IRCC refers to each educational institution to determine the definition of full-time or part-time enrolment.
Full-time
A full-time student at University of Waterloo has at least 1.5 academic units in a term or enrolled in a co-operative (co-op) work term. If you choose to take any number of courses while on a co-op work term, you are still considered full-time. Co-operative Education has a cap on the number of courses you can take while on a co-op work term.
Part-time
If you are enrolled in less than 1.5 academic units, you are considered a part-time student.
A study permit holder in Canada can legally study part-time, however it is important to be aware of the implications on current and future work eligibility. Also, if you want to stay in Canada to work after completing your degree, then it is very important to remain registered full-time on your study and co-op work terms. Post-graduation work permit eligibility requires continuous full-time study with the exception of part-time registration in your final academic term being okay.
Distance learning
If you are taking some online courses or completing components of your program from outside of Canada, for example a co-op work term or taking online courses from outside of Canada, and you are interested in applying for the post-graduation work permit (PGWP) to work in Canada after completing your degree, eligibility for the PGWP includes a requirement that less than 50% of the program’s total courses be completed through distance learning (i.e. online courses) and only time spent studying in Canada counts towards the length of the PGWP. If you complete at least 2 years of your degree in Canada (6 terms), then you may be eligible to apply for the longest PGWP of 3 years, as long as you meet all the other requirements. Please see our post-graduation work permit page for more information and exceptions implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reduced course load
An approved reduced course load allows students to take less than 1.5 academic units while still maintaining full-time enrolment status. These considerations are reviewed and approved by AccessAbility Services who would provide a letter to confirm the accommodation has been made.
Non-degree term
If you are in a non-degree term, you are still considered an enrolled student and enrolled that term at Waterloo. Non-degree terms are used for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, not meeting academic requirements in previous terms and having to meet other academic requirements before transferring into a new program.
Required to withdraw term
Required to withdraw (RTW) terms are imposed as per departmental policies. If you are unable to meet a program’s academic requirements or have been temporarily suspended from your program, you may be informed that you are required to withdraw for 1-2 terms.
Engineering students: Required to repeat terms and required to withdraw
Engineering students who have not met academic requirements in their first term at Waterloo may receive an academic decision of Failed Repeat Term or Failed Required to Withdraw. Students who receive this decision are eligible to repeat 1A during the following fall term and may be required to take winter and/or spring term off, depending on the co-op sequence, before repeating 1A the following fall term.
Petition of grades
Students may petition a final grade due to special circumstances they faced during that term that resulted in poor academic standing.
The results of the petition may impact enrolment status for that term. For example, a petitioned grade may be removed from the official transcript entirely even though a student was enrolled in 1.5 academic units (full-time) during that term.