Declare your major

You can fill out the online Declare Your Major Form on your own, but if you want guidance you can watch the how to declare your major video which walks you through how to fill out the on-line form.

If you are unsure that you wish to complete a major, the alternative is to complete your Bachelor of Arts degree in the non-major academic plan, Liberal Studies. Students can declare their academic plan as Honours Liberal Studies or 4 Year General Liberal Studies. The Honours Liberal Studies plan is available with co-op, and can also be taken in combination with the Honours Arts and Business academic plan (Co-op and Regular.)

Declaring your major now will also make course selection much easier moving forward for you.

You’ll need to complete at least 8 courses (4.0 units) in total and have at least 1 or 2 courses in the major area, depending on the major. If you don't have 8 courses complete, it may be possible to take courses during the Spring term. If you have questions, please contact your academic advisor.

Note: Social Development Studies and Global Business and Digital Arts students — you’re already admitted to your plan, but you can use electives to explore other Arts-related subjects. 

If you are not eligible for your requested major by the end of your Winter (1B) term, you may need to return to take some classes in Spring. This could be the case if you have less than 8 courses completed, don't meet the requirement average for a major, or don't have enough courses completed in the major you're requesting.

It is recommended that you speak with your academic advisor about your course load if you plan to take courses in the Spring term. A full-time course load may or may not be advised depending on how many courses you've already completed.

Yes, absolutely! You can personalize your degree by declaring two Honours majors.

• Any two Arts Honours majors can be combined for Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, with the exception of Mathematical Economics (BA) and the French Teaching Specialization which cannot be combined with any other major.
• Many Honours Arts majors can be combined with a few honours majors offered in other faculties.

If you want a second area of interest, but don’t want to complete the 16 courses required for a second major, consider a minor! However, most minors will not be declared now and instead you may wait until after level 2A to officially declare a minor.

Note: If you plan to enrol in a co-op program, the first major that you select will be the co-op sequence that you follow.

If you’re in Honours Arts and aren’t sure you wish to declare a major, or you don’t have the required courses or grades to declare your major yet, you’ll start your second year as either an Honours or General Liberal Studies student. It’s okay to take the time to try out different subjects if you don’t find the right one in your first year! Students are welcome to talk to the Liberal Studies academic advisor about second-year courses if they plan to become a Liberal Studies student. 

If you’re in Honours Arts and Business, you must declare an Honours major, or be eligible for Honours Liberal Studies, at the end of first year.

If you plan to become a Liberal Studies student and would like to be in a co-op program, you must enrol in co-op by the end of your 1B term to be eligible.

Yes, you can declare a minor at the same time as your major. There is a field for this right on the Declare Your Major form. To be admissible to a minor, you must have at least one course completed and have an average of at least 65% in that subject for most minors in Arts.

If you’d like to minor in a plan outside of the Faculty of Arts, please consult the advisor for that department. In most cases this is possible, but you’ll need to check. These minors can be added later via a Plan Modification Form. 

Specializations are available in some major plans. These are a package of courses based upon a theme within a major and will be listed on the printed graduation diploma and official transcript. For example, a History major can add a specialization in Digital and Public History by completing four specific courses as part of their 16 major courses required for the 4 year plans. The Undergraduate Calendar lists available departmental specializations.

Note that students cannot pursue a departmental specialization if they are not registered in that specific major plan. For example, a Psychology major cannot add the Social Work specialization that is available to Social Development Studies majors. Only SDS majors can add one of the SDS specializations.

Diplomas and certificates are also a package of courses based upon a theme. Many of them are offered as Arts minors (such as Applied Language Studies, Church Music and Worship, Peace and Conflict Studies) but the diploma requires fewer courses than the 8 course minors offered by the Faculty of Arts.

Students do not formally declare diplomas or certificates until the point of graduation. Contact the department offering the specialization, diploma or certificate to ensure you are selecting appropriate courses as you progress towards your degree.

Yes, if you’ve already been admitted to Waterloo for Honours Arts Co-op or Honours Arts and Business Co-op, you’ll need to select “co-op” on the Declare Your Major form to confirm that you want to continue in the co-op program.

If you were admitted to Waterloo for a regular program, you can apply for co-op by selecting it on the Declare Your Major form.

What co-op looks like for Arts students

Co-op is available to both Honours Arts and Business and Honours Arts students, no matter what major you choose.

Co-op can be a great way to test drive careers and gain experience before graduation, but there are some key things to know before you choose to enrol in co-op.

Learn about what co-op looks like for Arts students and how it can help you prepare for your future career in the co-op section of our website.

Co-op eligibility

To be admitted to an Arts co-op plan before second year (2A), you must meet the eligibility standards outlined on the Arts co-op webpage.

Co-op sequences

You will need to complete a minimum of four work terms in your study/work sequence. The sequence you follow is determined by when you start your studies, as well as your program and major. If you’re unsure of which sequence to follow, consult with your academic advisor.

Note: Switching from Honours Arts and Business Co-op to Honours Arts Co-op prior to completing any work terms will not be permitted. If you’re on the Arts and Business sequence and don’t find employment for your first winter work term, you cannot change your first work term to spring to follow the Honours Arts sequence.

For first year students declaring their major for the first time, the form will be completed online so you don't have to take a paper copy anywhere! 

If you are declaring your major or minor after the Declare Your Major deadline (above), for example if you're taking Spring courses to be eligible, then you'll need to complete a Plan Modification Form and submit to artsadvisor@uwaterloo.ca