It's possible to receive transfer credits for up to half of the courses needed for your Waterloo degree. However, the transfer credits you receive may vary depending on the program to which you have been admitted.
In most cases, transfer credit assessments are completed once you've been admitted to Waterloo.
If you’re enrolled or have completed courses at a college or university in Ontario, visit the course-to-course guide on ontransfer.ca for the most up-to-date information on how your previous/current courses may transfer to Waterloo. If you’re admitted to Waterloo, you’ll then receive an official assessment of how many transfer credits will count toward your degree here.
Our admission requirements list the maximum amount of transfer credits for your program(s) of interest.
Which courses are eligible for transfer?
Transferred courses will count toward the credits needed for your Waterloo degree; however, grades obtained in these courses will not be included in your Waterloo averages. You must meet all requirements of your Waterloo academic plan (major) in order to graduate, regardless of the number of transfer credits that you receive.
College courses
You’re eligible for transfer credit for relevant courses in which you have earned a grade of 70% or better, except if you are admitted to the Faculty of Science which requires a minimum grade of 75%.
University courses
You’re eligible for transfer credit for relevant courses in which you earn a grade of 60% or better.
Bible college courses
You'll be considered for admission and possible transfer credits when minimum admission requirements have been met. Email myapplication@uwaterloo.ca for details.
Transfer credit policies
Not sure which faculty offers your program? View a list of programs grouped by faculty.
Faculty of Arts, including Accounting and Financial Management and Sustainability and Financial Management
Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business, Global Business and Digital Arts, and Social Development Studies programs
- Courses completed within the past 10 years will be considered for transfer credit. Courses completed more than 10 years ago will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will most often receive general elective transfer credits (i.e., PSYCH 1XX, not PSYCH 101).
- Applicants who receive 7.0 units (equivalent to 14 term courses) or more in transfer credits are not normally eligible for co-op programs. Applicants who are not eligible for co-op will be considered for the regular version of the program, if available.
Accounting and Financial Management, Sustainability and Financial Management
- If you have a degree in any field, you're not eligible for admission to Accounting and Financial Management or Sustainability and Financial Management. You are encouraged to speak directly with CPA – Ontario to discuss your next steps to achieve your designation.
- If you're applying to transfer into Accounting and Financial Management or Sustainability and Financial Management from another degree program, you'll be considered for admission to the first year of the program.
Faculty of Engineering, including Architecture
Engineering programs
- Admission for transfer students to Engineering programs is considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Transfer students are usually eligible for admission only to the first year of Waterloo’s five-year, co-op only Engineering programs.
- University courses completed within the past three years may be considered for possible transfer credit. In some cases, you may receive a couple of transfer credits if you’re transferring from another Canadian university. Transfer credits are not available in the Biomedical Engineering or Systems Design Engineering programs. Please email the Engineering Admissions Office for more information.
- No transfer credits will be awarded for courses taken at college.
Architecture program
- Transfer students are eligible for admission to the first year of the program only.
- Students transferring from a university may receive up to 1.5 transfer credits (equivalent to three term courses). Eligibility will depend on when the course was taken, the course content, and the course grade.
- No transfer credits will be awarded for courses taken at a college.
Faculty of Environment
- Courses completed within the past 10 years will be considered for transfer credit. Courses completed more than 10 years ago will be consider on a case-by-case basis and will most often receive general credits (i.e., GEOG 1XX, not GEOG 101).
- Applicants who receive 7.0 units (equivalent to 14 term courses) or more in transfer credits are not normally eligible for co-op programs. Applicants who are not eligible for co-op will be considered for the regular version of the program, if available.
Faculty of Health
- Courses completed within the past 5 years will be considered for transfer credit. Courses completed within the past 5 to 10 years may receive general elective transfer credit or non-specific miscellaneous credit. Courses completed more than 10 years ago will not receive transfer credit.
- Kinesiology and Recreation and Leisure Studies
- Applicants who receive 7.0 units (equivalent to 14 courses) or more in transfer credits are not eligible for co-op programs. Applicants not eligible for co-op will be considered or the regular version of the program, if available.
- Health Sciences and Public Health
- Applicants who receive 4.0 units (equivalent to 8 courses) or more in transfer credits are not eligible for co-op programs. Applicants not eligible for co-op will be considered or the regular version of the program, if available.
Faculty of Mathematics
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Applicants who receive 6.5 units (equivalent to 13 term courses) or more in transfer credits are not normally eligible for co-op programs. Applicants who are not eligible for co-op will be considered for the regular version of the program, if available.
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Transfer students are not eligible for the Business Administration (Laurier) and Computer Science (Waterloo) Double Degree, the Business Administration (Laurier) and Mathematics (Waterloo) Double Degree, the Computing and Financial Management, and the Mathematics/Chartered Professional Accountancy programs.
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Courses completed within the past 10 years will be considered for transfer credit.
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The Faculty of Mathematics transfers failed courses. Courses with a failing grade will be transferred to your Waterloo record; however, these grades will not be included in your Waterloo average. Failed courses will count as a “transfer failure.”
Faculty of Science
- Courses completed within the past 10 years will be considered for transfer credit.
- Applicants who receive 5.0 units (equivalent to 10 term courses) or more in transfer credits are not normally eligible for co-op programs. Applicants who are not eligible for co-op will be considered for the regular version of the program, if available.
- Transfer credits for PHYS 111 and 111L cannot be awarded for programs that require PHYS 121 and PHYS 121L.
- Transfer credits for PHYS 112 and PHYS 112L cannot be awarded for programs that require PHYS 122 and PHYS 122L.
- Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy
- A maximum of 2.0 transfer credit units are allowed for new students entering the Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy program.
- Science and Aviation
- A maximum of 5.0 transfer credit units are allowed for new students entering the Science and Aviation program.
How to transfer credits
If you’re admitted to Waterloo, we'll automatically review your application for possible transfer credit and send your transfer credit assessment by email. You don't need to request an assessment and there is no cost. Transfer credits from post-secondary institutions are applied to your Waterloo student record automatically and cannot be declined.
You'll need to have any colleges and/or universities you've attended send official transcripts directly to Waterloo's Office of the Registrar.
How we assess your courses
We'll review each of your courses to see if the content matches a course offered at Waterloo. Transfer credits can be granted as specific Waterloo courses (e.g., PSYCH 101 – Introductory Psychology) or general electives in a particular subject (e.g., PSYCH 1XX – a first-year level Psychology credit). Transfer credits will be granted according to what is most appropriate for your Waterloo academic plan and according to our transfer credit policies.
Assessing transfer credits takes time. Please submit all required documents (if requested) as soon as possible. The sooner we receive this information, the faster we can finalize your transfer credit assessment!
How to interpret your transfer credit letter
A transfer credit weight of 0.50 is equivalent to a one-term course at Waterloo (four months in length). A weight of 1.0 is equivalent to a full-year course (eight months in length).
You must meet all requirements of your Waterloo program in order to graduate, regardless of the number of transfer credits that you receive. Your Waterloo academic advisor can help you determine how long it will take to complete your Waterloo degree.
Before you begin selecting courses, we recommend you discuss your transfer credit assessment with your academic advisor.
We may require course syllabi/outlines
To assess courses for transfer credit, we may ask you for pdfs of detailed course syllabi.
Syllabi generally include the course description, contact hours, schedule of topics, required textbooks, evaluation methods, etc., and need to be from the year you completed the course. See an example of a course syllabus.
