Waterloo Kinesiology admission requirements: low 80s regular, mid-80s co-op and 70% prerequisites

Waterloo asks Ontario students for a high school diploma with at least six Grade 12 U or M courses. For Kinesiology those must include any Grade 12 U English, Advanced Functions (MHF4U) or Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U), and two of Biology (SBI4U), Chemistry (SCH4U) or Physics (SPH4U).

Each required course needs a final grade of at least 70%, and the courses must come from schools accredited by the Ontario Ministry of Education. Required courses taken more than 10 years ago may need updating. Plan your courses with our course planner.

Waterloo lists admission averages in the low 80s for the regular system of study and the mid-80s for co-op. They're based on previous years and change with the number of applications and spaces.

Waterloo says these published averages are based on the grades of students it admitted last year, and that it doesn't set them higher or lower than it expects.

Waterloo doesn't publish a Kinesiology acceptance rate; our Waterloo acceptance rate page explains what it does publish. Check your number with our Top 6 average calculator.

Your admission average is the average of your top six Grade 12 courses, including every course your program requires. If you take more than six, Waterloo uses the six highest, as long as the required courses are in.

For Ontario students, college (C), open (O) and co-op courses don't count. If you don't have final grades yet, Waterloo uses mid-term or predicted grades. A strong elective, such as Music or World Issues, can lift your average, but it can't replace a required science.

From Alberta, you need English Language Arts 30-1, Mathematics 30-1 or Mathematics 31, and two of Biology 30, Chemistry 30 or Physics 30, each at 70%, among five academic 30 or 31 courses. Physical Education 30 and Career and Technology Studies courses don't count.

From BC, you need English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12, Pre-Calculus 12, Calculus 12 or AP Calculus, and two of Anatomy and Physiology 12, Chemistry 12 or Physics 12, each at 70%, among six Grade 12 academic courses. Upload your second-semester midterm marks as soon as you have them, because the electronic marks arrive too late. Both provinces list the same low 80s and mid-80s averages.

Apply directly to Kinesiology by February 1, 2027, and send documents by February 15, 2027. Waterloo admits first-year students for September only. A deadline can be extended if a program isn't full, but late applications are reviewed only if spaces remain.

There's no Admission Information Form (AIF). Waterloo says the AIF isn't used for programs in the Faculty of Health. You choose co-op or regular study on your application.

First year mixes Faculty of Health and Faculty of Science courses. In the fall you take Fundamentals of Kinesiology with a lab, Sociology of Activity, Health and Well-being, Introductory Cell Biology, General Chemistry 1 and a quantitative analysis course. In the winter you take Regional Human Anatomy with a lab, Human Nutrition, Human Physiology, Physics 1 and Introductory Psychology.

Waterloo has a School of Anatomy, so you study anatomy on human cadavers in first year. After that, about half your courses are Kinesiology, from environmental physiology to trauma biomechanics, and you can choose from over 20 required and optional labs.

At the end of first year you can add an area of focus: Ergonomics and Injury Prevention, Human Nutrition, Medical Physiology, Neuroscience or Rehabilitation Sciences. Waterloo suggests Medical Physiology if you're thinking about medical school and Rehabilitation Sciences for physiotherapy or chiropractic.

Popular minors include Medical Physiology, Human Nutrition and Neuroscience. Waterloo notes the Human Nutrition minor isn't a direct path to becoming a Registered Dietitian.

In co-op you normally alternate four-month school and work terms from second year, with your first work term in the spring after second year. Co-op takes five years and adds about 20 months of paid experience. The regular program takes four years with summers off.

You can return to one employer for several terms or try different ones. Sample co-op jobs include student ergonomist, physiotherapy assistant, clinical research assistant and chiropractic assistant. Co-op students pay $836 a school term toward the co-op program and don't pay tuition during work terms.

Waterloo says that between required and elective courses, Kinesiology students can meet the requirements for most medical schools. Check each school you're aiming for, because requirements differ.

Graduates often go into physiotherapy, chiropractic, ergonomics, health and safety, exercise management and nutrition, or on to graduate and professional programs. You don't need to be an athlete: Waterloo says the program needs academic strength, not fitness.

Waterloo also explains how Kinesiology differs from Health Sciences. Kinesiology focuses on how the body works, through anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, nutrition and neuroscience. Health Sciences programs share some foundation science but lean toward population health and disease prevention.

Waterloo estimates two terms of Faculty of Health tuition and incidental fees at about $9,000 for Ontario students, $10,000 for students from other provinces and $54,000 for international students, based on fees for students starting in September 2026. Add about $1,500 for books and supplies.

Scholarships are automatic in early May, based on your top six. The Merit Scholarship is $1,000 at 85% to 89.9%. The President's Scholarship is $2,000 at 90% to 94.9%. The President's Scholarship of Distinction, at 95% or more, adds up to $1,500 each for international experience and research.

Waterloo Kinesiology decides on grades, and the co-op stream asks for a few more points than regular study. Every required course needs at least 70%.

If your child wants paid work experience, co-op adds a fifth year but about 20 months of paid work. Compare it with McMaster Kinesiology and York Kinesiology.