Conditional English language proficiency admission

Course-work Master’s

Are you considering a course-work master's program, but your English language test score is just below the program's minimum English language proficiency (ELP) requirement? You may be eligible for conditional admission.

Renison University College's English Language Institute, located at the University of Waterloo main campus, offers an English for Academic Success (EFAS) program. EFAS is an intensive full-term English language program designed to help students improve their English language proficiency and meet Waterloo's ELP requirements.

If you're academically admissible to a Waterloo course-work master's program and have provided an ELP score, but you do not meet the minimum ELP requirement, you may be offered conditional admission to a future term with the successful completion of EFAS at the required level. Learn more about conditions of admission. ​

Contact your program's graduate co-ordinator to express your interest in being considered for conditional ELP admission.

Research Master's and Doctoral programs

If you're academically admissible to a Waterloo research master's or doctoral program and have provided an ELP score, but you do not meet the minimum ELP requirement, you may be offered conditional admission to a future term with the successful completion of EFAS at the required level. Learn more about conditions of admission. ​

Conditional admission to a research master's or doctoral program will be considered on a case by case basis with the support of the program. Contact your program's graduate co-ordinator to express your interest in being considered for conditional ELP admission.

Sponsorship with English Language Training

If you are applying with a sponsorship that includes funding for English language studies, conditional admission may be offered.

Review the English Language Institute, English for Academic Success (EFAS) website for more information on the EFAS program.

• If you require intensive English for Academic Success (EFAS) studies, apply for a future term to begin your graduate academic program. For example, you will need to choose an admit term for your academic program at least two terms after the start of your EFAS studies.

• Completion of the EFAS program at Renison University College does not automatically guarantee admission to a graduate program. Decisions are made by the department/program applied to.

• Completion of intensive English language study may take you two or three terms to achieve the level necessary for admission to an academic program.