New Student Information

As per the University statement on official student email addresses, the Department of Biology sends all program related messages to your University of Waterloo email account only. Any problems arising from the failure of a student to check their email in this account will be the full responsibility of the student. Please check your UWaterloo email address regularly.

The University of Waterloo is deeply committed to creating a safe environment, wherein all students, faculty and staff can flourish. The Department of Biology requires you to complete the Sexual Violence Awareness and Support training module available on LEARN.  This work is guided by Policy 42 which outlines Waterloo’s Prevention and Response to Sexual Violence. The Sexual Violence Response Coordinator is ready to support individuals who have experienced sexual violence.

In addition, you must complete the Conflict Management and Human Rights Office (CMAHRO) TA training on Harassment and Discrimination that is delivered online via LEARN. To access the course, you will need your WatIAM ID and password. If you do not have access to the TA training module, please contact the Graduate Coordinator. Once complete, you will need to submit a screen shot to the Graduate Coordinator showing you have successfully finished the training and passed the quiz (70% or higher).

Please note that there may be additional training that will be required depending on your research. Training requirements should be discussed with your supervisor.

You must pay your tuition to register each term even if you are not taking classes. A fee statement will be posted on the financial section of your Quest account each term. Once you are fees arranged, you are considered fully registered. Students must remain continuously registered during their program. Should registration lapse, then you will risk being discontinued from your program.You must pay your tuition to register each term even if you are not taking classes. A fee statement will be posted on the financial section of your Quest account each term. Once you are fees arranged, you are considered fully registered. Students must remain continuously registered during their program. Should registration lapse, you will risk being discontinued from your program.

Please refer to the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar for a listing of courses. Refer to the Schedule of Graduate Classes for a list of courses that are being offered each term. Please be aware that not all courses are offered every year. You should discuss your course selections with your supervisor. If you have a question about a course (i.e. instructor, when it was last offered) please contact the Biology Graduate Office.

Courses at other institutions

You cannot enrol for a course at another institution through Quest. Students need to submit an Ontario Visiting Graduate Student (OVGS) Application to the Graduate Coordinator. OVGS forms are available on the Graduate Studies Forms website. YOu must ensure that a similar course is not offered at UWaterloo and that you are in good standing in your program.

Special Topics courses (BIOL 680 and BIOL 681)

Special topics courses are offered on an individual basis, and typically allow students to investigate a subject area through self-directed study. Only one Special Topics course can be taken for credit toward their degree. Students need to submit a Special Topics Course Form, available on the Biology Forms and milestones website, in order to register. The deadline to submit a Special Topics Course Form is the 20^th of the first month of the term. Forms submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Every other week the Biology Graduate Office will send out a digest that provides information about upcoming thesis proposals, thesis defences, scholarships, and important dates/deadlines. Please be sure to read the digest.

For graduate students that need accommodations for any aspect of their graduate program, these can be arranged through AccessAbility Services (Needles Hall North, Rm 1401). Once the student and supervisor have come to an agreement on the nature of the accommodation(s), we ask that either the student or the supervisor let the Graduate Coordinator or the Graduate Assistant know about the specific requirements, so that these can be appropriately incorporated into the meeting/exam arrangements.