Suggested courses for Ontario students in grades 9 and 10

To help you plan your high school courses, here's a list of Ontario Grade 12 courses which are required for admission and the grade 9 to 11 courses you may need to take.

If you have some questions about applying to university or picking a program, email our student recruitment team who'd be happy to help.

Tips

  • We recommend that you meet with your counsellor early in your high school career to plan your course selection.
  • Some programs at Waterloo require a minimum grade in required Grade 12 courses. View our admission requirements for details.

Which courses are recommended?

The tables outline suggested sequences of high school courses that will prepare you for applying to university. Remember to confirm the requirements and admission ranges for your program(s) of interest before applying.

Recommended pathway to keep your options open for a variety of programs

Subject Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
English ENG1D ENG2D ENG3U
NBE3U
Grade 12 U English (some programs require ENG4U)
Math MTH1WI MPM2D MCR3U

One or more of

  • MHF4U – Advanced Functions
  • MCV4U – Calculus and Vectors
  • MDM4U – Math of Data Management
Science SNC1D SNC2D

SBI3U

SCH3U

SPH3U

One or more of

  • SBI4U – Biology
  • SCH4U – Chemistry
  • SPH4U – Physics

Recommended pathway for the humanities, social sciences, arts, languages, and environmental programs

Subject Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
English ENG1D ENG2D ENG3U
NBE3U
Grade 12 U English (some programs require ENG4U)

Recommended pathway for Waterloo engineering programs

Subject Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
English ENG1D ENG2D

ENG3U

NBE3U

ENG4U – English
Math MTH1WI MPM2D MCR3U

MHF4U – Advanced Functions

MCV4U – Calculus and Vectors

Science SNC1D SNC2D

SPH3U

SCH3U

SPH4U – Physics

SCH4U – Chemistry

Recommended pathway for Waterloo science programs

Subject Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 
English ENG1D ENG2D

ENG3U

NBE3U

ENG4U – English
Math MTH1WI MPM2D MCR3U

MHF4U – Advanced Functions

MCV4U – Calculus and Vectors

Two (or more) of the following Grade 12 science and math courses are also required.
Science SNC1D SNC2D

SBI3U

SCH3U

SPH3U

SBI4U – Biology

SCH4U – Chemistry

SPH4U – Physics

SES4U – Earth and Space Science

Math MTH1WI MPM2D MCR3U MDM4U – Math of Data Management

Recommended pathway for Waterloo math programs

Subject Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12 
English ENG1D ENG2D ENG3U Any Grade 12 U English
Math MTH1WI MPM2D MCR3U

MHF4U – Advanced Functions

MCV4U – Calculus and Vectors

Other       Plus one other Grade 12 U course

These pathways are offered as tips for planning your choice of high school courses and will not guarantee admission to the University.

Learn more