FAQ

Please refer to the schedule of classes.

If you get a message from Quest indicating that you have a “Service Indicator” or "Hold", it generally means that you have fees owing (course fees, tuition, or parking). To confirm fees owing, click on "Personal Portfolio” and then “HOLD”. If you owe PLAN or ENVS course fees, contact your Undergraduate Advisor to determine the amount to be paid to settle your account. Once the outstanding balance has been paid, it takes about 10 days to process the paperwork to release the hold. It is very important that you pay all course fees before the end of each term to eliminate any enrolment problems, and so you can access your grades.

On Quest, if the requested course is not appearing, it may not be offered, it may be full or the only seats remaining are reserved for other programs. You should refer to the schedule of classes to determine why you don’t have the option to enrol. You can view the class limit, number of students enrolled and whether it’s offered that particular term.

If you get an error message when trying to enrol in a course, it means that the course has not been added to your schedule and you have not been enrolled in the course. If the course is full, or the seats are reserved for other programs, you must contact the instructor to obtain permission to get into the course.

If you get a course conflict message, it means that the course you are trying to add overlaps with another course, and you must choose a conflict-free course.

If a course is full, you can send the instructor an email to see if you can get into the class, since the instructor is the only person who can increase the class limit for a non-Planning course. You can obtain an instructor's email and contact information through WatIAM or contact their Department.

If the course is a Planning course, check with school’s undergraduate advisor, rather than the instructor, to see if there is room in the class and if the limit can be increased.

If you are trying to get into a Wilfrid Laurier course that is full, you must contact them directly at 519-884-1970.

This error message means that you are not enrolled in the course, since the only available spots are reserved for other programs. Contact the instructor to see if you can get into the class.

Generally speaking, you cannot take a course without the required pre-requisite.

An antireq. is a condition preventing enrolment in a course. The most common antirequisites are courses that have significant overlap. Degree credit will not be granted for both the antirequisite course and a course naming it as such.

If courses have a lecture/seminar and a tutorial/lab/studio component, students must enrol in both sections. Normally, the total class time is three hours/week.

Some courses are double-weighted and are worth 1.0 unit (i.e. PLAN 313). They count for two courses and fees are paid as such. The course duration does not span over two terms.

Courses can start as early as 8:30 am and as late as 7:00 pm.
The final courses of the day end at 10:00 pm.

To help you decide what electives to take, here is some information to consider:

• If you want to work towards your Planning Degree elective requirements, keep in mind that you have 2 first-year electives, 3 second-year electives, and 9 upper-year electives to complete.
• All PLAN/ENVS courses will count towards your degree average in which you must obtain a cumulative overall average of 75%.
• You may want to work towards a minor or a diploma.
• Use the Schedule of Classes to see what is offered. To understand requirements and eligibility for these courses, you can refer to the course descriptions in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Yes. If you have prior experience with the language, contact the instructor or the Department to see if you qualify for the course.

If you are short a course, it can be made up during an off term or work term by taking an online course, or by taking an extra course in your 4A or 4B term (pending approval).

If you are pursuing an option, minor, or specialization, complete a Plan Modification Form and submit to your Undergraduate Advisor.

You can view UWATERLOO BOOKLOOK on the Wstore website.

Yes! The University of Waterloo email account is considered the official line of communication. If you haven't already done so, please activate your University of Waterloo email account. Instructions on how to link your current email account to your uwaterloo account can be found on the Mapping Analysis and Design (MAD) website.

When sending any e-mails to staff or faculty of the University of Waterloo use you university email account and include your name and student id number.

Co-op students must maintain a cumulative major average of 75% (all PLAN and ENVS courses) and a cumulative overall average of 65%. A student who does not maintain the required average(s) will be given a conditional term to bring their average up to the required level the following term.

Should the student fail to meet the academic plan requirements at the end of the conditional term, they will receive a “failed” standing. Normally, students in 2A or above receiving a “failed” standing are eligible to apply for re-admission after an absence of two consecutive academic terms. A co-op work term immediately following a required to withdraw standing is not counted toward the two-term absence.

A first year student who is given a “failed” standing at the end of their second term of study, will, normally, be required to successfully complete the foundation term. (A student still maintains the option to withdraw for two academic terms). A student who continues in their studies after either a successful foundation term or an absence of two consecutive academic terms will have their record cleared; that is, grades achieved in all previous terms will not be included in the calculation of cumulative averages. Calculation of cumulative averages will begin with the foundation term or upon readmission after an absence of two consecutive terms. Courses taken prior to the foundation term or readmission will remain on the student’s official academic record. Cleared courses with grades over 50% will contribute to the total credits required up to 10.0 units.

Students are allowed to have only one foundation term or failed standing on their transcript while in their ENV program. Students not achieving their program averages for a second time will be unable to continue in Planning or in the Faculty of Environment.

University is a challenging time, there are many services offered on campus to assist you. Below is a list of the most common services that range from study help to counselling.

• Your Undergraduate Advisor, is available to see you regarding any issues that you may be concerned about or struggling with. The office hours are Monday-Friday 9:30-11:30 and 1:30-3:30.
• Instructors and/or teaching assistants can provide support (and possibly recommend tutors) for your course issues. You may feel intimidated about approaching one of them, but they are REAL people who are there to help you, and their goal is for you to succeed in their class.
• UW MATES is a is a counselling-based, one-to-one peer support program.
• Counselling Servicescan provide you with individual counseling, and you can arrange an appointment by calling 519-888-4567 ext. 32655.
• Tutor Connect is an online tutoring board that connects student tutors with students who need a tutor. Tutor Connect is an online posting board where you can search through tutor profiles to see all of the available tutors, their current academic year and their hourly rate.
• The Student Success Office (SSO) is available to help you succeed at University. They are there to guide you through your time at Waterloo, whether it’s supporting you in your first year experience or success coaching with an upper year peer to get help setting goals and learning strategies that can help you with anything from time management to test taking skills. They also offer leadership and development opportunities.
• Study and learning workshops are also available through the SSO on a variety of topics such as: Time Management, Study Strategies, Test Preparation and Test Anxiety, etc.
• Campus wellness offers important information and resources for students
• The Writing and Communication Centre can help you with areas such as structure and organizing your writing, grammar, critical thinking, editing and proofreading, managing your research, etc.
• The library resources assist with your research strategy, show you which databases are relevant for your topic, how to request books from another library (place holds and recalls, and interlibrary loans), etc.
• Co-operative Education can also provide a list of non-coop jobs (summer, part-time, work placement, volunteer, etc.) which are available to all students on WaterlooWorks. If you have any questions or concerns regarding work terms or the application process, please contact your Co-op Advisor noted in WaterlooWorks on your Dashboard.
• Health Services provides on-site family physicians for registered students which includes urgent care and walk-in care.
• Counselling Services also offer workshops on areas such as: Stress Management, Overcoming Procrastination, Managing Depression, etc. Also visit Campus Wellness for more wellness information and resources.
• The COVID-19 Information webpage has a list of frequently asked questions and the answers to them.
• If you are experiencing financial pressure, you may be eligible to apply for a bursary through Student Awards and Financial Aid. A list of Awards and Scholarships can also be found on the Student Awards website.
• WUSA runs a Food Support Services where students can get food and hygiene hampers for free when things get tight, especially at the end of term.

We strongly encourage you to take advantage of these free services as needed -- we know students have generally found these very helpful. Our goal is that each and every one of you succeed and enjoy your experience at Waterloo.

Application to graduate forms are typically due online at the following times:

• March 1 for Spring Convocation (completing requirements in the winter term);
• December 1 for Spring Convocation (completing requirements in the fall term);
• August 1 for Fall Convocation (completing requirements in the spring term).

Forms must be completed online through the registrar's office "forms" link.

Book Graduation photos through Lifetouch. Appointments are now available and more dates will be opening up as demand requires.

Questions? Email Jeff McNabb (jmcnabb@lifetouch.com) for further support.

The School of Planning is delighted to offer all graduates of the Planning program an official School Ring which will be presented at our Graduation Ceremony (TBA) following convocation.

Please ensure that you have all course and library fees, parking fines, etc. paid by the end of the term.

To determine if you have fees owing, check on Quest under “Personal Data” and select “Service Indicators”.

It is important to confirm that your mailing and home addresses, as well as your current email address, are accurate on Quest in case the Registrar’s Office needs to get in touch with you immediately regarding your program requirements or graduation.

The University of Waterloo holds two convocations each year - one in mid-June and the other in late October.

Please see the Registrar's Office website for Convocation details.

Our programs are recognized by the CIP for membership eligibility purposes. Membership is managed by CIP affiliates such as the OPPI. Graduates from Waterloo's degree programs must apply for Provisional member status and complete a minimum of 24 months of post-graduation experience in the Planning profession to be eligible for full membership. Candidates must also complete log books that detail relevant work experiences. Once the log books have been approved by OPPI, candidates must pass an oral examination (Examination A) that focuses on ethics and professionalism. Members of OPPI are also automatically members of CIP. Full members in Ontario are called Registered Professional Planners (RPP), and are entitled to use the initials "MCIP, RPP" after their names.

As per UWaterloo's December 16th communication, the term starting remotely is a short-term change based on the guidance we have received from public health officials. We remain hopeful that taking these actions now will allow the planned expansion of in-person experiences for everyone later this winter. If everything goes according to plan, in-person classes will resume Monday January 24. Therefore, if you are enrolled in scheduled in-person classes, you will want to be at UWaterloo by January 24.

Any changes to these temporary plans will be communicated by the University in early January.

For more information, please visit the COVID-19 Information webpage.

If you are an unemployed domestic student, you will be limited to part-time studies with a maximum of 2 courses (1.0 units) in addition to your PD courses;unemployed international visa students the option to enrol in a maximum of 3 courses (1.5 units) for the Winter 2022 term in addition to your PD courses. Registrartion in more than one (0.5 unit) course will open on December 20, 2021.

Please review the Preparing for your Winter 2022 co-op work term webpage for full details, and connect with your Undergraduate Advisor if you have questions about the option to take courses. Students can and are encouraged to continue their job search while enrolled in courses until the last day they can secure employment for co-op credit (March 7, 2022 for an 8-week work term ending April 29, 2022). A reminder that students cannot be employed for co-op credit and take a full-time course load.

There are three parts to your Co-op Plan Requirements:

1. A minimum of four satisfactory work terms.
2. A minimum of four Professional Development (PD) courses.
3. A minimum of four work-term reports.

Any student unable to obtain a co-op credit for the Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021, AND Spring 2021 work term, the minimum number of work terms required by the program will be reduced to:

• 3 – work terms
• 3 – PD courses
• 3 – work term reports

Due to accreditation, this is the least number of work terms, PD courses, and work term reports that students will be allowed to graduate with.

Only students who are unable to obtain a co-op credit in Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Winter 2021 AND Spring 2021 will be considered for this reduced minimum.

Please note that the reduced number of work terms is not cumulative (i.e., if a student is unable to obtain a co-op credit for both for Spring AND Fall 2020, they are still only eligible for a reduction of one work term).

*Note: PD 6 & PD 8 have a work report component embedded which can count towards your work report requirement.

Yes. You need to complete a PD course during each work term until your PD requirements have been fulfilled, even if you haven’t found employment in a given term. It’s still possible to complete all of the assessments in every PD course without employment. You can reflect on your academic experience or volunteer work in lieu of referencing time in the workplace.

If you are worried or have a question about something in your PD course related to employment, contact your course team for assistance.

For other PD course questions, visit the frequently asked questions page found on the Professional Development Program website.

To help you decide what electives to take, here is some information to consider:

• If you want to work towards your Planning Degree elective requirements, keep in mind that you have 2 first-year electives, 3 second-year electives, and 9 upper-year electives to complete.
• All PLAN/ENVS courses will count towards your degree average in which you must obtain a cumulative overall average of 75%.
• You may want to work towards a minor or a diploma.
• Use the Schedule of Classes to see what is offered. To understand requirements and eligibility for these courses, you can refer to the course descriptions in the Undergraduate Calendar.

University of Waterloo Official Resources of interest:

• Coronavirus Information – Latest Updates
• Coronavirus Information – Frequently asked questions
• Preparing for your Fall 2021 co-op work term
• Preparing for your Winter 2022 co-op work term
• Back to undergraduate students