Application deadline
Application deadline
Interested in pursuing your studies at Université de Montréal or elsewhere, but you don’t have a diploma of college studies (DCS), or have completed your pre-university studies outside Quebec? The preparatory year gives you everything you need to get into an undergraduate university program.
Overview
About this program
A springboard to pursuing studies at UdeM
The preparatory year is a general education program designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills required to pursue undergraduate university studies. This preparatory year is equivalent to the Freshman Program or Freshman Year offered by North American universities. The program is intended for individuals with a Quebec secondary school diploma who have been out of school for 4 years or more, or individuals with a secondary school diploma from outside of Quebec.
The preparatory year also gives you the chance to reflect on the study area you want to pursue by exploring several disciplines before you specialize. You have the choice of 3 areas of study in sciences, humanities and social sciences, or arts and letters.
Université de Montréal does however offer some programs for students who received their education outside Quebec that can be completed in 4 years! Discover more about our 4-year bachelor's degrees.
- Tailored program that allows students to get into a university program
- Some courses offered at the Laval campus
- Student coaching provided by SAFIRE
- Three areas of study to explore several disciplines
- Wide range of courses
Advantages of studying arts and sciences at UdeM
Join the ranks of an internationally renowned university
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Take advantage of the support and coaching available through SAFIRE (Service d’appui à la formation interdisciplinaire et à la réussite étudiante) throughout your pathway
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Benefit from the widest range of undergraduate program choices in Canada that are available upon successful completion of your preparatory year
Courses and specifics
- 24 credits
- Full-time - 1 year
- Part time
- Day course
- Evening course
Admission requirements
Admission requirements
New French language requirement for admission
Starting in Winter 2026, Université de Montréal is updating its French language requirement to better support your success, especially if you did not complete your studies entirely in French.
👇 To find out how the requirement applies to you, select the language of your previous studies.
Be sure to select your choices to display the eligibility conditions that apply to you.
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You have the prerequisites to meet the requirement!
Your application will be assessed, and supporting documents will be requested only if necessary.
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To meet the requirement, you must provide the results of an accepted French test or diploma (page in French) while respecting the proficiency level required by the program.
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Display the required proficiency levels per French test or diploma:
Depending on your written expression results, you may have to take 1 or 2 written French courses during your first year of studies.Résultat Cours prescrit 5-9.5 sur 25: FRS1504 et FRS1604 10-19.5 sur 25: FRS1604 5-9.5 sur 25: FRS1604 10-13.9 sur 20: FRS1504 et FRS1604 14-17.9 sur 20: FRS1604 6-7 sur 20: FRS1504 et FRS1604 8-10 sur 20: FRS1604 300-349 sur 699: FRS1504 et FRS1604 350-424 sur 699: FRS1604
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To meet the requirement, you must have completed one of the following study paths. Otherwise, select studies done in a language other than French to view the results of accepted French language tests or diplomas.
Secondary studies
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You completed your secondary 4 and 5 studies entirely in French.
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You completed your secondary 4 and 5 studies in an anglophone institution AND every year, you received a grade of at least 75% in French language instruction courses (course codes 132406 et 132506).
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You completed your last 2 years of high school (grades 11 and 12) entirely in French.
Pre-university studies
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You passed the cegep Épreuve uniforme de français - EUF (French Exit Exam).
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You have a DEC from a French-language cegep and have been granted exemption from the EUF in 2020.
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You have a DEC from a French-language cegep before the EUF was introduced in 1998.
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You completed your pre-university studies entirely in French AND after completing your studies, you took one or more French tests (initial or final) to receive your diploma.
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You completed your post-secondary studies in French in a non-university institution (technical training for at least 2 years on a full-time basis).
University studies
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You completed your undergraduate university studies at Université de Montréal AND you obtained a minimum of 60 credits for courses give in French.
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You completed your undergraduate university studies at an institution other than Université de Montréal or at more than one university AND you obtained a minimum of 60 credits for courses given in French.
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You received a grade of at least 60% for the Test de français Laval-Montréal (TFLM) for studies at Université de Montréal.
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You received a grade of at least 60% for the Test de français Laval-Montréal (TFLM) for studies at Université Laval.
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You received a passing grade in a French proficiency test from a French-language university in Quebec (writing of grammar test).
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You completed 2 years of undergraduate university studies entirely in French on a full-time basis.
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You completed your undergraduate university studies at one or more than one university AND you obtained a minimum of 60 credits for courses given in French.
Find out what supporting documents are accepted for the assessment of your application (page in French).
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Be sure you meet the deadline to satisfy the requirement.
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Need help?
Do you have questions about the French language requirement for admission, recognized study paths or French language tests and diplomas accepted at UdeM? Contact UdeM français!
- Upon successful completion of the preparatory year, students are eligible for the same Université de Montréal undergraduate programs as students with a DCS, except for the following programs:
- Bachelor in Law if admission to the preparatory year is based on a Quebec-issued secondary school diploma or its equivalent
- Undergraduate PhD programs or, if applicable, their preparatory year
- Programs with specific education prerequisites:
- Bachelor in Nursing Sciences (DEC-BAC)
- Major in advanced prehospital emergency care
- Short undergraduate program in integration in nursing
- Qualification programs
- Qualification programs
- Review of applications for a program with limited space available or with a specific level requirement may consider all results from the preparatory year. Therefore, it may take longer to receive a reply about admission than for other categories of students.
- It is strongly suggested that students take the course MAT 1903 to be tested on their skills in mathematics. If their test result does not meet the required level, they are strongly encouraged to take the extracurricular course MAT 1901.
- Most program courses can be taken at the Montreal or Laval campus.
- Individuals interested in this program may wish to contact an academic management advisor at SAFIRE to discuss their academic pathway (514 343-6521).
Costs and financial aid
Deposit for international students
To confirm your place in an undergraduate or graduate program (2nd level of study) at UdeM, you will need to pay a deposit of CAN$1,000 after accepting your offer of admission. This amount will be deducted from your tuition fees for the first session.
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$2,177.05 *
Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
Tuition fees: $1,513.35
Other fees: $663.70
These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.
* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2025-2026 academic year.
Information updated: July 17, 2025 -
$5,387.20 *
Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
Tuition fees: $4,723.50
Other fees: $663.70
These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.
Good news! You may be able to lower this amount!
Under certain conditions, Canadian students who are not residents of Quebec can follow university study programs offered in French while benefiting from the same tuition fees as residents of Quebec.
* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2025-2026 academic year.
Information updated: July 17, 2025 -
$15,602.05 *
Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
Tuition fees: $14,938.35
Other fees: $663.70
These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.
* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2025-2026 academic year.
Information updated: July 17, 2025 -
$5,387.20 *
Total for a full-time session of 15 credits
Tuition fees: $4,723.50
Other fees: $663.70
These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.
* These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2025-2026 academic year.
Information updated: July 17, 2025 - Calculate tuition fees based on other situations
Available financial assistance
Future prospects Pursuing a career or further studies? The choice is yours!
After completing this first year, you can choose a discipline program, based on the applicable admission conditions. UdeM offers over 250 undergraduate programs in a wide range of disciplines, such as health, law, social sciences, letters and languages, planning and music.