Enrolling in courses via "Quest"
First Year Health Sciences and Public Health students are pre-enrolled in their required courses for the first term. All students are required to self-enroll into their Winter term courses and all subsequent terms. You are responsible to ensure that you are following your required sequence and meeting degree requirements.
You will course select online using Quest. This can be done during your Course Selection window which is approximately 6 months in advance to the start of the term or during the Drop/Add period. See the Registrar’s Office list of Calendar of Events and Academic Deadlines for more details. For specific instructions, please refer to Registering For Courses from the Registrar's Office.
Course Selection usually occurs over a 7 day period and you can find your dates/times on Quest. Use the Future Term Offerings list available through the Registrar’s Office to determine which courses will be available.
You will have the first two weeks of classes to add new classes, and the first three weeks to drop classes! Please use the SWAP function to make course changes. This will ensure you remain in the original course if the desired section/course is full.
If you have any problems with course selection, please contact an undergraduate academic advisor.
Problems with enrollment?
If you are unable to enroll in a course using Quest there are a couple of things you should consider.
- Is the class full?
- Do you have the necessary pre-requisites?
- Are there reserves (seats held for specific groups of students)?
- Do you have outstanding fees?
You can answer these questions using the Enrollment Error Messages page, Schedule of Classes, your QUEST account and Course Descriptions. In some conditions you may contact the instructor to request permission to enroll. If they approve, have them sign a Course Override form and submit it to the Registrar's Office for processing.
HINT: If the instructor does not agree to allow an override, you could watch enrollment numbers on Quest during the first week of classes. If a seat suddenly becomes available you should be able to grab it.
Add, swap, and drop courses
Add/swap courses
Courses may be added/swapped on Quest during your enrollment appointment or during the open enrollment period. You should check the Schedule of Classes to find out about the course reserves and seat caps, and check the Course Descriptions to find out about the pre-requisites requirement before making adjustments to your courses. Please refer to Calendar of Events and Academic Deadlines to check specific enrollment period and the last day to add courses for each term.
Drop courses
You are not normally permitted to drop required courses. Required courses are sequenced in specified terms to ensure students have the breath and knowledge to succeed in upper year Health courses. Students will be required to see an academic advisor if they are deviating from the "set" curriculum sequence.
However, you can usually drop elective courses depending on how many weeks of the term have passed. If you drop a course during enrollment appointments or open enrollment, an alternate elective should be added to maintain a course load of five courses each term.
When you are enrolled in only one course, you are not able to drop your final course without approval, as you must formally withdraw from the term.
Important dates to remember
Please refer to Important Dates with specific add, WD and WF deadlines.
WD period (Withdrew – no credit granted)
Courses dropped between the WD period will continue to show on your transcript with a grade of WD. This shows that you attempted the course but dropped it during the term. There will be no numeric grade associated with the course.
WF period (Withdrew – failure)
Courses dropped after the WD period will receive a grade of WF and count as a failure (32%) in your average. Please consult with your Acadmic Advisor if you are thinking of dropping a course on Quest during the WF period.
Student cannot drop courses during the final examination peroid. The dates can also be found in the Calendar of Events and Academic Deadlines.
Enrolling in courses at Wilfrid Laurier University
If the course that you would like to take is listed in the University of Waterloo course offerings list with the division code “WLU”, you may enroll for the course as if it were a Waterloo course. If the course is not listed, you must follow the cross-registration procedures. Cross Registration forms are available on-line under Cross-Registration Form.
Enrolling in courses at another university
A student may request permission to take a course(s) at another university for credit towards their degree at the University of Waterloo if he/she has a "Good" Academic Standing. A maximum of five units can be obtained in this way, and credit will be given only if the grade is 60% or higher. All courses taken on Letter of Permission will be recorded with a grade of CR and will not factor into average calculations.
You need to submit the Letter of Permission Form to the Undergraduate Programs Manager, and it must be accompanied by a detailed description of the course requested and the reason for the request. Upon approval, student will deliver the form to The Centre for processing and payment. If student is planning on using the course to fulfil a degree requirement, the course has be to be assessed and approved equivalent to a UW course by the appropriate department.
Note: The granting of any letter of permission by the University of Waterloo does not necessarily confirm that you will be able to enroll in the approved course at the other university. There may be restrictions (i.e. on class enrolment) at that institution. You should contact that institution's registrar office for procedural details. Any changes to the original letter of permission must be resubmitted for approval prior to completion of the course.
Department Consent Form(s) for course enrollment
For courses that require department consent to enroll, you will need to complete the Department Consent Form. Please note the submission of the form does not guarantee enrollment. The form(s) will be updated termly, and is usually accessible to students on the first day of course selection till the first week of school (specific courses may have different deadlines). You will refer to Announcement Board on LEARN SPHS Advising and Student Resources Group for full course descriptions.
HLTH432A/B Honours Thesis enrollment
HLTH432 is an independent research project on an approved topic, supervised by a faculty member. It includes an approved proposal and completion of - introduction, review of literature, methods, data collection, data analysis and presentation of results in thesis form. The course is recommended for students planning graduate studies.
In order to enroll for HLTH432, you need to complete the following:
- Review the HLTH432 Honours Thesis information guide carefully.
- Receive approval from SPHS Associate Director, Undergraduate, by submitting HLTH432 Honours Thesis Pre-Approval Application. It is recommended for students to submit this application at least two months prior to the intended start term of HLTH432A.
- Meet with your supervisor to discuss the project and have him/her complete a Form432A (PDF) . You will then upload the signed form to HLTH432 Honours Thesis Enrollment Form to complete the enrollment process. Please note the information on both forms needs to match. The forms must be submitted no later than one week prior to the last day to add courses for the school term.
- Towards the end of your HLTH432A, meet with your supervisor and start planning for HLTH432B. Your supervisor needs to agree to supervise you for a second term by signing a Form432B (PDF). You will then upload the signed form to HLTH432 Honours Thesis Enrollment Form to complete the enrollment process. Please note the information on both forms needs to match. The forms must be submitted no later than one week prior to the last day to add courses for the school term.
HLTH472 Independent Studies enrollment
HLTH472 Independent Studies is for SPHS student who desires to pursue a particular topic in depth through guided independent research and/or reading. An SPHS faculty member must approve and supervise a student's project prior to registration. May be repeated in subsequent terms.
In order to complete enrollment for HLTH472, you need to find a supervisor who agrees to supervise you to complete an Independent Studies. Once confirmed, meet with your supervisor to discuss the course and have him/her complete a Form472 (PDF). You will then upload the signed form to HLTH472 Independent Studies Enrollment Form to complete the enrollment process. The form must be submitted no later than one week prior to the last day to add courses for the school term.
HLTH474 Health Apprenticeship enrollment
HLTH474 Health Apprenticeship is for SPHS students who desire to pursue an opportunity for an in-depth exploration of a topic of specific interest to the student, and to develop/enhance skills related to this area. As this course will be graded, there must be at least one academic deliverable (e.g., a review of the literature, proposal, presentation, and knowledge dissemination product). The apprenticeship is unpaid and students will normally spend six to eight hours per week working on the course for at least 12 weeks during the term.
In order to complete enrollment for HLTH474, you must identify a supervisor, design an apprenticeship experience, establish individualized learning goals, and develop a plan for evaluation. Your supervisor must complete and sign Form474 (PDF), which you will upload to HLTH474 Health Apprenticeship Enrollment Form to complete the enrollment process. The form must be submitted no later than one week prior to the last day to add courses for the school term.
GERON401A/B Independent Study enrollment
GERON401A/B Independent Study in Aging is for Gerontology Minor, Gerontology Diploma or Aging Option students who desires to pursue a particular topic in depth through guided independent research and/or reading. A faculty member whose area of research is in the aging studies/population must approve and agree to supervise a student's project prior to registration.
In order to complete enrollment for GERON401A/B, you need to find a supervisor who agrees to supervise you to complete an Independent Studies. Once confirmed, meet with your supervisor to discuss the course and have them complete a Form401 (PDF). You will then upload the signed form to GERON401A/B Enrollment Form to complete the enrollment process. The form must be submitted no later than one week prior to the last day to add courses for the school term.
Alternate Course Request for Degree Requirement
Please submit the Alternate Course Request for Degree Requirement Form if you are using a different course to fulfil one of your degree requirements. You should submit this form only after consulting with a SPHS academic staff and received approval.