Effective for students starting at Waterloo in September 2023
The University of Waterloo recognizes Cambridge Pre-U courses as excellent academic preparation for success at the university level and will normally consider awarding transfer credits for Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects in which a minimum final grade of M2 is attained.
Please note that official final Cambridge Pre-U results must be sent directly to the Admission Office at Waterloo before transfer credits can be considered. Your final Cambridge Pre-U transcript must be received by the deadline as listed on your offer of admission.
- The maximum number of transfer credits depends on the program you're admitted to.
- The transfer credits you receive will be different if you change to a program that required you to transfer from one faculty to another faculty. Please note that in such a situation, a faculty admissions committee reserves the right to refuse transfer credits.
- 0.5 units is generally equal to a one-term course at Waterloo. For example, 4.0 units is the equivalent of 8 term courses (or 80% of a full year).
You have the option to decline your transfer credits. Further details will be emailed to you in August, once your transfer credits have been assessed.
Maximum number of transfer credits and additional notes
Not sure which faculty offers your program of interest? View a list of programs by faculty.
Faculty of Arts, including Accounting and Financial Management, Sustainability and Financial Management
- Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 4.0 units, except the Global Business and Digital Arts and Accounting and Financial Management programs.
- Global Business and Digital Arts will consider up to a maximum of 2.5 units.
- Accounting and Financial Management will consider up to a maximum of 2.0 units.
- Sustainability and Financial Management will consider up to a maximum of 2.0 units.
Faculty of Engineering, including Architecture
- We consider these courses to be a good challenge and good preparation for our programs. You may find that you have covered some of the material included in our first-term courses but, in most cases, not enough for you to be exempted from the entire course without potentially running into academic difficulties later.
- The depth and level of problem-solving is very different in our Engineering programs than in the Cambridge Pre-U courses. As a result, we don't grant first-year course exemptions for A Level or Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject courses.
School of Architecture
- Transfer credit will be considered for an elective credit up to a maximum of 0.5 units (equivalent to one term course).
Faculty of Environment
- Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 4.0 units.
- The Planning degree program will consider up to a maximum of 1.0 units.
Faculty of Health
- The Recreation and Leisure Studies program will consider up to a maximum of 4 units.
- The Health Sciences, Kinesiology, and Public Health programs will consider up to a maximum of 3 units.
Faculty of Mathematics, including Computing and Financial Management
- Up to 1.5 units of transfer credit (the equivalent of three term courses at Waterloo) will be allowed for Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject courses.
- If you complete A Level or Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject in Mathematics or Further Mathematics with a grade of A for A Levels or D3 for Cambridge Principal Subject, you may receive transfer credit of 0.5 units for MATH 137 (included in the 1.5 total). You may then
- accept the transfer credit and begin your calculus sequence with MATH 138; or
- decline the transfer credit and begin your calculus sequence with MATH 137; or
- decline the transfer credit and begin your calculus sequence with Advanced Calculus, MATH 147. The option to take MATH 147 is available only if your Euclid Mathematics Contest score is 80 or higher or if you obtain permission from the instructor of the MATH 147 course once you arrive on campus in September.
- For Business Administration (Laurier) and Mathematics (Waterloo) and Business Administration (Laurier) and Computer Science (Waterloo) double degree students, Economics will be reviewed for Laurier courses EC 120 & EC 140.
- For students in these two programs, transfer credit assessment may be subject to change based on cross-registration with Wilfrid Laurier University.
Faculty of Science
- Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 3.0 units (the equivalent of six term courses at Waterloo).
- Transfer credit of 0.5 units for MATH 127 will be allowed for A-Level or Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject Mathematics or Further Mathematics with a minimum grade of A for A-Levels or M1 for Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject is attained.
-
Credit is not awarded for Cambridge Pre-U Physics if a program requires PHYS 121 or PHYS 121L.
-
Credit is not awarded for Cambridge Pre-U Chemistry if a program requires CHEM 121, CHEM 121L, CHEM 125, and CHEM 125L.
Course equivalencies
"1XX" means that you'll receive first-year credit for an elective in that subject. For example, FINE 1XX means that you'll receive transfer credit for a general first-year course in Fine Arts. Most courses at Waterloo are worth 0.5 units.
You’ll have a mix of courses you’re required to take as part of your degree and elective courses you can choose. A “1XX” course can be used as an elective. Once you start your course selection as a Waterloo student, your academic advisor can help with any questions about choosing courses and transfer credits.
|
Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subject Course
|
Waterloo course equivalent (0.5 units unless otherwise specified)
|
|---|
| Arabic |
LANG 1XX |
| Arts (Arts and Design) |
FINE 1XX |
| Biological Sciences (A-Level) |
BIOL 239 and BIOL 130L (0.75 units) |
| Biology (Pre-U) |
BIOL 239 and BIOL 130L (0.75 units) |
| Business or Business Management |
BUS 1XX |
| Chemistry (A-Level) |
CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, and CHEM 123L (1.5 units) |
| Chemistry (Pre-U) |
CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, and CHEM 123L (1.5 units) |
| Classical Greek or Classical Heritage |
CLAS 1XX |
| Chinese |
CHINA 1XX |
| Comparative Government and Politics |
PSCI 1XX |
| Computer Science |
CS 1XX |
| Economics (A-Level) |
ECON 1XX |
| Economics (Pre-U) |
ECON 1XX (Grade of M1 must be attained)
|
| English |
ENGL 1XX |
| French |
FR 1XX |
| Geography |
GEOG 1XX |
| History or History of Art |
HIST 1XX |
| German |
GER 1XX |
| Italian |
ITAL 1XX |
| Information Technology |
CS 1XX |
| Latin |
LAT 1XX |
| Mathematics |
MATH 137 – Grade of A (A-Level) or D3 (Pre-U) must be attained, or
MATH 127 – Grade B (A-Level) or M1 (Pre-U) must be attained
A minimum grade of A (A-Level) must be attained for programs within the Faculty of Science.
|
| Further Mathematics |
MATH 137 (0.5 units) - Grade of A (A-Level) or D3 (Pre-U) must be attained, or
MATH 127 (0.5 units) - Grade B (A-Level) or M1 (Pre-U) must be attained
A minimum grade of A (A-Level) must be attained for programs within the Faculty of Science.
|
| Music |
MUSIC 1XX |
| Philosophy & Theology |
PHIL 1XX |
| Physics (A-Level) |
PHYS 111 and PHYS 1XX (1.0 units) |
| Physics (Pre-U) |
PHYS 111 and PHYS 111L (0.75 units) |
| Psychology (Arts) |
PSYCH 1XX |
| Russian |
RUSS 1XX |
| Sociology |
SOC 101 |
| Spanish |
SPAN 1XX |
| Sports Science |
Under review |
