Biotechnology: UPEI/Holland College pathway

Faculty of Science high-school route; later college application required

• Successful academic Grade 12 with a five-course average of at least 70% (Quebec Secondary V: 75%). Required: English, mathematics, two sciences and one other academic course.
• Accepted sciences: chemistry, biology, physics, computer science, oceanography, animal science or environmental science. Chemistry 12 or equivalent is required to register in CHEM 1110, rather than automatically for all BSc admission.
• Students start in UPEI Science, then apply separately to Holland College during year two. The profile gives conflicting February 1/May 1 college deadlines, so no deadline is certified. Current UPEI students must submit a new Biotechnology application.

Full IB Diploma applicants; requested-faculty subjects and programme-specific selection remain required

• Complete the IB Diploma with at least 24 points, with three Higher Level and three Standard Level subjects. Assessed subject grades below 3 are not accepted.
• Applicants must also meet the specific subject requirements of the requested faculty and any separate programme-selection rules. This is the general IB credential framework, not a promise of admission to a limited-entry programme.

Canadian high-school applicants starting at UPEI, or prior Bioscience Technology diploma applicants

• For a high-school start, meet the Faculty of Science minimum: 70% overall in academic Grade 12 English, mathematics, two accepted sciences and one other academic course; Quebec Secondary V requires 75%. Grade 12 Chemistry is required for CHEM 1110 registration.
• For the 2+2 diploma route, hold a Bioscience Technology diploma from Holland College or a recognized CTAB-accredited technologist programme with an on-the-job/co-op component, and at least 70% in that diploma.
• The current calendar and current programme profile disagree about whether the separate Holland College application occurs during first or second year and whether its deadline is May 1 or February 1. No college deadline is certified here; verify the partner-stage timing directly.

Exact held degree subjects and provincial equivalencies

• The degree-specific subjects and thresholds above still apply. The published Canadian equivalency chart covers PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta/NWT/Nunavut, British Columbia/Yukon, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. It includes older course names; individual equivalents require UPEI assessment.
• Ontario uses 4 U English, 4 U Mathematics and 4 U Science, with 4 U/4 M permitted in the chart’s Social Studies and other academic areas. MDM 4 U, Alberta Math 30-2, and the listed Foundations mathematics alternatives are restricted to Arts, Business and Nursing; they are not substituted for Science or Engineering mathematics.
• The chart excludes PEI 621 K Apprenticeship/Workplace Math, New Brunswick Financial/Workplace Math, BC/Yukon Apprenticeship/Workplace Math, and Manitoba Consumer Math. Saskatchewan English A 30 plus B 30 counts as one subject, as does Math B 30 plus C 30. Quebec Secondary V consideration uses 75%, distinct from the CEGEP route.

International Baccalaureate Diploma, certificates/individual subjects, and AP

• IB Diploma consideration uses 24 points, three HL and three SL subjects, no admission-assessment grade below 3, and the requested faculty’s subject requirements. Certificates/individual subjects may be assessed; where both school graduation and IB credentials exist, the more advantageous credential is used.
• An IB Diploma with 28 points, three HL results at least 4 except stated subject exceptions, three SL subjects and the named core components can receive ten three-credit courses. HL Physics normally needs 5 for the stated equivalencies; grade 4 may challenge. The published equivalency table is a guide, including conditional Chemistry and placement-based French, with degree applicability individually assessed.
• AP national-exam scores at least 3 may support admission; 4 or 5 may be assessed for transfer credit, up to 30 semester hours. Official College Board results must go directly to UPEI. Exact published equivalencies, including challenge-only Physics and conditional Chemistry, remain individual decisions rather than automatic degree waivers.

The source’s 157 named country/credential rows, including British and USA systems

• Use the exact country/credential row on the linked university page. All 157 native rows are retained once in the research evidence. Native scales and legacy qualification labels are not converted to a Canadian average or evaluated by the survey; programme subjects and competitive selection still apply.
• The current USA row asks for official diploma/transcripts, minimum B average (GPA 2.8/4.0), and at least four different matriculation subjects. SAT/ACT results are not required and may support scholarship reference. The calendar instead describes the school’s College Recommending Mark/class standing, with undated July 1/November 1 USA material deadlines; both source variants remain applicable only as published.
• The current British-system/UK rows require five O-level subjects at C or better plus at least two A-levels, with two AS subjects substitutable for one A-level and C minima. The calendar separately describes five GCSE Ordinary subjects including English/Math for first year and assesses at most three A-level results for up to six transfer courses, normally C or better. These differing published entry formulations require UPEI confirmation.
• The country page says international applicants who already completed a programme or many of its courses cannot be admitted to the same or a similar programme. This university restriction is retained separately from domestic transfer/readmission rules; it is not a promise about an immigration decision.

Same minimum programme admission requirements

• Provide as much supporting information as possible: participation letter, course outlines, textbook list, evaluation methods, written-work samples, available transcripts and official standardized results if taken. The source’s SAT Subject Test example is retained as historical wording, not a new testing requirement. For specified Grade 12 prerequisites, recognized provincial/equivalent courses are strongly recommended.

Applicants who do not present the five required school subjects/average

• Canadian citizen or permanent resident, at least 21 on the first class day, at least three years out of secondary school, fewer than 12 eligible transfer semester hours, and seeking an eligible direct-from-school undergraduate programme. This is consideration, not automatic admission or a general prerequisite waiver.
• Published mature prerequisites: BA and BES require academic Grade 12 English; BBA English and Math; BSc and Biotechnology Pathway 2 English, Math and two accepted Science subjects; Sustainable Design Engineering English, Math and two of Chemistry/Biology/Physics. CHEM 1110 still needs Grade 12 Chemistry/equivalent. Submit prior postsecondary transcripts and meet English proficiency.
• The central mature chapter explicitly excludes Nursing, Education and DVM. The Nursing chapter separately publishes mature-Nursing consideration. The Nursing record separately retains that source conflict; neither published rule is silently discarded.

BA/BBA/BSc early consideration and separately scoped supported entry

• For BA/BBA/BSc, applying during Grade 11 for entry after Grade 12 may produce an early offer at 75% in the academic pathway subjects. Send an updated transcript before undated March 1 of Grade 12 for scholarship review/prerequisites. Exceptional entry directly from Grade 11 normally requires 85% in Grades 10 and 11, at least two school recommendations and written parental permission; special aptitudes may be considered below 85%. These are distinct routes.
• Gateway gives supported entry at 65–69.9% on five appropriate academic subjects, one to three courses per semester in the first year, mandatory mentoring/tutorial support, and the ordinary academic regulations. Transfer/articulation, mature and otherwise qualified students may choose support. It does not silently waive a professional programme’s higher or specific requirements.

Prior recognized postsecondary study

• University transfer is individually considered for applicants eligible to return/register at the former institution, normally with at least 60% in the previous study year or at least one year without university registration. Programme/professional requirements still apply. September-entry documents are due undated August 15; minima do not guarantee admission.
• University transfer credit normally needs at least 50%, but prerequisite credit needs C-/60%; college credit needs at least 60% or equivalent and Dean/Registrar approval. Credit must fit the receiving programme. Recognized foreign studies are assessed individually.
• Normally half the degree, usually the final 60 semester hours, must be completed at UPEI; specific equivalencies are normally limited to courses no more than ten academic years old, and normally no more than 48 semester hours may be introductory. Study during academic suspension is not creditable. Exact articulations and the appropriate faculty’s professional-course exceptions remain separately assessed.

DEC/DCS, incomplete DEC, and technical/professional DEC

• The named DEC en sciences, lettres et arts qualifies for consideration. A completed DEC with at least 70% in the final CEGEP year may lead to second-year consideration and at most ten transfer courses. Less than a DEC with 70% may lead to first-year consideration and some second-year CEGEP credit. Technical/professional DEC applications are individual assessments; this does not replace the 75% Secondary V route.

Former UPEI students and applicants suspended/dismissed elsewhere

• After a 12-month absence, reapply and follow the calendar in force for the return semester; current performance conditions and course-age limits may apply. UPEI-required withdrawal normally needs 12 months away from postsecondary study and return on probation.
• Dismissal elsewhere prevents admission during the next year; reapplication normally requires a year away from formal study. Other-institution required withdrawal similarly requires 12 months away and probation. Nursing publishes separate clinical/readmission conditions below; general rules are not used to erase those source differences.

Non-degree registration is separate from degree admission

• Unclassified status permits course registration without admission to a degree and is not readmission. No registration after required withdrawal within 12 months; prerequisites apply, and transcripts/English proof may be requested. Initial maximum is ten three-credit courses; normally two per semester/session, with Fall/Winter permission for up to five. Further courses require Registrar permission. Degree and unclassified registration cannot coexist for the same admission semester.
• PEI Grade 12 concurrent applicants need a superior record, a qualifying school programme, principal recommendation, parental/legal-guardian consent if under majority, and Dean support. Initially one three-credit course; normally at most six credits, exceptionally nine. This limited concurrent registration does not establish a full degree offer.
• Challenge credit needs admission, good standing, relevant Chair permission, no attempt at the course/equivalent in the prior ten years, and an application at least one month before exams. Maximum 30 degree credits; laboratory/practical work may be required. Special credits are assessed after admission from the applicant’s documentation, potentially with an interview/exam, unit recommendation and Dean endorsement. Recognition elsewhere does not bind UPEI.

All academically admissible applicants, regardless of citizenship

• Ordinarily demonstrate three full-time years of English study in Canada or another UPEI-recognized English country, acceptable Canadian bilingual evidence, or official test results. The linked recognized-country/institution lists are subject to full-application review; the institution list is expressly not exhaustive. A university English exemption does not guarantee an immigration exemption.
• Current web general minima: IELTS 6.5/no band below 6; TOEFL internet 4.5/no band below 4; TOEFL Essentials 8.5/no score below 8; CAEL 60; PTE 58; Cambridge 176 with Writing 176 and other skills at least 169; GTEC 1176–1250; DET 120 with each listed subscore at least 115; Oxford ELLT 7/no component below 6; PEI English 621 or analogous Canadian academic Grade 12 English 70%.
• Nursing uses higher/different minima: IELTS 7 with Writing/Speaking 7 and Reading/Listening 6.5; TOEFL internet 5/no score below 4.5; no TOEFL Essentials; CAEL 70; PTE 66; Cambridge 185 with Writing/Speaking 185 and Reading/Listening 176; GTEC at least 1250; Oxford ELLT 7 with Writing/Speaking 8 and Reading/Listening 7; no English 621 substitute.
• The 2026–27 calendar still gives TOEFL internet 80 with all bands 20, or Nursing 100 with Writing/Speaking 25 and Reading/Listening 22. Its Nursing DET Conversation/Production minimum is 120; the current web table instead gives 115 in all four named subscores. The published scales/subscore variants are preserved without a conversion or an assumed test-date rule.

Academically eligible applicants below ordinary English minima; Nursing excluded

• Conditional English admission may use retesting or the EAP/credit-course combination, but the policy explicitly excludes Nursing, Radiography, Education and DVM. The EAP overview’s test table does not override that exclusion.
• The linked bridging handbook places students in Levels 6/7 Writing, Reading and Oral courses; complete Level 6 then all Level 7 components before full-time degree study. Level 6 permits one academic course/up to four credits; Level 7 up to two/up to eight. EAP registration has priority; normally no online academic courses in Fall/Winter. Each EAP course requires 70%, attendance/participation, and progress review. Repeated failure can lead to probation, reduced academic load or revocation; private individual progression decisions remain unknown.
• The EAP overview lists Level 6/7 entry guidance: IELTS 5.5/6; TOEFL internet 3.5/4.0; Essentials 5.5/6; CAEL 40/50; PTE 46/52; Cambridge 162/169; GTEC 1100/1150; DET 95–105/105–115; Oxford ELLT 6/7. Its paper-TOEFL >550 appears only under Level 6. These programme placement values do not override the explicit Nursing conditional-entry exclusion.
• The bridging handbook requires incoming proof by the first Fall two weeks/Add-Drop date, after which external tests do not change placement/promotion. More than one Fall EAP failure leads to Winter probation and reduced permitted academic load; three failures of the same course across three semesters lead to a recommendation to revoke degree admission and no EAP registration the next semester. Individual decisions remain with UPEI.

University-first versus completed technology-diploma entry

• Diploma-first: completed Holland Bioscience Technology or recognized CTAB technologist diploma with OJT/co-op and at least 70% may support UPEI entry. University-first starts in ordinary Faculty of Science high-school admission, followed by a separate competitive Holland College application. UPEI’s calendar says apply during Year 1 by May 1 with four seats; its programme page says during Year 2 by February 1. Both timings remain unresolved.
• The college’s joint-degree branch requires a UPEI transcript showing the exact prerequisite courses in its linked list and a dated work/volunteer/activity resume; other-institution courses are individually assessed. The native list spells BIOL-2060, while other UPEI sources use BIO; no new course identity is created from that spelling.
• The college diploma-first branch requires Grade 12/equivalent, at least 70% academic English, Biology, Chemistry and Grade 11/12 academic Math, plus the work/volunteer/activity resume. These college admission requirements are distinct from the UPEI degree’s diploma-entry 70% and university-start school average.

Holland College stage of the university-first Biotechnology route

• Admissions Requirements A UPEI transcript showing successful completion of the following courses:* BIO-1310 Genes, Cells, and Macromolecules BIO-1320 Introduction to Organisms BIO-2210 Cell Biology BIO-2230 Genetics I BIOL-2060 Microbiology CHEM-1110 General Chemistry I CHEM-1120 General Chemistry II CHEM-3530 Biochemistry CHEM-2310 Physical Chemistry I CHEM-2430 Organic Chemistry Life Science PHYS-1210 Physics for Life Sciences I PHYS-1220 Physics for Life Sciences II 2 electives and up to 3 general science electives English/Humanities MATH-1120 Calculus Social, Life Sciences STAT-1210 Introductory Statistics Résumé including work and volunteer experience with applicable dates, membership in groups, associations or athletics, awards and distinctions, and any other information about yourself relevant to the program. Notes: Courses from other institutions will be considered on an individual basis. Submit your transcript for consideration. If your first language is not English please review our English Language Requirements page .

Separate partner-stage application, not a UPEI waiver

• The college’s public process asks all applicants for a school transcript and resume, plus named programme documents; supply prior postsecondary records where applicable. International records may require TEC validation if requested. Undated October 15 starts review, February 28 is the competitive review date, and later consideration depends on seats. Its current dated/term availability is not a guarantee of a future seat.
• College English proof is separate: Canadian school graduation plus English 621/equivalent at least 70%, or three consecutive full-time English postsecondary years completed within two years before the college start, excluding EAL time, or a listed official test/pathway. Examples include IELTS 6.5/no band below 6; TOEFL 85, or 4.5 for testing after January 2026; CAEL 60/no band below 50; PTE 60; DET 120/no section below 115. The full linked policy includes the other recognized test/pathway alternatives.
• The college’s mature list is programme-specific. It lists Journalism and Communications Post-Graduate Certificate, not the ordinary Journalism diploma, and does not list Bioscience. Do not substitute that post-graduate mature route for these held first-degree partner routes. Individual equivalent/upgrading decisions are not guaranteed.

Public instructions versus individual applicant requests

• The university does not require a criminal-record check as a general admission condition. Specific clinical/placement programmes may require it and may prevent completion if a required placement cannot be arranged.
• The account may request additional individual documents; these private requests and final credential/equivalency decisions were not observed and are not guaranteed by this public-source review. No unlisted category is declared unavailable merely because it is not separately published.