | View estimate | → | |
| University of CalgaryCalgary, Alberta | 5/7 | Physics 221 (3 units) and Physics 223 (3 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of GuelphGuelph, ON | 5/7 | PHYS 9110 (0.50 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB | 4/7 | PHYS 1020: General Physics 1 (3) & PHYS 1030: Gene… | View estimate | → | |
| University of New BrunswickFredericton & Saint John, NB | 6/7 | Fredericton: 1000-level Physics (6ch) Saint John: … | View estimate | → | |
| University of OttawaOttawa, ON | 5/7 | PHY 1121 + PHY 1122 (6 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ReginaRegina, SK | 5/7 | PHYS 109 + PHYS 119 | View estimate | → | |
| University of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, SK | 5/7 | PHYS 115.3 + PHYS 117.3 = 6 credit units | View estimate | → | |
| University of VictoriaVictoria, BC | 6/7 | PHYS 102A (1.5 units) and PHYS 102B (1.5 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of WindsorWindsor, ON | 5/7 | PHYS-1300 + PHYS-1310 (Introductory Physics for Li… | View estimate | → | |
| Western UniversityLondon, ON | 5/7 | Physics 1501A (0.5 cr) + Physics 1502B (0.5 cr) = … | View estimate | → | |
| York UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | SC/PHYS 1411 3.0 + SC/PHYS 1412 3.0 (6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay, ON | N/A | Not yet verified | — | → | |
| University of WaterlooWaterloo, 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.
Taking more than Physics 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
Computer Science HL
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL
Chemistry HL
Biology HL
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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