Transferring to Science

• Students entering their first year at University of Waterloo this Fall should plan to complete at least one term of studies in the program they have been admitted to.
• Our starting point is to consider transfer requests from students who meet admission requirements, which include English Language requirements for the Faculty of Science, as well as minimum requirements for the target program in Science, which include satisfactory grades in Science and/or Math courses at Waterloo.   
• Students interested in exploring a future transfer to Science are encouraged to review the relevant information on this page and submit the webform to begin discussions with the faculty transfer advisor. Do not make assumptions about eligibility or timing regarding a transfer.  

The following information is for students currently enrolled in a University of Waterloo degree program interested in applying for faculty transfer to Science. Students admitted to Science from another post-secondary institution should review our external transfers page.

Transferring to Science requirements: 

Our starting point is to consider faculty transfer requests when students:

1. Have met the minimum admission requirements*, which include English Language requirements for the Faculty of Science, and
2. Have demonstrated satisfactory Science and/or Math course work from Waterloo (normally grades of 60% or higher), and
3. Have remained in satisfactory or higher standing in current faculty (normally cumulative overall average of 60% or higher).

*Strong Science and/or Math grades completed at Waterloo may be considered in-place of missing admission requirements. 

Not in satisfactory standing in current faculty?

A non-degree term to qualify for transfer to Science is an option when students:

1. Have met the minimum admission requirements*, which include English Language requirements for the Faculty of Science, and
2. Have demonstrated satisfactory grades in Science and/or Math course work (can be used to make up for missing 12U courses, e.g., 60% in MATH 104 for missing 12U Calculus)

Consideration for internal transfer or non-degree term to qualify for faculty transfer is on a case-by-case basis. Meeting the above criteria does not guarantee a transfer nor non-degree term will be approved.

Step 1: Understand motivations to transfer to Science

• What is motivating this decision to transfer to Science?
  • If there is a particular program you would like to transfer into, what about this program sparks your interest? What are your goals? What courses have you enjoyed the most, and why? 
• Have you completed at least one term in the program you started in at Waterloo? Have you talked with your current Academic Advisor to review options available in your current faculty? 
• What other options are you considering? 
  • The Centre for Career Development advisors and resources can help with career planning, planning for graduate or professional school, and more. Meeting with a career advisor can open doors that you were not aware of. 
  • Explore CareerHub to find out more about your interests, values, and skills, and how it all ties into meeting your goals through a Science program. (“Decision-Making” > “Career decision-making” > “The career decision-making process”).
  • Have you considered another University, College or alternate post-secondary options?

Step 2: Explore which Science program meets your goal and determine admissibility

Learn more about program options in Faculty of Science on our website. The Waterloo student record is assigned a greater weight than the pre-Waterloo record. A reasonable background in Science and Math is required for consideration. 

Consider the admission requirements:

• Students must review the high school admissions requirements (select the attending or recently graduated from high school option) for the program(s) of interest.
  • Students must meet the English Language Requirement, not to be confused with the Science Communication Requirement or English Proficiency milestone.
  • If required courses are missing, students can plan to complete Waterloo courses where appropriate in the current faculty (e.g. MATH 104 with a minimum grade of 60% in place of Ontario 12U Calculus and Vectors)
    • Speak with current Academic Advisor to determine when you can take these courses (e.g., do you have room for an elective?) 

Consider your current academic record:

• Are you in satisfactory or higher standing in your current program? If not, consider the supports and/or skills needed to ensure success moving forward. Check out My Learning Skills Evaluation if you aren't sure where to start. 
• Have you received satisfactory grades in Science and/or Math courses from Waterloo (typically grades of 60% or higher)? If not, consider how would things be different upon transfer to Science where these course(s) might be required. 
• Grades in any completed Science (or equivalent) courses at Waterloo will be taken into consideration and weighed above high school grades. Strong Science grades at Waterloo may outweigh any below-satisfactory standing and similarly, weak Science grades will outweigh a better-than satisfactory standing. 

Specific program details:

• Many Honours programs and course offerings are designed for a Fall-term start. 
• Not eligible for transfer: Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy and Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP). 
• Transfer requests to Science and Aviation are limited and considered on a case-by-case basis. 
• Students interested in the University of Waterloo’s Optometry and Pharmacy programs must apply as they are professional, second-entry programs. 

Eligibility for Co-op:

• Students who are registered in a co-operative program in the term immediately before transferring can normally maintain co-op.
• Students who have been removed from their program due to averages or require a non-degree term may not be eligible for transfer to a co-op program, but should review the regular to co-op information. 
• An alternate to co-op is EDGE. 

Transfer Credits:

• Transfer credit equivalents are assessed upon successful transfer to Faculty of Science. Unofficial equivalents and credits can be reviewed in your meeting with the Science Internal Transfer Advisor. 

• Students who have completed the communication milestone in their current faculty will not be required to take ENGL/COMMST 193.

• Where possible, internal transfer credits are applied to the record in order that students do not need to repeat courses. Lower grades and failed courses may be removed from the student’s average calculation (note: these are not removed from academic record). 

• Student’s are encouraged to indicate if they believe they have outstanding transfer credits available from high school, transcripts and test scores can be evaluated upon successful transfer to Science. 

Step 3: Submit the webform below to indicate your interest and meet with the Science Internal Transfer Advisor

Complete the webform below to indicate your interest in learning more about transferring and to set up a meeting with the Faculty Transfer Advisor. This is a mandatory step. Completing the below webform is not the same as applying for transfer. 

Once you have submitted the webform, the Science Faculty Transfer Advisor will follow-up to book a meeting, in-person or virtual, to discuss the requirements, review your eligibility, and to outline next steps. Booking a meeting with the Faculty Transfer Advisor does not guarantee transfer eligibility. 

• If the Faculty Transfer Advisor determines you are eligible for transfer consideration, a Faculty Transfer Form can be sent to the Science Faculty Transfer Advisor. If there are no in-progress courses, it can be reviewed immediately. If any courses are in progress, it will be reviewed as soon as the current term grades are available.

• If the Faculty Transfer Advisor determines you are eligible for a non-degree term to qualify for transfer to Science, a Faculty Transfer Form can be completed and sent to the transfer advisor along with a course wish list for the term. Course selection is determined by the target program's required courses and will be discussed with the Faculty Transfer Advisor.

  • If a non-degree term is required, speak with your current Academic Advisor to determine if a petition for a non-degree study is required by your faculty. 

• After your meeting, a Faculty Transfer Form must be submitted to the Science Faculty Transfer Advisor at least one month before the start of the term they are targeting (see deadlines below for transfer/non-degree requests).

Deadline to submit your Faculty Transfer Form after meeting with the Science Faculty Transfer Advisor:

• Fall - August 1
• Winter - December 1 (previous year)
• Spring - April 1

If you have any questions, please contact Maureen Wolff, Science Faculty Transfer Advisor for more information.