About GSPA

Outside Needles Hall

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs sets direction for graduate studies and postdoctoral affairs at Waterloo. 

Within Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA), our team supports the full life cycle of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. We deliver core services spanning recruitment, admissions, funding, records, professional development, academic support, policy and reporting, while supporting the faculty and staff who recruit, advise, administer and supervise them. To learn more about how graduate studies leadership and responsibilities are structured across GSPA, faculties and departments/schools, visit the Leadership webpage.

Overview

Support for faculty and staff

GSPA is a resource for faculty and staff who work with graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. Whether you're involved in recruitment, admissions, funding, records, program administration, supervision, policy development, or postdoctoral support, our teams can provide guidance, services, and expertise. GSPA works closely with graduate studies leaders and administrators within faculties and departments/schools to deliver this support across the University.

Graduate studies support

  • The marketing and recruitment team provides institutional marketing and recruitment leadership, infrastructure and support, and enables and manages central projects while advocating for and representing graduate studies from a marketing and recruitment perspective at the institutional level.  
  • The graduate studies admissions team receives applications, verifies the validity of submitted materials, coordinates with departments and programs to have applications reviewed, receives decision recommendations from programs, and processes admissions for incoming students, including issuing the formal Offer of Admission. The admissions team also helps support international agreements between the University and strategic partners. 
  • The awards and funding team manages scholarships and bursaries that support graduate students. The awards team also oversees and supports students’ applications for funding competitions (e.g. tri-agency scholarships). The team is responsible for processing all student payments through the University’s Student Information System. 
  • The programming team supports the development and implementation of initiatives that support graduate student success at the University, including professional development training and support. The team ensures engagement across the graduate student life cycle by providing just-enough, just-in-time information and details through various communication channels. 
  • The records team serves a registrarial function, acting as the official record-keeper for all graduate students’ data (e.g., applications, admissions, grades, awards, recruitment, registration, theses, convocation, and course scheduling). 
  • GSPA coordinates with institutional partners to generate and analyze strategic data and submit data to various government and external agencies. 
  • The systems and security team supports the systems, processes, and access that help graduate studies run smoothly across the student lifecycle.
  • GSPA is accountable for the oversight of new program development, program changes, and policy/guideline updates that support the ongoing evolution of graduate studies programs.  

Postdoctoral affairs support

  • The postdoc team maintains the postdoctoral scholars' guidelines and supports them throughout their journey at Waterloo.  
  • GSPA also supports faculty and staff who hire, appoint, and/or support postdoctoral scholars at the University of Waterloo. 

Stay connected

Graduate staff and faculty e-news

Designed to support staff and faculty who work with graduate students, the monthly e-news, typically sent the last Wednesday of the month, highlights upcoming academic and administrative deadlines, policy and process changes, professional development opportunities, and resources that help units provide consistent support across the graduate student life cycle. Staff and faculty working within the graduate studies domain will be automatically subscribed to the monthly e-news.

Postdoctoral staff e-news

The postdoctoral staff termly e-news serves as a network-building resource for colleagues supporting postdoctoral scholars across campus, featuring best practices, upcoming postdoctoral initiatives, and opportunities to share successes and challenges with peers in other faculties and departments. Staff who support postdoctoral affairs at Waterloo who have access to Postdoctoral affairs Confluence site will be automatically receive the e-news. 

Termly graduate studies meetings

GSPA typically organizes a termly virtual (or in-person) meeting to provide graduate studies updates to colleagues across the University, including Faculty Associate Deans, Graduate Studies; Faculty Administrative Assistants, Graduate Studies; Faculty Recruitment Officers; department/program Graduate Co-ordinators; department/program Graduate Officers and Associate Chairs; and the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) team. Updates include changes to the functional areas within GSPA and across the institution (e.g., immigration). 

Contact us

Questions about graduate studies or postdoctoral affairs? Contact the appropriate GSPA team for support and guidance.

GSPA teams

Marketing and recruitment

The graduate marketing and recruitment team in GSPA leads marketing and recruitment activities for graduate studies at the University of Waterloo. The team supports institutional enrolment goals through strategic planning, market research, communications, brand development, and digital engagement. 

The team develops and implements integrated marketing and recruitment strategies to promote Waterloo’s graduate programs and support engagement across the prospective student lifecycle. This includes planning and delivering targeted campaigns, recruitment initiatives, and communications for domestic and international audiences, using audience insights, data analysis, and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. 

The team works closely with faculty-level contacts to ensure alignment across recruitment activities and consistency in the presentation of the graduate studies brand. It monitors performance, evaluates outcomes, and refines strategies to support effective recruitment and long-term enrolment objectives. 

The primary mechanism for sharing information to prospective students is through the future graduate students website.  The site includes resources for future students exploring graduate studies at Waterloo, including:  

  • Admissions 
    • How to apply 
    • What materials are needed  
    • Information for international (including English language requirements (if needed)) and Indigenous applicants  
    • After students have applied – review/admission process, understanding offer letter details 
  • Program pages, including details about:  
    • Program overview (including research fields, as applicable) 
    • Student profiles (where available) 
    • Research project opportunities (where available)  
    • Program details – admit term(s), delivery mode, program type, length of program, registration option(s), study option(s) 
    • Application deadline(s)  
    • Admission requirements (with link to GSAC) – including materials needed to apply  
    • Key contacts – who to contact for more information  
    • Resources on how to apply for a graduate program – including tuition costs 
  • Funding 
    • Details on funding options 
    • Living costs and housing  
    • Tuition and fees (including a budget calculator) 
  • Grad guide 
    • Blog series that offers prospective graduate students expert advice, student perspectives, and practical tools  

GSPA marketing and recruitment contacts

  • Associate Director, Communications and Strategic Initiatives — Marta Bailey
  • Manager, Graduate Marketing and Recruitment — Kari Hueber
  • Graduate CRM Specialist, Marketing — Jason Santo

Faculty graduate recruitment contacts

The Graduate Recruitment Specialists in each of the faculties develop and implement strategies and initiatives at the faculty and department levels. Together, GSPA and the Graduate Recruitment Specialists implement and execute strategic marketing and recruitment plans and the effective positioning of the University through our graduate studies brand, and meet weekly as a roundtable recruitment group for updates, discussions, and idea-sharing. 

Additional marketing and recruitment resources

The Graduate Studies Resources Confluence site: Marketing and recruitment is a source of additional details, including:  

  • Recruitment cycle 
  • Lead generation tools  
  • Prospective student/lead management and communication 
  • Prospective student resources/events 
  • Admissions data – intake reports

First time accessing Confluence? See our tips on how to get started →

Admissions

The graduate admissions team is the University of Waterloo’s central resource for expertise in graduate admissions.  

The team provides expert guidance on admissions policies, procedures, and systems; reviews and processes applications from domestic and international applicants; supports non-standard admissions and sponsorship arrangements; and helps ensure fair, consistent, and efficient admission decisions across graduate programs. 

The team also provides training, resources, and consultation to faculty and departmental staff involved in graduate admissions and recruitment, supports applicant communications and admissions-related initiatives, and contributes to the continuous improvement of admissions processes, systems, and records. 

GSPA admissions contacts

Faculty and department admissions contacts

The admissions team coordinates closely with graduate studies contacts within the faculty and at the department/school level.

Additional admissions resources

The Graduate Studies Resources Confluence site: Admissions is the best place for graduate student admissions procedures and resources, including: 

  • Admissions systems procedures
  • Admissions resources
  • Offer of admission procedures and sample docs
  • Financial support
  • International agreements and procedures
  • Cotutelle (Dual Degree PhD) procedures
  • AccessAbility Services
  • Admissions & recruitment presentations
  • Provincial Attestation Letters (PALs)
  • Indigenous resources
  • International Visiting Graduate Student (IVGS) program
  • Admissions procedures for department use

First time accessing Confluence? See our tips on how to get started →

Awards and funding

The graduate awards and financial aid team provides institutional leadership for the administration of graduate scholarships, awards, bursaries, loans, and related funding programs at the University of Waterloo. The team manages the administration of internal and external award competitions, award payments, financial aid records, and associated financial processes for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and provides expert guidance on eligibility, adjudication, funding decisions, and the interpretation of award regulations.  

The team advises faculty, staff, and students on award programs, nomination and application procedures, transcript and eligibility requirements, needs-based funding, and university, provincial, federal, and agency regulations. It also liaises with external funding agencies, manages reporting and reconciliations, and helps ensure that graduate funding programs are administered fairly, consistently, and in compliance with institutional and external requirements. 

The team also oversees administrative procedures, systems processes, and data reporting related to graduate funding. Through financial oversight, process improvement, and collaboration with partners across the university, it contributes to effective service delivery, informed decision-making, and the strategic management of graduate student funding. 

GSPA awards and funding contacts

Faculty and department awards and funding contacts

The awards and funding team coordinates closely with graduate studies contacts within the faculty and at the department/school level.

Additional awards and funding resources

The Graduate Studies Resources Confluence site: Awards and funding is the best place for awards and funding procedures and resources, including: 

  • Graduate Student Awards & Financial Aid Administrative Guide
  • Account reconciliation report
  • Award nomination procedures
  • Award selection process
  • Conference funding application
  • Quest awards data extracts
  • OGS and QEII-GSST Explanation Resource
  • Terms of Reference
  • Transcripts for awards
  • President's Graduate Scholarship

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Award and funding SharePoint sites

Faculty Administrators and Graduate Department Co-ordinators should have access to the following SharePoint sites to perform a wide variety of required tasks related to scholarships and funding. Staff (or their managers) are encouraged to submit the (SIS) Access Management and Graduate Contact List Changes form to initiate the process of gaining access to these sites. 

Programming and postdoctoral affairs

The programming and postdoctoral affairs team oversees postdoctoral affairs and develops programming, resources, and initiatives that enhance the experience of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at the University of Waterloo. 

For postdoctoral scholars, the team advises incoming and current postdocs as well as faculty and staff on postdoctoral guidelines, appointments, and non-standard approvals, and provides guidance on policies, processes, and practices related to postdoctoral recruitment, employment, and success.  

For graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, the team develops and delivers workshops, programs, and resources that support academic, professional, and personal development. This includes GRADnavigate, a workshop series that helps graduate students navigate common milestones and challenges in graduate school, and the Grad Skill Enhancement Project (GSEP), a flexible program that helps graduate students build skills in career preparation, leadership, communication, and personal effectiveness. The team also works with University partners to expand and improve programming in response to the needs of graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

GSPA programming and postdoctoral affairs contacts

  • Associate Director, Communications and Strategic Initiatives — Marta Bailey
  • Manager, Postdoctoral Affairs and Programming Development — Sarah Howard
  • Graduate and Postdoctoral Programming Specialist — Ashley Ryan
  • General questions about graduate student programming — GradExperience
  • General questions about postdoctoral affairs — Postdocs 

Additional resources

Graduate students

The primary mechanism for sharing information with current students is through the GSPA-managed current graduate students website.  The site includes resources for incoming and current graduate students at Waterloo, including:  

  • Incoming students 
    • Once a student has received an offer of admission  
    • After a student accepts offer of admission to study at Waterloo, including housing options and orientation (GradReady) 
  • Academics 
    • Governing rules and regulations  
    • Academic experience (including registration/enrolment and accommodations)  
    • Visit and exchanges  
    • Graduate work-integrated learning (WIL) 
    • Thesis regulations 
    • Graduation  
  • Awards and funding  
    • Awards directory 
    • Minimum funding  
    • Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) 
    • Funding resources (including award eligibility/payments) 
  • Grad experience 
    • Resources and services  
    • Graduate student guides (resources for various stages of a graduate student’s academic life at Waterloo) 
    • Workshops and development (including GSEP and GRADnavigate) 
    • Graduate research studies – studies that Waterloo graduate students are recruiting for 
    • Graduate student e-news – weekly electronic newsletter sent to all Waterloo graduate students 
    • Start of term reminders and resources 
  • Important dates 
  • Forms 

Postdocs

The primary mechanism for sharing information with current students is through the GSPA-managed postdoctoral scholars website. This site includes resources for incoming and current postdoctoral scholars at Waterloo, including:  

Records, enrolment, and registration

The records team supports graduate students, departments/schools and faculties by maintaining accurate enrolment, academic and student records throughout the graduate student journey. They manage updates such as registration, program changes, milestones, thesis submission and degree completion, while providing guidance on policies and procedures. The team also helps ensure data quality, compliance and the accuracy of official university records, including transcripts and reporting.

GSPA records contacts

Additional records and enrolment resources

The Graduate Studies Resources Confluence site: Records is the best place for awards and funding procedures and resources, including: 

  • Data Extracts in Quest – Records
  • Document short codes in Quest
  • Extension of program time limits
  • Student records – tracking various statuses (including inactive due to medical)
  • Forms – Records
  • Government Reporting
  • Grade submission for departments
  • Graduation tracking/details
  • Permission number generation
  • Plan codes
  • Thesis

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Data

GSPA provides data, reporting, and analysis to support evidence-informed decision-making across the graduate student lifecycle. This includes work related to admissions, enrolment, academic progression, degree completion, funding, supervisor activity, and government reporting. In partnership with faculties and University of Waterloo stakeholders, GSPA uses data to support planning, identify trends, and inform improvements to graduate studies processes and services.

GSPA data contacts

Data requests

If you have a data inquiry related to GSPA, please use the data request form and review the guidelines for creating extracts of student data.

Systems and security

The systems and security team supports the systems, processes, and access that help graduate studies run smoothly across the student lifecycle. They work with University of Waterloo partners to maintain and improve key systems, troubleshoot issues, support secure and accurate data practices, and manage system access so staff, faculty, and other authorized users have the tools and permissions they need to do their work effectively and responsibly. 

GSPA contacts

Additional resources

For additional system and security details, including details on Quest, Slate and security access procedures, review the information on the Graduate Studies Resources Confluence site: Student Information Systems (SIS) and the Graduate Studies Resources Confluence site: Security Access to SIS.

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Academic program development

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs supports the development, approval, and governance of graduate academic programs, policies and regulations.

Development and structure

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) supports faculties and departments/schools in developing new graduate programs and making changes to existing ones. We offer guidance on academic regulations, approval processes, proposal requirements, timelines, and implementation considerations, and help to ensure that program changes align with University policies, quality assurance requirements, and graduate studies regulations.  The Academic Officer is the primary point of contact for this work and helps manage the process, coordinate implementation, and ensure approved changes are reflected accurately in systems, admissions processes, and official academic publications.

GSPA contacts 

Additional resources

The Graduate Studies Resources Confluence site: Academic program design, course, and milestone changes is the best place for academic program details, including: 

  • Graduate program changes (major and minor)  
  • Course/Milestone changes 

First time accessing Confluence? See our tips on how to get started →

The Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (AVP, GSPA) and the Office of the Associate Vice-President, Academic (AVPA) are responsible for a broad range of matters, including overseeing the University of Waterloo’s Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP) and the review and approval of: 

  • New academic programs 
  • Cyclical reviews 
  • Proposals to change existing academic programs (major modifications) 
  • Expedited reviews and 
  • Closure of existing degrees and programs 

For more information on the above topics, visit the Academic Quality Enhancement Office website. 

Policy and guidelines

GSPA oversees graduate academic governance by managing and tracking submissions to the Senate Graduate Council and Senate that result in changes to graduate studies regulations, policies and guidelines.  

We also oversee the implementation of approved changes to the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar (GSAC), related forms, systems, and communications, helping to ensure changes are applied accurately and consistently across the University. 

View policies and guidelines →