Graduation Record Examination (GRE) is an exam taken by people wanting to get admission in master’s courses. MS in Canada also requires GRE Scores for admission into the course, but GRE isn’t mandatory at some institutes. The overall GRE score for MS in Canada ranges between 307 and 320. Apart from GRE, admissions into MS in Canada also requires Transcripts, Proof of English Language Proficiency, Letters of Recommendations, Statement of Purpose and Financial Statements etc. Not all MS courses require GRE either, those that do include courses like Humanities, Computer Science, Engineering, Business and Management etc. The top Universities accepting GRE in Canada are University of Toronto, McGill University, University of Alberta, and Queen’s University etc.

Is GRE Required for MS in Canada

Yes, GRE is required for MS in Canada, but it is not mandatory. So, there are some universities that require GRE Score and then there are those that don’t require it. Apart from that, there are universities that require a GRE Score, but they don’t specify any minimum requirements.

Universities accepting GRE Score can be taking it as an alternative to GMAT. Whereas, Universities that don’t require a GRE Score for admission might accept an IELTS or TOEFL Score instead.

Average GRE Score for Universities in Canada

There are Universities in Canada that require a GRE Score for admissions into their MS Programs. The Universities and the GRE Score range required is given in the table below:

University Programs require GRE Average GRE Score required
Quant Verbal AWA Overall
University of Toronto MBA MSc Computer Science Master of Management Analytics Master of Financial Economics 150+ 140 5.0+ N/A
McGill University MSc Biochemistry MA/MS in Psychology MEng Mechanical Engineering MSc/MEng in Electrical and Computer Engineering 160 160+ 4.0 321
University of British Columbia MBA MArch MSc Chemistry MA Psychology Master of Business Analytics Master of Public Health 155+ 130+ 4.0 307+
University of Alberta MBA MSc Computer Science MEng in
  • Chemical and Materials Engineering
  • Joint Program and Chemical and Materials Engineering
155 135+ 5.0+ 310
University of Waterloo MSc in
  • Physics
  • Pharmacy
  • Psychology
  • Data Science
  • Computer Science
Master of Management Science
155 160 4.0+ 307
Queen’s University MBA/Executive MBA MSc in
  • Psychology
  • Computer Science
  • Management/Finance
MEng in
  • Mechanical and Materials
  • Computer Engineering
150 160 4.0 315+
McMaster University MBA MA Anthropology MEng in Electrical and Computer Engineering N/A N/A N/A 307
Dalhousie University MBA (Financial Services) 155 165 5.0 300
St. Francis Xavier University MSc in Computer Science 150 160 4.0 326
University of Victoria MS in Computer Science 156 140 4.0 No minimum score required
University of Windsor All Graduate Programs 150+ 140 5.0 N/A
University of Calgary MA in Archaeology 600 750 5.5 310
University of Quebec Masters in Earth Sciences N/A N/A N/A 307
Concordia University MSc in Management MBA (Executive) N/A N/A N/A 307

Course-wise GRE Score for MS in Canada

The GRE Score requirements within the Canadian Universities differs according to subjects chosen. Also, the GRE Score requirement might be specified as an overall average and/or the university might specify sectional minimums for GRE eligibility. The Table given contains that data on Overall and Sectional GRE Score required for Different MS courses across Universities in Canada:
MS Course GRE required GRE Verbal GRE Quant GRE AWA
Masters in Engineering in Canada 300 – 320 149 159 3.4
Computer Science 260 – 300 150 160 3.3
Life Sciences 300 – 305 151 151 3.6
Social and Behavioral Sciences 300 – 310 151 151 3.6
MBA in Canada 300 – 320 150 153 3.6
Masters in Education in Canada 300 – 305 151 148 3.9
Humanities 300 – 310 156 150 4.1

MS in Canada without GRE

GRE in Canada isn’t mandatory, which means there are universities that don’t require their prospective student to have taken the GRE or possess a GRE Score validity for admissions. The table given below enlists the Universities and their MS Courses that don’t require a GRE Score

MS Courses without GRE Universities
MS (Applied Computing) Most Canadian Universities
Masters in biotechnology in Canada Most Canadian Universities
Engineering Lakehead University
Computer Science University of Toronto

The Universities that don’t require a GRE Score for most of their programs are listed below. Applicants must have Canada student visa in order to be eligible to avail courses from top universities in Canada. 

  • University of British Columbia
  • McGill University

The list of universities where a GRE Score isn’t mandatory is given in the table below:

University Scores accepted
University of Windsor GPA: 3.0+
Royal Roads University IELTS Academic: 6.0
University of Manitoba GPA: 3.1
Thompson River University GPA: 3.0
Capilano University IELTS: 6.5

Courses in Canada without GRE Scores

GRE isn’t mandatory in certain Universities and even in Universities there are courses that do not require GRE Scores. The MS Courses that don’t require GRE Scores are given below. Applicants can also find universities in Canada without application fees

  • Master of Applied Sciences (Biotechnology)
  • Master of Science (Applied Computing)
  • MSc Computer Science (in University of Toronto)
  • Master of Engineering (in Lakehead University)

Canada is a sought after destination for MS Courses by International Students due to the world-class education standards it offers. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is one such tests whose scores are required for admission in MS Courses across Canada. But GRE is not mandatory to get admission here because some universities and some MS specializations waive the GRE requirement or require an IELTS or TOEFL score.

FAQs

Ques. What GRE score is required for MS in Canada?

Ans. GRE Score required for MS in Canada can vary from 260 in Computer Sciences to 320 in Humanities.

Ques. Is GRE Mandatory for MS in Canada?

Ans. No. There are several Universities in Canada that do not a GRE score admission in their MS Courses.

Ques. Which Universities in Canada need GRE?

Ans. The Universities in Canada requiring GRE are University of Toronto, University of Alberta, University of Waterloo, McMaster University, University of British Columbia.

Ques. Which Universities have waived GRE in Canada?

Ans. The Universities in Canada that have waived GRE Score are Lakehead University, University of Manitoba, Royals Roads University

Ques. What is the minimum GRE Score required for MS in Canada?

Ans. The Minimum GRE Score required is 260 and it’s for MS in Computer Science.?