Term promotions

Notes:

1. Conditionally Promoted is changed to Promotion Granted when 1A failures are cleared.
2. Students Required to Withdraw After 1A may request a Qualifying Program for Readmission (QPR).
3. Students can determine their academic standing at the end of 1A.
4. Options after failing 1A. 

These options are not applicable to courses failed in a term that a Required to Repeat Term or Withdrawal decision was earned. A successful repeat term or QPR will clear all courses failed in the original term.

Students must pass failed courses that are required for their degree. A student's failure count must be equal to zero prior to graduation. We strongly encourage students to clear failed courses as soon as possible (ASAP) since failures accumulate and the course material is familiar. Several options for clearing failed courses are listed below:

• Retake and pass the failed course in a future term. This option depends on the availability of the course in a specific term and your academic or work term schedule.
• Take and pass an equivalent course at UWaterloo or another institution. This is usually a more flexible option since the equivalent course may be delivered through the Centre for Extended Learning or scheduled at night, which may allow you to take it on a work term. The First Year Office decides if a course is equivalent to a first year course, and your specific department decides on equivalency in upper years. To take a course at another University you must apply for a Letter of Permission which allows you to enrol as a visiting student, determines the UWaterloo equivalent course, and transfers the completed course grade to your UWaterloo record.
• Write and pass a supplemental (supp.) exam in the failed course. This option applies only to students who have been awarded a supplemental exam (the code SUPA shows to the right of your grade on your unofficial transcript on Quest after the official fully-graded date) and core engineering courses (i.e., doesn't apply to electives in other Faculties). The First Year Office awards supplementary exams for course grades between 40 and 49 inclusive. The Registrar's Office sends supplementary exam registration forms to the permanent address of students awarded a supplementary exam. A supplemental exam is a final exam in the failed course that is usually written in the final exam period of a term the course is offered. Passing the supplementary exam (50% or greater) earns a credit in the course and clears the failure. Note that the original grade is not changed (the code SUPA should change to SUPS). Failing the supplementary exam means that options 1 and 2 above must be used to clear the course (SUPA changes to SUPN).

What does non-degree mean and what is its use?

Engineering non-degree is a temporary status that allows students to enrol in an academic term for the purpose of facilitating a transfer or retaking 1A courses prior to repeating 1B.

How do I arrange for a non-degree term?

Complete a Plan Modification or Internal/Faculty Transfer Application Form form. Complete the front requesting the Engineering Non-degree program and filling in the reason for the non-degree term (e.g., Non-degree term to transfer into the Faculty of Science). Complete the "courses required by admitting department" table on the second page of the form. Students must build their own conflict free schedule using the Schedule of Classes. (Also check the Calendar for course descriptions). Submit the completed form to David Gorman in the First Year Engineering Office.

Transfer students must submit a signed note from the program of interest signifying their approval of the course selection. This note is usually on the second page of the plan modification form. Note that the program of interest may have to sign specific courses listed in the table to allow enrolment in restricted courses (alternatively a Course Override Form may be used).

Voluntary strengthening students must take at least one 1A course or equivalent.

I want to transfer to another faculty at the University of Waterloo. Who should I contact?

Students interested in transferring to another faculty must contact the academic advisor of the program of interest to discuss their transfer options and the program's transfer procedures.

How do I modify my courses prior to or during drop/add period of the non-degree term?

Students interested in changing their course selection should first attempt to make the change on Quest themselves. If the Quest system does not permit the student to make the change, then they are asked to complete and submit a course override form to David Gorman in the First Year Engineering Office.

When can I enrol in a non-degree term?

The deadline for a non-degree term is one month prior to the start of term. Stream-8 students requesting a voluntary strengthening term must wait until the Spring term. 

Please Note: the plan modification form deadline is:

• Spring - April 1
• Fall - August 1
• Winter - December 1

How many non-degree terms are allowed?

Students are permitted to take one non-degree term, however on occasion a second may be required for transitional purposes only.

I want to do a non-degree strengthening term prior to repeating 1B. What courses should I choose? Can I take non-engineering electives?

Students wanting to voluntarily strengthen their 1A background and/or clear 1A failures can enrol in a non-degree term provided they take at least one 1A engineering course or equivalent. Students can take non-engineering electives for a total of three courses. (Students enrolling in a voluntary strengthening term prior to a QPR term must score 50% or greater in each course. Scores below 50% will disqualify students from QPR).

This is the normal decision for students who have a term average below 60%, no grounds for a petition, but are still committed to UWaterloo engineering. It gives students an opportunity to make the necessary adjustments and create support structures to build a strong first year foundation. Often, students who do this, place at or near the top of their class, and this academic strength continues in upper years.

When dealing with this decision, students will have to plan for the term after their work term and before they repeat the term. There are two general options:

Work to gain more experience and increase savings​

Students can work during this term, but it is important to note that you will not be a co-op student and will not receive a co-op credit. This means you will work as a regular student. You must inform your employer regarding your change in status since it influences tax credits. Note that students who repeat a term are set to have 7 official work terms whereas only 5 co-op credits are required to graduate.

Take courses at UWaterloo th​at will strengthen your 1A background.

Students may be eligible to return to UWaterloo to strengthen their background. This means they would take 1A courses or equivalents (e.g., a student who struggled in 1A and 1B calculus should retake 1A calculus). Students cannot take any core course or equivalent courses from the 1B term they will be repeating. However, students may be able to take general electives or Complementary Studies Electives (CSEs) with the strengthening course(s).

Please contact an advisor from the First Year Engineering Office to discuss and plan this option.

Important references:

• Examinations and Promotions (E and P) Rules #5
• E and P Academic Decisions #6

What courses do I have to repeat?

A student must repeat all core courses in which they scored below 70%. If the term includes a Complementary Studies Elective (CSE), any CSE or non-engineering elective may be chosen. The student excused from repeating courses in which they scored 70% or greater, must replace these courses with non-engineering electives to maintain a full course load for their term.

What do I do if I am excused from repeating a course (scored 70% or greater in my first attempt)?

If a student is exempt from retaking a course then the course must be replaced with an elective course.

What are acceptable courses for replacing an excused course on a repeat term?

Acceptable courses are either complementary study electives or general elective courses.

Why do I have to wait two terms (8 months) before repeating the term?

It normalizes the time penalty for students in all plans and streams. This is specified in the E and P Academic Decisions Rule #6.

I am in Stream 4 of a dual-streamed plan, can I repeat 1B with the Stream 8 class?

Unfortunately a stream switch is not possible. Students are required to stay out a minimum of two terms and then expected to resume their studies in the same stream they were originally admitted into.

What can I do during the term (4 months) prior to repeating the term?

Students can enrol in a voluntary strengthening term in order to clear previously failed courses or to strengthen their academic background to help improve their chances of success.

What is a voluntary strengthening term?

A student requests to enrol for an Engineering non-degree term in order to strengthen their academic background before returning to repeat and/or clear a 1B failure. Acceptable courses would be 1A core or equivalent courses in which the student is weak in.

How do I arrange for enrolment in my repeat term?

Students wishing to return and repeat the failed term must notify their academic advisor.

Should I be enrolled in a Work Report on a repeat term?

Students should not be enrolled for the Work Report credit on a repeat term.

What are the grade requirements to pass a repeat term?

Promotion rules for a repeat term are a minimum term average of 60% with no course grade below 50%.

Is there a limit to the number of repeat term decisions a student can earn?

There are no more than two repeat terms allowed. A student receiving a third failed term will be Required to Withdraw from Engineering.

I was awarded a No Penalty repeat term via a petition. What is the effect of the No Penalty?

The no-penalty designation means that the term is not counted as a repeat term with regard to the number of times a term can be repeated, or in the calculation of the total number of terms of full-time study in the plan. This condition is normally applied as a result of extenuating circumstances which significantly affected the student's performance in the failed term.

A 1A student may voluntarily withdraw from the plan or term within the Drop/Add Period. After the Drop/Add period ends and before the final examinations begin, a student in 1A can voluntarily withdraw from the plan or term; however, withdrawing from the term at this time is only possible under extenuating circumstances and with the permission of the First-Year Engineering Office. Once final examinations begin, a student will normally not be allowed to voluntarily withdraw from the term or plan.     

This standing applies to 1A students with a term average below 50. The Academic Standing "Required to Withdraw after 1A Engineering" is defined in the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar under Academic Decisions.

Some general options to consider are:

1. Verify your grades with your course instructors.
2. Petition for an exception if you have extenuating circumstances.
3. Apply to the 1A Qualifying Program for re-admission.
4. Transfer to another Faculty at uWaterloo or another university.

More information on these options can be found at:

•  Academic Counselling - see Help for your first year
•  Term promotions

This standing applies to 1B students with a term average below 50. The Academic Standing "Required to Withdraw from Engineering" is defined in the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar under Academic Decisions.

Some general options to consider are:

1. Verify your grades with your course instructors.
2. Petition for an exception if you have extenuating circumstances.
3. Apply to the 1B Qualifying Program for readmission.
4. Transfer to another Faculty at Waterloo or another university.

This standing applies to 1A and 1B students with a term average of at least 50 and below 60, or a term average of at least 60 with 3 or more failed courses. The Academic Standing "Required to Withdraw from Engineering" is defined in the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar under Academic Decisions.

Some general options to consider are:

1. Verify your grades with your course instructors.
2. Petition for an exception if you have extenuating circumstances.
3. Repeat the term the following year, in the original stream.
4. Transfer to another Faculty at Waterloo or another university.

This standing applies to 1A and 1B students with a term average of at least 60 and 1 or 2 failed courses, which includes failed work-term reports. The Academic Standing "Conditional" is defined in the Undergraduate Studies Academic Calendar under Academic Decisions.

Some general options to consider are:

1. Verify your grades.
2. Clear your failed courses.
3. Understand the May Not Proceed Standing if the failed courses are not cleared.