The professions associated with engineering and architecture are both regulated.
Engineering
The practice of engineering is regulated, by statute, in all Canadian provinces and territories. To become a professional engineer a student must satisfy the requirements of the licensing bodies. These requirements include a degree from an accredited program, successful completion of a professional practice (law and ethics) examination, and suitable experience. The Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) and Bachelor of Software Engineering (BSE) plans described in this Calendar have been specifically designed to satisfy the criteria of the profession and are evaluated regularly by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB).
In the professional plans in engineering (BASc and BSE), each student's course of study must satisfy the curriculum-content requirements of the CEAB; accreditation of the degree by the CEAB is the mechanism by which graduates qualify for registration as professional engineers without the need to undertake additional examinations in specific technical subject areas. No student will be permitted to graduate who does not meet these requirements because this would jeopardize accreditation for the program. The department or board responsible for the appropriate plan will use these curriculum content requirements in determining the suitability of student elective course selections.
Architecture
In Canada, all provincial/territorial associations/institutes/orders recommend a degree from an accredited professional degree program as a prerequisite for licensure. The Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) is the sole agency authorized by the Canadian Architectural Licensing Authorities (CALA) to accredit Canadian professional degree programs in architecture for the purposes of architectural licensure.
The CACB recognizes two types of accredited degrees offered at the University of Waterloo School of Architecture: the Master of Architecture (professional) and the Bachelor of Architecture (pre-professional). A program may be granted a six-year, three-year, or two-year term of accreditation, depending on its degree of conformance with established educational standards. Master’s degree programs may consist of a pre-professional undergraduate degree and a professional graduate degree, which, when earned sequentially, comprise an accredited professional education. However, the pre-professional degree is not, by itself, recognized as an accredited degree. The professional Master of Architecture in conjunction with the pre-professional Bachelor of Architectural Studies degree from the University of Waterloo comprises an accredited professional education.
The program in Architecture at the University of Waterloo received accreditation for a six-year term by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board (CACB) in 2017. The program is scheduled for its next review to continue maintaining its accredited status in 2024.