Majors, minors and specializations

You can enhance your undergraduate studies by complementing your major with a specialization, minor, and/or option.

Majors and specializations

Please note, specializations are only open to students in a particular major.

Major Available specializations
Health Sciences

Health Research Specialization

Pre-Clinical Specialization

Kinesiology Rehabilitation Sciences Specialization
Public Health Health Research Specialization
Recreation and Leisure Studies  
Recreation and Sports Business  
Therapeutic Recreation  

Minors, options and diplomas

Most minors on campus are open to all University of Waterloo (UW) degree-seeking students. Options, on the other hand, are typically only available to a specific subset of students. For a list of all minors, options and diplomas offered at the university, please consult the undergraduate academic calendar, which includes details such as eligibility and degree requirements.

Minor/Option/Diploma Available to:

Addictions, Mental Health, and Policy Minor

all UW degree-seeking students
Aging Studies Option all Faculty of Health degree-seeking students
Diploma in Gerontology all University of Waterloo students
Ergonomics and Injury Prevention Minor all UW degree-seeking students
Event Management Minor all UW degree-seeking students
Gerontology Minor all UW degree-seeking students
Health Informatics Option only School of Public Health Sciences students
Human Nutrition Minor all UW degree-seeking students
Medical Physiology Minor all UW degree-seeking students
Tourism Minor all UW degree-seeking students

Joint honours degrees

In some disciplines (see below) it is possible to combine your existing major with a major from a second field of study should you wish to concentrate your studies as equally and extensively in both areas. This requires pre-approval from both departments and advance course planning with an academic advisor.

The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies also offers the opportunity to combine some majors into double degree plans.