Liberal Studies at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Leads to the Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies. One of the joys of being in university is having time to broaden your horizons, discover new interests, and get involved in a range of extracurricular activities. Liberal Studies gives you that freedom. Commonly called a liberal arts degree at other universities, Liberal Studies allows you to explore many different subjects in the humanities, social sciences, languages and cultures, and fine and performing arts — plus courses you’d like to take from some of Waterloo's other faculties. Available in the regular system of study or the co-op system.

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

What you will study

Most of the classes you’ll take will be courses offered within the Faculty of Arts. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.

Career pathways

The incredible flexibility of the Liberal Studies program means that your career prospects are limited only by your imagination and how you choose to develop your skills and knowledge while at Waterloo. You can pursue a wide range of advanced degrees — such as law, education, and master's degrees — or launch your career in government, education, finance, insurance, law, business, and more.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Ontario applicants: Six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including Any Grade 12 U English (minimum final grade of at least 70%); Admission averages: High 70s; Search our admission requirements for Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business. How to apply: Apply to Honours Arts or Honour Arts and Business and choose Liberal Studies as your major at the end of first year. Related program Honours Arts

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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