Faculty of Mathematics

Admission requirements vary from program to program, as well as for students coming from high school compared to transfer students.

View our admission requirements for each program →

Learn more about transferring from college or university to Waterloo →

If your grades and Admission Information Form (AIF) are eligible for admission but your English language test scores fall below our requirements, you may receive an offer to participate in Math/Bridge to Academic Success in English (Math/BASE) program. The program is designed to allow students to improve their English before beginning in their mathematics program. Students cannot apply directly to Math/BASE.

If you repeat a required course or take a course outside of your regular day school, you may jeopardize your chances of being admitted to the Faculty of Mathematics.

You should take all your courses in regular day school and do well in your first attempt.

If you take a course(s) outside your regular day school you will be asked to explain why on your Admission Information Form (AIF).

Review Waterloo's policy on repeated and non-day school courses →

The Euclid Mathematics Contest and the Canadian Senior Math Competition (CSMC) are administered by the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), an outreach affiliate of the Faculty of Mathematics. The results of these contests are used to make math scholarship decisions for students who have applied to programs in the Faculty of Mathematics, including Computer Science.

While the contests are used primarily to award scholarships, a strong score can be an asset to your application. For students whose grades and Admission Information Form scores are on the borderline of receiving admission, a good score could result in them receiving an offer. A missing score or bad score will not be used. Participation in the contests will not hurt your chances of admissions as they are NOT required for consideration. 

Contests need to be written in the year that you're applying to Waterloo for the results to be applicable for scholarships and possibly admission. Students in Grades 9, 10, and 11 are welcome to write the contests as preparation for Grade 12. 

It's recommended that you participate in both the Euclid Mathematics Contest and the Canadian Senior Math Competition (CSMC). If that's not possible, participating in at least one contest is beneficial. If you're applying to one of our computer science programs, you're also encouraged to participate in our Canadian Computing Competition (CCC). View all of our contests. 

If you are applying as a transfer student, you do not need to participate in our contests as transfer students are not eligible to receive our math entrance scholarships. They are designed for high school applicants.