Unit-Based System: Waterloo measures transfer credits in units (0.5 units = one Waterloo course). Credits and caps differ by faculty; switching faculties can change or refuse credits.
Faculty Overrides: Engineering: no first-year IB exemptions • Math faculty: no CS/ITGS credit • Science: no HL Chemistry if CHEM 121 required
Official IB results must be sent to Waterloo (code 000108). Credits assessed after results arrive (August). You can decline credits.
Does University of Waterloo give transfer credit for IB Chemistry HL?
Waterloo, ON
Yes, Transfer Credit Available!
Minimum Grade Required
Credit Granted
CHEM 120 + 120L + 123 + 123L (1.5 units ≈ 3 courses)
Faculty of Engineering: Engineering does NOT grant any IB transfer credit exemptions, regardless of score. If you are in Engineering, this credit does not apply to you.
Faculty of Science: Science does NOT award this credit if your program requires CHEM 121/121L/125/125L. Check your specific program requirements.
💡Expert's Take
Waterloo will consider awarding this credit for IB Chemistry HL where a minimum final grade of 5 is normally attained. What you receive is the named first-year general chemistry courses themselves, CHEM 120 and CHEM 123 with their labs, rather than a generic "CHEM 1XX" elective placeholder. That distinction is the value here: a named equivalency is the actual course, so it settles the standard first-year general chemistry requirement in programs that use the 120/123 stream.
Whether the credit applies depends on your faculty and program:
- Engineering: the Faculty of Engineering grants no first-year IB course exemptions, so the award does not apply in any Engineering program, including Software Engineering. Architecture is the exception within that faculty, and even there IB is capped at 0.5 elective units.
- Chemistry-based Science plans: the award is the general 120/123 stream, but Chemistry, Biochemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, and Materials and Nanosciences are built on the enriched CHEM 121/125 stream. Waterloo does not award the credit when your program requires CHEM 121, 121L, 125, and 125L, so students in those plans should expect no IB Chemistry HL transfer credit.
- Faculty of Mathematics: Math allows only 1.5 units of IB transfer credit in total. Because Chemistry HL is itself 1.5 units, it uses your entire IB allowance in that faculty, leaving no room to stack other eligible HL subjects.
- Standard Level: Waterloo only considers Higher Level IB courses for transfer credit, so SL Chemistry earns nothing here.
You have the option to decline the credit. Transfer credits are assessed over the summer, and Waterloo emails further details in August.
Official award line (Chemistry HL):
Minimum score: 5 (Waterloo will consider HL credit where a minimum final grade of 5 is normally attained)
Credit granted: CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, and CHEM 123L (1.5 units)
University of Waterloo, International Baccalaureate (IB) transfer credits
Need help preparing for IB Chemistry HL?
Your Potential Savings
Credit Awarded
3
Waterloo units
Waterloo caps tuition above specified course loads, and Engineering grants no IB course exemptions. Actual savings may therefore be $0.
Ontario Resident
~$696-$1,473/0.5-unit course
~$0 - $4,419
Potential Tuition Value
(Arts to CS/Engineering)
Out-of-Province
~$789-$1,671/0.5-unit course
~$0 - $5,013
Potential Tuition Value
International
~$5,059-$6,988/0.5-unit course
~$0 - $20,965
Potential Tuition Value
(varies by faculty)
*2026-27 tuition-only rates per 0.5-unit course; program-fee faculties billed per term. Values assume the award replaces tuition you would otherwise pay. Actual cash savings can be $0 under flat-rate or full-time billing unless credit reduces a billed term or time to completion.
📊 Compare Chemistry HL at Other Universities
See how Chemistry HL transfer credits compare across Canadian universities. Click column headers to sort.
| University | Min Grade | Credit Granted | Tuition Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton UniversityOttawa, ON | 5/7 | CHEM 1001 + CHEM 1002 (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| Concordia UniversityMontreal, Quebec | 4/7 | 9 transfer credits toward the 120-credit Extended … | View estimate | → | |
| Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS | 5/7 | CHEM 1011.03/1012.03 or 1021.03/1022.03 or 1041.03… | View estimate | → | |
| Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay, ON | 5/7 | Chemistry 1110 and Chemistry 1130 | View estimate | → | |
| McGill UniversityMontreal, QC | 5/7 | Course exemption: CHEM 110 + CHEM 120 (two 4-credi… | View estimate | → | |
| McMaster UniversityHamilton, ON | 5/7 | CHEM 1A03 + CHEM 1AA3 (up to 6 units) | View estimate | → | |
| Memorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John's, NL | 5/7 | CHEM 1050 + 1051 (St. John's) or CHEM 1810 + 1200 … | View estimate | → | |
| Ontario Tech UniversityOshawa, ON | 5/7 | Transfer credit, grade "T" (unspecified/elective, … | View estimate | → | |
| Queen's UniversityKingston, ON | 5/7 | CHEM 112 (6.0 units) | View estimate | → | |
| Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC | 5/7 | SFU CHEM 122 (2), Q; SFU CHEM 121 (4), Q/B-Sci | View estimate | → | |
| Toronto Metropolitan UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | CHY 103 and CHY 113 | View estimate | → | |
| University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB | 6/7 | CHEM 101 (★3) — Engineering: CHEM 103 (★4.3) | View estimate | → | |
| University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC | 6/7 | CHEM_V 121 (4 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of CalgaryCalgary, Alberta | 5/7 | Chemistry 201/203 or 209 (Engineering only) | View estimate | → | |
| University of GuelphGuelph, ON | 5/7 | CHEM 1040 (0.50 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB | 4/7 | CHEM 1100 (3) & CHEM 1110 (3) & CHEM 112L (0) | View estimate | → | |
| University of New BrunswickFredericton & Saint John, NB | 5/7 | Saint John: CHEM 1041 & CHEM 1072 (engineering: CH… | View estimate | → | |
| University of OttawaOttawa, ON | 5/7 | CHM 1711 (3 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ReginaRegina, SK | 5/7 | CHEM 104 + CHEM 1XX (100-level) | View estimate | → | |
| University of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, SK | 5/7 | CHEM 112.3 + CHEM Jr.3 = 6 credit units | View estimate | → | |
| University of TorontoToronto, ON | 5/7 | CHM1**Y (1.0 credit) | View estimate | → | |
| University of VictoriaVictoria, BC | 5/7 | CHEM 101 (1.5 units) and CHEM 102 (1.5 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of WindsorWindsor, ON | 5/7 | CHEM-1100 + CHEM-1110 (General Chemistry I + II, 6… | View estimate | → | |
| Western UniversityLondon, ON | 5/7 | Chemistry 1301A (0.5 cr) + Chemistry 1302B (0.5 cr… | View estimate | → | |
| York UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | SC/CHEM 1000 3.0 + SC/CHEM 1001 3.0 (6 credits) | View estimate | → |
Tip: Open a university to compare same-province, out-of-province, and international tuition values. Flat-rate or full-time billing can make the immediate cash saving $0.
Taking more than Chemistry HL?
Add all your IB subjects and predicted scores to estimate your total transfer credit across Canadian universities, side by side.
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Data Disclaimer
This information is compiled from University of Waterloo official sources and verified community reports. It is NOT a substitute for official academic advising. Always confirm with your advisor before making decisions.
Last updated: July 2026
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