Course Selection and Program Structure

Tech + Design + Business

Our courses cover topics ranging from design, imaging and user experience to business and code/computing. Each course is taught by faculty who have extensive experience within their discipline.

To enhance knowledge application and real-world experience, the GBDA program requires students to complete their co-op work terms and encourages students to Go on Exchange for one term.

How does course enrolment work?

The Centre has created a resource page to help students understand course enrollment.

View the Course Enrollment Guide →

1. Course Selection Period

Search for and select which courses you would like to enrol in
Rank your courses by priority
Learn more about the Course Selection Period →

2. Drop/Add Period Appointments

Appointment-based, during the Drop/Add Period, you can only modify course selection at the specified date and time as listed in QUEST (Enrolment > Term Information > View my enrolment dates)
Choose which courses you would like to add or remove from your schedule
Learn more about the Drop/Add Period →

3. Add Period (Open Enrolment)

Enrolment appointment restrictions are lifted, and courses can be openly added and dropped as desired

What Courses Do I Need To Pick?

Undergrad Calendar - confirm requisites and description
Schedule of Classes - review next term's course offerings
Quest - enroll in classes (Quest Help has instructions)

Course Offerings

The following courses are required in order to graduate with a Global Business and Digital Arts degree. This information is also contained within the academic calendar.

First Year Courses

Fall Term (1A)

ARTS 130 or ARTS 140
CS 105 - Introduction to Computer Programming 1
A Second Language Course
Elective
Elective

Winter Term (1B)

GBDA 101 - Introduction to Digital Media Design
ARTS 130 or ARTS 140
ECON 101 - Introduction to Microeconomics
CS 106 - Introduction to Computer Programming 2
A Second Language Course

Second, Third, and Fourth Year Courses

*2nd year classes will include 1 elective in the fall term and 1 elective in the winter term.

Co-op and Study Sequence

Year	Term	Example
1	Fall	Study - Waterloo Campus
	Winter	Study - Waterloo Campus
	Spring	Off
2	Fall	Study - Stratford School
	Winter	Study - Stratford School
	Spring	Study - Stratford School
3	Fall	Work
	Winter	Study - Stratford School
	Spring	Work
4	Fall	Study - Stratford School or Exchange (optional)
	Winter	Work
	Spring	Work
5	Fall	Study - Stratford School

Fall Term: September to December
Winter Term: January to April
Spring Term: May to August

Undergraduate Calendar (for course descriptions and pre-requisites)

Schedule of Classes (for enrolment caps, class times)

See course syllabi

Course Help

Understanding the Different Enrollment Periods

The Registrar’s Office has created a resource page to help students understand course enrollment.

View the Course Enrollment Guide →

Phase 1: The Course Selection Period. The creation of a wish-list of courses you want to take during the next academic term.
Phase 2: The Drop/Add Period. The time to modify your class schedule or add classes if you missed the Course Selection Period.

Understanding the Different Course Drop Periods

Tuition and Fee Refund Deadline - 100%
- Classes dropped prior to this deadline will be removed from the academic record.
- Deadline to receive 100% of your charges removed for withdrawing from the term, completing degree requirements or/for dropping a course.
Tuition and Fee Deadline - 50%
- Deadline to receive 50% of your charges for tuition, co-op fee and student services fees removed for withdrawing from the term, completing your degree requirements or for dropping a course. All other charges remain on your account. Read more about Due Dates on the Finance Website →
Drop with WD
- WD (Withdrew, no credit granted) grade assigned on the academic record for classes dropped within this period.
Drop with WF

Quest Help - How To Pages

The QUEST: Student Information System is where you select, add, drop, and swap courses, as well as view financial and tax information, and grades and transcripts.

Read more on the Quest website →

For most Quest help pages, we recommend accessing via desktop

How To:

Select courses for a future term?
View my course selection results?
View my appointment time for the beginning of drop/add?
Create, change, or view my class schedule?
- Search for classes
- Add classes
- Drop classes
- Swap classes
- Swap components
- View my class schedule
View my final exam schedule?
- On-campus exam schedule (not viewed in Quest)
- Online exam schedule
- Select exam centre for an online course

Tuition Help - How to pay and supports available

Please note that only Student Financial Services and the Centre can assist with questions related to your tuition or student finances.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: I have a question about a course and/or minor related to a different department – who should I contact?

GBDA Advisors can only speak to GBDA-coded courses, if you have questions about the material or criteria of another programs course or minor – please contact the Advisor for that program.

If it is a department in the Faculty of Arts, see the list of all Arts Advisors.

Other Faculty Advisors can normally be found by looking at that Faculty’s website.

Q: I noticed I had a financial hold on my student account – what should I do?

Unfortunately, GBDA Advisors are unable to assist you with Financial Holds. It is recommended that you contact the Centre to inquire about what the Financial Hold is for and how to remove it.

The Centre: https://uwaterloo.ca/the-centre/contact-us

Q: I have missed the course selection period – what should I do?

Do not worry if you have missed it – students have multiple opportunities to add courses.

Please see the Course Help Webpage for more information.

Q: I would like to overload to take 6 courses in my upcoming term- what is the process for requesting a course overload?

Students wishing to overload to 6 courses in a term are required to have a minimum 75% cumulative (overall) average. And have completed a minimum of 10 courses.

Students wishing to overload can make this request to their advisor via gbda.advising@uwaterloo.ca . Please note that your advisor can only increase your course limit and may not be able to help you with specific course enrollment.

Q: My preferred course section is full, can you help?

If it is a GBDA course:

For all GBDA course override requests, please email gbda.advising@uwaterloo.ca and include your name, student ID number, and requested course and section number.

In most cases, we will not provide an override for class limits unless a student requires academic accommodations from AccessAbility Services or if a student is facing extenuating circumstances (e.g. having failed a previous course)

Email is the fastest method to request an override, advising appointments will not be booked for override requests.

Notes:

All GBDA courses are strictly reserved for students in the GBDA program.
GBDA does not currently provide a waiting list for any course. Students are encouraged to utilize the add/drop period to swap into preferred sections when available.
Only GBDA advisors (gbda.advising@uwaterloo.ca) are able to provide course overrides at this time. Please do not contact GBDA instructors with override requests.

If it is a course outside the GBDA program

GBDA advisors are only permitted to provide overrides for courses within the GBDA program.

If you are seeking assistance with an enrollment error or course override please see the AUO enrollment help page:https://uwaterloo.ca/arts/undergraduate/student-support/course-selection/enrolment-problems-and-course-overrides