Geography and Aviation at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Leads to the Bachelor of Environmental Studies in Geography and Aviation and your integrated Airline Pilot Licence with a Commercial Pilot Licence. You’ll earn a Bachelor of Environmental Studies from one of the country’s top-ranked geography departments — and graduate with your Integrated Airline Transport Pilot Licence. There’s no better way to appreciate geography than from several thousand feet above the ground. And your knowledge of geography will be an asset when you’re navigating across continents.

Faculty: Faculty of Environment | Study mode: full-time | Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

What you will study

About half of the classes you’ll take will be Geography courses, while the other half will be Aviation courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo. Sample upper-year courses include Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) Knowledge Requirements, Human Factors in Aviation, Aviation Safety, Airline Planning and Management, Earth from Space Using Remote Sensing.

Career pathways

The careers listed below are examples of what you might be able to pursue. Through the courses you take, specializations you choose, extracurriculars, and any work experience you gain, you'll graduate with a degree that's uniquely you and be ready to pursue a career that's right for you!

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Ontario applicants: Six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including English (ENG4U) (minimum final grade of 70% is required); One Grade 12 U Mathematics course (minimum final grade of 70% is required); Admission average: Mid-80s; Screening process; Qualified applicants will be asked to complete a screening process by the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre that includes a program briefing session,; Transport Canada Category 1 Medical Certification, and an Aviation Language Proficiency Test (for Permanent Residents and visa students only.); The medical certification must be completed prior to the ALPT; Admitted students; If you receive an offer of admission, you should book a Category 1 Medical appointment with an approved Civil Aviation Medical Examiner as soon as possible. You should not accept your Offer of Admission until you have the results of your medical exam since the results could disqualify you from flight training. How to apply: Apply directly to this program on your application.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the courses you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

First-year students are admitted for the September (fall) term only. Terms: fall (September to December), winter (January to April), spring (May to August). Part-time, online, post-degree and non-degree studies can start in the winter, spring or fall term.

Applications for September 2027 entry close on 1 February 2027 for programs other than Engineering (documents due 15 February 2027) and on 15 January 2027 for Engineering programs other than Architecture (documents due 1 February 2027). International students have the same deadlines. Full-time applicants apply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC).

Part-time, online, post-degree and non-degree studies: winter 2027 applications close 30 October 2026 for degree and non-degree (13 November 2026 for post-degree); spring 2027 applications close 26 February 2027 for degree and non-degree (12 March 2027 for post-degree). Optometry closes 12 November 2026 and Pharmacy closes 6 January 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://uwaterloo.ca/future-students/admissions/how-to-apply

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