How to Apply to Art and Design at the University of Waterloo: Enter Honours Arts for Fine Arts and Choose Studio Practice or Visual Culture After First Year, or Apply Directly to Global Business and Digital Arts, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Waterloo, art and design degrees sit in the Faculty of Arts: Fine Arts, leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Culture or Studio Practice, and the design- and digital-media-focused Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA), leading to a Bachelor of Global Business and Digital Arts. Here is what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on Waterloo’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

1. Programs

• Fine Arts: apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business, then choose one of two majors at the end of first year:
  • Studio Practice: hands-on classes in drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, media arts and digital imaging, with optional Digital Art or Teaching Preparation specializations; Teaching Preparation makes you eligible for the Bachelor of Education at Nipissing University.
  • Visual Culture: art history and theory, with a 36-hour internship at an arts institution or the co-op option.
• Course mix: after first year, about 40% of your classes are Fine Arts courses, and you choose electives from about 100 subject areas. Waterloo says many studio classes are capped at 25 students and offers more than 80 Fine Arts courses.
• Co-op: Fine Arts is available as co-op or regular. Co-op students normally alternate study and work every four months from second year, with the first work term in the winter of second year.
• Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA): first year on the main campus covers digital media design, global business, programming, economics and a second language. From second year, almost all classes are at the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, about 45 km from the main campus, with real projects in user experience design, digital media, prototyping and business strategy. You graduate with a portfolio and up to four co-op terms. GBDA is co-op only.

2. How to apply and deadlines

• Fine Arts: apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose the major after first year. GBDA: apply directly to the program.
• Deadlines: for programs other than Engineering, apply by February 1, 2027 and submit documents by February 15, 2027. International students have the same deadlines. First-year students start in September only; a deadline may be extended if a program is not full, and late applications are reviewed only if space is available.
• BC students: upload a transcript with second-semester mid-term marks as soon as possible, because BC’s automatic transmission arrives too late for admission decisions.

3. Portfolio and supplementary forms

• No portfolio is listed: the admission requirements for Fine Arts and GBDA list only high school courses and averages, with no portfolio, interview or assignment.
• No Admission Information Form: Waterloo’s AIF page says the AIF is not used for programs in the Faculty of Arts (or Environment, Health and Science).
• For GBDA, Waterloo suggests a variety of high school courses in business, technology and the arts, but does not recommend specific courses.

4. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Fine Arts (Honours Arts), BC: high school diploma with six Grade 12 academic courses, including English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 at 70 or higher; admission average in the high 70s (co-op and regular).
• GBDA, BC: six Grade 12 academic courses, including English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 at 75 or higher; admission average in the low 80s.
• ADST courses: apart from Economics 12 and Financial Accounting 12, Applied Design, Skills and Technology courses do not count toward the six academic courses.
• Ontario: Fine Arts needs six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English at 70% or higher, with a high-70s average; GBDA needs English at 75% or higher and a low-80s average.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Fine Arts (Honours Arts): Senior 3 English final grade of at least 75% and an 85% Senior 3 average.
• GBDA: Senior 3 English of at least 80% and an 85% Senior 3 average.
• After admission: submit your graduation diploma through China Credentials Verification (CSSD-Parchment), and have your school mail your final transcript (with at least five Senior 3 academic courses). Waterloo may withdraw an offer if documents and final results do not match.
• Waterloo does not say how Gaokao results are used; ask the Admissions office or check the Chinese-language admissions site.

6. English requirements

• Exemption: you do not need a test if your four most recent years of full-time education were in Canada or entirely in an English-language school system; full-time ESL programs do not count.
• IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, 6.5 in writing and speaking, 6.0 in reading and listening.
• TOEFL iBT: tests from January 21, 2026 need 4.5 overall with 5 in writing and speaking; earlier tests need 90 with 25 in writing and speaking.
• PTE: 63 overall with 65 in writing and speaking. Duolingo: 120 overall with 125 in Literacy and Production.
• If you fall short, Waterloo’s BASE program is an option.

7. Tuition and scholarships

• Estimated first-year tuition and incidental fees (two terms, based on students starting in September 2026):
  • International students: Faculty of Arts CAD 58,000; GBDA CAD 56,000.
  • Canadian citizens and permanent residents from outside Ontario: Arts CAD 10,000; GBDA CAD 16,000.
  • Ontario students: Arts CAD 9,000; GBDA CAD 14,000.
  • Books and supplies about CAD 1,500 extra; co-op students pay CAD 836 per school term and no tuition during work terms.
• President’s and Merit Scholarships (automatic for full-time first-year students; no application): admission average of 95% or higher, CAD 2,000 plus a CAD 1,500 International Experience Award and/or Research Award (paid when you take part in international study or work or a research position in upper years); 90–94.9%, CAD 2,000; 85–89.9%, CAD 1,000. Based on your early-May admission average.
• Faculty of Arts scholarships (Honours Arts, Honours Arts and Business and GBDA; academic performance; no application): three at CAD 10,000 and one at CAD 5,000 over eight terms, plus several from CAD 1,000 to 3,000.
• International students: Waterloo lists scholarships for international students that require an application, including new CAD 10,000 scholarships for most programs. Students from mainland China or Hong Kong can also apply in the applicant portal for the Waterloo – China Hong Kong Entrance Scholarship, based on academic performance and community involvement.

8. Transfer students

• From a BC university into Honours Arts: a minimum cumulative university average of 65%, plus English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 at 70 or higher.
• Credit: assessed after admission from your course outlines, up to 10.0 units (20 courses).
• For GBDA or other provinces, select the program and your background on Waterloo’s admission requirements page.

Application checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Fine Arts: Senior 3 English 75% and an 85% Senior 3 average; GBDA: English 80% and an 85% average
• IELTS 6.5 (6.5 in writing and speaking) or new TOEFL 4.5
• Apply by February 1, 2027 and submit documents by February 15; no portfolio

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Fine Arts: English Studies 12 at 70+, high-70s average
• GBDA: English Studies 12 at 75+, low-80s average
• Apply by February 1 and upload mid-term marks as soon as they are available

Transfer students:

• BC university to Honours Arts: 65% cumulative average; up to 20 courses of transfer credit

Sources: University of Waterloo, Fine Arts program; Global Business and Digital Arts program; Honours Arts BC requirements; Honours Arts Chinese system requirements; GBDA BC requirements; GBDA Chinese system requirements; Honours Arts BC university transfer requirements; Deadlines; Admission Information Form; English language requirements; First-year tuition; Entrance scholarships. Information is for September 2027 entry; tuition is Waterloo’s estimate based on students starting in September 2026. Check Waterloo for the latest details.