Dean of Arts Office:
PAS building, room 2401
Tel 519 888-4567 ext. 48246
Arts Undergraduate Office:
PAS building, room 2439
Tel 519 888-4567 ext. 45870
Arts faculty and staff resources
Arts computing support for students, faculty, and staff
The information on this page breaks down the many components of your Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and is here to help you find your degree requirements. If you have any questions or concerns, your academic advisor is here to help you navigate your path in meeting your degree requirements. Regular check-ins are encouraged!
In the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar! All Arts students must meet the requirements outlined in the Calendar the year they entered the Faculty of Arts. If you are unsure which Calendar year you should follow, ask your academic advisor.
Below are some important sections of the Calendar to familiarize yourself with:
This summarises your BA degree with an Honours major from the Faculty of Arts. The charts below provide a simplified breakdown of the 40 courses needed to meet your minimum degree requirements. At the end of your degree, your breakdown may look a little different depending on which courses you took or if you added another credential. Think of this as the building blocks of your degree.
Interested in a Three-Year or Four-Year General program or Liberal Studies? Information specific to those programs is provided in the drop-down content below.
Please note, requirements listed on this web page are for students who began their studies September 2018 or later.
Required number of courses broken down by each component of the BA degree when pursuing an Honours Arts major.
Required number of courses broken down by each component of the BA degree when pursuing Arts & Business and an Honours major.
Students pursuing any University of Waterloo degree must meet certain common degree requirements.
Students pursuing an Honours BA must meet the minimum program-level (BA degree) and plan-level (major) requirements outlined below as well as maintain minimum cumulative averages (see definitions) to be in satisfactory standing. These requirements are for students who began their studies September 2018 or later.
2 courses (1.0 unit) |
|
BA Breadth Requirements | 10 courses (5.0 units) |
Minimum courses at the 200-level or above | 16 courses (8.0 units) |
Minimum courses in major | 16 courses (8.0 units) |
Minimum courses in major with a numerical grade |
8 courses |
Minimum courses in degree with a numerical grade |
20 courses |
Minimum University of Waterloo courses |
20 courses |
In total, minimum number of completed courses | 40 courses (20.0 units) |
Minimum cumulative average (CAV) | 60% |
---|---|
Minimum faculty average (FAV) | 65% |
Minimum major average (MAV) | 70% |
Additional requirements for Arts & Business students include:
The BA Co-op Requirements page in the Calendar provides co-op specific information, including:
A normal full-time course load is five courses (2.5 units) per term. Given this structure, the normal timeframe to complete an honours academic program is four years (regular) or five years (co-op). Depending on your personal situation you may require a lower course load per term or wish to study on a part-time basis. Your degree may take longer to complete, or you may need to take courses during an off term, but that is ok! Everyone has their own timeline. Additional information on course load specific to Arts students is available in the Calendar.
Unit weight: Courses are assigned unit weights, which vary from 0.00 to 3.00 credits. Most courses have a weight of 0.5 unit and are of one-term duration.
For help with enrolment, refer to our information pages on course selection and the phases of course registration.
All BA students must successfully complete the two Arts First courses, ARTS 130 and ARTS 140, to fulfil the Undergraduate Communication Requirement (UCR).
For students attempting a faculty transfer to Arts, the UCR is assessed and confirmed at the time of transfer.
Information on how to enrol is on the Arts First website.
The BA Breadth Requirements are designed to provide you with a broad range of study as part of your degree. Students must complete a total of 10 courses across five different categories to fulfil this requirement. The specific requirements are outlined in the Calendar.
BA students must complete a minimum number of courses at the 200-level or above. Normally, over 50% of this requirement is automatically fulfilled with the required courses from you major. The exact number of electives at the 200-level or above you need will depend on your chosen major. If you have any additional questions about this requirement, ask your academic advisor!
The required number of courses at the 200-level or above depends on your program. Review the appropriate table for the exact number: Honours, Three-Year General, Four-Year General, Liberal Studies.
A major is the subject that is the main focus of your degree. Forty percent of your courses will be in your major and you will graduate with a BA degree in that major. All Honours majors require a minimum of 8.0 units (normally 16 courses). The precise requirements are listed on the individual plan page in the Calendar.
Another useful resource are department websites as they provide discipline specific information for their students. Some departments also provide checklists to help you track your progress.
By planning your elective courses carefully, you can work towards additional credentials (also known as academic plans) such as a double major, a specialization, a minor, or a diploma. To declare a new academic plan or to make changes to your current plan(s) or program, submit a Plan Modification Form to your academic advisor.
Some plans cannot be combined so check-out our restrictions on multiple-plan combinations. You should be also aware of the rule on counting courses, which specifies each individual course can be used to satisfy a maximum of two credentials (also known as double counting).
You are encouraged to review your academic goals with your advisor to ensure you stay on track!
Students pursuing a BA in Liberal Studies must meet the common degree requirements, minimum program-level (BA degree) requirements, and plan-level (Liberal Studies) requirements outlined below, as well as maintain minimum cumulative averages to be in satisfactory standing.
Honours | Four-Year General | Three-Year General | |
---|---|---|---|
Arts First | 2 courses (1.0 unit) | 2 courses (1.0 unit) | 2 courses (1.0 unit) |
BA Breadth Requirements | 10 courses (5.0 units) | 10 courses (5.0 units) | 10 courses (5.0 units) |
Minimum courses at the 200-level or above | 25 courses (12.5 units) | 25 courses (12.5 units) | 16 courses (8 units) |
Minimum courses at the 300-level or above |
6 courses (3.0 units)
|
4 Arts courses (2.0 units) | 2 Arts courses (1.0 unit) |
Minimum Arts courses | 25 courses (12.5 units) | 25 courses (12.5 units) | 15 courses (7.5 units) |
Minimum Arts courses with a numerical grade |
13 courses |
13 courses |
8 courses |
Minimum courses in degree with a numerical grade |
20 courses |
20 courses |
15 courses |
Minimum University of Waterloo courses |
20 courses (10.0 units) |
20 courses (10.0 units) |
15 courses (7.5 units) |
In total, minimum number of completed courses | 40 courses (20.0 units) | 40 courses (20.0 units) | 30 courses (15.0 units) |
Minimum cumulative average (CAV) | 60% | 60% | 60% |
Minimum faculty average (FAV) | 70% | 65% | 65% |
Minimum major average (MAV) | 70% | 65% | 65% |
Honours Liberal Studies students may also elect to participate in co-op. The BA Co-op Requirements page in the Calendar provides co-op specific information, including:
The components of the Honours and Four-Year General plans are nearly identical! As outlined in the table above, the Honours plan requires two additional 300-level courses and a higher minimum cumulative FAV.
Required number of courses broken down by each component of the BA degree when pursuing an Honours or Four-Year General Liberal Studies plan.
Required number of courses broken down by each component of the BA degree when pursuing a Three-Year General Liberal Studies plan.
Required number of courses broken down by each component of the BA degree when pursuing an Honours Liberal Studies plan with Arts & Business.
Honours Liberal Studies can be combined with Arts & Business! Additional requirements for Arts & Business students include:
Your Liberal Studies and BA Breadth requirements appear reduced because the required Arts & Business courses fulfil those requirements.
Students pursuing an Three-Year General BA must meet the common degree requirements, minimum program-level (BA degree) requirements, and plan-level (major) requirements outlined below, as well as maintain minimum cumulative averages to be in satisfactory standing.
Arts First | 2 courses (1.0 unit) |
---|---|
BA Breadth Requirements | 10 courses (5.0 units) |
Minimum courses at the 200-level or above | 16 courses (8.0 units) |
Minimum courses in major | 12 courses (6.0 units) |
Minimum courses in major with a numerical grade |
6 courses |
Minimum courses in degree with a numerical grade |
15 courses |
Minimum University of Waterloo courses |
15 courses |
In total, minimum number of completed courses | 30 courses (15.0 units) |
Minimum cumulative average (CAV) | 60% |
---|---|
Minimum faculty average (FAV) | 65% |
Minimum major average (MAV) | 65% |
A simplified breakdown of the 30 courses needed to meet the minimum Three-Year General degree requirements. The required number of courses are broken down by each component of your degree.
Students pursuing an Four-Year General BA must meet the common degree requirements, minimum program-level (BA degree) requirements, and plan-level (major) requirements outlined below, as well as maintain minimum cumulative averages to be in satisfactory standing. The Four-Year General major requirements are identical to the Honours apart from the minimum cumulative major average, which is lower.
Arts First | 2 courses (1.0 unit) |
---|---|
BA Breadth Requirements | 10 courses (5.0 units) |
Minimum courses at the 200-level or above | 16 courses (8.0 units) |
Minimum courses in major | 16 courses (8.0 units) |
Minimum courses in major with a numerical grade |
8.0 (4.0 units) |
Minimum courses in degree with a numerical grade |
20.0 (10.0 units) |
Minimum University of Waterloo courses |
20.0 (10.0 units) |
In total, minimum number of completed courses | 40 courses (20.0 units) |
Minimum cumulative average (CAV) | 60% |
---|---|
Minimum faculty average (FAV) | 65% |
Minimum major average (MAV) | 65% |
A simplified breakdown of the 40 courses needed to meet the minimum Four-Year General degree requirements. The required number of courses are broken down by each component of your degree.
Dean of Arts Office:
PAS building, room 2401
Tel 519 888-4567 ext. 48246
Arts Undergraduate Office:
PAS building, room 2439
Tel 519 888-4567 ext. 45870
Arts faculty and staff resources
Arts computing support for students, faculty, and staff
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations.