To ensure students are academically well prepared to succeed, Waterloo Engineering has specific course requirements that need to be met as part of the application process.
Admission requirements for some common systems of study are included below. For other countries or educational system requirements, visit our admission requirements search tool.
| Ontario | Other Canadian Provinces and Territories | International Baccalaureate | American System | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum Requirement | 6 4U/4M courses | 5 or 6 Grade 12 academic courses | 6 IB courses at the Higher or Standard Level | 6 senior academic courses |
| All Engineering Programs (Required Subjects) | English | English | English A1 | English |
| Physics | Physics | Physics (HL recommended) | AP Physics (or equivalent) | |
| Chemistry | Chemistry | Chemistry | Chemistry | |
| Advanced Functions | Mathematics/Pre-Calculus | Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (HL recommended) | Pre-Calculus (Algebra) | |
| Calculus & Vectors | Calculus | - | AP Calculus (or equivalent) | |
| Architecture (Required Subjects) | English (minimum 75%) | English (minimum 75%) | English A1 | English (minimum 80%) |
| Physics | Physics | Physics (HL recommended) | AP Physics (or equivalent) | |
| Advanced Functions | Mathematics/Pre-Calculus | Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (HL recommended) | Pre-Calculus (Algebra) | |
| Calculus & Vectors | Calculus | - | AP Calculus (or equivalent) | |
| Minimum Grades in Each Course (Unless Otherwise Stated) | 70% | 70% | 4 with minimum total of 32 (excluding Diploma points) | 75% |
Admission averages
When assessing applicants, the Engineering Admissions Committee considers grades, mandatory Admission Information Form (AIF) responses and online interview submissions (if provided). Admission to Waterloo Engineering is not guaranteed based on a specific average. As a result, there is no absolute grade cut-off for each engineering program, and the probability of admission varies from year to year, depending on the number of applications.
Our goal is to enrol students who will bring balanced and well-rounded skill sets to their academic and extra-curricular activities.
Programming experience
Applicants to Software Engineering are required to have experience developing well-structured, modular programs demonstrated by at least one of the following:
- Strong performance in a programming course, such as Grade 11 or 12 Computer and Information Science;
- Strong performance in a programming contest;
- Significant work experience related to programming;
- Other (must be explained on the Admission Information Form).
Programming experience is recommended for all engineering applicants as preparation, as all engineering students will take at least one university programming course.