Bachelor of Arts in Honours Arts - Fine Arts - Visual Culture (Co-op)

at University of Waterloo Canada

Today, it takes more than a calculator and a few equations to tackle many of the questions facing business and industry. That’s where you come in.

In Computational Mathematics you’ll learn to analyze data sets, formulae, and images in ways that help us understand the world around us and predict and influence the future.

There’s no better place to study it than Waterloo: we’re ranked among the world’s top 35 schools for math and computer science (QS 2017), and we're got one of the largest co-op networks too.

You’ll graduate with the skills to solve problems in areas such as biotechnology, business, economics, social media, engineering, finance, and medicine. And that means you’ll have no shortage of job opportunities.

Whether you want to create a VR training program for surgeons, the next "swipe right" dating app, or an autonomous car, software engineers have endless career options in today’s tech-enabled world.

At Waterloo, you won’t just write code. You’ll also analyze software architecture, apply algorithms, understand digital hardware systems, and design human/ computer interfaces. Plus, you’ll learn how to work in teams and manage projects, all while being taught by one of the best universities on the planet for software engineering (Shanghai World University Rankings 2020).

Then, during your co-op, you’ll put those skills to work at leading companies like Snapchat, Facebook, or hot new startups. When you graduate, you’ll be ready to create reliable, affordable, and faster software for all kinds of different purposes.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Explore earth processes as they relate to human activities to better understand the impacts of human (and natural) influences on environmental sustainability, biodiversity, and hydrology/hydrogeology.

Environmental science applies geologic knowledge to address and solve problems related to the more than seven billion humans occupying the Earth. Topics you'll learn include climate change, groundwater flow and contamination, environmental impacts of pollution, responsible extraction of earth resources, waste disposal, and human engineering of earth processes. Enjoy examining the interactions between and within the Earth's four spheres that include both living and non-living components.

Train with cutting-edge professors and the latest technologies, at Canada's most innovative university, to directly address challenges facing humanity today and future generations.   

Ecology
Address ecological sustainability and biodiversity while learning about the fundamental science of life on Earth. Delve into environmental disciplines that examine the history, interaction, and possible future of Earth’s species and ecosystems.

Study at one of the world’s best schools for computer science, where more than 80 professors are pushing the boundaries of the field.

Computer Science focuses on the study of software, algorithms, programming, and the limits of computation. Using a combination of theory and application, you will learn how to describe problems in a formal, precise way so that machines can solve them. You will also learn about managing large scale programs, and about understanding the power, limitations, and organization of computer software and hardware.

The Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) will allow you to develop a solid understanding of computer science with the flexibility to choose from a wide range courses in this area. If you are admitted to the BCS, you'll start off in this program right away.

You can gain two years of paid work experience through our co-op program, the largest of its kind in North America, or fast track your degree by choosing the regular system of study.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

If you enjoy biology and physics and want a career in medical technology or health research, Life Physics at Waterloo is for you.
Run by the Department of Physics and Astronomy — one of the largest and most innovative physics departments in Canada — this flexible and interdisciplinary program is based on a solid foundation of physics, chemistry, and biology.

You’ll enjoy small classes, hands-on labs, and the opportunity to get involved in research and teaching.

Specializations

• Medical Physics: Prepare for a career in medical physics, working in areas such as cancer diagnosis and treatment, or in diagnostic imaging.
• Biophysics: Learn about cellular and organ biophysics, as well as biophotonics and imaging. Graduate with a strong foundation in subjects such as quantum physics and molecular biology.

From the ATM down the street to the drone that will one day deliver your pizza, computer-controlled electromechanical systems drive all kinds of technology. Learn to design those systems in Waterloo’s Mechatronics Engineering program — the first of its kind in Canada and one of the top 100 in the world (Shanghai World University Rankings 2020).

You’ll develop expertise in mechanical engineering, electronics, control engineering, and computer science, pulling together know-how from these different fields to develop sophisticated machines.

During your co-op terms, you’ll have the chance to try out different career paths, earn money to pay for your education, and build a résumé guaranteed to impress potential employers.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

In one of the most advanced undergraduate finance programs in the world, you’ll focus on the math behind financial markets.

Offered jointly by the Department of Pure Mathematics and the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, Mathematical Finance is designed for students with elite mathematical abilities who wish to pursue finance combined with pure mathematics.

Our challenging curriculum includes courses on corporate finance, mathematical finance, asset-liability management, statistics, and forecasting. It also provides a co-op stream where students can gain up to two years of paid work experience.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Want to create the life-saving drugs of tomorrow? Earn a chemistry degree with a difference.

As well as covering all the basics of physical, analytical, and organic chemistry, you’ll also take specialized courses like bio-based chemistry and pharmaceutical drug design. Meanwhile, you’ll hone essential research and laboratory skills through your choice of 20+ chemistry lab courses and an independent research project in fourth year. Students also have the opportunity to enrol in the co-op stream, where they'll gain paid work experience as they pursue their degree.

As a Medicinal Chemistry graduate, you’ll be equipped to design, create, and evaluate potential medications, setting the stage for a career with real impact. You'll also qualify for membership in the Canadian Society of Chemistry and the Chemical Institute of Canada.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!

Today we’re inundated with information from sensors, digital images, streaming video, satellite and medical imagery, and more. In Data Science at Waterloo, you’ll learn to extract meaningful information from that tsunami of data and use it to predict future trends.

You’ll complement your core courses in statistics, mathematics, and computer science with a range of electives from many of Waterloo’s 100 subject areas. When you graduate, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to help governments and businesses make better decisions and smarter strategies. And if you take the co-op stream, you'll have up to two years of work experience on top of that.

When you graduate, you’ll be ready for a huge range of career options. Our grads are putting their skills to work in areas as diverse as medicine, business, advertising, entertainment, and public health.

In Mathematical Physics, you’ll combine theoretical physics with high-level math courses in differential equations, vector calculus, and applied mathematics. You’ll also get plenty of chances to apply that learning with hands-on labs in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, computer programming, optics, and more.

You won’t find a better place to study than Waterloo. Our Faculty of Mathematics is the largest in Canada. Meanwhile, the Department of Physics is one of Canada’s largest and most innovative, and this program comes with a co-op option so students can gain up to two years of paid work experience while pursuing their degree.

What is co-op?
Co-op lets you explore careers and gain paid work experience while earning your university degree. What could be better than that?! As a co-op student at Waterloo, you’ll normally alternate between four months in school and four months as a full-time employee of the organization you're working for. It's an amazing way to learn to successfully interview for jobs, see how your degree relates to real-life problems, graduate with up to two years of valuable experience – and make money!