Minimum requirements for admission to graduate programs in the School of Pharmacy can be found on the graduate studies academic calendar, which can be accessed via the links below.
Information on this page contains additional detail to expand on pharmacy admission requirements and provide answers to frequently asked admissions questions.
Pharmacy admit terms and application deadlines
At the University of Waterloo, the calendar year is divided into three academic terms. The School of Pharmacy accepts applications for admission to our MSc and PhD programs in all three terms.
| Admit term | Application deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall (September) | February 1 of the same calendar year |
| Winter (January) | June 1 of the preceding calendar year |
| Spring (May) | October 1 of the preceding calendar year |
An application is not considered complete until all required documentation is uploaded in Quest. All application materials should be uploaded and referees should complete the reference form before the posted application deadlines. Applicants are advised to submit their application form at least one month ahead of the application deadline, to ensure they have time to obtain their student ID and upload all required supporting documents to Quest, and to give referees time to submit their reference form ahead of the deadline. Applicants are responsible for following up with their referees to confirm completion of the reference form.
Applications that are incomplete after the application deadline (including those that are missing any references) will be denied unless a potential supervisor has informed the pharmacy graduate coordinator that they are considering the applicant for admission.
Academic requirements for admission
Admission to graduate programs in the School of Pharmacy require applicants have a minimum average of 78% average in the last 2 years of a four-year Honours Bachelor of Science program or equivalent.
Generally, we are referring to a Bachelor of Pharmacy or PharmD degree. However, students from other backgrounds (e.g. Bachelor of Math, Bachelor of Science) are welcome and encouraged to consider graduate studies in Pharmacy. Interested applicants should contact their preferred supervisor to discuss the suitability of their background for research conducted within the supervisor's research group and within the School.
Note that the minimum required admission average for graduate programs at the School of Pharmacy is higher than the requirements established by the University. Applicants who receive offers of admission often have averages that are higher than the posted minimums.
At the application stage, you need only submit your unofficial transcript(s). Applicants who are admitted are required to submit their official final transcript(s) as a condition of admission before they begin their program. Remember to include the grading scale/transcript legend as part of the uploaded transcript.
For a guideline on international academic equivalencies, please visit: https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-postdoctoral-affairs/future-students/international-students/international-admission-equivalencies
We do not accept or use third party evaluations of transcripts.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores
Applicants are not required to submit GRE scores to be considered for admission to our graduate programs. Any GRE scores submitted may be factored into the decision process, and will not necessarily provide an advantage to the applicant.
English language proficiency requirements
The Graduate Studies Admissions office regularly updates the online list of exempt universities; if your country or institution is not listed, you are required to submit results from an accepted ELP Test.
Exceptions to ELP requirements are only considered on a case-by-case basis when an applicant has the endorsement of a faculty supervisor who wishes to make an offer of admission but the applicant does not meet minimum ELP requirements. The department will not otherwise consider exceptions to ELP requirements.
Prospective applicants who do not meet minimum ELP requirements may wish to consider completing English for Academic Success prior to submitting an application.
Finding a supervisor
Applicants to our graduate programs are not required to find a supervisor prior to submitting an application. However, we strongly encourage MSc and PhD applicants to review the research profiles of potential faculty supervisors and contact the individual(s) they wish to work with to see if they have the resources, capacity and interest to consider them for admission to their research group before submitting the online application. It is not a requirement for admission but those applicants who meaningfully connect with a prospective supervisor have a greater chance at receiving an offer of admission.
Admission decisions
Applicants should not expect a response to their application prior to the application deadline for their chosen admit term. Early submissions are reviewed as time permits.
There is no set number of admissions per term for the MSc and PhD in Pharmacy programs. Offers of admission are based on a variety of variables, such as:
- whether the faculty member has the funds to support a student
- whether the faculty member is taking new students
- whether the faculty member is interested in supervising the applicant
- the number of applicants within a given term
- the number of applicants thatstand out as exceptional from among the cohort of applicants to our programs for the term to which a candidate applies
The onus is on the applicant to contact potential supervisors, if applicable, to determine if they are considering applications. The department does not make connections.
Once applications are reviewed, those that do not meet the minimum requirements for admission will be denied right away. Remaining eligible applications will undergo further review by potential supervisors. If there is no research supervisor for a student at the end of the application review period, the application will be denied.
Application deferrals are only permitted when there is a clear indication from a research supervisor that they intend to accept the applicant and where there is a delay in receiving research funding, or other acceptable and unforeseeable circumstances arise. For more information, see Deferrals.
| Year | MSC | PhD |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 | 8 | 2 |
| Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 | 10 | 1 |
| Fall 2021 - Spring 2022 | 8 | 3 |
| Fall 2020 - Spring 2021 | 15 | 4 |
| Fall 2019 - Spring 2020 | 8 | 2 |