Dalhousie University: Courses, Fees & Rankings

University profile

About Dalhousie University

Dalhousie University is a public research university founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1818. It is Nova Scotia's leading research-intensive university and a member of the U15 Group of Canadian Universities. About 20,000 students are enrolled, 13% of them international students from over 120 countries, and 46% of students come from outside Nova Scotia. Dalhousie lies in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq.

The university has three campuses in Halifax: Studley (the largest, with the Killam Memorial Library, the Student Union Building and Dalplex), Sexton (downtown, home to Engineering and Architecture and Planning) and Carleton (Medicine, Dentistry and Health, close to teaching hospitals). The Agricultural Campus is in Bible Hill, next to Truro, about an hour from Halifax, with a working farm and almost 1,000 acres of research fields, gardens and greenhouses. Program-specific sites are the nursing campus in Yarmouth, Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick in Saint John, and the Cape Breton Medical Campus in Sydney.

Teaching runs through 13 faculties: Agriculture; Architecture and Planning; Arts and Social Sciences; Computer Science; Dentistry; Engineering; Graduate Studies; Health; the Schulich School of Law; Management; Medicine; Open Learning and Career Development; and Science. Together they offer 300+ degree programs and 4,000+ courses, with a 16:1 student-faculty ratio and over 2,800 work terms available. More than 90 exchange programs operate in over 43 countries, and the university trains the majority of Atlantic Canada's front-line health workers.

Student life includes 250+ clubs and societies and more than 2,780 residence spaces in traditional (single and double rooms) and non-traditional (apartment or suite style) residences in Halifax and Truro, plus family and mature housing. Residence fees cover the room, utilities and WiFi, with a meal plan required in traditional residences. The Dalhousie Tigers (Halifax) and Rams (Truro) compete across 7 sports. Security Services operates 24 hours a day on the campuses.

More than 4,500 international students study at Dalhousie. English language pathways include the English for Academic Purposes program, accredited by Languages Canada, and partner English-language institutions. Dalhousie is a degree-granting public university of Nova Scotia.

University information

General Entrance Award (GEA)

Dalhousie offers 2,000+ entrance awards each year, roughly $1,000 to $80,000 in value over up to four years, as scholarships (merit), bursaries (financial need) and hybrid awards. Applicants entering in the fall term directly from high school (or as mature students with no transferable post-secondary study), domestic or international, typically need an 80% average (five program-required courses) or 26 predicted/anticipated IB points. Selection considers academic achievement, leadership, extracurricular involvement, community service, financial need and cultural identity. The 2027-2028 GEA opens October 1, 2026, with a February 15, 2027 deadline; applicants complete the GEA application in the application portal after applying for admission and submit a first-semester transcript (or OUAC/Nova Scotia student ID). Early awards must be accepted by January 31; awards are paid in mid-August and mid-December to full-time students. Entrance awards

Awards for specific groups (through the GEA application)

Forsyth Family NS Scholarship: up to $80,000 (up to $20,000 a year for 4 years) for Black African Nova Scotian students with financial need.
First Nations and Indigenous Black Student Scholarships: $32,000 ($8,000 a year for 4 years) for Indigenous Black and First Nations students from Atlantic Canada.
Ivan Joseph Promise Scholarship: $32,000 for a domestic student from an under-represented or underserved group.
Sankofa Scholarships: $32,000 (domestic) or $48,000 (international, Black/African descent from the Caribbean) over four years.
Murray Family Jamaican Engineering Scholarship: $88,000 for students from Jamaica entering Engineering.
CorpFinance International (Kevin Andrews) Indian Scholarship: $15,000 for students from India entering Commerce.
Levinsky Bursary: up to $20,000 a year for Indigenous Commerce students with need.
Disability awards (Johnson Foundation Bursaries $5,000-$20,000; DSU Accessibility and Edward A. Perkins bursaries $4,000 each, among others).

Awards with a separate application

Schulich Leader Scholarships: $120,000 (Engineering) or $100,000 (STM) for Canadian high school applicants entering STEM.
Fountain Performing Arts Scholarships: $24,000 ($6,000 a year), deadline March 1.
Harrison McCain Scholarships: $16,000 for Canadian citizen or permanent resident high school applicants, deadline March 1, documents to [email protected].
Computer Science and Applied Computer Science Entrance Scholarships: up to $5,000, deadline March 1.

More awards and bursaries: Scholarships and financial aid. Contact: [email protected].

General Entrance Award (GEA) →

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General undergraduate admission

The minimum requirements for any program are completion of secondary school (Grade 12), the minimum overall average for the program in five academic Grade 12 courses, and a qualifying final grade in Grade 12 academic English and any other required subject. Many programs are competitive, and meeting the minimum average does not guarantee admission.

Program minimums (Grade 12 academic courses)

Arts, Health Promotion, Music: 70% average; Academic English 12 plus four additional academic subjects (Music also requires an audition/interview and music theory and aural tests; Math not required for Arts and Health Promotion).
Management, Applied Computer Science: 70%; Academic English 12, Academic Math 12 and three additional academic subjects.
Computer Science: 70%; Academic English 12, Academic Math 12 (70%) or Pre-calculus Math 12 (65%), three additional academic subjects.
Commerce: 75%; Academic English 12, Academic Math 12, three additional academic subjects.
Kinesiology: 75%; Academic English 12, Academic Math 12, three additional academic subjects.
Engineering: 70%; Academic English 12, Pre-calculus Math 12, Academic Chemistry 12, Academic Physics 12, one additional academic subject.
Medical Sciences: 80%; Academic English 12, Pre-calculus Math 12, Chemistry 12, Biology 12 or Physics 12, one additional academic subject.
Nursing: 70%; Academic English 12, Math 12, Biology 12, Chemistry 12 and one additional academic subject. International students are not eligible for Semester 1 or 3 entry.
Community Design: 70%; Academic English 12, Academic Math 12, one academic Science 12, two additional academic subjects.
Diagnostic Medical Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine Technology and Radiological Technology: 75% overall with minimum 70% in the required subjects, supplementary documents, and priority to Nova Scotia residents; international students are not eligible for Ultrasound and Radiological Technology.

IB, AP and international curricula

IB Diploma applicants need at least 26 points (including bonus points) and must meet general entrance requirements. IB Certificate courses can be combined with another high school curriculum, and IB Career-related Programme applicants need 2 IB courses and at least 3 Grade 12 academic courses. IB higher level courses with a result of 5, 6 or 7 (and select standard level courses from September 2027) are eligible for transfer credit; TOK requires a C. Dedicated pages cover AP, GCE A level, CAPE, French Baccaléat and US applicants, and country-specific requirements are set out for international qualifications.

English language requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must give proof of proficiency, though three years of recognized English-medium secondary study or one year of post-secondary study generally meets the requirement. Minimum scores: IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 bands; TOEFL iBT 90 overall with 20 per band (TOEFL 1-6 scale: 4.5 overall, 4.5 Listening, 4.0 Reading, Speaking and Writing); Duolingo English Test 120; Michigan English Test (MELAB) 55; CAEL 70; PTE Academic 61 overall with communicative skills 50; Cambridge C1 Advanced/C2 Proficiency 180; Oxford ELLT 7 overall, no component below 6. Applicants below the minimums may receive a conditional offer pending a new test or an approved English pathway (Dalhousie EAP or partner institutions). Proof is due by May 1 for September entry.

International applicants

Official transcripts must be sent directly from the issuing institution ([email protected]) and an unofficial transcript with Grade 11 final marks and Grade 12 courses may be uploaded when applying early. International applicants should review study permit and Provincial Attestation Letter requirements.

Mature, transfer and other applicants

Mature applicants must be at least 21 by the first day of classes, be Canadian citizens or permanent residents, not qualify for regular admission, have completed Grade 12 Academic English with at least 65, and have no university study (or one year or less of transferable work and two years' absence). They submit transcripts and a letter on life and work experience. Transfer, home-schooled, non-degree, visiting and visiting research applicants have separate routes.

Graduate and professional entry

Dalhousie offers 90+ master's and 45 doctoral programs. Law (JD), Medicine (MD), Dentistry (DDS) and Dental Hygiene require previous university study. Graduate enquiries: [email protected], 902-494-2485.

Deadlines, fee and process

Applications for Fall 2027 open October 1 through the online application portal (apply.dal.ca). Program deadlines for September 2027: February 15 (Nursing, Health Sciences, Medical Sciences, Social Work), March 1 (Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies, Architecture) and June 15 (Health Sciences Post-Diploma). Other programs are considered where space is available. Key dates: January 31 (accept early entrance awards), February 15 (entrance scholarship application), May 1 (admission deposit and proof of English), May 15 (guaranteed residence application). The admission application fee is $70 CAD. Assessment is typically completed within 2-3 weeks.

Studley Campus, Halifax: the largest Halifax campus, with the Killam Memorial Library, the Student Union Building and Dalplex (fitness and recreation).
Sexton Campus, Halifax: downtown; Faculties of Engineering and Architecture and Planning.
Carleton Campus, Halifax: Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, close to hospitals for clinical practice.
Agricultural Campus, Bible Hill (Truro): about one hour from Halifax; working farm, almost 1,000 acres of research fields, gardens and greenhouses; Cox Institute of Agricultural Technology (Enrollment Services, bookstore, café, computer labs, Business and Social Sciences, and Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences); agricultural education and research since 1905; residences.
Yarmouth Campus, Nova Scotia: in Yarmouth Regional Hospital, 300 km south of Halifax; three-year (Direct Entry) and two-year (Advanced Standing) BScN programs; foundational classes by Université Sainte-Anne; residence at Beulah Raymond Hall.
Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick, Saint John: Faculty of Medicine expansion hosted by the University of New Brunswick Saint John; admits 40 students a year.
Cape Breton Medical Campus, Sydney: Faculty of Medicine expansion in Cape Breton University's medical sciences building; first cohort September 2025; admits 30 students a year from rural Nova Scotia.

Halifax campuses are within walking distance of downtown, and Dalhousie is 300 metres from the Atlantic. The Halifax library system is one of the largest in Atlantic Canada.

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