Welcome to Renison University College!
Our students are all working toward a University of Waterloo degree, but benefit from being a part of a smaller community that offers degree programs in Social Development Studies and Social Work as well as residence on the UWaterloo campus, less than a five minute walk from Needles Hall (NH), the Student Life Centre (SLC) and the Physical Activities Complex (PAC). Renison is a place to learn and a place to live, and our students find they love the combination.
What is Renison?
Renison is one of four University Colleges on Waterloo’s main campus. These are smaller communities where you can choose to live and study while still working towards a degree from the University of Waterloo.
At Renison, you'll take many of the same courses you could take on the UWaterloo main campus, but in a much smaller classroom - our largest room can physically hold 100 students, but we cap our class sizes at 60. A smaller class means more participation, interaction, and engagement. Being engaged in class means you'll learn more, and retain what you've learned. And if you're struggling with something, it's easy to connect with your professor or classmates for help when the class is so small— our professors know your name, and they want to see you succeed.
And don't worry about missing out on the big-school "university experience"— you'll still have the opportunity to take classes on Waterloo's main campus. In fact, in order to fulfill the requirements of your Bachelors degree, you'll have to take some classes on main campus to graduate!
What can I study at Renison?
Directly from high school:
Post-graduate:
We also have opportunities to enhance your degree and make you stand out through our Culture and Language Studies programs.
Residence
You can live at Renison too. Renison’s Residence is centrally located on the Campus of the University of Waterloo. Just over 200 residents from all University of Waterloo’s faculties make up the small intimate community for which Renison is known. The family atmosphere is appealing to first year students as the sense of caring and support offers comfort to those making the transition to University life.
