How to Apply to Psychology at the University of Waterloo: Honours Arts or Life Sciences, and Requirements and Timeline for Canadian and Chinese High School Students and Transfer Students

The University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, is known for its co-op programs. Psychology is offered by the School of Psychology as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), each in regular and co-op streams. Unlike McGill and like the University of Toronto, Waterloo does not let you choose psychology when you apply: for the B.A. you apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business, for the B.Sc. to Life Sciences, and you declare psychology after first year. Here is what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on Waterloo’s official information, for students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Ontario students and international students in Canada), students at high schools in China, and transfer students.

1. B.A. or B.Sc.

• Psychology B.A.: apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business (28 majors each) and choose your major at the end of first year; you are encouraged to explore a second major too. In first year you take PSYCH 101 in the fall and one core course (PSYCH 207, 211, 238, 253, 257 or 261: cognitive, developmental, organizational, social, psychopathology or physiological psychology) in the winter. At least 40% of your courses will be psychology. You can add a Research Intensive specialization or minors such as Human Resources Management or Legal Studies.
• Psychology B.Sc.: apply to Life Sciences (with three majors: Biochemistry, Biology and Psychology). First year combines psychology, biology, chemistry and math, and later years focus on psychology and science with an emphasis on research methods and data analysis, a good fit for behavioural neuroscience, cognitive psychology or medicine.
• Choosing: Waterloo says the psychology courses are largely the same; the difference is your other courses. Choose the B.Sc. if you enjoy science, or the B.A. for more Arts electives. Both offer co-op, alternating school and work every four months from second year, with up to two years of work experience.
• Up to three choices: apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC) to up to three Waterloo programs, each with its own decision, so you could apply to both Honours Arts and Life Sciences. Check the co-op box on OUAC for co-op; if not admitted to co-op you may be considered for the regular program. Honours Arts students can also co-register with St. Jerome’s University at the same requirements and fees, with extra scholarships.
• No essays: Honours Arts and Life Sciences are not among the programs that require the Admission Information Form (AIF); admission is based on grades.

2. Academic requirements: Canadian high schools

• British Columbia: a high school diploma with six Grade 12 academic courses; Applied Design, Skills and Technology (ADST) courses do not count, except Economics 12 and Financial Accounting 12.
  • Honours Arts (psychology B.A.): English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 with at least 70. Past admission averages in the high 70s (regular and co-op). Honours Arts and Business has the same requirements.
  • Life Sciences (psychology B.Sc.): English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12, Pre-Calculus 12 and Calculus 12 or AP Calculus, each with at least 70, plus two of Anatomy and Physiology 12, Chemistry 12, Geology 12, Physics 12, Environmental Science 12, and Statistics 12 or Foundations of Math 12. Past averages in the low 80s (regular and co-op).
  • Grades: BC sends marks automatically, but too late for admission decisions, so upload a transcript with your second-semester midterm marks as soon as possible.
• Ontario: six Grade 12 U/M courses. Honours Arts requires any Grade 12 U English with at least 70, with past averages in the high 70s; Mathematics of Data Management is recommended for psychology. Life Sciences requires ENG4U, Advanced Functions and Calculus and Vectors (each at least 70) plus two of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Data Management or Physics 4U, with past averages in the low 80s.
• Admission average: calculated on your top six Grade 12 courses including required courses; past averages are a guide and change with applications and spaces.
• A note for BC students: for the psychology B.Sc., Calculus 12 (or AP Calculus) is required and Pre-Calculus 12 alone is not enough; you will also take Science calculus in first year. For the B.A., there is no required math.

3. Academic requirements: high schools in China

• Honours Arts (psychology B.A.): Senior 3 English with a final grade of at least 75% and a Senior 3 overall average of 85%. Honours Arts and Business is the same.
• Life Sciences (psychology B.Sc.): Senior 3 Mathematics and Senior 3 English, each at least 75%; two of Senior 3 Biology, Chemistry or Physics; one other Senior 3 academic course; and a Senior 3 overall average of 85% including required courses.
• After admission: submit your graduation diploma through China Credentials Verification (CSSD-Parchment), and have your school mail your official final transcript (with at least five Senior 3 academic courses) directly to Waterloo. Offers may be withdrawn if documents do not match the official results.
• Waterloo also has a Chinese-language admissions website.

4. English requirements

You are exempt if your four most recent years of full-time education were in Canada, or entirely in an English-language school system in Canada or elsewhere; for the latter, your school must send official transcripts or a hardcopy principal’s letter showing the language of instruction by the document deadline (emailed letters are not accepted). Full-time ESL does not count. Otherwise, take one of these tests on or after May 1, 2025, with scores sent directly to Waterloo:

• IELTS Academic: 6.5 overall, 6.5 in writing and speaking, 6.0 in reading and listening; One Skill Retake is accepted.
• TOEFL iBT: from January 21, 2026, 4.5 overall with 5 in writing and speaking; for earlier tests, 90 overall with 25 in writing and speaking. MyBest and TOEFL Essentials are not accepted. Institution code 0996, department code 00.
• PTE Academic: 63 overall, 65 in writing and speaking.
• Duolingo: 120 overall with 125 in Literacy and Production.
• Cambridge C1/C2: 180 overall, 176 in each skill.

Note that Waterloo’s writing and speaking minimums are higher than at schools such as the University of Toronto and McGill (for example, 6.5 in IELTS writing and speaking). If you fall short, you could study through Waterloo’s Bridge to Academic Success in English (BASE) program. Scores must arrive by the document deadline, and no exemptions are given if you cannot take a test in time.

5. After first year: entering the psychology major

You apply for the major after first year; averages are cumulative. The School of Psychology publishes these requirements:

• Honours Psychology (B.A.): 60% overall, 70% in psychology courses, and 4.0 units (8 courses) completed. Arts students usually take PSYCH 101 in the first term and a core course in the second, and need at least one Waterloo psychology course grade. Three- and four-year General Psychology B.A. programs require 65% in psychology.
• Honours Psychology and Arts and Business (B.A.): 60% overall, and 70% in both psychology and Arts and Business courses.
• Honours Psychology (B.Sc.): 60% Faculty of Science average, 60% overall, 75% in psychology courses and 4.25 units, plus first-year Science calculus (MATH 127 and 128, with no exceptions), biology and chemistry, PSYCH 101 and a core course.
• Research Intensive specialization: 75% in psychology, available with any Honours B.A. psychology plan (not the B.Sc.).
• Co-op: Arts students take PSYCH 291 in fall and PSYCH 292 in winter of second year and keep a psychology average of 70% (75% for Science); regular students cannot move into psychology co-op after the fall term of second year begins.

6. Transfer students

• From a university: both Honours Arts and Life Sciences require a cumulative university average of at least 65% plus the high school prerequisites (as above for BC). Life Sciences is not available if you have or nearly have a degree in a similar subject.
• From a college (including BC colleges): a cumulative college average of at least 75%, with the same high school prerequisites.
• Credit: assessed after admission from your course outlines, up to 10.0 units (20 courses). Brief calendar descriptions are not enough; detailed syllabi are needed.
• Applying: also through OUAC by February 1, 2027. Transfer students are guaranteed a place in upper-year residence.

7. Timeline for September 2027 entry

• Mid-September 2026: OUAC applications open.
• November 14, 2026: Fall Open House.
• February 1, 2027: application deadline for Honours Arts, Life Sciences and other non-Engineering programs (the same for international students). Deadlines may be extended if a program is not full, and late applications are reviewed only if space is available.
• February 15, 2027: document deadline (transcripts, English scores and more).
• April 3, 2027: Spring Open House.
• Mid-May 2027: all remaining offers sent; most scholarships for new students awarded.
• June 1, 2027: deadline to accept your offer on OUAC; June 8 for residence applications.
• July 2027: students with conditional offers submit final official transcripts by the deadline on their offer.
• Waterloo admits first-year students for September only.

8. Scholarships

• President’s and Merit Scholarships (automatic, based on your early May admission average): 95%+ receives CAD 2,000 plus a CAD 1,500 International Experience Award and/or CAD 1,500 Research Award in upper years; 90–94.9% receives CAD 2,000; 85–89.9% receives CAD 1,000.
• Faculty of Science Entrance Scholarships (Life Sciences, automatic): CAD 1,000 for 85%+ and CAD 500 for 80–84.9%, in addition to the above.
• Faculty of Arts: Honours Arts and Honours Arts and Business offer three CAD 10,000 and one CAD 5,000 scholarships (over eight terms) and several of CAD 1,000–3,000, based on academics with no application.
• International students: dedicated scholarships include new CAD 10,000 awards for most programs; the faculties of Science and Mathematics offer up to CAD 80,000 for international students, and some Science awards require an application. Students from mainland China and Hong Kong can apply for the Waterloo – China Hong Kong Entrance Scholarship, based on academics and community involvement, in the applicant portal.

Checklist

Students at Canadian high schools:

• OUAC application to up to three Waterloo programs: Honours Arts (B.A.) and/or Life Sciences (B.Sc.), with the co-op box checked if you want co-op
• BC: English Studies 12 with at least 70, plus Pre-Calculus 12, Calculus 12 (each at least 70) and two sciences for the B.Sc.
• Upload your transcript as soon as second-semester midterm marks are out
• An English score if your last four years were not all in Canada or English-language schools

Students at high schools in China:

• Senior 3 English at least 75% and an 85% overall average; for the B.Sc., also Senior 3 Mathematics at least 75% and two sciences
• IELTS (6.5 in writing and speaking), TOEFL, PTE, Duolingo or Cambridge, taken on or after May 1, 2025
• After admission, CSSD verification of your diploma and a final transcript mailed by your school

Transfer students:

• A cumulative university average of 65%+ or college average of 75%+, plus high school prerequisites
• All transcripts and detailed course outlines

Sources: University of Waterloo, Psychology (Bachelor of Arts); Psychology (Bachelor of Science); Life Sciences: BC high school; Honours Arts: BC high school; Life Sciences: Chinese system; Honours Arts: Chinese system; University transfer; College transfer; English language requirements; Deadlines; Important dates; How to apply; How to apply as a transfer student; Entrance scholarships; School of Psychology: admission requirements for the major. Information is for September 2027 entry; admission averages are from previous years. Check Waterloo for the latest details.