University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo Overview
Established in 1957, the University of Waterloo is a public university. The university is known for its quality education and cutting edge research work. The university was founded on the principles of innovation and entrepreneurship by a group of business executives who envisioned a new university that was primarily created to address some of the world’s most pressing and complex challenges. Located in the heart of Canada’s tech hub, the university is one of Canada’s top innovative universities and is home to 100+ programs in business, health, engineering, math, science, the arts, environment and more at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Waterloo is also the first university to introduce the first co-op program outside of engineering in the Department of Physics in 1962 and now it provides the largest co-op education program in all of North America.
Alumni
Some of the most influential and famous alumni associated with the University of Waterloo are Mike Lazaridis (co-founder of Blackberry), Kevin O’Leary, Martha Leino ( the first woman to lead a simulated Mars mission), John Baker, Marie Bountrogianni, David Cheriton, Steven Woods, Susan Tighe, Heather Moyse and George Elliot Clarke.
Some of the startups launched by Waterloo alumni, researchers and students include Blackberry, Robotics, OpenText, Vidyard, D2L, Clearpath, Maplesoft and more.
University of Waterloo Campuses
The main campus of the University of Waterloo is in the city of Waterloo, located in southwest Ontario with easy access to Hamilton, London and Toronto and is situated on 404 hectares of land. The university also has three specialised campuses for architecture, health science and digital media in the nearby cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Stratford.
With over 50,000 university and college students from all over the world, the city of Waterloo is a great place to live and study.
University of Waterloo Admission Requirement
The application process begins months before the commencement of classes. There are two intakes, fall and winter intake for international students and to apply for them you need to compile some documents and fulfil some requirements.
Documents Required
- Academic Transcripts and Grade Cards
- Passport copy and passport size photographs
- Visa
- Updated CV/Resume
- Letter of Recommendations
- Statement of Purpose
- Proof of English Language Proficiency
- Two Reference Letter
Required English Language Score
Academic Requirements
All international applicants that want to study at Waterloo must meet these minimum academic requirements:
For Undergraduate Program
You will need a minimum final grade of 70% or 75 % to be considered for an undergraduate program.
For Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs
You will need a minimum grade of 75% in a four-year Honour Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
University of Waterloo Application Process
For both undergraduate and graduate programs the application process takes place online. All applicants are required to register themselves for undergraduate programs and graduate programs on the links given below:
Application Processing Fee
- The application processing fee for all undergraduate programs is $156
- The application processing fee for all graduate programs is $125
Programs offered by the University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a globally renowned university that provides programs in business, engineering, health, humanities and social science, the environment, maths and science. It offers over 190 doctoral and master’s degree programs to its students. You can find the list of programs offered by Waterloo here.
Top-Ranked Programs of University of Waterloo
Here we will list down the programs that are ranking in QS Subject Ranking 2022:
| Programs | QS Subject Rankings 2022 |
| Computer Science and Information System | 25 |
| Engineering – Electric and Electronic | 33 |
| Mathematic | 41 |
| Anatomy and Physiology | 48 |
| Engineering – Mechanical | 49 |
| Material Science | 66 |
| Hospitality and Leisure Management | 51-100 |
| Statistic and Operational Science | 51-100 |
| Environmental Science | 74 |
| Engineering – Chemical | 75 |
| Physics and Anatomy | 95 |
| Chemistry | 123 |
| Sports Related Subject | 101-130 |
| Accounting and Finance | 101-150 |
| Geography | 101-150 |
| Psychology | 101-150 |
| Architecture and Built Environment | 101-150 |
| Philosophy | 101-150 |
| Earth and Material Science | 151-200 |
| Geology | 151-200 |
| Geophysics | 151-200 |
| Archaeology | 201-230 |
| Business and Management | 251-300 |
| Biological Studies | 251-300 |
| Economics and Econometrics | 251-300 |
| English Language and Literature | 301-320 |
| Sociology | 301-330 |
| Pharmacy and Pharmacology | 301-350 |
Popular Program
Computer Science
The University of Waterloo is one of the world’s best schools for computer science; the program offered by the university will help you develop a broad understanding in areas such as systems and networks, algorithms and programming. The students who graduated from the university are recruited by leading technology companies and top universities around the world.
Engineering – Electric and Electronic
Through this program, you will get the opportunity to learn how to harness electricity power to design and create the next generation of electronics, sensors, and information networks. You can specialize in a wide range of technology and also get hands-on experience from the very first year. And upon your graduation, there will be hundreds of career paths open to you to choose from.
Mathematics
Waterloo is the largest center for mathematics and computer science education. It offers a mathematics program and a choice of 14 majors. Depending upon the major you will choose, you will be able to gain two years of paid work experience through Waterloo’s co-op program or by choosing the regular system of study you can fast-track your degree.
Engineering – Mechanical
The mechanical engineering program at Waterloo will help develop the skills you need to design everything from switches to aircraft. You will get a broad understanding of all aspects of mechanical design. You will also be able to lead teams, find solutions to complex issues and come up with innovations that will be of high impact.
Material Science
The university offers a program Material and Nanosciences, it is the top nanoscience program In Canada according to QS Subject Ranking 2022. This program offers you the chance to learn the ins and outs of designing composite material, ceramics, semiconductor materials, fuel cells, energy storage devices and much more. The program is a mix of chemistry, physics and mathematics and you will also take materials science to learn what makes a substance unique.
University of Waterloo Tuition Fees
The University of Waterloo charges one term at a time, with three terms occurring over the course of a year for postgraduate programs and two terms/eight months for undergraduate programs. So do research beforehand to know if you can afford it or not.
Tuition Fees for Undergraduate Programs for International Students
Tuition Fees for Graduate Programs for International Students
You can look up the fee structure for graduate programs here and doctoral programs here.
| Program | Tuition Fees for a 4-month term |
| Research/Coursework Master | $7,472 |
| Research PhD | $7,396 |
| Coursework MEng/MMSc | $13,896 |
Scholarships Offered by the University of Waterloo
Waterloo offers a variety of scholarships and bursaries to its international undergraduate and postgraduate students. Below we will provide you with some of the scholarships provided by the university.
| Scholarships | Award |
| President’s Scholarship of Distinction | $1,500 to $2,000 |
| President’s Scholarship | $2,000 |
| International Student Entrance Scholarships | $10,000 |
| Sponsored by Alumni or Other Donors | $1,000 to $20,000 |
| Schulich Leader Scholarship | $80,000 TO $100,000 |
| President’s Graduate Scholarship | Varies |
If you want to pursue your higher education at the University of Waterloo or if you want to explore more options then sign up for a FREE session with our Edvise Hub Experts!
