Mcgill Law: Application Essentials For Aspiring Students

Applying to the Faculty of Law at McGill University is a rigorous process. The university offers a Bachelor of Civil Law and Juris Doctor (BCL/JD) program and several graduate programs. The application process for the BCL/JD program involves submitting an online application, verifying its status, uploading supporting documents, and awaiting an admission decision. The application fee is $133.41, and the deadline for University, Mature, and Advanced Standing applicants is November 1. Graduate programs have a December 15 deadline and require additional documents such as research proposals, letters of recommendation, and transcripts. McGill Law's admissions process is highly competitive, and applicants should carefully review the eligibility requirements, including academic performance and language proficiency.

Application deadlines

BCL/JD Program

The online application system for the BCL/JD program opens on September 1 and closes on November 1 for University and Mature applicants and March 1 for CEGEP applicants. The deadline for supporting documents for University and Mature applicants is November 8, while the supporting documents deadline for Advanced Standing applicants is January 15.

It is important to note that late applications are not accepted, and there are no exceptions. Candidates should carefully review all sections of the Admissions Guide and follow the specific rules for creating and submitting supporting documents.

Graduate Programs

The deadline to apply to all graduate law programs (LLM, DCL, and Graduate Certificates) is December 15. All required documents, including supporting documents, must be submitted by this date.

The online application system for graduate programs opens on September 15. McGill Law offers September entrance only; winter and summer admissions are not available.

Supporting documents

The supporting documents required for your McGill Law application will depend on your applicant category. The applicant categories are: University, Mature, Advanced Standing, CEGEP/QFB, and Transfer. The University category is for applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree and the Mature category is for applicants who have not been enrolled in an academic program for at least 24 months. The Advanced Standing category is for applicants who have completed at least one year of full-time study in an accredited law school, and the CEGEP/QFB category is for applicants who have a Quebec college diploma. The Transfer category is for applicants who have completed at least one year of full-time study in an accredited university program and wish to transfer to McGill Law.

Regardless of your applicant category, you will need to provide proof of your education credentials. This typically includes transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended, as well as degree certificates if your transcripts do not indicate that a degree has been awarded. If your transcripts or degree certificates are in a language other than English or French, you must also provide an official translation.

In addition to education credentials, you may also be required to provide language proficiency test scores. McGill Law is offered in a bilingual (French and English) environment, so proficiency in at least one language and passive bilingualism in the other are required. There are specific guidelines for demonstrating passive bilingualism, which can be found on the McGill Law website.

Other supporting documents that may be required include letters of recommendation, a research proposal, a personal statement, and a curriculum vitae. The research proposal is required for applicants to the DCL or LLM programs, while the personal statement is required for applicants to the Certificate program. Letters of recommendation and a curriculum vitae are required for applicants to the graduate law programs.

It is important to carefully review the instructions for uploading supporting documents on the McGill website, as well as the specific requirements for your applicant category. The deadlines for submitting supporting documents vary depending on your applicant category, but they are generally strict and must be respected. Late applications are not accepted.

Language proficiency

McGill'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). This means that applicants must have, at a minimum, advanced intermediate abilities in written and spoken comprehension.

Using the language proficiency standards set in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, applicants are expected to meet one of the following sets of minimal standards:

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

It is important to note that passive bilingualism is a minimum requirement, not a competitive admissions asset. A lack of requisite language skills can be 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.

Demonstrating Passive Bilingualism in French

There are two exemptions to the French language proficiency requirements:

• Applicants who have obtained or will obtain a Québec French Baccalaureate or Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS) from a CEGEP (in English or French) in Québec are not required to submit separate proof of passive bilingualism in French.
• Applicants who are in one of the following categories are required to upload supporting documentation to their Checklist in the applicant portal:
• Have obtained or will obtain an International Baccalaureate in Québec
• Have completed or will complete at least three years of full-time post-secondary education where French was the primary language of instruction

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

• Option 1: The applicant has obtained their secondary school diploma in Québec in the 1985-1986 school year or later. They must provide a copy of the Québec high school certificate.
• Option 2: The applicant has completed their secondary education in a program outside of Québec where French was the primary language of instruction. They must provide a copy of the high school transcript. Only programs administered by French-language institutions are covered by this option; French Immersion secondary education programs administered by English institutions are not included.
• 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. They must provide a copy of the transcript for the relevant program or certificate with the relevant credits highlighted or underlined.
• Option 4: The applicant has achieved a B2 level or equivalent of written and spoken comprehension in an accredited French language test or learning program completed in the last three years. Accepted results include Alliance Française Ev@lang, Diplôme d’études en langue française (DELF), Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF), Government of Canada Official Languages Proficiency (Level C or E), Test de Connaissance du Français (TCF), Test d’évaluation de français (TEF) or courses offered through the Québec francisation program. They must provide a copy of the language tests results or certificate.

Applicants who do not meet any of the exemptions or criteria outlined above, or who 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.

Demonstrating Passive Bilingualism in English

There are two exemptions to the English language proficiency requirements:

• Applicants who have obtained or who will obtain a Québec French Baccalaureate or Diploma of Collegial Studies (DCS) from a CEGEP (in English or French) in Québec 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 are not required to submit separate proof of passive bilingualism in English.
• 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:
• Have completed or will complete at least three years of full-time post-secondary education where English was the primary language of instruction
• Have obtained or will obtain an International Baccalaureate in Québec
• Have obtained or will obtain a French Baccalaureate – 'Option Internationale' (British or American section)

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:

• Option 1: The applicant has completed their secondary education in a program where English was the primary language of instruction. They must provide a copy of their high school or secondary school transcripts.
• Option 2: The applicant has completed an International Baccalaureate (IB) Group 1 English (Language A: Literature, Language A: Language and Literature, or Literature and Performance) with a '5' or better. They must provide a copy of their IB transcript.
• 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. They must provide a copy of the transcript for the relevant program or certificate.
• Option 4: The applicant has completed English as Language 1 or Language 2 in the European Baccalaureate curriculum (in the Schola Europaea system). They must upload a copy of their baccalaureate transcript.
• 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. They must upload a copy of their British curriculum transcript.
• Option 6: The applicant has achieved a B2 level or equivalent of written and spoken comprehension in an accredited English language test or learning program completed in the last three years. Accepted tests include Alliance Française (Halifax branch) Ev@lang English, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and International English Language Testing System (IELTS). They must provide language tests results or a certificate.

Applicants who do not meet any of the exemptions or criteria outlined above, or who 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 the passive bilingualism requirement, the Admissions Office reserves the right to request further evidence of language proficiency, such as administering a language test.

Application fee

To apply to the BCL/JD program at McGill University, you must submit your application form online via the university's online application system. As part of the application process, you will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee of $133.41. This application fee can be paid by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express).

Please note that this fee is only applicable to your first two applications to undergraduate programs at McGill. If you wish to apply to additional programs beyond the first two, you will be subject to additional fees as per McGill's application fee schedule.

The online application system typically opens on September 1 and closes on November 1 for University and Mature applicants, and March 1 for CEGEP applicants. It is important to respect these deadlines, as late applications are not accepted.

If you are applying to one of McGill's graduate law programs (LLM, DCL, or Graduate Certificates), the application deadline is December 15, and you will need to pay the application fee before uploading your supporting documents. You can apply to two graduate programs for a single application fee.

Admissions decisions

Once an application is complete, it is reviewed. Reviewers evaluate files according to the Faculty's Admissions Policy, in comparison to other candidates in the applicant pool.

Applicants receive an email when a decision has been made. Final decisions are available in the Applicant Portal. Decisions are never disclosed over the phone.

Every effort is made to inform candidates of the decision as soon as possible. However, the review process is labour-intensive and may extend into June. Final decisions on waitlisted applicants may be made until the end of August. The following are the possible decisions that can be rendered on an application.

Candidates who are offered admission are given a deadline (see Accept our Offer) by which they must accept or decline our offer. This deadline is indicated in our letter of admission. If we have not received a response by the indicated deadline, our offer of admission will be withdrawn.

Official acceptance letters will be available in the Applicant Portal only. Since the Faculty of Law does not mail acceptance letters, candidates are invited to print their letter for their records. International candidates should print multiple copies for their immigration process.

A candidate may be offered a place on the waitlist if the application is considered admissible but there are no available places in the cohort at that time. Waitlisted files are not ranked. Waitlisted applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Continued Interest to study at McGill Law. Every effort is made to inform candidates of the decision of the Admissions Committee at the earliest possible date. Final decisions about applicants who have been placed on the waitlist may be made until the end of August.

The official waitlist letter will be available in the Applicant Portal.

Candidates in the CEGEP category whose applications are regarded as potentially admissible will be invited to an interview.

Candidates in the Mature category whose applications are regarded as potentially admissible may be invited to an interview.

Candidates in the optional category for Indigenous applicants may be invited to an interview if the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Panel determines that an interview would be helpful in assessing an applicant’s candidacy.

In some instances, the Admissions Committee may also request that applicants in other categories attend an interview.

See the “How we make admissions decisions” section of our Admissions Policy for more information on the interview process.

Due to the limited enrollment of the BCL/JD program and the high number of competitive applications received each year, approximately 85% of all candidates are refused. We understand candidates' disappointment at being refused admission. We invite them to view or attend our Re-Applicant Workshop to better understand the reasons that could have led to a rejection. Please note that the Faculty of Law does not provide individual feedback to refused candidates.

All decisions are final. Refused files will not be reviewed anew at the request of a refused candidate.

Frequently asked questions