Come to Waterloo - undergraduate applications

Undergraduate exchange eligibility

First you must check with your home institution to see if they have an exchange agreement with the University of Waterloo. Your exchange coordinator at your home university will help determine if you are eligible to come to Waterloo. Your home university will then be able to submit the online student nomination form. Once they have done so, all incoming non-degree exchange students can complete Waterloo's online exchange application.

To meet the eligibility requirements, students applying for the undergraduate exchange program must:

  • be currently enrolled at one of University of Waterloo’s Exchange Partner institutions,
  • be nominated by their home institution as an Exchange applicant, and
  • meet University of Waterloo’s undergraduate English language proficiency (or equivalent).
  • have a 70% cumulative average or equivalent at their home institution

Application procedure 

Once your nomination is accepted by Waterloo you will receive an email to complete the following steps: 

1. Create a course wish list with course descriptions

Download the Course Description form and electronically fill it out with courses you hope to take while on exchange at UWaterloo  

We will attempt to enrol you in the courses listed on your application. However, you are not automatically registered or guaranteed a seat in these courses. You must thoroughly research the courses you want to list on your application because it impacts your enrollment. Visit our course selection guide for assistance.  

When filling out the course description form, ensure links work properly and information is provided in English. The more detailed information you can provide, the more helpful it will be for faculty members to review your course requests. 

2. Submit your online application

Submit your University of Waterloo International Incoming Exchange Program Application online. There is no application fee for students applying as an incoming exchange student.

When completing the online application, you are responsible for submitting correct and complete information. If you've attended multiple post-secondary institutions, you will need to list them all and provide transcripts. During this step of the application, you also need to include the courses on your Course Description form in step 1 above. Make sure that the courses you list on step 1 match the courses you submit here in step 2.

3. Create your quest account

Within five business days of completing your application, you will receive a welcome email with instructions for claiming your identity and creating your Quest account —our student information system where you will upload your documents. 

4. Upload your documents to Quest

The following supporting documents are required to determine eligibility for your exchange to Waterloo. Please re-upload your transcript and current course list if there are any changes or updates in them, as we will only consider the most recent version of your documents.

  • Official transcript(s) in English including the grading scale, saved as one PDF file per institution attended
  • A  PDF document  with a list of courses you are currently taking/will be taking at your home school before beginning your exchange 
  • A PDF file of your completed Course Description form from step 1 above
  • A digital copy of your English language proficiency scores or equivalent documentation supporting your language proficiency

Note: Course syllabi is used only to evaluate if you meet the prerequisite for the course. We are unable to guarantee enrollment in any specific course. 

Note: Admission Information Form (AIF) is not required for exchange applications

Architecture exchange students–additional requirements

In addition to the eligibility criteria outlined above, architecture exchange students must have:

  • completed at least two years of study (equivalent to 4 terms/5 terms is ideal) prior to the commencement of exchange, and
  • a 75% overall cumulative average or equivalent at their home institution (this is an increase from the standard 70% overall asked of general undergraduate exchange students).

Apart from the supporting documents listed above, Architecture applicants are also required to submit a portfolio by email to studyabroad@uwaterloo.ca.

Deadlines for student applicants

Admission term Nomination deadline Application deadline
Fall: September - December March 15 April 1
Winter: January - April August 15 September 1
Spring: May - August November 15 December 1

To be considered, your application must be submitted in full by the deadlines indicated. 

Admission results

We aim to email all offers of admission to students within eight weeks of the application deadline.

Contact us

Email your questions to Hope Salese, Global Learning Coordinator.