Waterloo Health Sciences admission requirements: four 4U courses at 70%, a mid-80s to high 80s average and no AIF

Waterloo asks for a high school diploma with at least six Grade 12 U or M courses. Four are set: Biology 4U, Chemistry 4U, any Grade 12 U English and any Grade 12 U math. You need a grade of at least 70 in each of those four.

Any Grade 12 U math counts, so Data Management works as well as Advanced Functions or Calculus and Vectors. Physics is not required. The program page says Advanced Functions and Physics are useful if you want the Pre-Clinical specialization, but they are not required. Plan your courses with our course planner.

Courses must come from schools accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education. If your last four years of full-time school were not in English, you also need an English test score.

Waterloo publishes an admission average range for this program. It lists the regular system of study at the mid-80s and the co-op system of study at the high 80s. These ranges are based on past years. Waterloo says averages depend on how many people apply and how many spaces there are.

Waterloo says its published averages come from the grades of students it admitted last year, and that it does not make them higher or lower on purpose. A mid-80s average is not a promise of an offer. Waterloo does not publish an acceptance rate for Health Sciences. See our Waterloo acceptance rate page for what the school does publish.

Your admission average is the average of your top six Grade 12 U or M courses, and it must include the four required courses. If you take more than six, Waterloo uses your six best grades, still including the required ones.

College (C), open (O) and co-op courses are not used. If final grades are not in yet, Waterloo uses mid-term or predicted grades. Try your numbers in our Top 6 average calculator.

Waterloo's Admission Information Form, or AIF, is used for Engineering, Math and a few other programs. Waterloo says the AIF is not used in the application process for programs in the Faculties of Arts, Environment, Health and Science. Health Sciences is in the Faculty of Health, so there is no AIF, no essay and no interview.

That means your grades decide the offer. Your applicant portal still lists any documents you owe. Read more on our Waterloo AIF guide.

For programs other than Engineering, the application deadline is February 1, 2027 and the documents deadline is February 15, 2027. Waterloo admits first-year students for September only. Waterloo says a deadline may be extended if a program is not full, but late applications are only reviewed if spaces are left.

Ontario high school grades reach Waterloo through OUAC. You need to send transcripts only if you are not in an Ontario high school or if Waterloo asks. Compare dates across schools on our Ontario deadlines page.

Health Sciences is offered as a co-op program and as a regular program. You choose when you apply. The co-op stream has a higher published average, the high 80s compared with the mid-80s.

Regular takes four years, with classes from September to April. Co-op takes five years, and you graduate with 20 months of paid work. Your first work term is in the winter of second year. After that you switch between school and work every four months. Sample co-op jobs include clinical research assistant, genetic counselling assistant and health promotion assistant.

Co-op students pay a co-op fee of $836 per school term. They do not pay tuition during work terms.

First year mixes courses from the Faculty of Health and the Faculty of Science. In the fall term the sample schedule lists HLTH 101 Introduction to Health 1, a sociology of health course, BIOL 130 Introductory Cell Biology with a lab and CHEM 120 General Chemistry 1 with a lab.

In the winter term it lists HLTH 102 Introduction to Health 2, HLTH 104 Introduction to Health Data Science, BIOL 273 Principles of Human Physiology 1, PSYCH 101 Introductory Psychology and CHEM 123 General Chemistry 2 with a lab. Waterloo calls this a sample, so courses can change.

Upper years cover human health, core sciences, research methods, biohealth, ethics and sociology. You get ten free electives. Sample courses include Principles of Pathobiology and Epidemiology of Communicable Diseases.

You can add a minor, option or specialization. Choices include the Pre-Clinical and Health Research specializations, Health Informatics and Aging Studies options, and minors such as Gerontology and Addictions, Mental Health, and Policy. The program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. Waterloo says required and elective courses can meet the needs of most medical schools in Canada, but you should check each school.

Waterloo's first-year estimate for the Faculty of Health is $9,000 for Canadian citizens and permanent residents living in Ontario. It is $10,000 for those living outside Ontario. Both are for two terms with incidental fees, plus about $1,500 for books and supplies. Waterloo bases these on fees for students starting in September 2026, so treat them as 2026-27 estimates. Fall 2027 fees may differ.

By our own math, an Ontario student should budget about $10,500 for first-year tuition, fees and books, before residence. Co-op students also pay the co-op fee in school terms. Learn about aid on our Waterloo financial aid page and our OSAP guide.

You are considered for the President's and Merit Scholarships with no application. They use your early May admission average. A 95% or higher earns the President's Scholarship of Distinction, worth $2,000 plus up to two $1,500 awards in upper years. An average of 90 to 94.9% earns $2,000. An average of 85 to 89.9% earns a $1,000 Merit Scholarship.

The Faculty of Health has awards you must apply for in the applicant portal by April 15. They include the Lyle S. Hallman Entrance Scholarship, up to $2,500, and the Bolce Scholarship, up to $3,000 with a minimum 85% average. Both look at grades and community involvement and leadership.

First-year students are guaranteed a residence spot if they meet the steps on time. Accept your offer by the deadline, June 1, 2027 for most students. Then create your WatIAM username, set up two-factor sign-in and send the residence application with a $500 non-refundable deposit by June 8, 2027.

The guarantee does not apply if you miss June 8. Your grades and when you get your offer do not change your residence options.

This is a grades-only program, so Grade 12 marks matter most. Help your child keep each required course at 70% or higher and protect the top six average. Co-op is harder to get into, so if your child applies to co-op, ask whether a regular choice is also worth listing.

Waterloo's co-op stream takes five years, not four. Plan for the co-op fee but also for paid work terms. Mark June 1 and June 8, 2027 on the calendar for the offer and residence. Compare other health programs, such as McMaster, Western and Queen's.