Saskatchewan Grade 12 Course Prerequisites for USask and URegina

Why your Grade 12 course selection matters before you apply

USask and the University of Regina set their direct-entry requirements around a core set of Grade 12, or 30-level, courses. Pick the wrong math or science stream in Grade 11 and you close doors in Grade 12, because most 30-level courses need a Grade 11 prerequisite. Plan your course selection around your intended program, not just around your Grade 12 timetable.

Build your course map starting in Grade 10

Your Grade 10 and Grade 11 course choices set up the 30-level courses you can take in Grade 12. Leave Pre-Calculus 20 or Chemistry 20 out of Grade 11 and you cannot add the matching 30-level course in Grade 12 without an extra summer or night school credit. Sit down with your high school guidance counsellor before you register for Grade 11 courses and map out the full path to your target program, not just the next year.

The baseline: English Language Arts A30 and B30

Both universities expect English Language Arts A30 and B30, or the French equivalents at a French-language or immersion school, from every direct-entry applicant. These two courses anchor your admission average alongside your strongest 30-level electives. Check the USask requirements and deadlines page and the University of Regina application guide for the current course list tied to your program.

Pre-Calculus 30 vs Foundations of Mathematics 30

Saskatchewan Grade 12 students choose between two math streams. Foundations of Mathematics 30 covers financial math, statistics and general problem solving. Pre-Calculus 30 covers functions, trigonometry and algebra built for calculus.

Engineering, most science degrees and many business programs assume you arrive with Pre-Calculus 30 or Calculus 30 completed, because first-year calculus and statistics courses build directly on that foundation. Foundations of Mathematics 30 works for arts, education and programs without a heavy quantitative first year, but it will not prepare you for a first-year calculus course if you change your program later. Talk to your high school guidance counsellor in Grade 10 or 11 if you are unsure which stream your target program needs.

Science courses for competitive programs

Biology 30, Chemistry 30 and Physics 30 come up most often on the recommended or required list for these paths:

• Engineering: Pre-Calculus 30, Chemistry 30 and Physics 30 form the standard trio colleges look for.

• Kinesiology and pre-health programs: Biology 30 and Chemistry 30 support your later coursework even where they sit on the recommended rather than mandatory list.

• Arts and Science: requirements vary by the specific major, so a general science or arts stream still needs to match your intended subject.

Neither university publishes one fixed science requirement across every program, so verify the exact list against the program page you are targeting rather than assume last year's list still applies.

USask direct-entry colleges

USask offers direct entry from Saskatchewan high school into Agriculture and Bioresources, Arts and Science, Education, Edwards School of Business, Engineering, Kinesiology, Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy, according to the USask admissions site . Each college reviews your transcript against its own required course list, so the same Grade 12 schedule qualifies you for one college and falls short for another.

Applying from outside Saskatchewan

If you moved provinces partway through high school, or you are on an International Baccalaureate or a different provincial curriculum, your course names will not match the Saskatchewan 30-level list directly. Both universities publish equivalency guides that translate other provincial curricula into Saskatchewan-style requirements, so search the admissions site for your specific province rather than trying to match course titles yourself. An admissions officer at either school confirms equivalency for a course that does not appear on the published list, so email the admissions office directly if your transcript does not match.

University of Regina is changing its requirements for Fall 2027

The University of Regina has announced new high school admission requirements that take effect for students admitted starting Fall 2027, according to its application guide . If you are in Grade 10 or 11 planning toward a Fall 2027 or later intake, check the updated requirements before you lock in your Grade 12 course selection. The courses that qualify an applicant today are not guaranteed to carry over unchanged.

How to confirm your specific requirements

Admission averages and required-course lists get reviewed every admission cycle at both universities. Use the official program pages, not this article, for the exact number you need to hit. Build your Grade 12 timetable around English Language Arts A30 and B30 plus Pre-Calculus 30 if there is any chance you want a quantitative program, then confirm your remaining electives against your target college's page before you finalize your course selection in Grade 11.

If you already registered for Foundations of Mathematics 30

Switching math streams mid-way through Grade 12 is not always possible, since Pre-Calculus 30 needs the Pre-Calculus 20 prerequisite most students take a year earlier. If you find yourself in this position, ask your target college two things directly: whether it accepts Foundations of Mathematics 30 for your intended program, and whether it offers a bridging or preparatory math course for first-year students who arrive without Pre-Calculus 30. Summer school and continuing education also offer a path to add Pre-Calculus 30 after your regular Grade 12 year if neither option fits your timeline.