Advanced Level (A Level) transfer credits

The University of Waterloo recognizes Advanced Level (A Level) courses as excellent academic preparation for success at the university level and will consider awarding transfer credits for A Level courses in which normally a minimum final grade of B is attained.

Official final A Level results must be sent directly to the Admissions Office at Waterloo before transfer credits can be considered. Your final A Level transcript must be received by the deadline as stated on your offer of admission.

  • The maximum number of transfer credits varies by program.
  • Transfer credits will normally be weighted as 0.5 units each (equivalent to one course at Waterloo).
  • The transfer credits you receive will be different if you change to a program that requires 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.
  • 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 (generally equivalent to 8 term courses), except the Global Business and Digital Arts and the Accounting and Financial Management and Sustainability 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 courses in the systems listed above.
  • As a result, we do not grant first-year course exemptions for A Level courses you have completed.

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 equivalent of eight term courses at Waterloo), except for Honours Planning, for which transfer credit will be considered up to a maximum of 1.0 units.

Faculty of Health
  • The Recreation and Leisure Studies degree program will consider up to a maximum of 4.0 units (generally equivalent to eight term courses at Waterloo).
  • The Health Sciences, Kinesiology, and Public Health programs will consider up to a maximum of 3.0 units (generally equivalent to six term courses).

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 A Level courses.
  • For Business Administration (Laurier) and Mathematics (Waterloo) and Business Administration (Laurier) and Computer Science (Waterloo) double degree students, transfer credit assessment may be subject to change based on cross-registration with Wilfrid Laurier University.
  • The Faculty of Mathematics does not award transfer credit for the A Level Computer Science course.

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 Mathematics or Pure Mathematics with a minimum grade of A.
  • The Mathematical Physics program will award MATH 1XX for A Level Mathematics or Pure Mathematics with a minimum grade of A.
  • Transfer credit is not awarded for any A Level Physics if a program/major requires PHYS 121 or PHYS 121L.
  • Transfer credit is not awarded for A Level Chemistry if a program/major 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, AFM 1XX means that you'll receive transfer credit for a general first-year course in accounting (called Accounting and Financial Management at Waterloo).

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 course. Once you start your course selection as a Waterloo student, your academic advisor can help with any questions about choosing courses and transfer credits.

Most courses at Waterloo are 0.5 units each and are one semester in length.

A Level course Waterloo course equivalent (0.5 units unless otherwise specified)
Accounting AFM 1XX
Arabic LANG 1XX
Arts (Arts and Design) FINE 1XX
Biological Sciences BIOL 130L and BIOL 239 (0.75 units)
Business BUS 1XX
Chemistry CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, and CHEM 123L (1.5 units)
Chinese CHINA 1XX
Computer Science

Students in the Faculty of Mathematics, including Computing and Financial Management: No transfer credit

All other students: CS 1XX

Economics ECON 1XX
English ENGL 1XX
French FR 1XX
Further Mathematics No transfer credit
Geography GEOG 101 and GEOG 102 (1.0 units)
Government and Politics PSCI 1XX
Greek GRK 101 and GRK 102
History HIST 1XX
Information Technology

Students in the Faculty of Mathematics, including Computing and Financial Management: No transfer credit

All other students: CS 1XX

Law LS 1XX
Mathematics

Students in the Faculty of Mathematics, including Computing and Financial Management: MATH 1XX if a grade of A is attained

All other students: MATH 127 if a grade of A is attained

Media Studies GBDA 101
Physics PHYS 111 and PHYS 1XX (1.0 units)
Psychology (Arts) PSYCH 1XX
Sociology SOC 101
Spanish SPAN 101
Urdu LANG 1XX

Note:

If you have taken an A Level language course that is not listed, please submit the grade from either Cambridge CIE or Edexcel as it may qualify for a first-year language transfer credit, e.g., LANG 1XX.