FAQ

When transferring into the program what happens with my current graduate research? 

Students who transfer into the BME Grad program can request to seek recognition for their previous work instead of completing some program requirements but will still need to take the same number of courses. 

Are there requirement exemptions for students with biomedical engineering or similar background? 

If a student enters the program with substantial biomedical engineering experience, they may be able to seek recognition for that work in lieu of completing some of the program requirements. 
Recognition is granted following approval, first by the student’s supervisor then a final decision by the BME Graduate program director or curriculum committee. 
This exception to waive course requirements will not decrease the total number of courses required. 

When can external candidates apply? 

External candidates can apply to start in September 2025, meaning completing and submitting applications by February 1, 2025.  

Deadlines are as follows: 

Program Start	Complete your application by
Fall term – September 1	February 1
Winter term – January 1	June 1
Spring term – May 1	October 1

The deadlines are for a complete application package, meaning all documents uploaded, including references and English Language Proficiency (ELP) test scores. 

Applicants are still able to upload materials after the deadline; however, if an application is incomplete at the time of review and the deadline for a complete application package has passed, a decision of Deny will be applied to the application as our graduate programs have a highly competitive applicant pool. Admissions decisions are final once applied to an application. 

If you know that you cannot meet the deadline for a specific term, we encourage you to apply for admission for a later term to ensure we can consider your application. In some cases, a faculty member can still accept you for an earlier term, and we can change the start date on your application at that time. 

What are the minimum admission requirements? 

MASc: A bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in any field of engineering or a related science discipline at a recognized institution with a minimum 80% overall average. 

PhD (regular entry): A research thesis-based master’s degree (or equivalent) in engineering, applied science, or science from a recognized institution with at least an overall 80% average and documented evidence of potential to excel in PhD studies and research. 

PhD (direct from Honours BME undergraduate entry): A minimum overall average of 80% in a BME program at the undergraduate level and clear evidence of excellent potential to excel in PhD studies and research. Substantial research experience is expected. 

What awards or funding are available? 

Information about funding for MASc and PhD students can be found here.  

Can you waive the application fee? 

All applicants to the University of Waterloo are required to pay the non-refundable $125 CAD application fee, for each program to which they have applied. We are unable to waive the application fee. 
Please visit the study and living costs web page as well as information on awards and funding. Students are also expected to have their own personal funds to cover expenses while attending university. 

Once I have completed the application package, how will I know when I am officially transferred?  

Students should talk to their supervisor before applying. The program committee will make a decision and then both student and supervisor will be informed. 

What is the status of my application? 

The status of your application is always available on Quest. Review the instructions for viewing your application status for more information. 

Your application status will always appear as "Application" until either an "Admit" or "Deny" decision is applied.  

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we cannot provide updates on the status of individual applications. Multiple teams within the university review all applications so we are unfortunately not able to provide timelines.  

You will receive an email notification from Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) once the "Admit" or "Deny" decision is available on Quest. 

How would I know if my application is complete?

You can determine if your application is complete by reviewing your Documents List on Quest. All required application documents must be marked as Completed. Review the instructions for uploading your application documents for more information.

My referee has not received a request to submit a reference for my application. what should I do? 

Referees are contacted via email at the same time that you are sent your Waterloo ID number. Please ask your referee to check their spam/junk folders. They are also sent two reminder emails. You should verify in Quest that you have provided the correct email address. If the address is incorrect, send an email to gradapply@uwaterloo.ca with the following information: 

Subject Line: Change of Referee Email Address 

Waterloo ID Number (as sent to you via email from Waterloo): 

Program: 

Term to which you have applied: 

Referee Name: 

Old Referee Email Address: 

New Referee Email Address: 

Note: If you do not have your Waterloo ID number yet, please wait until you receive it before making this type of request. 

I need to change one of my references. What should I do? 

Send an email to gradapply@uwaterloo.ca with the following required information: 

Subject Line: Change of Referee 

Waterloo ID Number (as sent to you via email from Waterloo): 

Program: 

Term to which you have applied: 

Old Referee Name: 

New Referee Title: 

New Referee Name: 

Institution: 

Complete Institution address (including city/country): 

Telephone: 

Email Address: 

Note: Changing your referees can delay processing of your application up to two weeks. If you do not have your Waterloo ID number yet, please wait until you receive it before making this type of request. 

Should I send my official documents now? 

Official documents are only required if an offer of admission is made. Information on how to send these documents will be outlined by the GSPA in your offer letter. 

I have applied and paid the application fee so where is my ID number? 

A few business days after the processing of your application fee, you will be sent an e-mail from gradapply@uwaterloo.ca which will include your 8 digit (numerical only) Waterloo ID number and further instructions on how to proceed with your application. You may wish to monitor your spam/junk folders for this e-mail.   

Can I update my documents after I have submitted my application? 

Once your application documents have been submitted they are considered final and cannot be updated. 

If you are applying to a research-based program, this also means we cannot add or remove names of potential supervisors; you are not limited to contacting only those you have listed on your application, nor does their name have to be listed on your application in order for you to communicate with them. If you have updated documents such as transcripts, publications, etc., you are welcome to attach them to your correspondence when contacting potential supervisors.

What is the PACE Module? 

Professional Attributes and Competence Enhancement (PACE) Module focuses on professional skills development. This module will consist of: 

• Active engagement and participation in a bi-weekly seminar series  

• A set of professional education day events known as PACE days (2 days at start of each term). 

• Participation in Biomedical and Biotechnology Research Day 

The PACE Module will be graded as a credit/no-credit course. Students will be required to complete all three components to obtain credit and complete your degree.