Students are required to take at least 50% of the courses required to graduate at the University of Waterloo. These University of Waterloo courses must be graded on a numerical basis and must include:
- at least half the total number of academic course units required for each major, minor, or diploma;
- at least 6.5 academic course units (13 courses) in Arts subjects for a Four-Year Liberal Studies degree;
- at least four academic course units (eight courses) in Arts subjects for a Three-Year Liberal Studies degree.
All students in the Faculty of Arts are bound by the 50% residency requirement rule.This residency requirement applies in the case of all transfers, whether internal or external, including second Bachelor of Arts degrees. See the Transfer Credit section for exceptions.