Graduate courses

Minimum course requirements for the graduate programs are noted in the academic calendar. Students should refer to their respective academic calendar for details. 

The core required course for MSc and PhD students in Pharmacy, PHARM 610, is typically offered in the winter term and should be taken by students within the first year of their program.

The required thesis proposal courses (PHARM 601, PHARM 616 A/B) are offered each term. Students should sign up in the appropriate term as noted in the academic calendar (term two for MSc students; term three* for PhD students).

*Students who transfer from MSc to PhD will complete PHARM 616B after the transfer is approved. More information can be found on the Thesis Proposal page of the MSc and PhD student handbook.

• Students may take only one special topics course (e.g., PHARM 608A, PHARM 611) toward degree requirements.
• In addition to any elective courses offered in Pharmacy, students may take courses in other departments or at other instutions toward via the Ontario Visiting Graduate Students plan or the Canadian Universities Graduate Transfer Agreement. 
• Students are encouraged to discuss suitable elective course options with their supervisor and advisory committee members.

Courses are typically taken "for credit," counting toward degree requirements and included in the calculation of the student's cumulative grade point average (CGPA). However, students may sometimes wish to take additional courses without having them count toward their degree. In such cases, a student can choose to audit a course or take it as "extra" to their degree.

Auditing a course

When a student audits a course, the course appears on their transcript. If the student completes all course requirements as specified by the instructor, 'AUD' is noted on the transcript.

Taking a course as "extra" to the degree

When a student takes a course outside their degree requirements, it will appear on their transcript with a grade, but it will not impact their CGPA or count toward their degree. If the student later pursues an additional degree at Waterloo or elsewhere, the course may be eligible for transfer credit.

It is the student's responsibility to ensure their student record is up to date and to follow up with the course instructor, department, or institution if any grade is missing from their record. 

Students interested in taking courses outside their department should consult the course description to determine if instructor or department consent is required for enrollment. If consent is needed, contact the course instructor or the department coordinator to obtain a permission number for adding the course in Quest. For a list of department/program Graduate Coordinators, refer to the Graduate Studies website to find the appropriate contact.