How to Apply to Engineering at the University of Waterloo: Fourteen Engineering Programs with Direct Entry, Co-op for Everyone, a Required Admission Information Form and Online Interview, with Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Waterloo’s engineering degrees are offered by the Faculty of Engineering. Here is what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on Waterloo’s official information, for domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents), international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Computer Science sits in the Faculty of Mathematics and has its own article on this site; Software Engineering and Computer Engineering belong to the Faculty of Engineering and are covered below.

1. Programs and how admission works

• Programs: Architectural Engineering, Architecture, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Geological, Management, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Nanotechnology, Software and Systems Design Engineering. Architecture is in the Faculty but is admitted differently (see below). On the Mechanical Engineering page the degree is a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering, offered as co-op only, with no regular (non-co-op) version.
• Direct entry: Waterloo says its programs are direct entry, so you choose your engineering program when you apply and take program-specific courses from the start. There is no common-first-year-then-choose model described. In Mechanical Engineering, first year includes ME 100/101 practice courses, chemistry, linear algebra, calculus, mechanics (PHYS 115) and materials.
• Individual selection, no fixed cut-off: apart from Architecture, applicants are selected on grades, the Admission Information Form and an online interview; Waterloo says there are no absolute cut-off grades. Published averages are from previous years and depend on applications and spaces.
• One engineering program only: you may apply to one engineering program (Software Engineering included) plus up to two non-engineering programs. You can name one alternate engineering program through the Engineering Program Alternate Choice form in the applicant portal, but alternates are considered only if space remains, and Software Engineering and Biomedical Engineering cannot be alternates.
• Moving into Engineering after enrolment: the pages read do not say; not published there, so ask the Engineering admissions team (myapplication@uwaterloo.ca).
• Accreditation and licensing: the pages read do not mention CEAB accreditation; the Mechanical Engineering page lists “Professional Engineer” as a possible professional designation. CEAB status and licensing conditions are not published there; ask the Faculty or check Engineers Canada’s accredited program list.

2. Prerequisites and admission averages (fall 2027)

The requirement pages below were read from Mechanical Engineering; the Chinese-system pages for Civil and Software Engineering are identical, and other programs should be checked on their own pages.

• Ontario (Grade 12 U/M): Advanced Functions 4U, Calculus and Vectors 4U, Chemistry 4U, English 4U (ENG4U) and Physics 4U, at least 70 in each, within six Grade 12 U/M courses completed at Ontario Ministry-accredited schools. Required courses taken two to three years ago may need updating; email the admissions office.
• British Columbia: English Studies 12 (or English First Peoples 12), Pre-Calculus 12, Calculus 12 (or AP Calculus), Chemistry 12 and Physics 12, at least 70 each, within six Grade 12 academic courses (ADST subjects do not count except Economics 12 and Financial Accounting 12). Upload a transcript with second-semester midterm marks as soon as possible, because BC’s automatic transmission arrives too late.
• Alberta: Mathematics 30-1, Mathematics 31, Chemistry 30, English Language Arts 30-1 and Physics 30, at least 70 each, within five 30/31-level academic courses.
• Admission average ranges (Ontario pages, previous years, individual selection): Biomedical, Computer, Mechanical, Mechatronics and Systems Design are listed as the high 80s to low 90s; Architectural Engineering, Chemical, Civil, Environmental, Geological, Management and Nanotechnology as the mid- to high 80s; Electrical and Software as the low to mid 90s. Architecture is listed as the mid-80s, needs ENG4U at 78 and Advanced Functions or Calculus and Vectors plus Physics 4U at 70, and adds an interview and a creative portfolio.
• Software Engineering extra: experience in a programming course (such as Grade 11 or 12 computing) or self-study and a demonstrated interest in solving open problems, debugging and testing code, described in the interview; Grade 11 U Introduction to Computer Science is “highly recommended” and Grade 12 U Computer Science “would be an asset”.
• AP / IB / A-level credit: Waterloo says it normally considers AP scores of 4+, IB HL scores of 5+ and A-levels at B+ for transfer credit, but which engineering courses they replace is not published on those pages; check the applicant portal after admission.

3. Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents)

• Application route: full-time students apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), ticking the co-op box. Waterloo emails next steps within 24 to 48 hours. We did not visit the OUAC portal; the OUAC application fee is not published on the Waterloo pages read, so check the OUAC.
• Supplementary materials: engineering (except Architecture) requires the Admission Information Form (AIF) and an online video interview. Waterloo says they help distinguish applicants with similar averages; no engineering experience is expected, and it looks for time management, interpersonal and leadership skills. The AIF is submitted once and reused. Reference letters are not mentioned on the pages read.
• Standardized tests: no SAT/ACT requirement is stated on the pages read; other test requirements are not published there.
• Provincial differences: tuition differs for Ontario residents and Canadians from other provinces (below); requirements are listed by the province of your high school, and no preference or guarantee for Ontario residents is stated.
• Ontario IB students: admission is based on your Ontario Grade 12 U/M courses, with your school converting IB courses.
• Scholarships: President’s and Merit Scholarships are automatic, no application, based on the early-May admission average including required courses: 95%+ gets $2,000 plus a $1,500 International Experience Award and/or $1,500 Research Award; 90–94.9% $2,000; 85–89.9% $1,000. Faculty of Engineering awards include several of $10,000 to $25,000 over eight terms and $1,000 to $5,000 for one year (based on grades, AIF and interview, no application), two $20,000 entrepreneurship awards, Software Engineering awards, and up to five $5,000 awards for Black and Indigenous engineering students (apply in the portal by 15 April).

4. International applicants

• Grades and curricula: for British A-level students, A-level Mathematics and Physics at A, one more A-level at B, GCSE Chemistry at B and GCSE English at B/5; Waterloo selects individually and recommends As and A*s. At least five unique subjects, three at Advanced Level. GCSE English as a Second Language is accepted if an acceptable English test is sent directly. IB requirements are below.
• English: required if your four most recent years of full-time education were not in an English-language school system. TOEFL iBT: tests before 21 January 2026 need 90 overall with 25 in writing and speaking; from that date 4.5 overall with 5 in writing and speaking (MyBest and Essentials not accepted). IELTS Academic 6.5 with 6.5 in writing and speaking and 6.0 in reading and listening, or 7.0 overall with no band below 6.0; one-skill retakes accepted. PTE 63 (65 in writing and speaking); Cambridge C1/C2 180 (176 per skill); Duolingo 120 overall with 125 in Literacy and Production for tests after 1 July 2024; or the English Language Institute’s EFAS. Tests taken before 1 May 2025 are not valid. Exemptions: four most recent years entirely in English-language schooling (with transcripts showing language of instruction or an official hard-copy principal’s letter; full-time ESL does not count) or in Canada. The BASE bridge program is available if you do not meet the scores.
• Deadlines: the same as for domestic applicants.
• Study permit: after accepting an offer, taking a quiz and paying a $5,000 non-refundable tuition deposit (credited to first-term tuition), you receive a Provincial Attestation Letter to use in your study permit application. Waterloo states that as of 1 April 2026 a separate co-op work permit is not needed for students admitted to a Waterloo co-op program; see the Government of Canada site for details.
• Scholarships: international students are automatically considered for most scholarships. A $10,000 International Student Entrance Scholarship (first year only, paid as $5,000 per term against tuition, no application) can be combined with President’s/Merit and Faculty awards; it is not available to transfer students admitted with transfer credits.

5. Applicants from China

• Chinese system (regular senior high school): Senior 3 Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and English at 75% each, plus one other Senior 3 academic course at 75%, with an overall 88% across the five courses; the AIF and online interview are also required.
• Gaokao: the engineering requirement pages read do not say whether gaokao results are considered; not published there. Ask the admissions office or see the Chinese-language site the pages link to (university-waterloo.cn).
• Documents: if admitted, submit your graduation diploma through CSSD-Parchment, and your school must mail your final transcript (at least five Senior 3 academic courses). Waterloo may withdraw an offer if documents do not match official results.
• Chinese / A Levels system: A-level Mathematics and Physics at A, one more A-level at A; Chemistry at GCSE B/5 or Senior 3 Chemistry at 82%; English at GCSE, AS or A-level B/5 or Senior 3 English at 84%; at least five unique subjects with three at Advanced Level; exam boards send results directly.
• Chinese / American system (AP): AP Calculus (or equivalent), Pre-Calculus, AP or Senior 3 Physics, Honors or Senior 3 Chemistry, Grade 12 or Senior 3 English and one other academic course, 75% each and an 88% overall average; a CSSD-verified Chinese diploma, or an American diploma from a regionally accredited school if that is not possible.
• IB: Mathematics Analysis and Approaches and Physics (HL recommended), Chemistry and English A, at least 4 in each, plus one more HL or SL course at 4, total 31 excluding bonus points, with 6s and 7s recommended; the diploma needs six courses with at least three HL; students are selected individually.
• Interviews, country pages and credential bodies: Waterloo’s “students from China” page is mostly about co-op and student communities; beyond CSSD verification no other country-specific interview is described, so not published there.

6. Timeline

• 15 January 2027: application deadline for Engineering (except Architecture);
• 1 February 2027: documents deadline, including the AIF, online interview and other supplementary forms (11:59 p.m. Eastern); also the date to use if you apply to both Engineering and Mathematics programs;
• International applicants have the same deadlines; first-year entry is September only; applications after the deadline are reviewed only if spaces remain.
• The interview link appears within 24 hours of first logging in to the applicant portal.

7. Costs and co-op

• First-year tuition and incidental fees (two terms, eight months, estimated from September 2026 fees, CAD, one row covers the Faculty of Engineering including Software Engineering): Ontario residents 19,000, Canadians from outside Ontario 21,000, international students 75,000; books and supplies about 1,500. Architecture is listed separately: 14,000 / 15,000 / 75,000, with books and supplies about 8,100.
• Co-op fee: $836 per school term; no tuition during work terms.
• Co-op: Waterloo says 100% of Engineering and Architecture students take part in co-op, graduating with up to two years of work experience; international students can join co-op. Engineering has work terms starting in January or May of first year, some programs offer more than one study/work sequence you can request after an offer, and the sequences page is written for students starting in September 2026.

8. Transfer students

• First year only: because of the structured programs, transfer students are usually eligible only for first year of the five-year engineering programs. The deadline is also 15 January 2027, through OUAC, with the AIF and online interview.
• Ontario university students: the high school prerequisites plus a cumulative university average of at least B (75%); the five required courses may be a mix of university and high school courses: first-year Linear Algebra, Calculus, Chemistry, English and Physics, each at least 70. Applications are reviewed individually.
• Ontario college students: the same high school prerequisites and a cumulative college average of at least B (75%); college courses are not eligible for transfer credit into Engineering.
• Credit: from other Canadian universities, engineering programs may grant “a couple” of transfer credits; Biomedical and Systems Design Engineering do not grant transfer credit. Syllabi are not required for Engineering. No credit cap is given on the pages read.

Checklist

Domestic applicants:

• Meet each required course at 70 for your province (Ontario Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, Chemistry, Physics, English 4U; BC Pre-Calculus 12, Calculus 12, etc.)
• Apply through OUAC by 15 January with the co-op box ticked; complete the AIF and interview by 1 February

International applicants (including China):

• Chinese system: Senior 3 Math, Physics, Chemistry, English at 75% and an 88% average; A-levels: Math and Physics at A; IB total 31
• TOEFL iBT 4.5 (5 in writing and speaking) or IELTS 6.5 (6.5 in writing and speaking), or an exemption; CSSD-verified diploma
• Apply by 15 January, complete the AIF and interview by 1 February; after an offer pay the $5,000 deposit to receive the PAL

Transfer students:

• First-year entry only; university or college cumulative average of 75% or higher; college courses earn no transfer credit

Sources: University of Waterloo, Faculty of Engineering; Mechanical Engineering program page; Ontario requirements; BC requirements; Alberta requirements; Chinese system requirements; Chinese / A Levels system; Chinese / American system; British system (A Levels); IB requirements; Ontario university transfer; Ontario college transfer; How to apply; Admission Information Form and interview; Individual selection; Deadlines; English language requirements; Tuition; Entrance scholarships; International scholarships; Co-op sequences; Study permits; Transfer students; Transfer credits. Information is for September 2027 entry; requirement pages are read from Mechanical Engineering as a sample. Check the University of Waterloo for the latest details.