Waterloo admission requirements

The courses Waterloo asks for

How many of Waterloo’s 47 programs name each course as required. A required course is forced into your admission average — it counts even if it is not one of your best six.

• ENG4UEnglish47 · 100%
• MCV4UCalculus and Vectors34 · 72%
• MHF4UAdvanced Functions34 · 72%
• SCH4UChemistry25 · 53%
• SPH4UPhysics25 · 53%
• SBI4UBiology12 · 26%
• SES4UEarth and Space Science12 · 26%
• MDM4UMathematics of Data Management10 · 21%
• BAT4MFinancial Accounting Principles3 · 6%
• BBB4MInternational Business Fundamentals1 · 2%
• CIA4UAnalysing Current Economic Issues1 · 2%
• ICS4UComputer Science1 · 2%

What you need, by set of courses

Waterloo’s programs grouped by the exact courses they require, most common set first, with the span of their published ranges. If your timetable matches a set, every program in it is open to you on courses.

• ENG4U + MCV4U + MHF4U + SCH4U + SPH4U14 programs · 83–90%

  Architectural Engineering (Co-op only) 83–90%, Chemical Engineering (Co-op Only) 83–90%, Civil Engineering (Co-op Only) 83–90%, Environmental Engineering (Co-op Only) 83–90%, Geological Engineering (Co-op Only) 83–90%, Management Engineering (Co-op Only) 83–90% and 8 more

• ENG4U + MCV4U + MHF4U9 programs · 83–90%

  Accounting and Financial Management (Co-op Only) 83–87%, Business Administration (Laurier) and Mathematics (Waterloo) Double Degree (Co-op Only) 83–90%, Mathematics (Regular/Co-op) 83–87%, Mathematics/Business Administration (Regular/Co-op) 83–87%, Mathematics/CPA (Co-op Only) 83–87%, Mathematics/Financial Analysis and Risk Management (Regular/Co-op) 83–87% and 3 more

• ENG4U + MCV4U + MDM4U + MHF4U + SBI4U + SCH4U + SES4U + SPH4U6 programs · 80–83%

  Biomedical Sciences (Regular only) 80–83%, Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op) 80–83%, Honours Science (Regular/Co-op) 80–83%, Life Sciences (Regular/Co-op) 80–83%, Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) 80–83%, Science and Aviation 83–87%

• ENG4U4 programs · 77–80%

  Environment, Resources and Sustainability (Regular/Co-op) 77–80%, Global Business and Digital Arts (Co-op only) 80–83%, Public Health (Regular/Co-op) 80–87%, Recreation & Leisure Studies, Sport & Recreation Management, Therapeutic Recreation (Regular/Co-op) 80–83%

• ENG4U + SES4U2 programs · 77–83%

  Geography and Environmental Management (Regular/Co-op) 77–80%, Geography and Aviation 83–87%

• ENG4U + MDM4U2 programs · 77%

  Honours Arts (Regular/Co-op) 77–80%, Honours Arts and Business (Regular/Co-op) 77–80%

• ENG4U + ICS4U1 program · 77%

  Geospatial Data Science (Regular/Co-op) 77–80%

• ENG4U + SBI4U + SCH4U1 program · 83%

  Health Sciences (Regular/Co-op) 83–90%

• ENG4U + SBI4U + SES4U1 program · 80%

  Planning (Co-op Only) 80–83%

• BAT4M + CIA4U + ENG4U1 program · 77%

  Environment and Business (Co-op Only) 77–80%

• BAT4M + ENG4U + MCV4U + MHF4U1 program · 90%

  Computing and Financial Management (Co-op Only) 90–97%

• ENG4U + MCV4U + MHF4U + SPH4U1 program · 83%

  Architecture (Co-op Only) 83–87%

4 rarer sets are on the individual program pages.

Where the published ranges sit

Every Waterloo program with a published range, by the bottom of that range. A range is what the university says it will consider, not what it admits at — read the guide to what a range means.

• under 700
• 70–740
• 75–797Climate and Environmental Change (Regular/Co-op), Environment and Business (Co-op Only), Environment, Resources and Sustainability (Regular/Co-op) and 4 more
• 80–8430Accounting and Financial Management (Co-op Only), Architectural Engineering (Co-op only), Architecture (Co-op Only) and 27 more
• 85–896Biomedical Engineering (Co-op Only), Computer Engineering (Co-op Only), Electrical Engineering (Co-op Only) and 3 more
• 90 and up4Business Administration (Laurier) and Computer Science (Waterloo) Double Degree (Co-op Only), Computer Science (Regular/Co-op), Computing and Financial Management (Co-op Only) and 1 more

Beyond marks

23 programs need a supplementary application

A portfolio, audition, questionnaire, video or form, due on Waterloo’s own date, usually before OUAC closes. Which ones, and what each asks for.

How Waterloo reads your transcript

In Waterloo’s own words to guidance counsellors, from the OUAC resource guide (September 2026 entry). Each links to the page comparing every university’s answer.

If you repeat a course

We will consider each case individually. www.uwaterloo.ca/future/repeated-courses

Every university on this

Summer school, night school, e-learning and private school

We accept all approved courses through schools accredited by the Ministry of Education.

Once students have applied, we may ask them to identify courses they have taken or are taking outside of regular day school and to explain why. Taking required courses in summer school could negatively affect a student's application to some programs. www.uwaterloo.ca/future/repeated-courses

Every university on this

Your Grade 11 marks

We may consider 3U/M grades for early offers to some programs.

Architecture: In early March, we will review both 3U/M and 4U/M grades to determine selection for the Architecture interview process. Grade 11 grades are used when we are missing a Grade 12 required course grade. | www.uwaterloo.ca/architecture/ future-undergraduate-students

Every university on this

AP and IB

AP: We will consider granting transfer credit for courses with a minimum final grade of 4. The number of credits varies depending on the program.

IB: We will consider granting transfer credit for individual certificate or diploma Higher Level courses with a minimum final grade of 5.

The number of credits varies depending on the program. www.uwaterloo.ca/future/transfer-credits

Every university on this

English proficiency

Accepted tests and required scores: www.uwaterloo.ca/future/elr.

Every university on this

Transfer credit

www.uwaterloo.ca/future/transfer-credits

Every university on this