Advanced Placement (AP) transfer credits

The University of Waterloo recognizes AP (Advanced Placement) examination results and will consider awarding transfer credits for AP courses in which normally a minimum final grade of 4 is attained.

Official final AP results must be sent from the College Board directly to the Admissions Office at Waterloo before transfer credit can be considered. Your final AP results 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 term 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
  • Accounting and Financial Management, Sustainability and Financial Management
    • Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 2.0 units (equivalent to four term courses).
  • Global Business and Digital Arts
    • Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 2.5 units (equivalent to four term courses).
  • All other Arts programs
    • Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 4.0 units (equivalent to eight term courses).

Faculty of Engineering, Software Engineering, and Architecture
  • Architecture
    • Transfer credit will be considered for an elective credit up to a maximum of 0.5 units (equivalent to one term course).
  • All other Engineering programs, including Software Engineering
    • We consider AP courses to be a good challenge and good preparation for our programs. You may find that you have covered some of the material 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 AP courses. As a result, we don't grant first-year course exemptions for AP courses.

Faculty of Environment
  • Planning
    • Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 1.0 units (equivalent to two term courses).
  • All other Faculty of Environment programs
    • Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 4.0 units (equivalent to eight term courses).

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

Faculty of Mathematics, including Computing and Financial Management
  • Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum 1.5 units (equivalent to three term courses).
  • If you completed AP Calculus BC with a grade of 5 you will be considered for transfer credit. You may also be eligible to take advanced versions of some first-year courses. Visit the Faculty of Mathematics course selection page for details.
  • 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 Economics 120 and Economics 140.

    • For students in these two programs, 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 AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science, or AP Statistics.

Faculty of Science
  • Transfer credits will be considered up to a maximum of 3.0 units (equivalent to six term courses).
  • Transfer credit of 0.5 units for MATH 127 will be allowed for AP Calculus (AB or BC) with a grade of 5, excluding the Mathematical Physics program which does not award transfer credit for AP Calculus AB.
  • Transfer credit of 0.5 units for STAT 202 will be allowed for AP Statistics with a grade of 4 or 5.
  • Credit will not be awarded for any AP Physics if your Waterloo program requires PHYS 121 or PHYS 121L.
  • Credit will not be awarded for AP Chemistry if your Waterloo 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 a 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.

AP course Waterloo equivalent (0.5 units unless otherwise specified)
African American Studies ENGL 1XX
Art 2-D and Design FINE 1XX
Art 3-D and Design FINE 1XX
Art Drawing FINE 1XX
Art History FINE 1XX
Biology BIOL 239 and 130L (0.75 units)
Calculus AB

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

All other students: MATH 127

Calculus BC

Students in the Faculty of Mathematics, including Computing and Financial Management: MATH 137

All other students: MATH 127

Chemistry CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, and CHEM 123L (1.5 units)
Chinese Language and Culture CHINA 1XX
Computer Science A

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

All other students: CS 1XX

Computer Science Principles

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

All other students: CS 1XX

English Language and Composition ENGL 1XX
English Literature and Composition ENGL 1XX
Environmental Science GEOG 1XX
European History HIST 1XX
French Language FR 1XX
German Language GER 1XX
Government and Politics: Comparative PSCI 1XX
Government and Politics: United States PSCI 1XX
Human Geography GEOG 101
Italian Language and Culture ITAL 1XX
Japanese Language and Culture JAPAN 1XX
Latin LAT 101
Macroeconomics ECON 1XX
Microeconomics ECON 1XX
Music Theory No transfer credit
Physics 1 PHYS 1XX
Physics 2 PHYS 1XX
Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism PHYS 1XX
Physics C: Mechanics PHYS 111
Precalculus No transfer credit
Psychology PSYCH 101
Spanish Language SPAN 1XX
Spanish Literature SPAN 1XX
Statistics

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

All other students: STAT 202

United States History HIST 1XX
World History HIST 1XX

Notes:

  1. If you have taken an AP language course that is not listed, please submit the grade from College Board as it may qualify for a first-year language transfer credit, e.g., LANG 1XX.