Instructions
Applying to Waterloo is a two-step process:
1. Complete your on-line application
and pay a non-refundable application fee of $100 CAD per program.
2. Upload your application materials using Applicant Quest (Waterloo's
self-service application system). We will email you within a few business
days of submitting your on-line application with instructions for using
Quest. Your Waterloo ID (identification) number will be assigned and sent
to you in this email. You should check the junk mail folder for our emails
as many email programs put mass mailings in junk mail folders. To avoid
this you can add gradapp@uwaterloo.ca
to your address book.
If you have any questions visit our frequently
asked questions (FAQ) page for assistance.
See the 'Materials' page under Admissions in your Student Centre on Quest
listing the items you need to submit to apply to the program(s) you specified
on your on-line application. Your application materials must be uploaded
using Applicant Quest by the required
deadline.
Do not mail any paper materials.
Declaration of Academic Background
- provide information on all post-secondary institutions (universities
and colleges) beginning with your current, or most recently attended
- include all academic background, including incomplete studies
Application stage:
- an academic transcript from each post-secondary institution attended
(and/or attending) showing all courses and marks, along with the transcript
legends/keys/grading scales must be uploaded
- if you have completed the degree program, the awarding of degree or
the degree certificate must be included
- transcript must be in the original language and include a certified
translation if the transcript is not in English
- only one PDF file per institution can be uploaded (if you completed
more than one degree at the same institution, both transcripts must be
in one file)
- maximum PDF file size is 2500 KB, do not use brackets ( ) or quotations
' ' in the file name, and keep the file name short
- transcripts generated from a self-service/web information system must
display your full name, the university's name, academic program, all courses,
course titles and marks, along with transcript legends/keys/grading scales
- University of Waterloo transcripts are not required, but you must declare
your University of Waterloo studies in the academic background section
of the application
Admission stage:
- official academic transcripts (received in a closed university envelope)
sent directly from your home institution are only required if you are
offered admission
- transcript must be in the original language and include a certified
translation if the transcript is not in English
- final Chinese documents must include transcripts, graduation diplomas
and degree certificates in Chinese, all with official English translations
and sent directly from the home institution
- final Iranian documents must be approved and stamped by the Ministry
of Science, Research and Technology or Ministry of Justice, and Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, and include a copy of the transcript and degree certificate
in Farsi
- final Saudi Arabian documents (transcripts and degree certificate) must
be sent directly from the home institution or directly from the Saudi
Arabian Cultural Bureau, Ottawa
NOTE: all required materials, including transcripts, submitted to the University
of Waterloo become the property of the University and will not be returned
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- three (or two for some master's programs) Confidential Reference Forms
for Admission to Graduate Studies are required
- contact your referees before you apply online to confirm their availability
and university email address
- your referees will be emailed (within a week) by University of Waterloo
with instructions on submitting forms electronically via a secure website
- referees will be given a due date of approximately 14 days beyond the
date of your on-line application to complete the form
- see Graduate Applications - Help if you need
to change a referee (changes will delay your application by two weeks)
Supplementary Information Form
- required by the academic department to complete the evaluation of your
application for admission
- questions are program-specific, and may include a statement of interest,
see your department website for the list of questions
- prepare your answers in advance, the form times-out after 10 minutes
of inactivity
- complete on-line using Quest (can be saved multiple times, then finally
submitted)
Test Scores (if applicable)
- applicants who have not completed three or more years of post-secondary
work at a Canadian institution or a university at which English was the
primary language of instruction, or have not completed a graduate degree
at a university where English is the primary language of instruction,
or have not been employed for a similar period of time in a position in
which English was the primary language of business will be required to
provide certification of English language proficiency
- copies of test scores can be uploaded on Applicant Quest, and originals
can be mailed directly by the testing agency
- minimum
University English test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB, PTE) and minimum
test scores by academic department
- see the list
of countries requiring an English language proficiency test
- letters from your universities stating the medium of instruction is
English are not acceptable
- Education Testing Service (ETS) uses 0996 as the Instituition Code for
the University of Waterloo when reporting TOEFL and GRE scores; list of
department
codes for TOEFL, list of department
codes for GRE
- English Language Proficiency test scores must be taken within the last
2 years of receipt of your application
- GRE scores are valid for 5 years from the test date
- maximum PDF file size is 1000 KB
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Proof of Immigration Status (if applicable)
- Permanent Residents of Canada must upload a PDF of their Record of Landing
form (IMM 1000) or Permanent Residence card (front and back) at the application
stage
- Student Visa/International applicants should not leave for Canada until
they have a Letter of Acceptance issued by the University of
Waterloo Graduate Studies Office, and a Study Permit (IMM 1442) issued
by Citizenship
and Immigration Canada is required upon your arrival.
Sponsorship Letter (if applicable)
- indicate your sponsorship in the "Other" section of the online
application under International Agreement and Awards/External Funding
- applicants receiving a scholarship/sponsorship from an external agency
must email a PDF copy of the letter, detailing the duration and level
of funding to gradapp@uwaterloo.ca
- agencies include the governments of Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya and Saudi
Arabia, or sponsors such as CONACyT or the IITs
Resume
- not required for all programs
- see your academic department website for details
- maximum PDF file size is 1500 KB
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Writing Sample
- not required for all programs
- see your academic department website for details
- maximum PDF file size is 1500 KB
Portfolio
- required for Architecture and Fine Arts applicants only
- see your academic department website for details
- submit your portfolio directly to the academic department
Academic
Decisions
- once complete, the academic department will review your file - this
could take several weeks
- admission decisions and offers of financial support are made by the
academic departments
- admission decisions will be posted on Quest
- do not mail any materials you have uploaded
- do not mail additional materials (professional certificates, statements
of interest, covering letters, bank statements), they will not be retained
by the University
- special procedures for exchange
students
- special procedures for China
Scholarship Council students
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Ensure that you have disclosed all information relevant
to a decision on your application.
If evidence of misrepresentation or fraudulent or
falsified documentation is found, the penalty is severe. The University
of Waterloo reserves the right to revoke any offer of admission and/or financial
support from the University.
The University of Waterloo may disclose evidence
of any misrepresentation or fraudulent or falsified documentation to all
Canadian universities, to Citizenship and Immigration Canada and to law
enforcement personnel where appropriate.
Thank you for applying to the University of Waterloo!
If you need further assistance, please see Graduate
Applications - Help
