Admission Requirements

Please review the tables below for the requirements needed to become a Psychology major at UWaterloo

The first admission requirement to a Regular or Co-op Psychology program is the minimum averages. Averages are cumulative and include any courses taken at UWaterloo to date. You also need to complete a certain number of courses before you declare your major. Please see the table below.

First year students will commonly attempt PSYCH 101 during their 1A term and one of the discipline core (PSYCH 207, 211, 238, 253, 257, 261) during their 1B term, meeting the minimum Psychology average requirement.

  • Students enrolled in the Faculty of Science are required to successfully complete PSYCH 101 (Introductory Psychology) and one discipline core Psychology course (PSYCH 207, 211, 238, 253, 257, 261) meeting the minimum Psych average requirement.
  • Students enrolled in the Faculty of Arts should complete PSYCH 101 (Introductory Psychology) and one discipline core Psychology course (PSYCH 207, 211, 238, 253, 257, 261) meeting the minimum Psych average requirement, but they can be accepted if they have successfully completed at least one PSYCH course at the University of Waterloo with a numeric grade.

Regular Psychology Programs

Program

Average requirements

Academic units required
(0.5 units = 1 course)

Three-Year General Psychology (BA)

60% overall average
65% average in Psychology courses

4.0

Four-Year General Psychology (BA)

60% overall average
65% average in Psychology courses

4.0

Honours Psychology (BA)

60% overall average
70% average in Psychology courses

4.0

Honours Psychology and Arts and Business (BA)

60% overall average
70% average in Psychology courses
70% average for Arts and Business courses

4.0

Honours Psychology (BSc)

  • Successful completion of the year one Honours Science Calculus, Biology, and Chemistry courses required.
  • No exceptions to the MATH 127 + 128 requirement. 

60% Faculty of Science average
60% overall average
75% average in Psychology courses

4.25

Joint/Double Honours Psychology (BA)

60% overall average
70% average in Psychology courses 

+ average requirement specified for the second Major

4.0

Research Intensive Specialization

  • May be added to any Honours Psych plan, with the exception of Honours BSc Psych

75% average in Psychology courses

4.0

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Co-op Psychology Programs

ARTS STUDENTS DECLARING THEIR MAJOR IN 2020 OR LATER

You must have the requirements for Honours Arts Co-op or Honours Arts and Business Co-op.

Psychology Co-op students also need to have:

  • The Math background required for enrolment in PSYCH 292. If you don't have the Math background, you must enrol in MATH 103 in the Fall 2A term (please pre-enrol during Course Selection in May). Direct requests to take an approved substitute to MATH 103 to the Psychology Undergraduate Advisor (PAS 3007).
  • Successful completion of your Faculty's Communication Requirement.
  • A maintained Psychology average at or above 70%.
  • Enrolment in and completion of PSYCH 291 in the 2A Fall term.
  • Enrolment in and completion of PSYCH 292 in the Winter 2B term (Arts and Business students excluded).
  • Enrolment as full-time students (at least 1.5 units) every academic term (study terms, not work terms) after admission into co-op.

Admission to Psychology Co-op from a regular (non-co-op) program is not possible after the beginning of the Fall 2A term. For students in level 2A or above, only those who transfer from another co-op program are eligible to move into Psychology Co-op.

ARTS STUDENTS DECLARING THEIR MAJOR IN 2019 OR EARLIER

In addition to the admission requirements for Regular Psychology Programs listed above, you must satisfy the following:

  • The Math background required for enrolment in PSYCH 292. If you don't have the Math background, you must enrol in MATH 103 in the Fall 2A term (please pre-enrol during Course Selection in May). Direct requests to take an approved substitute to MATH 103 to the Psychology Undergraduate Advisor (PAS 3007).
  • Successful completion of your Faculty's Communication Requirement.
  • A maintained Psychology average at or above 70%.
  • Enrolment in and completion of PSYCH 291 in the 2A Fall term.
  • Enrolment in and completion of PSYCH 292 in the Winter 2B term (Arts and Business students excluded).
  • Enrolment as full-time students (at least 1.5 units) every academic term (study terms, not work terms) after admission into co-op.

Admission to co-op programs in Psychology from regular (non-co-op) programs is not possible beyond level 2B. For students above level 2B, only those who transfer from another co-op program are eligible to move into a Psychology co-op program.

Program

Average requirements

Notes

Academic units required to be completed before the Fall 2A term
(0.5 units = 1 course)

Academic units required to be completed before the Winter 2B term (last term to be considered for co-op admission)

(0.5 units = 1 course)

Honours Psychology (BA) co-op

60% overall average
70% average in Psychology courses

  

at least 4.5 but no more than 6.5

 at least 7.0 but no more than 9.0

Honours Psychology and Arts and Business (BA) co-op

60% overall average
70% average in Psychology courses
70% for Arts and Business courses

Admission decisions for Arts and Business (Regular and Co-op) are made by the Arts and Business advisor.

at least 4.0 but no more than 6.5

 N/A as first work-term is Winter 2B.

Joint/Double Honours Psychology (BA) co-op

60% overall average
70% average in Psychology courses

+ average requirement specified for the second Major

Psychology must be the first major to be eligible for Psychology co-op.

at least 4.5 but no more than 6.5

 at least 7.0 but no more than 9.0

After determining your degree path based on the admissions criteria, please refer to Steps to declare a Psychology major.

Questions?

Who can I ask?

SCIENCE STUDENTS

In addition to the admission requirements for Regular Psychology Programs listed above, you must satisfy the following:

  • Successful completion of your Faculty's Communication Requirement.
  • A maintained Psychology average at or above 75%.
  • Enrolment in and completion of PSYCH 291 in the 2A Fall term.
  • Enrolment in and completion of PSYCH 292 in the Winter 2B term.
  • Enrolment as full-time students (at least 1.5 units) every academic term (study terms, not work terms) after admission into co-op.

Admission to Psychology Co-op from a regular (non-co-op) program is not possible after the beginning of the Fall 2A term. For students in level 2A or above, only those who transfer from another co-op program are eligible to move into Psychology Co-op.

Program

Average requirements

Notes

Academic units required to be completed before the Fall 2A term
(0.5 unit = 1 course)

Honours Psychology (BSc) co-op

60% Faculty of Science average
60% overall average
75% average in Psychology courses

Successful completion of the year one Honours Science Calculus, Biology, and Chemistry courses required.

  • No exceptions to the MATH 127/128 requirement.

at least 5.5 but no more than 7.0

Students who declared BSc Psychology Co-op until the 2021-2022 academic year (admitted into UWaterloo before Fall 2020) have four work terms. For these students, the last opportunity to meet the admission requirements was by the beginning of Winter 2B, when they needed to have at least 7.5 but no more than 9.5 units to be eligible.

Students declaring Psychology Co-op for the Fall 2022 term or later will have five work terms.

After determining your degree path based on the admissions criteria, please refer to Steps to declare a Psychology major.

Questions?

Who can I ask?