Science International Exchange

student on exchange in Venice
Student on exchange in Venice

Mercedes, a science student, on her exchange in Italy.

Internationalizing your degree

Students in the Faculty of science are encouraged to Go Abroad in a number of different ways: academic exchanges, internships, co-op jobs, summer programs, volunteer opportunities, and more. Through Waterloo Passport, you'll be able to explore the programs and destinations available to Waterloo Science students.

For more information about other international programs, such as internships and service learning (volunteer) programs, please contact one of the Global Learning Coordinators.

student standing on top of a mountain while on exchange
Inside Gyeongbokgung Place, photo taken by student on exchange
borobudur temple, picture taken by student on exchange
Milan Cathedral, photo taken by student on exchange
Nærøyfjord, photo taken by student on exchange
Student with wings

All photos were recieved from the Student Success Office photo contest of Winter 2018.

From top to bottom, left to right: Claire on one of New Zealand's Great Walks; Steven visited the Borobudur Temple; Pamela visited Nærøyfjord, the narrowest fjord in Norway; Andrew took his photo inside Gyeongbokgung Place;Mercedes saw the Milan Cathedral; and Riley recieved her "Liverbird" wings in Liverpool. Riley's photo won the Winter 2018 exchange photo.

Why go abroad?

Still in doubt about whether you should go abroad? Here are a few reasons to consider an international experience:

  • It's an amazing opportunity to be exposed to different cultures.
  • You will meet people from other countries, participate in clubs and activities, and improve your interpersonal skills and your confidence to interact with a variety of different people.
  • You'll be able to improve your language skills.
  • An international experience can also serve as a starting point for travel to different parts of the world.
  • You can study abroad for one or two terms and experience a new academic environment, take courses that are not offered at Waterloo, and use them towards your degree.

Information for going on exchange

Eligibility

  • Minimum overall average of 70% (some universities may require an average of 75% or higher)
  • Be in at least satisfactory standing for your program
  • Be an advocate for the academic integrity of the University of Waterloo
  • Be proficient in the language of instruction, if courses are not taught in English
  • You must be at least in your second year when you apply, to go on your third year (completed four full academic terms at Waterloo)
    • Some summer programs may be more flexible
  • Exchange term cannot be your last academic term
  • The Faculty of Science has the final decision on whether to endorse a student, taking a student's entire academic record into account. The endorsement can be revoked if academic performance suggests a student is unlikely to be successful on exchange

Costs

Tuition/Program fees

Exchanges

For international exchanges, you pay your normal tuition fees to Waterloo prior to departure, for a total of 2.5 units. There is no extra tuition charged to participate in an exchange program and the tuition does not change if you take a lighter course load at your host school.

While studying abroad, you're responsible for any extra studying costs (books, lab fees, etc.), travel expenses, passport and visa arrangements, accommodations, food and all other living expenses, including health care. Costs of living abroad may vary considerably but is often not significantly higher than living in Canada. 

You can also take your OSAP with you! It is important to research application, travel, and living costs (which vary by country). To help you calculate how much an exchange might cost, please review the Waterloo Passport program pages. 

Study Abroad Programs

For study abroad programs, you pay fees at your host school. Some Waterloo programs offer a study abroad experience specific to a department or faculty.

Summer and Short-term programs

Summer and Short-term programs through the University of Waterloo vary. For some summer programs, you pay the program fee directly to the host school. For others, you pay your tuition fees to Waterloo. You can find this information, as well as the program cost, on the program's summary page in Waterloo Passport.

Exchange Scholarships and Bursaries

There are a variety of scholarships and bursaries available for students who are going on exchange.

International experience awards – one application to be considered for them all!

FSF Education Travel Award – just for Science students!

Before you apply

  1. Attend a self-registered mandatory info session on LEARN. Check detailed available dates on Go Abroad web page.
  2. Research where you want to go on Waterloo Passport.
  3. Talk with your program advisor about your exchange plan and courses.
  4. Look at the courses you still need to graduate. Try to get most of your required courses out of the way before you go on exchange or have a plan of when you will take those courses when you return to Waterloo.
  5. Check the term dates, duration, and language of instruction of the host schools to ensure they would be a good option for you.
  6. Check out the Global Experience Certificate (GEC).

For more information, please visit the Student Success Office Go Abroad website.

How do I apply?

Once you have done your research and spoken with the right people, you are ready to apply. Application instructions can be found through Waterloo Passport.

Two application rounds for exchange academic cycle, which runs based on school year (September - August), including exchange terms of fall, winter, spring and summer programs in spring:

Round 1 - October of the previous calendar year

Round 2 - February current calendar year

Spots for all terms in an exchange academic cycle will be open for application in the 1st round. Only the remaining spots from 1st round will be available in 2nd round.

To be considered in the first round of nominations, applications are due October 31, 11:59 pm. Applications submitted after November 1 will be considered in the second round.

When applying for an exchange program, you are encouraged to list up to four program choices in one application, but your first choice will be prioritized.

After applying, a non-refundable fee will be required before your application can be considered.

COURSE SELECTION AND TRANSFER CREDIT

Once you know which school you will be going to, it is important to start selecting your courses and obtaining course approval. You need to look into courses early and have them assessed before you leave for your exchange so that you know what transfer credits you can expect to receive when you get back to Waterloo.

Select a list of courses you are interested to take and send the course description or course syllabus to the appropriate advisors/faculties accordingly. It is important to be flexible when selecting your courses for studying abroad. We also recommend that you select extra courses as changes may occur after arriving at the partner university. If uncertain about which courses to take, you will need to discuss with your UWaterloo program advisor which courses work best towards your degree progression.

For non-Science students: Please connect with your home faculty Exchange Representative and use this form to send requests for possible Science course equivalencies.

For Science students: Please contact the following advisors directly. Make sure you keep all the email records and forward them to Science Exchange once they are completed.

Course code/subject Advisor name
BIOL Marcel Pinheiro
CHEM Steven Forsey
EARTH John Johnston
PHYS Richard Epp
SCI

Science Exchange

While away on exchange, you will be enrolled in the placeholder course SCI 395/396/397 Science Study Abroad Program, for the term of the exchange. Once we receive your official transcript from your host school, the placeholder course will be replaced on your transcript by the transfer credits.

Students need to obtain at least a passing grade at the host university, or equivalent, in order to transfer the credit back to the University of Waterloo. Refer back to the Waterloo Passport school profile for any exceptions or special notes for this rule.

The grades you achieve in your exchange courses are not calculated in your UWaterloo average and will only show up on your UWaterloo transcript as credit (CR). Science will not transfer failed courses. However, you may need to submit your exchange transcripts along with your UWaterloo transcript for further education applications.

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • How do I register in courses? The Global Learning Coordinators will provide you with more information about how to register in courses at the partner institution. This may be part of the partner application process after you are matched or may happen separately.
  • Can I make course changes after I arrive? Yes, if you need or want to make changes once you get to your exchange school, you will need approval of those courses. Follow the same process as above to get approval. We will work as quickly as possible to review your requests, however do not wait until the last minute to request changes. The minute you know you need to make a change, send us an email. 
  • What is the difference between specific and generic course equivalents?  Most of the courses you will take on exchange will not be direct or specific matches to courses offered at UW. You receive general or generic credit matches for these courses. Specific or general course matches have the same credit value (0.5 units).
    • Specific Course Equivalents: These are courses that have content similar or close to a course offering at UW. The course will be transferred back to your record as a specific transfer credit (i.e. BIOL 130, EARTH 122 or CHEM 120). For specific course equivalencies, a course outline or syllabus will be required. These are usually unavailable during the course selection process when you are applying to the host institution. A reminder to students that specific course equivalencies are not guaranteed on exchange, but can be approved when possible.
    • General Course Equivalents: These are courses that do not match courses or content offered at UW, but are relevant to your studies and in a discipline offered at UW. If you are eligible to take the course, it will be transferred back your record as a generic transfer credit (i.e. SCI 1XX, PHYS 2XX or MNS 3XX).
  • Can I take less than 5 courses while on exchange? Faculty of Science students are expected to enroll in the number of courses required to be considered full-time status at the host school but you can decide to do fewer than five courses on exchange if the Host institutions allows it. It is important to follow those guidelines as they are connected to the validity of your study visa. You can take fewer than 5 courses at the host institution but be aware that doing so may result in you receiving fewer than 2.5 UW transfer credits when you return. You will still pay for a full course load at UW.
  • How are courses transferred back toward my UW degree? Courses are transferred back to UW on a Pass/Fail basis (CR/NCR). As such, numerical grades will not appear on your UW transcript, and will not be included in the calculation of your overall UW averages. In other words, the averages you achieved before you go on an international exchange will remain the same once your transfer credits are applied to your transcript.

If you have any questions about course approvals, please contact the Science Exchange Advisor at science.exchange@uwaterloo.ca

Important Resources

Going abroad involves a lot of preparation. Do you have a valid passport? Will you need a visa? How much will it cost to live in a different country? What other expenses will you have?

To answer these and lots of other questions, Waterloo International has some useful information:

Working abroad: learn more about international co-op.

Contact