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Minimum requirements for the PhD degree

This section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar includes minimum requirements for the PhD degree:

Completion of PhD degree requirements Comprehensive examination Language requirement Program of study and supervision Advisory Committee PhD thesis examination Recommendation: awarding of the degree Thesis submission

The required period of enrolment for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is six terms from the completion of a Master's degree, or nine terms from the completion of an Honours Bachelor's degree. The actual time taken to satisfy the degree requirements may be considerably longer. For information on required full-time attendance at the University refer to the Definitions - students section . The acceptance of the transfer of credits for prior enrolment at another university will be determined in individual cases by the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of the Faculty at the time of admission to the program.

Completion of PhD degree requirements

The requirements for the degree must be completed within the time periods stipulated by the Senate of the University. A maximum of 18.0 terms from an Honours Bachelor's degree or its equivalent, 12.0 terms from a Master's degree or its equivalent, and 15.0 terms from a Master's degree or its equivalent for the PhD in Clinical Psychology. Students must petition the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies to continue their enrolment beyond these limits. Progress of students who have been granted extensions will be reviewed every term. For more information on time limits see the Enrolment and time limits page .

Students whose work does not measure up to the standards of their program may be required to withdraw from the program. Such students may be readmitted although there will be a limit on the time-span in which readmission may occur.

Candidates must remain continuously enrolled at the University to the end of the term in which they complete the degree requirements. For additional information, see the Continuous enrolment section of the Enrolment and time limits page .

For further information the minimum degree requirements specified by each Faculty should be consulted.

The PhD degree is granted by the University to candidates who have demonstrated both achievement in independent research in a particular field and a broad knowledge of that field.

The first requirement is satisfied when candidates have demonstrated a broad knowledge of their field to the satisfaction of the Faculty, normally by the successful completion of an assigned program of courses and the passing of a comprehensive examination, as determined by the department in which they are enrolled.

The second requirement is satisfied when candidates have presented and defended a thesis embodying the results of their own original research on an approved topic.

Comprehensive examination

PhD programs, except those noted here, require doctoral students to successfully complete a comprehensive exam as part of their academic requirements. In some cases, students may be required to successfully complete a series of exams in order to satisfy the comprehensive requirement.   

The purpose of this document is to provide University-level guidance to students, supervisors and Departments / Schools (referred to as Departments in this document) on comprehensive exams. This document also presents links to Faculty level guidelines that are consistent with the principles established here. Links to Departments’ guidelines are available on the Faculty pages.   

Comprehensive examination purpose

Comprehensive exams serve multiple purposes depending on the discipline. Permitted purposes for comprehensive exams at the University of Waterloo include demonstrating that:  

• PhD students have the appropriate academic background – a foundation and breadth of knowledge in the field of study – to be successful in their PhD program;
• PhD students have the capacity to engage in scholarly communications – both oral and written – necessary to be successful in their PhD studies;
• PhD students have developed a novel research topic to be evaluated during their PhD studies.

The purpose(s) of the exam shall be communicated clearly to students.  

Comprehensive examination timing

The comprehensive exam is an important accomplishment in the completion of students’ PhD program. Normally, completing the comprehensive exam allows students to advance to the research or dissertation phase of their studies. The timing of the exam should allow sufficient time for students to achieve the foundational knowledge to be successful in their programs. The exam timing should allow for timely feedback to students on their progress and should motivate appropriate times to completion. To balance these two objectives, the University requires that:

• Students with no previous studies at the PhD level successfully complete the comprehensive exam not later than the end of their seventh term of studies;  
• Students who have completed previous studies in another PhD program at the University of Waterloo or at another university, successfully complete the comprehensive exam not later than their fourth term of studies in their current program or their seventh term of study at the PhD level, whichever is longer.  

Earlier deadlines are at the discretion of the Faculty, Department or Program level.  

A student who anticipates not meeting these requirements (up to the final evaluation of the exam) may seek an extension to the deadline to complete the comprehensive exam. The student is required to submit a petition providing evidence of extenuating circumstances to the student’s Associate Dean, Graduate Studies.   

Valid extenuating circumstances are normally limited to issues related to the student’s (or student’s immediate family’s) health or documented incidents involving graduate student supervision that can be demonstrated to have delayed the student’s progress. The conduct of research or other projects is not considered a valid extenuating circumstance to delay beyond the normal comprehensive examination completion deadline. Guidance on seeking accommodation due to health reasons shall be managed by the University’s AccessAbility Services .  

If the petition is granted, the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies shall coordinate with the student’s Graduate Officer to establish a new deadline by which the comprehensive exam shall be completed. This deadline shall be communicated to the student in the notice of decision on the petition.

If no petition has been previously adjudicated, and a student fails to meet these requirements by the end of the seventh term, the student’s academic status will be changed to Required to Withdraw. Students may seek to have their standing changed to allow them to continue in their programs by submitting a petition under Policy 70 to the student’s Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, not later than 10 business days from the change of status. The petition rules described in this section apply.

Comprehensive examinations and students’ academic requirements

A student is encouraged to communicate with supervisor(s) and / or instructors regarding the need to balance the student’s effort toward preparing for and completing the comprehensive exam, and any other academic requirements in the term during which the comprehensive exam takes place. Additional guidance for students serving as a TA are outlined in Policy 30.    

In cases where agreement cannot be reached on revised expectations, the Department’s Graduate Officer shall determine and communicate the revised expectations, if any, to the student and the supervisor / instructor.

Comprehensive Examining Committee

In many cases a student’s comprehensive exam written and / or oral components are evaluated by an examining committee constituted for a given student. These rules govern the composition of these examining committees.

The comprehensive examining committee shall engage those who can advance the purpose(s) of the exam. The University requires that the committee includes at least three examiners who:

• Hold a PhD or equivalent degree (as determined by the Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs),  
• Two of whom are not the student’s supervisor(s),
• At least one of whom is a tenured or tenure-track member of the student’s Department or School, and
• At least two of whom hold regular faculty appointments at the University of Waterloo.

Additional committee members may be required at the discretion of the Faculty, Department or Program. When examining committee members are external to the University of Waterloo, their purpose in the exam process shall be clearly communicated to the student.

Normally, the examining committee will not exceed five examiners.

The comprehensive exam shall be Chaired by a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at the University of Waterloo with Approved Doctoral Dissertation Supervision (ADDS) status, normally from the student’s home Department / School, who is not the student’s supervisor or co-supervisor. The Chair’s role is at a minimum to ensure that this portion of the exam is conducted in a manner that is consistent with appropriate guidelines. The Chair is a non-voting member of the comprehensive examining committee.

The composition of the comprehensive examining committee will be approved by the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies for the student’s Faculty, or delegate.  

The method by which the comprehensive examining committee is constituted and the timing of the examining committee formation shall be clearly articulated and communicated to students.

Comprehensive examination format and content

The format and content of the comprehensive exam shall be directly related to the stated purpose(s) of the exam. These elements shall be clearly articulated and communicated to students to ensure transparency and clarity of expectations. If a student in a program perceives a lack of clarity on these issues, these concerns should immediately be communicated to the student’s Department’s Graduate Officer.  

Students may warrant an accommodation to allow for an alternative exam format other than the norm as described by a Faculty or Department. For accommodations related to health, the student shall provide supporting medical documentation to the University’s AccessAbility Services where the request will be vetted. As a result of that evaluation, AccessAbility Services shall determine whether an accommodation is warranted. When an accommodation is determined appropriate, AccessAbility Services shall communicate the decision and the nature of the accommodation to the Graduate Officer in the student’s home Department.

Requests for accommodation not related to health issues shall be made by students to the Graduate Officer in the student’s home department, who will coordinate the process by which the request for accommodation will be advanced.

Outcomes of the comprehensive examination

This section defines permitted outcomes of comprehensive exams at the University of Waterloo. On a candidate’s first attempt at the comprehensive exam, the outcome shall be one of:

• Passed: the candidate successfully completed all requirements of the exam;
• Be communicated to the student in writing;
• Contain the date by which the conditions must be satisfied;
• Identify the member(s) of the examining committee responsible for determining that the conditions have been met. Normally, this determination will be made by at least one member of the committee other than the student’s supervisor or cosupervisors. Failure to satisfy the conditions within the designated time limit shall result in an outcome of Re-examination.
• Re-examination: the candidate will be required to repeat the exam. In this case, the student shall be provided written communication that identifies the deficiencies in the exam that led to this outcome and the deadline by which the re-examination must take place. In the case of re-examination it is anticipated that the committee membership will be the same as the initial committee. Any change in membership must adhere to committee guidelines and be approved by the student’s Associate Dean Graduate Studies or delegate.

When a candidate is re-examined, the outcomes are limited to:

• Exam Unsuccessful: the candidate will be deemed to have failed to satisfy the program’s comprehensive exam requirement. In this case, the student shall receive written communication identifying the deficiencies in the exam that led to this outcome.    

A student who is deemed to have failed to satisfy the comprehensive exam requirement (Exam Unsuccessful) may not continue in the current PhD program. The student’s status will change to Required to Withdraw in the term immediately following the term in which the examination took place. The student may seek admission to another PhD program or to any Master’s degree program at the University of Waterloo.  

The outcome of the exam is determined by the majority vote of the examining committee. The following rules govern the voting process:  

• In the case where the student is co-supervised, the co-supervisors’ votes shall count collectively as one vote. In the case where co-supervisors vote for different outcomes, these votes shall count as 0.5 votes for each outcome.
• In the case where only two outcomes receive votes and the number of votes is equal for both outcomes, the decision shall be for the less positive outcome, provided that outcome is not exam unsuccessful. 
• If the previous case results in an exam unsuccessful outcome, or if no majority is obtained, the case shall be referred to the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, who shall make the final determination of the outcome of the exam.

Those members of the examining committee who are voting members shall be clearly communicated to the candidate.   

In programs where the comprehensive exam involves multiple components, a student may obtain different outcomes on each component of the exam. The comprehensive exam will be considered satisfied when the candidate has passed all components of the exam. The comprehensive exam will be considered failed if the candidate receives an exam unsuccessful outcome on any component. No component may be repeated more than once.  

A student may seek reassessment of the exam evaluation only when the outcome is re-examination or exam unsuccessful based on the written element of the comprehensive exam. A student may not seek a reassessment of the oral component. A request for reassessment shall follow the process described in Policy 70 (reassessment challenge).   

Academic integrity and the comprehensive examination

The University considers academic integrity to be an integral part of all scholarship. Violations of academic integrity are handled under University Policy 71.   

When the comprehensive exam involves a written submission of original work by the candidate completed in a non-invigilated setting, the student shall employ the University’s plagiarism detection software leading up to the submission of the written document to the examining committee. The student is encouraged to discuss the reports generated from the software with their supervisor(s) to avoid academic integrity violations. The report generated related to the document submitted to the examining committee shall be included with the student’s written element and shall be made available to the committee.

In cases where comprehensive exams involve the submission of a written document followed by an oral exam component, the following process shall be followed regarding suspected violations of academic integrity on the written element: the person identifying the possible violation shall communicate the concern in writing only to the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies in the student’s home Faculty. The Associate Dean shall then assess the allegations. If the vetting cannot be completed prior to the scheduled date of the oral component of the exam, the oral exam shall be postponed, pending the outcome of the investigation. If the vetting is completed prior to the oral exam, and no violation is identified, then the exam can be held as scheduled.  

When a change in comprehensive exam date is necessary, the Associate Dean Graduate Studies shall inform the candidate, the supervisor or co-supervisors and the Graduate Officer not later than one week prior to the date of the scheduled exam. If a violation is determined to have happened, the Associate Dean shall proceed under Policy 71.   

If no violation is deemed to have occurred, the exam shall be rescheduled to the satisfaction of the student, the supervisors, and the examining committee. This rescheduling of the exam shall be considered a valid extenuating circumstance to extend the exam deadline.    

If an academic integrity violation is believed to have occurred during the oral component of the comprehensive exam, the person suspecting the violation shall ask the Chair to pause the exam. The concerns identified shall be communicated to the Chair (only) who will then determine the course of action. If the Chair believes that uncertainty exists regarding the concerns identified, the Chair may determine that the exam shall continue and the potential academic integrity violation will be vetted after the completion of the exam. If the Chair believes that the suspected violation is likely to be valid or that the alleged occurrence precludes a fair evaluation of the candidate, the Chair shall then suspend the exam until a determination can be made as to whether an academic integrity violation has occurred.   

In both cases, the suspected academic integrity violation shall be reported to and investigated by the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies in the student’s home Faculty under Policy 71.   

When the comprehensive exam includes the completion of a written exam in a controlled environment, suspected violations of academic integrity in these cases should be reported to the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies in the student’s home Faculty.

Language requirement

When a department considers that a candidate must have some level of competence in a particular foreign language or languages, the successful demonstration of this competence becomes a requirement for the degree.

Program of study and supervision

Candidates shall have their program of study and research approved by the department (or delegated committee) in which they are enrolled. In certain Faculties, a candidate will be responsible, upon entry to the program, to a supervisor who will be approved by the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of the Faculty. In other Faculties, the candidate will be responsible to a provisional supervisor to be approved by the departmental Graduate Studies Committee.

Advisory Committee

When a department wishes to appoint a supervisor (at the latest a month after the comprehensive), the departmental Graduate Officer shall consult with the candidate about an Advisory Committee and shall recommend to the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of the Faculty the composition of that three to five person Committee. In certain Faculties the Advisory Committee is appointed upon the passing of the comprehensive examination. This Committee must consist of the supervisor(s) and at least one other faculty member from the department. The supervisor must be a regular member of the University faculty with Approved Doctoral Dissertation Supervisor (ADDS) status; or, when a supervisor has adjunct status, another on-campus professor must serve as co-supervisor. The Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of the Faculty has the authority to waive the co-supervision requirement on the recommendation of the department / school. Two other faculty members, one of whom may be external to the department or Faculty, may also participate in this Committee. In any event, the Advisory Committee must have a minimum of the supervisor and two other faculty members or a maximum of two supervisors and three other faculty members.

PhD thesis examination

The PhD thesis examination is the culmination of the candidate's research program. It exposes the candidate's work to scholarly criticism by members of the University and gives him or her the opportunity to defend it.

All PhD candidates must successfully present and defend their thesis according to the procedures outlined in the Graduate Thesis Regulations.

Recommendation: awarding of the degree

On the basis of the PhD Thesis Examining Committee's report and its own records of candidates' progress in their assigned program of study, the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) of the Faculty, or a committee specifically appointed by a faculty for this purpose, decides whether candidates have fulfilled the requirements for the PhD degree. If the decision is that they have, he or she forwards the supporting documentation to the Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs with the request that he or she recommend to Senate that the degree be awarded. The Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs examines this request in light of the report from the Chair of the thesis examination. If the Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs has any reason to feel that the acceptance of the thesis is open to dispute, the Associate Vice-President will take the matter before the Associate Deans (Graduate Studies) for advice or, if necessary, to the Senate Graduate and Research Council, which is specifically given authority to decide in such cases.

Thesis submission

When the thesis is accepted by the department and Faculty, and all other requirements for the degree have been met, the student must provide the University with an electronic copy of their approved thesis as a final University degree requirement. Theses must be prepared and submitted as outlined on the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs thesis submission page .

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PhD in Entrepreneurship and Organization

The first program of its kind in Canada, the Conrad School’s PhD in Entrepreneurship and Organization offers emerging entrepreneurship researchers the unique opportunity to study alongside our world-class faculty within Waterloo’s distinctive innovation ecosystem.

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By way of Workplace Innovation, students are exposed to networking opportunities within and external to the University of Waterloo through GreenHouse one-on-one coaching as well as connections to over 200+ previous social innovators.

The projects are flexible and can be pursued as a non-credit experiential learning opportunity, practicum, or as their capstone project, depending on the academic program.

Entrepreneurial Ph.D. Fellowship

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The University of Waterloo is awarding Entrepreneurial Ph.D. Fellowships to support outstanding, business-minded Waterloo doctoral students who are interested in commercializing their research. Successful fellowship applicants will be enrolled in the Master of Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology (MBET) part-time program. Recipients can complete the three-year part-time program alongside their regular doctoral studies, tuition-free. 

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Indigenous post-secondary students from across Canada can now participate in these newly launched entrepreneurship training programs that are built on a model of Indigenized business education and experiential learning. Training includes Indigenous world views on entrepreneurship, innovation management processes, and the skills and competencies required for success in entrepreneurship.

Being part of the program gives students unrivalled access to staff, professional networks and coaching as well as opportunities to secure funding. This program is available to Indigenous post-secondary students across Canada.  Indigenous students who are enrolled at the University of Waterloo have the option to take the program for course credit.  

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Graduate Student Association

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The Graduate Student Association – University of Waterloo (GSA-UW) was founded in 1964 and is the official representative of graduate students at UWaterloo. As such, we are here to provide graduate students at UWaterloo with academic support, a social community, mental and physical health supports, legal aid, as well as advocacy and representation. We actively promote and represent graduate student interests to the university administration and all levels of government. Our work and services are designed to enhance the academic and social experience of graduate students at UWaterloo. Explore our website and learn more about the governance structure of the GSA-UW, our comprehensive policies, the range of services we offer, social events we host, and more! If you have any questions and/or require our support, please contact us at any time and we’d be happy to assist you. 

July 2023 Special Meeting Vote Results

Dear GSA-UW Members, Thank you for your participation in the July 19th vote to remove an unresponsive and non-participating director from the GSA-UW Board of Directors. There were 231 ballots submitted, of which 206 were valid votes. As …

Graduate Award for Black and Indigenous Students

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) at the University of Waterloo has launched a new initiative to support Black and Indigenous students in their pursuit of higher education. The “Graduate Award for Black and Indigenous Students” …

AGM 2023 Results

The following is an update on resolutions discussed at the GSA’s Annual General Meeting held online on April 11, 2023. By-Law Changes: Changes to By-Law #5 were approved Changes to By-Law #9 were approved All Officer appointments were ratified. Members approved the re-appointment of the …

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We acknowledge that we work on the traditional territory of ‎ the Attawandaron (Neutral), Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes ten kilometers on each side of the Grand River. We acknowledge that we work on these territories as beneficiaries of settler colonialism. We also acknowledge that members of our UWaterloo community live on Indigenous territories around the world.

This statement is only a small step in the process of reconciliation. Decolonization requires systemic change. The GSA-UW is committed to this effort.

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At the University of Waterloo we offer our graduate students a phd degree in Chemistry. From understanding the universe, to protecting our water resources to improving the health of Canadians to educating the next generation, Waterloo Science is shaping the future through discovery.

University of Waterloo Multiple locations Waterloo , Canada Top 1% worldwide Studyportals University Meta Ranking 4.0 Read 87 reviews

We offer a phd degree in Chemistry at the University of Waterloo. 

Features 

• As an integral part of Canada’s most innovative university, the Faculty of Science is a global leader and a preferred destination for those seeking to engage in world-class basic and applied research.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

• Analytical Chemistry
• Biological Chemistry or Biochemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Nanoscience
• Organic Chemistry

Key information

• 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

• Apply before 2024-10-01 00:00:00
• Apply before 2025-02-01 00:00:00
• Apply before 2025-06-01 00:00:00

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Academic requirements.

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

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Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

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We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Waterloo and/or in Canada, please visit Student Insurance Portal .

Other requirements

General requirements.

• A Master of Science (MSc) degree (or equivalent) in Science with at least a minimum overall standing of 75% in the last 2 years (domestic students only).
• Direct admission to the PhD program from a Bachelor of Science (BSc) program is also possible for outstanding students who graduated with an overall 89% standing at the undergraduate level. Course requirements are reduced by one course for students admitted directly to the PhD program from a BSc.

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International.

• National/Out of Province: $1,127/ semester
• International: $3,698/ semester

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Chemistry.

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University of Waterloo Scholarships 2025 (Fully Funded)

Pursue your studies in Canada. Good news! University of Waterloo Scholarships are currently open. In this article we will explain in detail about this scholarship, its benefits and step by step application process.

University of Waterloo Scholarship 2025-2026 is a fully funded scholarship for international students. This scholarship is offered for Undergraduate, Masters and PhD  studies. Waterloo University scholarship is valued up to $10,000.

The University of Waterloo is presenting the David Johnston–Lebovic Foundation International Experience Awards to the highly successful candidates in support of Canadian and international students. This is a full-time program open to students from around the world who want to study in any Waterloo Faculty undergraduate and graduate degree program.Faculties will nominate eligible students based on the Faculty’s award allocation. Students will be selected based on academic excellence as demonstrated through their application for admission to the graduate program.

Also Apply for  Melbourne Research Scholarship

University of Waterloo, as a public research university in Canada, is continuously listed as the most creative university in Canada and the most popular for its cooperative education programs. It provides six faculties and ten faculty-based colleges administering educational programs.

Why at the University of Waterloo? It’s a excellent chance for learners to work at this university. Here, through management coaching, organizational development courses, and secondments, applicants can appreciate important chances to develop their profession.

Scholarship Summary

• Level of Study: Undergraduate, Masters, PhD
• Institution(s): University of Waterloo
• Study in: Canada
• Courses Offered: The scholarships are open to study the undergraduate and Research-based Masters and PhD degree in any subject offered by University of Waterloo.
• Program Period: Depends on the selected program.
• For Undergraduate: April 15, July 15, November 15
• For Masters and PhD: Click here to view the program specific deadline.

Scholarship Coverage

University of Waterloo Scholarships provide the recipient with the following benefits:

• The David Johnston–Lebovic Foundation International Experience Awards will be awarded worth up to $2,500 for a one-term study experience, $2,500 to $5,000 for a one-term work or volunteer experience, up to $10,000 for a two-term work or volunteer experience.
• International Master’s Award of Excellence is valued at $2,500 per term for a maximum of 6 terms.

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Eligibility Criteria for University of Waterloo Scholarships

To be eligible for University of Waterloo Scholarships, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Required Languages:  English
• Eligible Countries:  All World Countries
• Candidates who have the good academic standing (normally a minimum 70% average at the undergraduate level; normally a minimum 75% average at the graduate level) are eligible to apply for these scholarships.
• The applicants must be full-time undergraduate and graduate students in any faculty who wish to participate in an international experience in Israel, including a minimally-paid or volunteer international co-op work placement, a volunteer placement, an academic exchange or a study term related to academic requirements.
• International students with a valid Canadian study permit who are registered full time and assessed international tuition fees.
• Normally given to students in research-based programs (thesis or major research paper).
• Will normally only be given to students entering the first term of their program (term 1.0).
• Students must demonstrate academic excellence through criteria established by the Faculty.
• Students must meet the academic progress requirements of their program and not have outstanding probationary admission requirements.
• This award could be in addition to other internal or external scholarships (e.g., UW Graduate Scholarship, OGS,  etc). Note: scholarships are different than sponsorship – see next bullet.
• Normally, students should not be concurrently receiving foreign government or agency sponsorship (e.g., China Scholarship Council, Libyan sponsorship, etc) or be fully or partially self-funded in excess of the Faculty minimum levels of support.
• Students grand-parented under the existing IMSA program cannot be nominated for an IMAE; however, a student previously awarded an IMSA for a previously completed master’s degree can be nominated for an IMAE.
• Students will be automatically considered for this award based on their application for admission. Departments and/or Faculty will define their own internal process by which they select recipients based on the eligibility criteria and allocation.
• Faculties may impose stricter eligibility criteria as appropriate.

Also check Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship

How to University of Waterloo Scholarships ?

Please follow below steps to avail David Johnston–Lebovic Foundation International Experience Award scholarship:

• Candidates need to take admission at the university in  undergraduate  and  graduate  degree program. After taking admission, candidates can access the application on their  forms pages .
• Applicants need to attach a personal statement which will refer to the application form. All applicants must provide evidence of their English language ability to meets the minimum requirements for admission.

Please follow the following application instructions to apply for International Master’s Award of Excellence scholarship:

• Students will be automatically considered for this award based on their application for admission; hence no separate scholarship application is required.
• Departments and/or Faculties will select the students and nominate for the scholarship.
• See the official website (link found below) for the application deadlines specific to each Masters degree program.

Subscribe to our  YouTube channel  for step by step Application process

To know more about University of Waterloo Scholarships, please visit the official website:

• International Master’s Award of Excellence scholarship

Official Website

• David Johnston–Lebovic Foundation International Experience Award

For more scholarships in Canada, click here .

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• University of Waterloo

By Issue Date Authors Titles Subjects Type Supervisor

Search within this collection:

The theses in UWSpace are publicly accessible unless restricted due to publication or patent pending.

This collection includes a subset of theses submitted by graduates of the University of Waterloo as a partial requirement of a degree program at the Master's or PhD level. It includes all electronically submitted theses. (Electronic submission was optional from 1996 through 2006. Electronic submission became the default submission format in October 2006.)

This collection also includes a subset of UW theses that were scanned through the Theses Canada program. (The subset includes UW PhD theses from 1998 - 2002.)

Recent deposits

Relatedness in memory and metamemory: benefits, costs, and beliefs , rational design of engineered porous transition metal-based electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries , variational quantum computing: optimization and geometry , hopf 2-algebras: homotopy higher symmetries in physics , dynamics and phases of matter in open quantum many-body systems , practical application of machine learning to water pipe failure prediction , reallocation of space for outdoor dining: an analysis of covid-19 pandemic outdoor dining policies and perceptions in ontario , synthesis and characterization of polymeric sensing materials for detection of gases in energy storage devices , a novel framework of board-level failure localization in optical transport networks , robust nmpc of large-scale systems and surrogate embedding strategies for nmpc , measures for risk, dependence and diversification , on enabling layer-parallelism for graph neural networks using imex integration , the association between social isolation, functional social support, and memory: a moderated mediation analysis of the canadian longitudinal study on aging , memolet: reifying the reuse of user-ai conversational memories , stability analysis and formally guaranteed tracking control of quadrotors , additively manufactured low-frequency piezoelectric energy harvester design: modeling, fabrication, and experiment , impact of incorporating corporate sustainability into the credit risk assessment of nigerian banks , controller and observer designs for partial differential-algebraic equations , multi-scale patterns of breeding habitat selection in sandhill cranes across canada’s eastern boreal forest , exploring the determinants that contribute to and promote the wellbeing of immigrant and refugee children in canada , search uwspace, information.

Funding and awards

Funding for graduate students.

The Cheriton School of Computer Science offers competitive funding for our graduate students. Financial support for students accepted into a full-time MMath or PhD program is typically a combination of graduate teaching assistantships (TA)* and graduate research assistantships/studentships (GRA/GRS). The TA and GRA/GRS funding is our students base pay and all full-time MMath and PhD students are further considered for an array of scholarships and awards during the offer of admission process, many of which are listed below. For full details please review awards and funding for graduate students. 

MMath students are only guaranteed funding in their first year of studies as noted in their offer of admission. However, full-time students in the MMath and PhD programs may continue to receive funding while they are within their  program time limits  and in good academic standing and have satisfactory progress in their program. Financial support is not offered to part-time students or to students in the MMath coursework option. Students also do not receive funding in terms they are inactive. 

Students receiving TA and GRA/GRS funding currently receive the following amount within 3 terms (1 year).

Current student can view a breakdown of the funding on a per term basis here . 

* some exceptions may apply

Awards and scholarships

Applicants of exceptional merit are automatically considered for a limited number of internal entrance scholarships at the time of admission. Eligible students are also encouraged to apply for external scholarships. For a full listing please review the Graduate funding & awards database .  

Internal scholarships & funding opportunities

Some do not require a formal application, as they are handled at the discretion of the School Graduate Office,  all applicants are considered at the time of admission. 

David R. Cheriton Graduate Scholarship

Application: Applicants considered at the time of application. Eligible PhD students may apply each term when the application period is open. See   award details  for more information.

Value: $10,000 per year  for one or two years

Eligibility requirement:  No residency requirement. As a stipulation of receiving a Cheriton Graduate Scholarship, all recipients are required to submit an abstract of their proposed, in progress or completed graduate-level research to the CS Grad Office in April of the following year for inclusion in the annual Cheriton Report.

Must be current PhD student to apply to the application portion of scholarship.

DiMarco Graduate Scholarship in Computational Rhetoric

Application: Application required. See award details  for more information

Value: $2,500 per year for one year

Eligibility requirement:  No residency requirement, Computer Science or Faculty of Arts who have an area of interest in computational rhetoric

Doctoral Thesis Completion Award

Value: $5,000; one term award

Eligibility requirement:  All completing doctoral students

Dr. Derick Wood Graduate Scholarship

Application: Eligible applicants considered at the time of application. See Award Details for more information.

Value:  PhD - one $10,000 for one year or Masters - two $5,000 for one year

Eligibility requirement:  No residency requirement, Computer Science graduate program, preference will be given to PhD conducting research in Algorithms and Complexity.

Donor Information:

Dr. Derick Wood was a Professor in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo from 1982 to 1992. He is widely known for his outstanding research contributions in a number of areas in theoretical Computer Science, including algorithms, data structures, formal languages and computational geometry.  Dr. Wood received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Leeds, England, in 1963 and 1968, respectively. The University of Waterloo has established the Dr. Derick Wood Endowment for Graduate Scholarships in Computer Science in order to receive gifts honouring Dr. Wood.

For more information on donor see  here .

GO-Bell Scholarships

Application: No a pplication required. Applicants considered automatically by department. See award details  for more information

Value: $12,000 per year up to two years

Eligibility requirement:  No residency requirement. Full time PhD students. 

International Doctoral Student Awards (IDSA)

Application: No a pplication required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details  for more information  regarding eligibility and value

International Master’s Award of Excellence (IMAE)

Jose blakeley graduate scholarship in data systems.

Application: Application required. See award details for more information

Value: $10,000 per year for one year

Eligibility requirement:  International master’s or doctoral student in the Data Systems Group of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science

Jose Blakeley Application (PDF)

Lijiang Fang Graduate Scholarship

Application: No a pplication required. Applicants considered automatically. See award details  for more information

Value:  $5,000; split over 2 terms

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement. Full time,   research-based graduate degree program, MMath/PhD. Selection based on academic excellence  (minimum 80% cumulative average)

Mathematics Domestic Graduate Student Award

Value:  Doctoral students: $6,000 per year (split over 3 terms) Master's students: $3,000 per year (split over 3 terms)

Eligibility requirement: Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Full time,   research-based graduate degree program, MMath/PhD. 

Ontario Trillium Scholarship

Application: No a pplication required. Students nominated by department. See award details  for more information

Value:  $40,000 annually

Eligibility requirement: International/study permit student. Full time,   research-based graduate degree program (PhD) ​

Provost Doctoral Entrance Award (PDEA) for Women

Value:  $5,000

Eligibility requirement: No residency requirement. Full time female doctoral student (PhD). Minimum 80% cumulative average

Research Travel Assistantship

Application: A pplication required . See award details  for more information  regarding eligibility and value

UW Graduate Scholarship

Waterloo apple phd fellowship in data science and machine learning .

Application: A pplication required . See award details  for more information.

Value : $37,500 per year for two years.

Eligibility : No residency requirement. Students must be in the 2nd or 3rd year of their PhD program in the School of Computer Science. DISCONTINUED AS OF 2023

External awards

The following external awards   are available to students at the University of Waterloo. All eligible students are encouraged to apply. Please contact the Computer Science  Graduate Coordinator , that manages scholarships, for more detailed information.

• Tri-Agency (CIHR,NSERC,SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS M)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science & Technology (QEII-GSST)
• President's Graduate Scholarship  (PGS)

Other funding opportunities

For other funding opportunities to graduate students, such as the Graduate Student Parental Leave Bursary and Graduate Student Medical Leave Bursary, please see the financial need funding page. 

Contact Computer Science

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David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science University of Waterloo Waterloo, Ontario Canada N2L 3G1 Phone: 519-888-4567 ext. 33293 Fax: 519-885-1208

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The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations .

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UW goes to court to end pro-Palestinian encampment, cites ‘intimidation’

By Mark Douglas

Posted Jun 26, 2024 04:50:15 AM.

Last Updated Jun 26, 2024 03:45:30 PM.

Claiming “intimidation and harassment,” the University of Waterloo has turned to the courts to end the pro-Palestinian encampment on its campus.

A statement from the school said its lawyers served court documents on Tuesday to begin a legal process to enforce a trespass notice issued to the camp.

Specifically, the university is “seeking an interlocutory injunction to end the encampment.”

• Pro-Palestinian demonstration at UW served notice to end encampment ‘immediately’
• Encampment protestors respond to UW motions to address demands
• Private property or public space? Encampments spark debate over campus status

The trespass notice given the week prior “required the encampment to leave immediately or face consequences in accordance with the Trespass to Property Act.”

The encampment is still in place on the lawn outside Graduate House.

The statement adds “the right to protest does not mean people have the right to endlessly occupy a shared university space. The behaviour of encampment members has crossed the line to intimidation and harassment making their ongoing presence untenable.”

In response, the encampment took to its social media accounts, saying it is “incredibly shameful that [the university] is choosing to sue their own student body protesting their university’s complicity in a genocide that’s nine months in and has claimed the lives of over 40,000.”

Another post reads, “We are students who have risked everything we have to protest our universities complicity in this genocide and we refuse to allow those who fund death and destruction to break our resolve.”

A student spokesperson recently told CityNews 570 they were getting advice from professionals, but protest representatives have yet to clarify what that entails.

On Wednesday, they are hosting a solidarity picnic at noon, inviting students and faculty to bring their lunches and eat the encampment as a show of support.

The university said documents about the injunction will be made public through the school’s legal counsel’s website, if the court allows.

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