Faculty of Arts is helping students in Waterloo region get a head start in financing their university studies with a new scholarship that targets incoming undergraduates from local high schools.
The Faculty of Arts Entrance Scholarship for Waterloo Region offers up to $2,000 top-up funding to 316 new students whose Grade 12 marks are between 95+ and 80 per cent and have applied for full-time studies in the Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business programs.
“These new scholarships recognize the strength of our local students and encourage them to stay in the region to earn their bachelor’s degree, and go on to join the thriving regional workforce,” said Douglas Peers, dean of arts.
Students at Arts Orientation, September 2014
Arts is the University of Waterloo’s second largest and most diverse faculty, with 15 academic departments, two schools, and the Stratford Campus – all dedicated to a wide range of disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and creative arts.
This is an exciting time of transformation for the Faculty of Arts,” said Dean Peers. “We’re well underway implementing our five-year Strategic Plan, which is pragmatic and responsive to the changing needs of students in the 21st century.”
The plans include construction this year of a new addition to Hagey Hall of the Humanities that will provide Arts students with 13,825 sq. ft. of social, study and project space. The Faculty is adding flexible learning options focused on career skills such as digital communications and international trade; and they are increasing opportunities for students to study and work abroad as part of their academic program.
“I’m incredibly proud of the high calibre of teaching and research in all Arts fields at Waterloo,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor. “Our Psychology and Sociology units are currently ranked in the world’s top 100, and Philosophy, Accounting and Political Science are among the world’s top 200.”
Achievements among undergraduates in the Honours Arts or Arts and Business programs include psychology major Skye Wattie for being named a 2014 Co-op Student of the Year for implementing risk-management software for healthcare industries, and English major Jona Cho who is a 2015 winner of Velocity’s top $25,000 prize for her start-up company FotoFox.
Offering 23 major options for close to 7000 undergraduate students, the Faculty also runs highly successful professional bachelor’s programs in Accounting and Financial Management, based in the School of Accounting and Finance, as well as Global Business and Digital Arts, based at the Stratford Campus.
“We look forward to more new students from the area joining our vibrant Faculty community,” says Dean Peers. “We’ll ensure they get all the opportunities to thrive in Arts and graduate well-prepared to make their mark as contributing members of Waterloo Region.”
From a University of Waterloo media release.