Religion, Culture, and Spirituality at University of Waterloo

Programme overview

Leads to the Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Culture, and Spirituality. Tailor your degree to your passions. We offer more than 100 undergraduate courses covering the religions of the world, Jewish studies, Christian traditions, and religious culture and society. Thanks to strong links with the Department of Religion and Culture at neighbouring Wilfrid Laurier University, you’ll have access to even more learning opportunities. 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

40% of the classes you’ll take will be Religion, Culture, and Spirituality. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo. Sample upper-year courses include Religion and Politics, Introduction to Indigenous Spirituality, The Mystical Imagination, Critical Encounter with Human Nature.

Career pathways

Waterloo Religion, Culture, and Spirituality graduates commonly pursue careers as teachers, policy analysts, lawyers, executive leaders of non-profits, and counsellors.

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 average: High 70s; Search our admission requirements for Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business. How to apply: Apply to Honours Arts or Honours Arts and Business and choose Religion, Culture, and Spirituality as your major at the end of first year.

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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