Link to the University of Waterloo home page
2020-2021

The Undergraduate Calendar

 

 

University Policies, Guidelines, and Academic Regulations

Awards of Excellence

Awards of Excellence

The Awards of Excellence presented on this page apply to students in degree-granting programs, excluding all majors from the Faculty of Engineering (including Software Engineering). Engineering students should view the Faculty of Engineering section of this Calendar.

Graduating Honours

A student who demonstrates exceptional academic performance in a degree-granting program may be recommended to graduate with either “Dean’s Honours” or “Distinction”, based on their final cumulative average. Only the highest honour is awarded.

 Faculty/Program Distinction
Minimum Cumulative Average
Dean's Honours
Minimum Cumulative Average
Applied Health Sciences
80.0% 85.0%
Arts (including Computing and Financial Management)
80.0% 85.0%
Environment 80.0%
85.0%
Mathematics 80.0% 87.0%
Science 80.0% 85.0%
Bachelor of Social Work
80.0% 85.0%

Term Distinction

A student is eligible to receive “Term Distinction” based on their average in all courses taken during a term while in a degree-granting program. In order to receive “Term Distinction”, the following must be true:

  • The term must have at least one alpha/numeric grade in the average.
  • A minimum term average of 80.0% must be achieved.
  • An academic standing for the term of Promoted, Eligible, Satisfactory, Good, or Excellent.
  • The term cannot have an INC, IP, MM, or UR. When these grades are resolved to alpha/numeric grades, the term’s average will be reviewed for eligibility.

Notes

  1. Students may be deemed ineligible at the discretion of the associate dean, undergraduate studies.
  2. Students in Optometry and Pharmacy who are taking less than a full course load due to failure will be ineligible for “Term Distinction” in reduced-load terms.

 


Office of the Registrar
University of Waterloo
Ira G. Needles Hall
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519-888-4567