Go abroad

To access the exchange application, you will first need to attend an information session. 

Application deadlines for the 2022-2023 exchange cycle

Application dates for future exchange cycles 

• Cumulative overall average of 70% or higher*
• Be in good standing for your program*
• Demonstrate capability of maintaining a full course load as determined by your academic plan or AccessAbility Services
• Be proficient in the language of instruction at the host university (check that the school you are interested in going to offers courses taught in English, if that is the language you will need to study in)
• Be in at least your 3A term at the time you go on exchange
  Most students go on exchange during their 3A or 3B term, although 4A works best for students in Planning. 

*Please note that you must maintain a minimum average of 70% and remain in good standing until the time you leave for your exchange.

If you are unsure about whether you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact Jaime Fohkens. 

Tuition/Program fees

Exchanges

For international exchanges, you pay your normal tuition fees (for 2.5 units) to Waterloo. There is no extra tuition charged to participate in an exchange program. Please note that your tuition for an exchange term does not change if you take a lighter course load at your host school.

Summer programs

Summer programs through the University of Waterloo vary. For some summer programs, you pay the program fee directly to the host school and for others, you pay your tuition fees (for 1.5 units) to Waterloo. You can find this information, as well as the program cost, on the program's summary page in Waterloo Passport.

Other costs

You are responsible for any extra studying costs (student fees, books, lab fees, etc.), travel expenses, passport and visa arrangements, accommodations, food and all other living expenses, etc., including health care.

Costs of living abroad vary considerably, but is often not significantly higher than living in Canada. To make your exchange more affordable, consider schools located in smaller cities or towns, where housing tends to be much lower than in larger cities.

International experience awards (free money!)

The University of Waterloo offers a number of awards and bursaries in support of international studies. You can be considered for most of the international experience awards by completing one application.

Some of our partner schools offer funding for exchange students. If there is funding available, you will find that information on the school/program's summary page in Waterloo Passport, beside "What financial support is available?".

You can find the programs that are available to Environment students in Waterloo Passport. You do not have to log in to search for programs (and will only be able to log in after you attend an info session).

Note: If you will need to take courses that transfer back at the 300- or 400-level during your exchange, it is recommended that you do not go on exchange to Singapore, as it can be very difficult to find and get into courses at that level, even if they are offered during the term you will be there. 

To search

1. Click on the "Search Programs" tab at the top of the page
2. Select "Exchange" as the type and check the box beside "Environment" to find the universities you can go to as an Environment student
3. Click "Apply Search" to get your results
4. Click on the name of a school, in the list of results, to see more information about that host school. Be sure to check the following information when looking at the school summary:

• Term/semester dates - quite a few universities have term dates that are different from ours and may overlap two of our terms (e.g. terms in Australia typically run from February to June and July to November/December). Check individual universities for term/semester dates as these can vary even within countries/regions.
• Language of instruction (found to the right of the map) - most of our partner universities offer courses taught in English but be sure to check this before applying.

You will find plenty of useful links in the school profile (the page you see after clicking on the name of the host school) that will take you to information on courses, housing, the school website and more.

• Attend an information session. Upcoming dates, times and locations can be found on the Student Success Office Go Abroad website, under the "Application steps: Before match" tab. The sessions currently listed are for the 2022-2023 cycle. Check back in late August for an updated list of information sessions for the 2023-2024 exchange cycle.
• Check your degree requirements in the academic calendar to figure out which courses you still need to graduate. 
• Check that the host school you are interested in offers courses you would want to take (and would be open to you as an exchange student).
• Have a plan for taking your core/required courses at Waterloo and leave electives for your exchange term. Plan on taking your required courses at Waterloo and leaving your electives to take during your exchange, as it can be difficult to find courses that will transfer back to Waterloo as the specific courses you may need. Plan early and talk to your academic advisor about how you might be able to take the required courses you would normally take during the term you'll be on exchange, during your other terms at Waterloo.
• Discuss with your Academic Advisor and Co-op Advisor (if applicable) how an exchange will fit into your academic plan. Depending on the term dates of the school you are going to, you may have to make changes to the sequencing of your work and study terms. 
• Check the term dates, duration and language of instruction of the host schools to ensure they would be a good option for you. You are expected to be at your host school for their term dates, not Waterloo's.

See the Application Steps tabs on the Student Success Office's Go abroad page to find out more about the exchange process and how to apply.

You will receive an email from the Global Learning Team when you've been matched with a host school. You will only be matched with one school/program.

Transfer credits

Most students are able to transfer a full course load of credits (2.5 units) back to Waterloo after completing an exchange term. The key is to look into courses early and have them assessed before you leave for your exchange so that you know which transfer credits you can expect to receive when you return to Waterloo.

You are welcome to take any course that your host university will allow you to enrol in, making this the perfect opportunity to take courses that can only be found at your host school. Just keep in mind that you cannot receive transfer credit for a course you have already received credit for at the University of Waterloo.

Transfer credit assessment process

Once you have been matched with a host school and have accepted your match we can start the process of getting courses assessed for transfer credits, although it is usually more beneficial to wait until you hear from your host school with next steps, as they will usually give you more information on the courses that would be open to you as an exchange student. When you choose to get courses assessed is completely up to you, and mainly depends on the credits you are hoping to get during your exchange. 

Arts courses 

Complete the Arts Transfer Credit Application Form for Non-Arts Outgoing Exchange Students form.

All other courses

Email Jaime Fohkens (max. 6 courses at a time) with the following information for each course: 

• Course name/code
• The full course outline/syllabus
• Specific credits you are looking for (e.g. credits above the 100-level, GEOG 101, ERS credits, etc.)

Be sure to include your full name, program and student number in your email when requesting course assessments.

When can I start getting courses assessed?

You can start getting courses assessed for transfer credits once you are matched with a host school and have accepted your match. However, it is usually best to wait until you have access to the host school's application to have courses assessed, as you will likely have access to more information about the courses that would be open to you, as an exchange student, during the term you will be on exchange.  

The credits you need to find during your exchange term will be another factor in when you choose to get courses assessed. If you are looking for a specific credit, you may want to start the process earlier to ensure there are some options for getting that particular credit (although we can't guarantee that you will be able to enrol in a particular course, even if it is offered during the term you will be on exchange). If you only need to find electives, you may not want to have courses assessed until closer to the start of your exchange term, or once you find out which courses you've successfully been enrolled in.

Even if you only need to find electives, you should have courses assessed before the deadline to make changes to your course enrolment at your host school, just to make sure that they are not equivalent to a course you have already taken at Waterloo.

How do I find courses at my host school that I can take as an exchange student?

A link to courses at your host school, and information about the courses and areas of study that are restricted to exchange students, can usually be found on the program page in Waterloo Passport, beside "What courses can I take?".

If the link is broken or doesn't seem to have the information you're looking for, try searching on your host school's website. Be sure to look for information specifically for exchange students, as there could be courses that aren't open to exchange students or a special list of courses created just for exchange students. 

Do I have to take courses related to my program?

No, you are free to take any course your host school will let you take. As long as a course shows on your transcript with a credit weighting and a passing grade, and you haven't already taken the equivalent course at Waterloo (see Transfer credit assessment process, above), you will receive credit for it. 

You should talk to your academic advisor about the courses you still need to meet your degree requirements, so that you are aware of the credits you still need to graduate. This will help you as you look for courses.

If you are looking for a course above the 100-level, be sure to stay away from courses with the words "introduction to" as they will likely be assessed at the 100-level. A list of Environment courses that have been assessed for students in the past can be found on our transfer credit equivalencies page. If there is a specific Environment credit you are trying to find, you may find our Environment course information page (for course outlines before Fall 2021) and UW Outlines (current and more recent outlines) 

It says that a full course load at my host school is 4 courses. Does that mean I can only earn 2.0 units for my exchange term?

No, as long as you take what is considered to be a full course load at your host school, we will make sure you receive 2.5 units of transfer credits, as long as you pass all your courses and have not already received the credit at Waterloo (for specific transfer credits, e.g. GEOG 101). 

Where can I find information on visas, housing, etc.?

Your host school will provide more information on all the things you will need to sort out for the term you will be there on exchange, likely when they send you information about applying directly to your host school. You can also find helpful links to some of that information on your host school's program page in Waterloo Passport.

Connor (Planning) - Macquarie University, Australia

Siddhartha (Environment and Business) - Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore

Devon (Geography and Environment Management) - Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Ryan (Environment and Business ) - University of Navarra, Spain

 

Katelyn (Environment, Resources and Sustainability) - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

Corbin (Environment and Business) - University of Wollongong, Australia

Vanessa (Geography and Environmental Management) - Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Claire (Environment, Resources and Sustainability) - University of Liverpool, United Kingdom

Jacqueline (Environment and Business) - Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany (Ontario Baden-Württemberg (OBW) exchange program)

If you have been on an exchange and would like to share your story and/or photos, please contact Jaime Fohkens. We would love to hear from you!

Jaime Fohkens
jaime.fohkens@uwaterloo.ca
EV1-337 | 519-888-4567, ext. 48480
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