Science and Business

Can science nerds make it big in business? You bet.

Jumpstart your career with a one-of-a-kind degree that equips you with both scientific know-how and valuable business skills.

Science and Business at Waterloo combines studies in biology, chemistry, and physics with courses in economics, accounting, marketing, law, and entrepreneurship.

Focus your degree by specializing in one of four different scientific disciplines, or take a broader range of courses tailored to your interests. Meanwhile, in one of Canada’s top universities for business, you’ll work in small groups on case studies, business plans, and market analysis, as well as have the opportunity to gain paid work experience through the co-op stream.

When you graduate, the opportunities are many: this is a degree you can put to work in intellectual property, research, mutual funds, technical sales, business development, law, and a host of other fields.

Science and Business admission requirements

Ontario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including

  • English (ENG4U) (minimum final grade of 70%)
  • Advanced Functions (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
  • Calculus and Vectors (minimum final grade of 70% is required)
  • Two of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Geometry and Discrete Mathematics, Mathematics of Data Management, Physics
  • Recommended high school courses: Chemistry, Introduction to International Business

Admission averages: Low 80s

We recommend you complete the Admission Information Form once you've applied.

Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements.

 

  

  

 

First-year Science and Business courses

September to December

January to April

  • ECON 101 - Introduction to Microeconomics
  • MATH 128 - Calculus 2 for the Sciences
  • CHEM 123/123L - Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics/Laboratory
  • SCBUS 122 - Management of Business Organizations
  • CS 100 - Introduction to Computing through Applications
  • One 100- or 200-level Biology course, EARTH 122/EARTH 122L Introductory Environmental Sciences, or other Faculty of Science elective
 

After first year

Most of the classes you’ll take will be Faculty of Science courses with some Economics and Accounting and Financial Management courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.

View a list of all the courses required for your degree.

Sample upper-year courses

AFM 231 – Business law
BIOL 239 – Genetics
SCBUS 223 – Workshop 2: Strategies Behind Technological Innovation
SCBUS 323 – Workshop 3: Technology Development

 

Female business science student pointing to chart on glass wall while her peers sit at the meeting table in front of her.

Choose the co-op stream to include 20 months of paid work experience as part of your Bachelor of Science degree.

Breifcase Available as a co-op and regular program

ClickApply directly to this program on your application

CapEarn a Bachelor of Science degree in Honours Science and Business

 

Co-op = relevant paid work experience

By alternating school terms and paid co-op work terms throughout your degree, you can explore new career areas and types of employers as your career interests evolve.

Sample co-op job titles

  • Marketing research analyst
  • Marketing and operation coordinator
  • Validation & quality assurance analyst
  • Laboratory technician
  • Undergraduate research assistant
  • Science peer tutor
  • Sustainability project analyst

Sample co-op employers

  • Environment & Climate Change Canada
  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  • TD Bank Group
  • Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada
  • Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario
  • Apotex Inc.
  • Alberta Cancer Research Institute
 

4Optional specializations for you to choose from

BeakerOffered by the Faculty of Science

Graph300+ business-related courses available

 

Specializations

You can add additional areas of expertise to your degree by including one or more of the areas of focus in Science and Business.

  • Biochemistry
  • Biology
  • Biotechnology
  • Earth Sciences (co-op not available)

You can also include one of the minors available to all Waterloo students.

What can you do with a degree in Science and Business?

With their two areas of expertise, graduates of the program commonly pursue careers in finance, science, technology, health and medical research, consulting, and in the energy and oil industry practising project and program analysis, business analysis, and technology development.

Recent graduates

  • Business Analyst - The Hospital for Sick Children
  • Clinical Research Officer - Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health
  • Drug Safety Operations Team Lead - Hoffmann-LaRoche Ltd.
  • Logistic Planner - Praxair Canada Inc.
  • Project Leader - Apotex Incorporated
  • Science Commercialization Officer - Science Enterprise Algoma
  • Privacy Analyst - eHealth Ontario
  • Account Manager - Pivotal Labs

For more information on potential careers, check out our page on careers in business.

Launch your own startup

Have entrepreneurial ambitions? Velocity Science, our incubator for science startups, provides all kinds of support to launch a business.

Connect outside of class

The Science and Business Students’ Association organizes beach days, BBQs, and end-of-term events … plus pre-exam breakfasts and résumé critiques.

 

Ready to learn more?