Waterloo is a top-ranked, world-class institution of higher learning and research, attracting thousands of graduate students from around the world each year.
Waterloo champions a culture of curiosity, exploration, risk-taking, entrepreneurship, global stewardship and leadership. Waterloo brings bold ideas and brilliant minds together, inspiring innovation with global impact today and in the future.
Why consider Waterloo as an American?
Waterloo is one of Canada’s leading comprehensive universities with more than 42,500 full and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The best and brightest from around the world are drawn to Waterloo for our renowned academic programs, world-leading co-operative education program, and teaching and research excellence.
Did you know that our PhD programs and many of our research master's programs offer guaranteed minimum funding?
Waterloo is conviently located close to the largest international airport in Canada
Faculties and programs
The University offers over 180 graduate programs in Arts (Humanities and Social Sciences), Engineering, Environment, Health, Mathematics (Computer Science), Science and Theology.
Many of our programs are still accepting applications!
Arts
The Faculty of Arts is home to the most diverse range of programs and research at Canada’s most innovative university.
Join our dynamic community of graduate students, supervising faculty and graduate support staff working in and across the humanities, social sciences, and fine, performing and media arts.
Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering is Canada’s largest engineering school and a pipeline for top engineering talent to the world’s leading companies.
Waterloo Engineering offers programs on courses ranging from architecture, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, systems design engineering and more.
Environment
The Faculty of Environment is Canada’s leading environmental and sustainability centre. Our students are set to tackle some of the world’s most challenging issues.
Waterloo Environment offers programs on courses such as climate change, economic, planning, social and ecological sustainability, and more.
Health
The Faculty of Health specializes in the prevention of illness and injury, and the optimization of health and well-being throughout the lifespan, at work and at leisure.
Transdisciplinary teaching and research activities encompass the full scope of research-to-practice-to-policy and aim to enhance all aspects of quality of life at the individual, community and population levels.
Mathematics
The Faculty of Mathematics is North America’s only dedicated faculty of math.
We have a long history of seminal work in graph theory, cryptography, privacy, and artificial intelligence. From proof on Rota’s Conjecture and the solution to the strong Tsirelson problem, to elliptical curve cryptography and programming languages, our researchers impact the world.
Science
The Faculty of Science is a global leader for those seeking to engage in world-class basic and applied research and learning.
The discoveries of our faculty, staff and students are leading to disruptive ideas and innovations that will ensure a healthy and sustainable future. Waterloo science offers programs on courses such as biology, pharmacy, physics, vision science, and more.
Co-op and Work Integrated Learning (WIL)
Waterloo is home to the world's largest co-op program of its kind.
Many of our graduate programs offer co-op or other work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities to give you the hands-on, real-world experience you need to succeed in your career.
Waterloo is the top destination for entrepreneurial students
Many universities retain a portion of IP rights for inventions created by their students and faculty.
At Waterloo, you own your Intellectual Property (IP) thanks to Policy 73 - our innovative "creator-owned" IP policy. So this means what you invent and create, you own.
Learn more about our IP policy and how we support commercialization→
Waterloo's main campus
Campus in the early fall.
The main path in the winter with the Davis Centre library in the background.
Centre of campus in the fall.
The Mathematics & Computer building and the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre walkway in the summer.
Canada geese on campus in the springtime.
The Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre (QNC) and the Student Life Centre at dawn in summer.
Applying to Waterloo
Minimum requirements
There are minimum requirements that can vary from program to program.
Check out the Waterloo program pages for the programs you're interested in applying to for admission requirement details.
Additional requirements
A U.S. 4-year bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of 120 credit hours. A 2 year Associate degree is not acceptable.
The institution where you earned your previous degree(s) must have regional accreditation from one of the following accrediting bodies:
- MSA - Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
- NASC - Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges
- NCA - North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
- NEASC - New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- SACS - Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- WASC - Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Test scores
Some programs will require test scores such as:
- GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) required for Combinatorics and Optimization, Computer Science, Physics and Psychology
- GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) required for Accounting PhD and Master of Taxation
Please check the Waterloo program pages for the programs you are interested in applying to for application deadlines and additional application requirements (i.e. references, résumé, writing sample, supplementary information form/research proposal, GRE, GMAT).
Tuition and fees
To determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program, visit the graduate program tuition page for international students on the Finance website. Once you are on the page:
- Choose your program type: master’s & diploma programs or doctoral programs.
- Choose your residency status: Canadian/permanent resident or international.
- Choose a term (tuition amounts for future terms are posted approximately two months prior to the start of each term and incidental fees are subject to change).
- Find your program under the appropriate faculty. Tuition amounts are listed per term, with three terms occurring over the course of a year.
Living expenses
Visit living costs and housing for estimates on housing, food and other living expenses.
Immigration information
All US citizens and permanent residents must obtain a study permit to attend Waterloo. Learn more about how to apply for a study permit.
Interested in coming to Waterloo for a visit?
No special visa or permit is required. However, you must carry proper identification.
Waterloo provides no-cost immigration consulting to all international graduate studies applicants.
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