Creative Writing

Prerequisites

Requirements for admission:

• ENG4U or EWC4U
• And five additional 4U or M courses

To gain admission to this program, your academic average should be in the mid-70s.

IB and AP Requirements

• IB Admission Information
• AP Admission Information

Additional Admission Criteria

Supplementary application (Portfolio) deadline date: Jan. 30, 2026. For more information, visit the Creative Writing program website.

Language Requirements

If you apply to an undergraduate program, you may meet the language requirements if you have successfully completed – or are in the process of successfully completing – 1 of the following:

• 4 full years of study in English (or French) at an accredited high school in Canada or where English is the official primary language of the country, or
• 4 full years of study at the high-school level where English is the primary language of instruction, or
• 1 full year of study in an accredited university degree program in English in a country where English is a primary language or where English is the official language of the institution, or
• 2 full years of study in English, in an accredited college diploma or applied degree program in a country where English is a primary language or where English is the official language of the institution or
• successful completion of Academic Program Level 9, Destination York, or the YUBridge Program.

York reserves the right to request language proficiency test scores. All programs require 4U English (ENG4U).

Note: Time spent in ESL courses will not be counted towards meeting these requirements. Language requirements will not be waived based on letters written by applicants, SAT/ACT scores or as a result of completing senior-level high-school English course(s).

If you have a conditional offer of admission to York University in any undergraduate degree program with an English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirement, you may choose to fulfill your ELP by completing an eligible pathway program offered by the York University English Language Institute before you begin your studies. Eligibility is determined by your current proficiency level, program of study and/or start date.  

For full details, visit the Undergraduate Language Proficiency website.

Offers of Admission

Basic Requirements for Admission

York gives admission consideration to applicants who successfully present academic credentials earned at recognized/accredited institutions around the world.

For Ontario high school students, the minimum admission requirement is the completion of the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent and six 4U/M courses, including ENG4U. Students may also be required to fulfill Faculty or program-specific prerequisites. Francophone applicants may present FRA4U for applicable French programs.

In addition to the successful completion of the above requiements, you must also complete any required prerequisites for your program, and maintain the average used for conditional admission.

Note: Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the university.

A review of an applicant’s holistic academic profile, from high school to the present, is undertaken when making admission decisions. Possession of the minimum requirements or admission average ranges that are listed online or within university publications should not be viewed as a guarantee of admission.

When making holistic assessments, we may consider a variety of aspects, including consistency of academic results over multiple years, results in specific course prerequisites, repeated course attempts and external test scores.

Certain programs may also require supplemental materials or activities (e.g., portfolio review) and generally, transcripts showing complete high school and postsecondary attendance will be required.

Failed and Repeated Courses

York’s policy on repeated courses: Repeated courses are accepted. Admissions will consider the course with the highest grade, which may not necessarily be the most recently taken course. The Schulich School of Business reserves the right to review each situation on an individual basis.

York’s policy on failed courses: Failed courses will be considered. Admissions will review the course with the highest grade.

Timing and Process for Admission Decisions

After applying to the undergraduate program, you will receive an acknowledgement email from York with your York University student number. The acknowledgement email will be sent within 2 business days of receiving your application. You can use your student number to log into York's applicant portal MyFile to track your application status. 

York will begin assessing applicants and may make conditional offers of admission as applications are received. Application processing times vary depending on the application type. It usually takes 4 to 8 weeks for your application to be processed and for a decision to be made.

York will consider 3U/M courses for initial admission purposes. Qualified applicants may be considered for alternative programs in cases where they do not meet the admission requirements of their original choice, or where their original program choice has filled.