BA degree requirements overview

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 Undergraduate Communication Requirement (UCR). See the academic calendar for the year you started your studies to determine your requirement.

For students attempting a faculty transfer to Arts, the UCR requirement will be determined at the time of transfer. Your academic advisor will confirm steps to take if the UCR has not been met in your home faculty.

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.

• Some of your BA Breadth Requirements will be fulfilled with required courses from your major, minor, or specialization, which increases the number of electives you can take instead.
• For Arts & Business students, your BA Breadth Requirements appear reduced because the required business-related courses fulfil five of the 10 requirements.
• For Liberal Studies students, your BA Breadth Requirements are a component of your Liberal Studies requirements.

NEW for 2025: Effective September 2025, Religious Studies (RS) courses will be renamed to Religion, Culture, and Spirituality (RCS). Effective September 2025, RCS will move to the Languages and Cultures category for the Arts Breadth Requirements. However, the student’s Calendar year will determine the Arts Breadth category that an RS or RCS course can be used towards.

RS and/or RCS courses will count towards only one breadth category; the Humanities category, or the Languages and Cultures category, but not both. For example:

• Students with a pre-Fall 2025 Calendar year: RS or RCS labelled courses will only count towards the Humanities category.
• Students with a Fall 2025 or later Calendar year: RS or RCS labelled courses will only count towards the Languages and Cultures category.

The Academic Calendar is the place where you find all official rules and requirements for your specific program. The Registrar’s Office publishes a new Calendar before each academic year (September to August).

You will follow the academic calendar from the year that you started your studies in the Faculty of Arts. This means that after your first year the calendar that you follow archives when the new calendar is published. For information on how you navigate to the current Undergraduate Calendar and Archived calendars, please see below:

Current Calendar:

1. Go to https://uwaterloo.ca/academic-calendar/undergraduate-studies/catalog#/home
2. This is the home page for the current calendar year requirements. You can see this as the academic year is listed at the top.
3. On the side navigation go to “Programs and Plans”. This will bring up a list of all academic plans and degree requirements.
4. Use the search for “Programs and Plans bar” at the top of the list to find the academic plan requirements and/or degree requirements you are following.

Archived Calendars:

1. Go to https://uwaterloo.ca/academic-calendar/undergraduate-studies/catalog#/home
2. At the top of the page, click on “Archives”. This will open up a page that lists all previous academic calendars by school year.
3. Click on the academic year that you started your studies. (eg. 2023-2024) and navigate to the “Faculty of Arts” on the left hand navigation. You will see a list of all official information for the Faculty of Arts, including links to Arts Degree requirements, as well as Arts Academic Plans. 

If you are unsure about how to navigate the Academic Calendar, or which calendar year requirements you are following, pleas contact your academic advisor.

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.

• Prospective majors: BA students are expected to identify two prospective majors before beginning their studies. This will guide you as you select your first-year courses as well as provide you with a back-up in case your first choice does not work out for any number of reasons. We provide guides for Honours Arts students and Honours Arts & Business students based on their prospective majors to help with course selection!
• Declare your major(s): Before the end of your first year (1B term), normally in winter term, you will declare one or both of your prospective majors. You can also declare a minor at that time (e.g., some students change their second prospective major to a minor). Information about the declare your major process is sent out via email (check your @uwaterloo.ca email!) and is published on our website a few weeks into winter term.
• Change your major(s): Changed your mind? That happens! You can change your major at any time, but you still need to meet the minimum requirements. To formalize the change, you simply need to submit a completed Plan Modification Form. Discussing changes with your academic advisor is always encouraged to ensure you stay on track and there are no unexpected surprises!

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).

• What is a double major? You can choose to major in more than one area which allows you to focus on two main areas of interest. To pursue a double major, you must meet all the requirements of both majors. Regulations about double majors can be found in the Calendar.
• What is a specialization? Specializations are intended to provide you with a path to expand and tailor your degree. Specializations are offered by certain Arts disciplines and are only available within your major. Intensive specializations require a minimum cumulative major average of 75% and "topic" specializations have no additional average requirement. Most specializations require an additional 3-6 courses on top of your major requirements.
• What is a minor? A minor is a secondary subject that complements your major. Minors require 8-10 courses (all minors in the Faculty of Arts require 8 courses) and provide breadth to your degree. They can be within your faculty or from a different faculty. These are the minors available at Waterloo, allowing you to easily combine two or more subjects of interest.
• What is a diploma? A diploma consists of a set of courses (normally 5-8) focusing on a particular area of interest outside of your major. Some are restricted to non- or post-degree students, but many are available to all students. Its own distinct parchment is received upon completion.

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 Bachelor of Arts 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 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 minimum number of work terms,
• the minimum number of professional development (PD) courses,
• study/work sequence by plan, and 
• eligibility requirements.

Students pursuing an Three-Year General BA must meet the Bachelor of Arts 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.

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: 10 BA Breadth courses, 12 major courses, 1 UCR course, 7 electives. 

Students pursuing an Four-Year General BA must meet the Bachelor of Arts 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.

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: 10 BA Breadth courses, 16 major courses, 1 UCR course, 13 electives.