University of Waterloo Psychology admission requirements: high 70s for the BA, low 80s for the BSc, co-op and dates

Waterloo has two Psychology degrees. The Bachelor of Arts sits in the Faculty of Arts. You apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose Psychology as your major at the end of first year. The Bachelor of Science sits in the Faculty of Science. You apply to Life Sciences and choose Psychology at the end of first year.

This means your OUAC choice is Honours Arts or Life Sciences, not a program called Psychology. Arts students are encouraged to explore a second possible major in first year. Science students take biology, chemistry and math alongside psychology.

For Honours Arts, Waterloo asks for six Grade 12 U or M courses, including any Grade 12 U English with a final grade of at least 70%. For students who plan to major in Psychology, Waterloo recommends Mathematics of Data Management (MDM4U).

For Life Sciences, Waterloo asks for six Grade 12 U or M courses, including English (ENG4U), Advanced Functions (MHF4U) and Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U), each with a final grade of at least 70%. You also need two of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Mathematics of Data Management or Physics.

The BSc route needs Calculus and Vectors, so decide before you build your Grade 12 timetable. Plan early with our course planner.

Waterloo lists an admission average in the high 70s for Honours Arts and in the low 80s for Life Sciences. These are the ranges for the entry programs, not a Psychology cut-off. Waterloo does not publish a Psychology acceptance rate.

Use our Top 6 average calculator to see where you stand, and our University of Waterloo acceptance rate page for what Waterloo shares.

For the BSc, there is a bar at the end of first year. To continue as a Psychology major in second year, Waterloo says you need a cumulative overall average of at least 60%, a cumulative Science average of at least 60%, and a cumulative Psychology average of at least 75%.

For the BA, at least 40% of your classes will be Psychology courses once you declare. Waterloo's BA page does not list a separate minimum average to declare the major. Check with the Faculty of Arts if you want to confirm.

Waterloo says the Admission Information Form is not used for programs in the faculties of Arts, Environment, Health and Science. That covers both Psychology routes. Your grades decide your offer.

Your applicant portal will still show a list of anything you need to send, such as transcripts or English test results if asked. If you had serious circumstances that hurt your grades, you may be able to request special consideration.

For programs other than Engineering, Waterloo's application deadline is February 1, 2027, and the document deadline is February 15, 2027. International students have the same dates. Waterloo admits first-year students for September only.

Waterloo says a deadline may be extended if a program is not full, and late applications are reviewed only if spaces are left. Compare dates on our Ontario university application deadlines page.

Both degrees come as co-op or regular programs. Starting in second year, co-op students usually alternate school and work every four months and can graduate with up to two years of paid experience. In Honours Arts and in the BSc, the first work term is the spring term after second year. In Honours Arts and Business, the first work term is the winter term of second year.

Sample BA co-op jobs include research assistant, policy and research assistant and human resource assistant. Sample BSc co-op jobs include child youth program assistant, health promotion assistant and undergraduate research assistant. Co-op students pay a co-op fee of $836 a school term and pay no tuition in work terms.

In Honours Arts, fall term includes PSYCH 101 Introductory Psychology and ARTS 160. In winter you choose one of PSYCH 207, 211, 238, 253, 257 or 261, which cover cognition, development, organizational, social, psychopathology and physiological psychology.

In the BSc, fall term includes CHEM 120 with lab, PSYCH 101, BIOL 130 and a math elective. Winter adds CHEM 123 with lab, BIOL 130L, a communication course, a biology course, a 200-level psychology course and another math elective. BA students can add the Research Intensive specialization, and BSc students can do an honours thesis.

Waterloo says its Psychology students do hands-on research in labs with EEG machines, eye-tracking equipment and virtual reality rigs. Arts students can design a directed studies course with a professor. Popular add-ons for BA students include minors in Human Resources Management, Legal Studies and Social Development Studies. BSc students often add minors in Biology, Neuroscience or Chemistry.

Waterloo lists careers in counselling, therapy, mental health services, human relations, education, speech pathology and research. The BSc page also names behavioural neuroscience and forensic psychology, and medical careers in neurology, psychiatry or pediatrics. It notes that many graduates go on to a master's degree.

Waterloo estimates two terms of tuition and incidental fees at about $9,000 for Ontario students in either the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science, based on fees for students starting in September 2026. Canadians from other provinces pay about $10,000. International students pay about $58,000 in Arts or $54,000 in Science. Add about $1,500 for books.

Entrance scholarships use your early May admission average. Waterloo gives $1,000 at 85 to 89.9%, $2,000 at 90 to 94.9%, and $2,000 plus extra award options at 95% and up. You must accept your offer by the date on it. The Faculty of Arts also lists awards for Honours Arts students, with no application needed.

Your child does not apply to Psychology directly. They pick Honours Arts (high 70s, needs U English) or Life Sciences (low 80s, needs English, Advanced Functions, Calculus and two more courses). The BSc route has a 75% Psychology average bar to stay in the major after first year.

Co-op is available in both, with the first work term after second year in most cases. Read our University of Waterloo guide and compare Waterloo Health Sciences.