Courses and enrolment

If you have questions about courses, enrolment or altering your course load, please contact your academic advisor.

Information for courses is located in various places. This page is intended to provide a list of possible references.

Courses and Exam Information

Courses
  • Each course is graded as either numeric (with a grade between 0 and 100 recorded) or as a Credit/No Credit (with the grade recorded as either CR or NCR).
  • Each course is assigned a course weight. This weight is usually 0.50 to indicate a course of regular weighting for one term (or one half year). Course weights used in the Faculty of Engineering range from 0.10 to 2.50.
  • There are a number of non-numeric grades used. The official grades list is shown in the undergraduate studies academic calendar. There is also a transcript legend on the Registrar's Office web site which includes graded, non-graded standings, and requirement designation definitions.

Course grades
  • Course grades are submitted at the end of each term by your instructor. Although your instructor may inform you of your grade in other ways, the only official grade is the one that can be viewed on Quest.
  • Course grades are normally viewable early in the month following the end of the term, however they are not final grades until the Standings and Official Grades date listed in the Important dates.
  • You have the right to a supervised review of a copy of your final examination after the grades are displayed on Quest. The intent of this review is not to debate the grade assigned but rather to help you understand the places where improved answers may have resulted in a better grade. This process is described in Policy 70.
  • In the case of the Co-operative Work Term (COOP) courses, grades are submitted based on the employers evaluation. A credit is awarded for a marginal or higher evaluation.

Course outline

The course outline (sometimes called course syllabus) is an important document describing key aspects of a course, including administrative information (instructor name, meet times, etc.), the intended learning outcomes, the grading scheme, assessment types and due dates, and so on. The instructor should make the course outline available to you no later than one week after the start of term and it must include certain required information.

Outlines for engineering courses are generally available in the University’s online repository.

Calendar description

The University of Waterloo Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar provides a list of current courses with course descriptions, but does not provide specific information on course availability.

Course availability

The Registrar's Office maintains an area of the web that lists a schedule of classes for the current and next academic terms. The terms are listed using the term code. In addition there is a list of future courses (Course Selection) for the second future term. The information for the next term evolves until the final schedule is set.

Midterm examination schedules

The midterm schedules are completed by either the department or the instructor. You will need to obtain the date and room assignment information by consulting with the instructor in your course.

Final examination schedule and information

Most final examinations are scheduled or supported in some way by the Registrar's Office. Each term a final exam schedule is posted. In some cases you may have some form of conflict with the examination timing. You are to discuss this with your instructor within one week of the posting of the final exam schedule or your academic advisor. There are a number of university approved examination regulations.

Course responsibilities

Courses offered in the Faculty of Engineering place responsibility on the Faculty of Engineering, the instructor and teaching team and all of the students. Many of these responsibilities are described at the first lecture or captured in the policies of the university.

There are two responsibilities that have been specified by the Senate of the University of Waterloo as requiring special mention. One relating to the responsibility of students with respect to plagiarism and academic discipline and one relating to the teaching team with respect to students with disabilities. These two responsibilities have been expressed in specific wording by the Senate and are listed below.

All courses offered by the Faculty of Engineering subscribe to these specifications except as may be noted on the syllabus for each course.

Avoidance of academic offences

Students are expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for their actions. Students who are unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who need help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about "rules" for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, TA, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. The Office of Academic Integrity at the University of Waterloo maintains a website with a number of items of interest to students. In particular the page on Academic Integrity for students provides various examples as well as a tutorial on the subject. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline. For typical penalties see Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties.

Students needing special help are accommodated

The AccessAbility Services office collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations, please register with the AccessAbility Services office at the beginning of each academic term.

Students who believe that they have been wrongfully or unjustly penalized have the right to grieve; refer to Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, as well as Policy 72 - Student Appeals.

Enrolment frequently asked questions

How does course enrolment work for engineering students?

As an engineering student you will be automatically enrolled in your required courses every academic term (block enrolment). However, for elective courses such as technical electives or complementary studies electives (CSEs), you will need to complete enrolment into those courses yourself in Quest. For details on how to enrol in courses, visit the registrar’s office site. 

When can I select my elective courses?

Please check your program page in the academic calendar for details on which academic terms you are able to select elective courses for.  

For details on how to enrol in courses, visit the registrar’s office site. 

What is the Complementary Studies Elective Course Requirement?

The Complementary Studies component requires that students in Engineering receive instruction in a variety of subjects. Courses that fulfill this requirement can be found in the Complementary Studies Electives List in the academic calendar.

  • List A: Impact of Technology and/or Engineering on Society
  • List B: Engineering Economics
  • List C: Humanities and Social Sciences (excluding courses concentrated on development of language or other skills)
  • List D: Humanities and Social Sciences (courses concentrated on development of language or other skills)

The number of courses needed to fulfill your complementary studies requirement is specific to your engineering program, please view the academic calendar for details.

What is the difference between course selection period and drop/add period?