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 Psychology HL?
Waterloo, ON
Yes, Transfer Credit Available!
Minimum Grade Required
Credit Granted
PSYCH 101 + PSYCH 1XX (1.0 units)
Elective Credit (1XX): This is a generic first-year elective credit, not a specific required course. It counts toward your degree credit total but may not replace a mandatory prerequisite for your program.
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.
💡Expert's Take
This is two half-unit credits, 1.0 Waterloo unit in total, and the two halves are not equal in value. One is PSYCH 101, Introductory Psychology, the actual first-year course a Psychology plan is built around. The other is PSYCH 1XX, which Waterloo defines as first-year credit for an unspecified Psychology elective. Waterloo frames all of it as credit it "will consider" awarding, not an automatic result of a 5.
Getting PSYCH 101 as transfer credit is not the same as getting into the Psychology major or minor. Transfer credit shows on the transcript as "T" and carries no grade, so it does not enter your Waterloo averages. Plan entry runs on those averages: Arts requires a 70% Psychology average and Science 75%, both built from graded Waterloo Psychology courses. So the credit can satisfy the intro-course line and save you a course, but it does not, on its own, admit you to the plan.
What to watch for:
- SL Psychology earns nothing. Waterloo's table lists Higher Level equivalencies only.
- Faculty caps can bind. Architecture allows a maximum of 0.5 units of IB credit and every other Engineering program grants none, so this award alone exceeds or is barred there. Mathematics caps IB credit at 1.5 units, which a 1.0-unit award nearly fills.
- The award is conditional. Official final IB results must reach Waterloo from the IBO before any credit is assessed.
If you would rather take Introductory Psychology at Waterloo, and a graded course does count toward the Psychology average while transfer credit does not, note that you "have the option to decline your transfer credits" after the August assessment. Waterloo's wording does not say whether you can decline the PSYCH 101 half while keeping PSYCH 1XX, so confirm with admissions before counting on a split.
Official award line (Psychology HL):
Minimum score: normally a final IB HL grade of 5
Credit considered: PSYCH 101 and PSYCH 1XX (1.0 units), subject to Waterloo's assessment and receipt of official final IB results
SL: no credit (Higher Level only).
Need help preparing for IB Psychology HL?
Your Potential Savings
Credit Awarded
1.0
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 - $2,946
Potential Tuition Value
(Arts to CS/Engineering)
Out-of-Province
~$789-$1,671/0.5-unit course
~$0 - $3,342
Potential Tuition Value
International
~$5,059-$6,988/0.5-unit course
~$0 - $13,977
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 Psychology HL at Other Universities
See how Psychology HL transfer credits compare across Canadian universities. Click column headers to sort.
| University | Min Grade | Credit Granted | Tuition Value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carleton UniversityOttawa, ON | 5/7 | PSYC 1001 (0.5) & PSYC 1002 (0.5) | View estimate | → | |
| Concordia UniversityMontreal, Quebec | 4/7 | 9 transfer credits toward the 120-credit Extended … | View estimate | → | |
| Dalhousie UniversityHalifax, NS | 5/7 | Psychology 1011.03 + Psychology 1012.03 = 6 credit… | View estimate | → | |
| McGill UniversityMontreal, QC | 5/7 | PSYC 1XX (3 or 6 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| McMaster UniversityHamilton, ON | 5/7 | Psychology 1X03 and 1XX3 | View estimate | → | |
| Memorial University of NewfoundlandSt. John's, NL | 4/7 | Psychology 1000 + 1001 + three unspecified credit … | View estimate | → | |
| Ontario Tech UniversityOshawa, ON | 5/7 | Transfer credit, grade "T" (unspecified/elective, … | View estimate | → | |
| Queen's UniversityKingston, ON | 5/7 | PSYC 102 + PSYC 103 (6.0 units) | View estimate | → | |
| Simon Fraser UniversityBurnaby, BC | 4/7 | SFU PSYC 100 (3), B-Soc; SFU PSYC 102 (3), B-Soc | View estimate | → | |
| Toronto Metropolitan UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | PSY 102 and PSY 202, or 2 PSY LLS | View estimate | → | |
| University of AlbertaEdmonton, AB | 6/7 | PSYCH 104 (3 units) + PSYCH 105 (3 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC | 5/7 | PSYC_V 101 (3) + PSYC_V 102 (3) | View estimate | → | |
| University of CalgaryCalgary, Alberta | 5/7 | Psychology 201 | View estimate | → | |
| University of GuelphGuelph, ON | 5/7 | PSYC 1000 (0.50 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB | 4/7 | PSYC 1200: Introduction to Psychology | View estimate | → | |
| University of New BrunswickFredericton & Saint John, NB | 5/7 | Saint John: PSYC 1003/1004<br>Fredericton: 1000-le… | View estimate | → | |
| University of OttawaOttawa, ON | 5/7 | PSY 1101 + PSY 1102 (6 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of ReginaRegina, SK | 5/7 | PSYC 101 + PSYC 102 | View estimate | → | |
| University of SaskatchewanSaskatoon, SK | 5/7 | PSY Jr.6 = 6 credit units | View estimate | → | |
| University of TorontoToronto, ON | 5/7 | PSY1**H (0.5 cr, A&S No/No/No) · PSY1**Y (1.0 cr, … | View estimate | → | |
| University of VictoriaVictoria, BC | 4/7 | PSYC 100A (1.5 units) and PSYC 100B (1.5 units) | View estimate | → | |
| University of WindsorWindsor, ON | 5/7 | PSYC-1150 (Introduction to Psychology as a Behavio… | View estimate | → | |
| Western UniversityLondon, ON | 5/7 | Psychology 1002A/B (0.5 cr) + Psychology 1003A/B (… | View estimate | → | |
| York UniversityToronto, ON | 5/7 | HH/PSYC 1010 3.0 (3 credits) | View estimate | → | |
| Lakehead UniversityThunder Bay, ON | N/A | No transfer credit | — | → |
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 Psychology HL?
Add all your IB subjects and predicted scores to estimate your total transfer credit across Canadian universities, side by side.
Other IB Subjects at University of Waterloo
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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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