Do Canadian Undergraduates Need IELTS/TOEFL for UK Master's? Language Requirements at Top UK Universities: Oxford, Cambridge, IC, LSE, UCL

发布时间：Date: 2023-02-21 返回新鲜资讯Back to News

When Canadian undergraduate students apply for a UK master's, they are not automatically exempt from language test scores. Since Canadian educational backgrounds are generally not on UKVI's approved exemption list, policies vary significantly among institutions. This article details four categories of language requirements at top UK universities, including exemption upon providing proof of degree, having their own exemption school lists, exemption only for Canadian citizens, and mandatory language scores, covering official regulations at Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL, and other prestigious schools, helping students avoid pitfalls. Given the complex requirements, it is recommended that Canadian students first try to apply for a language waiver or accept a conditional offer, and then submit complete scores as required later to avoid last-minute scrambling. Also, students need not be overly anxious about language tests; proper planning is key. For more UK master's application details and personalized planning, feel free to follow CheersYou（清柚教育） for professional consultation and guidance.

A common question Canadian undergrads have when applying for graduate school is: since Canadian degrees are considered overseas degrees, applying to US graduate programs often doesn't require language test scores, so they naturally assume the same for UK graduate programs.

But that's not the case. Not all UK universities waive language requirements for Canadian undergrads; even if you've been in Canada since high school, it may not be enough—some schools still require IELTS or TOEFL scores at the time of application.

This is mainly because: [except for Canadian citizens, Canadian educational backgrounds are not on UKVI's list of approved countries for language exemption], so requirements vary by university. There are mainly [four categories]:

1. [Providing proof of undergraduate degree] may exempt you from language scores (some programs may not allow this). Refer to schools:

- Oxford

- IC (Canadian students do not need to submit language test scores, but if applying to the business school, exemption is not guaranteed)

- UCL (Note: students in 2+2 or 3+2 joint programs still need to submit language scores unless they have studied in Canada for 3 years)

2. Some universities have [their own school list] for Canadian institutions, where schools or specific departments on the list may exempt language scores. Refer to schools:

- University of Edinburgh

3. Canadian citizens/residents may be directly exempt from language scores, but [international students with Canadian undergrad degrees still need to submit language scores]. Refer to schools:

- LSE

- Cambridge (international students need to provide language scores)

- Durham

- Warwick

4. Schools that require [submitting or supplementing language scores]. Refer to schools:

- University of Manchester (all applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency; a Canadian undergrad degree may or may not waive the requirement)

- KCL

In the past, some Canadian undergrads applying to LSE received conditional offers because they hadn't submitted language scores and then had to urgently take the test—a stressful situation.

So for the above scenarios, when applying, you can initially skip submitting scores or submit preliminary ones, then request a waiver or accept a conditional offer. If the university doesn't grant a waiver or conditions you on IELTS, you can submit the full scores later—no need to panic.

Of course, taking a language test isn't difficult for Canadian undergrads, so there's no need to worry too much.

Here are some UK master's offers received by Canadian undergrads~