The application process at Waterloo is managed electronically. Applicants are required to complete the online application form.
A non-refundable application fee applies.
The online application requires 1 - 2 business days for processing and then an account will be created for you in Quest, the student information system.
You will then be sent an email with instructions on how to upload your documents.
For complete details on the University of Waterloo application requirements please visit Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.
Admission requirements
- A four-year, honours pre-professional undergraduate Architecture degree or professional Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minimum overall average of 75% (B)
International applicants should refer to the International Student Admissions Guide to verify
International equivalency requirements.
Additional admission requirements:
- Applicants being considered for admission to the Master of Architecture may be required to verify English Proficiency which may include a written exercise or interview as instructed by the School of Architecture. Details will be communicated when required after initial assessment of applications is complete. This is an additional departmental requirement and not a substitute for the English Language Proficiency examination.
Application documents
- Online application form
- Two academic letters of reference – Referees will be emailed to complete and submit the official University of Waterloo Graduate Studies Reference form.
- CV/resume
- Supplemental Information Form which includes statement of your proposed research interest (form available on Applicant Quest)
- Portfolio (uploaded electronically to Applicant Quest account)
- Academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended (past or current) showing all courses and marks, along with the transcript legends/keys/grading scales uploaded using Quest. Degree certificates (if obtained) must be uploaded with the transcripts.
- English Language Proficiency certification
Applicants are required to submit an English language proficiency (ELP) examination score unless any one of the following conditions is met:
Completion of 3 or more years of post-secondary education or completion of a graduate degree at a Canadian institution or university
Completion of 3 or more years of post-secondary education or completion of a graduate degree at a university at which English was the primary language of instruction, as indicated on the ELP exemption list
You have been employed for at least 3 years in a position in which English was the language of business in a country listed as “all exempt” on our ELP exemption list
*Students holding a Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree from Waterloo are not required to submit a portfolio. Additionally, Waterloo transcripts are not required but you must declare your University of Waterloo studies on the OUAC application.
Application deadline
January 15 (for admission in September) - all application documents must be uploaded to Quest by February 1.
The Master of Architecture program starts each year in the Fall term.
Portfolio Requirements
Portfolios should be submitted in a single PDF document of no more than 50 pages or 30MB, formatted on 8.5x11” pages horizontal format. The design and format of the portfolio should be kept simple so that it can properly illustrate the projects within without obscuring or overpowering them.
The purpose of the portfolio is to show creative and critical thinking, as well as a developed architectural ability. Applicants should include art and design work that illustrates those characteristics. The portfolio work itself should illustrate the concepts and ideas that applicants are mobilizing in their work, not simply technical ability. In order to make the ideas of the portfolio works clear, applicants should include a one paragraph description of each work, and caption all drawings where explanation is required.
The work that applicants can show could have been done in previous undergraduate architecture degrees, as well as work done in offices, or independently. Any collaborative work must be clearly labeled with the names of all collaborators and an outline of the applicant’s role in the collaboration. Any work done in an office under the supervision of a senior architect must include the name of the firm, that of the supervising architect, and a description of the role the applicant performed in the project. All images in the portfolio not produced directly by the applicant must clearly credit name of the drawing’s author.
All portfolios must be uploaded to Quest by February 1 following the formatting requirements above.
Please do not mail a hard copy.
Additional Information
Tuition and fees
For information on tuition and incidental fees visit Student Financial Services.
The Master of Architecture is a Coursework/Research based program. Fees are assessed on a term-by-term basis.
Funding/Scholarship Information
Teaching Assistantships/Research Assistantships
Teaching assistantship (TA) positions are open to graduate students in good standing in the Master of Architecture program. The School of Architecture will make information about the TA positions available to graduate students prior to the start of each academic term. Applications will be required on a term-by-term basis.
There may be Research Assistantship opportunities within the School of Architecture, dependent upon Faculty member grant funding and requirements.
Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS-M)
These scholarships are awarded to top domestic (Canadian and permanent resident) students. The value of these awards ranges from $17,500/year to $35,000/year. The competition for these awards is administerd once per year normally in the Fall with applications due by the beginning of December.
Detailed information including the application deadline is available on the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs external awards web page.
Ontario Graduate Scholarship
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is a merit-based scholarship. Students in all disciplines of academic study are eligible to apply. Students must apply for the OGS at the institution where they want to hold it. For more information and how to apply, visit the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs Ontario Graduate Scholarship web page.
Loans, Bursaries, and Other Assistance Programs
OSAP provides various types of assistance based on financial need to eligible students.
For full details on OSAP and out of province student loans visit Student Awards and Financial Aid.
University of Waterloo Bursaries and Assistance
Waterloo provides a variety of bursaries for students who find themselves in financial need, including Graduate Birth and Parental Leave, Research Travel Assistantship, and Day Care Bursaries. For additional busaries, emergency loans, and graduate scholarship resources please visit the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs financial need funding web page or the database web page.
University of Waterloo Awards
The Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs office provides information about scholarships and financial aid, and maintains a searchable database of awards for which you may be eligible.
International Student Funding
Please visit the International Funding page for information on bursaries and scholarship opportunities. Please note the Master of Architecture is not an eligible program for the International Master and Doctoral Student Awards.
Accommodations
The School of Architecture is located in Cambridge, Ontario. There are no residences operated by the University of Waterloo; students live in private housing accommodations. Visit Off-Campus Housing for local rental listings.
How to Apply (Non-Degree)
CACB Non-Degree Applicants
The Professional Practice course (ARCH 655) offered by the School of Architecture, University of
Waterloo is open for admission to professionals seeking certification through the Canadian Architecture Certification Board (CACB).
Applicants applying for the Professional Practice course, must have a letter from the CACB confirming
further studies are required as part of the academic qualification assessment. This letter must be uploaded with your application documents.
ARCH 655 - Architectural Practice: Ethics, Professional Liability and Business is offered once per calendar year as a block course in the month of April.
Deadline to apply : October 1.
How to Apply
The application process at Waterloo is managed electronically. Applicants are required to complete the online application form.
A non-refundable application fee applies.
After your online application has been received by Waterloo, an account will be created for you in Quest, the student information system. You will then be sent an email with instructions on how to upload your documents.
Required Application documents:
- Online application – Select program – Architecture part-time, non-degree
- CACB confirmation letter
- Current Résumé
- Academic transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended showing all courses and marks, along with the transcript legends/keys/grading scales uploaded using Quest. Degree certificates must be uploaded with the transcripts.
- English Language Proficiency certification
Applicants who have not completed three or more years of post-secondary work at a Canadian institution, or at an institution, at which English was the language of instruction, will be required to provide certification of English language proficiency. Refer to the Discover Graduate Studies webpage for acceptable tests and requirements. - Proof of Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Resident status
Deadline to apply: October 1.
Tuition
Non-degree students are assessed part-time tuition fees at the Research or Coursework Master rate. For up to date information on Graduate fee schedules visit Finance-Student Accounts.