海角社区

General eligibility requirements

Here we present the education and language proficiency requirements for the BCL/JD program.

Education requirements

All applicants must have a minimum of:

  • 60 credits of university studies,
    or

  • a diploma of collegial studies (DCS) from a Quebec College of General and Professional Education (CEGEP). Students with a French Baccalaureate from Quebec (Coll猫ge international Marie de France, or Coll猫ge Stanislas) are also eligible to apply.

Candidates from a French Baccalaureate program completed outside of Quebec, International Baccalaureate programs or who are finishing high school are鈥not eligible鈥痶o apply.

Admission to the program is highly competitive. Almost all students admitted in the 鈥University鈥 category鈥痺ill have completed an undergraduate degree before starting our BCL/JD program. While University applicants with 60 credits of university studies are eligible to apply to the Faculty of Law, these candidates are very rarely admitted.

In our holistic review process, we consider the academic performance of applicants in addition to their other qualities. Students admitted to 海角社区 Law tend to have outstanding academic records. There are no minimum thresholds for CGPA, LSAT score and R-score, however applicants should review the data below for a better sense of how academic indicators may impact the likelihood of admission.

We provide the following statistics on our incoming class for information purposes only. The tables below do not indicate eligibility requirements.

University and Mature, 2023 incoming class

Overall average (CGPA)*

3.8 on 4.0 scale

-
CGPA Ranges (4.0 scale)听 Proportion of class
4.0听 22%
3.71-3.99听 47%
3.31-3.7听 24%
3.0-3.3听 2%
Below 3.0听 1%

*Note: CGPA ranges indicated here do not reflect any adjustments made for extenuating circumstances听

LSAT, 2023 Incoming Class

Overall average LSAT听

164, 87.5鈥痯ercentile鈥

-
LSAT Score Ranges听 Proportion of class
175 and above听 5%
170-174 10%
165-169听 35%
160-164听 23%
155-159听 23%
154 and below听 5%

CEGEP, 2023听Incoming Class

Overall Average R-Score听

34.425

-
R score听 Proportion of class
36.00 and above 17%
35.00-35.99听 17%
34.00-34.99听 31%
33.00-33.99听 28%
32.99 and below听 8%

Language proficiency requirements

海角社区's BCL/JD program is offered in a bilingual (French and English) environment. To be eligible, applicants to the BCL/JD program must possess advanced proficiency in at least one language (English or French) and be passively bilingual in the second language (English or French), meaning they have, at a minimum, advanced intermediate abilities in written and spoken comprehension. Using the language proficiency standards set in the , we expect applicants to meet one of following sets of minimal standards:听

  • C1 proficiency in English and a B2 level of written and spoken comprehension in French; or听

  • C1 proficiency in French and a B2 level of written and spoken comprehension in English.听

Passive bilingualism is a minimum requirement, not a competitive admissions asset. A lack of requisite language skills is a basis for refusal, regardless of academic or other strengths. Applicants should either have the requisite proficiency in both languages when applying or be in the process of obtaining it. An undertaking to complete additional language courses if admitted is not sufficient to meet the eligibility requirement.听

Support for Indigenous applicants听

We offer support to Indigenous candidates to help them meet language proficiency requirements. Please consult the鈥Indigenous Applicants page鈥痜or more information. We sincerely encourage candidates to speak with us if they have concerns on this point to discuss the support we offer to prospective Indigenous students.听

Bilingualism in the classroom 听

Complex substantive texts in both languages are assigned as readings in all first-year courses and in many upper-year courses. While examination questions are set in the language in which the course is given, any examination may also contain extensive passages in either French or English.听

Due to space limitations, it is not always possible for students to be registered in courses given in their preferred language.鈥疉lmost all first-year students will be registered in at least one class in which the language of instruction is French. 听

Under the Faculty鈥檚 passive bilingualism policy, students can participate in classroom discussions, submit written work, write exams, and fulfill any oral advocacy requirements in either French or English, regardless of the language of instruction of the course.

Demonstrating bilingualism听

Demonstrating Passive Bilingualism in French听

There are two exemptions to the French language proficiency requirements.听

Applicants who have obtained or will obtain a Qu茅bec French Baccalaureate or Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS) from a CEGEP (in English or French) in Qu茅bec are not required to submit separate proof of passive bilingualism in French. In the weeks following the supporting documents deadline and after confirming that all other required documents have been submitted, the听 Admissions Office staff will waive the French proficiency requirement听 from the Checklist.听

Applicants who are in one of the two following categories are required to upload supporting documentation to their Checklist in the applicant portal:鈥

  1. Have obtained or will obtain an听International Baccalaureate in Qu茅bec, or;听

  1. Have completed or will complete at least three years of full-time post-secondary education where French was the primary language of instruction.鈥

Applicants that do not fall within either of the exemptions above must meet one of the following conditions to establish that they possess a B2 level of written and spoken comprehension in French:鈥

Criteria Required documentation
Option 1: The applicant has obtained their secondary school diploma in Qu茅bec in the 1985-1986 school year or later. 听 Copy of the Qu茅bec high school certificate 听
Option 2: The applicant has completed their secondary education in a program outside of Qu茅bec where French was the primary language of instruction. Only programs administered by French-language institutions are covered by this option;鈥疐rench Immersion secondary education programs administered by English institutions are not covered by this option.听 Copy of the high school transcript听
Option 3: The applicant has or will complete 6 credits or more of a university or college program or certificate taught in French at an intermediate level or higher in the past three years. This can include courses taken through the Explore French immersion program.听 Copy of the transcript for the relevant program or certificate with the relevant credits highlighted or underlined.听
Option 4: The applicant has achieved B2 level or equivalent of written and spoken comprehension in an accredited French language test or learning program completed in the last three years. Results accepted include: Alliance Fran莽aise Ev@lang, Dipl么me d鈥櫭﹖udes en langue fran莽aise (DELF), Dipl么me approfondi de langue fran莽aise (DALF), Government of Canada Official Languages Proficiency (Level C or E), Test de Connaissance du Fran莽ais (TCF), Test d鈥櫭﹙aluation de fran莽ais (TEF) or courses offered through the Qu茅bec francisation program.听听 Copy of the language tests results or certificate听

Applicants who do not meet any of the exemptions or criteria outlined above or are uncertain about the adequacy of their proof of passive bilingualism are encouraged to upload an explanatory cover letter accompanied by all relevant documents demonstrating their language proficiency in a single PDF document in their Applicant Portal. In cases where it is uncertain whether an applicant fulfills our passive bilingualism requirement, the Admissions Office reserves the right to request further evidence of language proficiency.听

Demonstrating Passive Bilingualism in English听

There are two exemptions to the English language proficiency requirements.听

Applicants who have obtained or who will obtain a Qu茅bec French Baccalaureate or Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS) from a CEGEP (in English or French) in Qu茅bec or who have obtained or will obtain an undergraduate degree from an English-language university in Canada, the United States, Australia, the Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom听 are not required to submit separate proof of passive bilingualism in English.听 In the weeks following the supporting documents deadline and after confirming that all other required documents have been submitted, the听 Admissions Office staff will waive the English proficiency requirement听 from the Checklist.听

Applicants who fall into one of the following categories are still required to upload documentation to their Checklist in the applicant portal to show that they fulfill one of these conditions:鈥

  1. Have completed or will complete at least three years of full-time post-secondary education where English was the primary language of instruction;鈥

  1. Have obtained or will obtain an International Baccalaureate in Qu茅bec;鈥

  1. Have obtained or will obtain a French Baccalaureate 鈥 鈥極ption Internationale鈥 (British or American section).鈥

Applicants that do not fall within one of the exemptions above must meet one of the following conditions to establish that they possess a B2 level of written and spoken comprehension in English:鈥

Criteria Required documentation
Option 1: The applicant has completed their secondary education in a program where English was the primary language of instruction.听听 Copy of high school or secondary school transcripts听
Option 2: The applicant has completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) Group 1 English鈥(Language A: Literature, Language A: Language and Literature, or Literature and Performance)鈥痺ith a 鈥5鈥 or better.鈥 Copy of IB transcript听
Option 3: The applicant has completed 6 credits or more of a university or college program or certificate taught in English at an intermediate level or higher in the past three years. This can include courses taken through the Explore program.听 Copy of the transcript for the relevant program or certificate.听
Option 4: The applicant has completed English as Language 1 or Language 2 in the European Baccalaureate curriculum (in the Schola Europaea system).听 The applicant must upload a copy of their baccalaureate transcript.听
Option 5: The applicant has completed the British Curriculum GCSE / IGCSE / GCE O-Level English, English Language, English First Language, or English as a Second Language with a final grade of B (or 5) or better.鈥 The applicant must upload a copy of their British curriculum transcript.听
Option 6: The applicant has achieved B2 level or equivalent of written and spoken comprehension in an accredited English language test or learning programme completed in the last three years.鈥疶ests accepted include: Alliance Fran莽aise (Halifax branch) Ev@lang English, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS)听 Language tests results or certificate鈥

Applicants who do not meet any of the exemptions or criteria outlined above or are uncertain about the adequacy of their proof of passive bilingualism, are encouraged to upload all relevant documents demonstrating their language proficiency in a single PDF document in their Applicant Portal. In cases where it is uncertain whether an applicant fulfills our passive bilingualism requirement, a language test may be administered at the discretion of the Admissions Office.

Conditional admissions听

If a candidate demonstrates strong bilingual proficiency but falls slightly short of the Faculty鈥檚 requirements following a language test, the Admissions Committee may extend an admissions offer on the condition that the candidate completing a language course prior to the start of the program. The language course must be approved by the Admissions Office.听

Self-evaluation听

To gain a sense of the level of reading comprehension that is expected of 海角社区 Law students, candidates are encouraged to visit the Supreme Court of Canada's website and to read judgments in English and in French. A French language self-assessment is also available for candidates.听

French language self-assessment questionnaire

Egan vs Canada excerpts

Professional language requirements in Quebec听

Candidates intending to join the Quebec Bar or the Board of Notaries of Quebec should carefully review the鈥Language Requirements for Professions鈥痚xplained in the 海角社区 eCalendar. The Charter of the French Language imposes mandatory French requirements on attorneys and notaries who practice in Quebec.听

Applicants in the Indigenous Category

To be eligible to apply to the Optional Indigenous Category, an applicant must self-identify as First Nations (status or non-status), Inuit, M茅tis, or as an Indigenous person with ties to Turtle Island. Please see the Indigenous Applicants page for more information.听

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