Faculty of Arts

About Faculty of Arts

The Faculty of Arts is an academic division within the University of Waterloo, located in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Established alongside the university in 1957, the Faculty of Arts serves as the home for humanities, social sciences, creative arts, and business-related discipline studies at the institution. As a core constituent of the university, it operates under the provincial governance framework of Ontario and holds institutional accreditation through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities of Ontario. The faculty delivers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs to a large student population on the main campus, contributing to the broader academic framework of the university through cross-disciplinary teaching and research initiatives.

Academic offerings within the Faculty of Arts span over thirty departments, schools, and interdisciplinary programs. Key areas of study include Economics, Psychology, English Language and Literature, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology and Legal Studies, Fine Arts, and Theatre and Performance. The faculty also incorporates professional schools, such as the Conrad School of Entrepreneurship and Business, the Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, and the School of Accounting and Finance. Students can pursue Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Knowledge Integration, Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management, and Master's and Doctoral degrees. The academic structure supports both full-time and part-time study modes, as well as distance education options offered through the university's online platforms.

A defining feature of the Faculty of Arts is its integration with the University of Waterloo's cooperative education (co-op) system. The faculty operates one of the largest arts co-op programs in Canada, allowing students to alternate academic terms with paid work terms in corporate, public, and non-profit sectors. Academic strengths include computational social science, behavioral economics, digital media design, cognitive psychology, and accounting. The faculty emphasizes quantitative and analytical skills alongside traditional liberal arts education, reflecting the university's overall focus on practical application, technology, and industry collaboration.

The Faculty of Arts is housed across several key facilities on the main campus in Waterloo, as well as satellite locations. Primary buildings include the J.G. Hagey Hall of the Humanities, Modern Languages Building, Psychology, Anthropology and Sociology (PAS) Building, and the East Campus Hall. These facilities contain specialized lecture halls, research laboratories, performance spaces, and administrative offices. The Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business, situated in Stratford, Ontario, provides specialized space for digital media creation, user experience design, and technology-focused business courses. Additionally, the Fine Arts department utilizes specialized studio spaces, printmaking labs, and gallery venues for student and faculty exhibitions.

Research within the Faculty of Arts covers a broad spectrum of topics, supported by various institutes and research centers. Notable entities associated with the faculty include the Centre for Accounting Research and Education, the Games Institute, and various specialized psychology laboratories focusing on cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, and clinical research. Faculty members regularly secure research funding from federal granting agencies, such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). The research outputs contribute to academic journals, public policy development, digital media applications, and organizational strategies.

The Faculty of Arts maintains collaborative relationships with four affiliated and federated institutions located on the University of Waterloo campus: St. Jerome’s University, Renison University College, Conrad Grebel University College, and United College. These colleges offer specialized academic courses, residence options, and smaller learning environments while operating in academic harmony with the Faculty of Arts. Students enrolled through these affiliated colleges receive their degrees from the University of Waterloo and have access to the full suite of courses, facilities, and academic resources offered by the central Faculty of Arts.

Student support services within the faculty are managed through the Arts Undergraduate Office and the Graduate Studies Office. These units handle academic advising, degree auditing, exchange program coordination, and student transition support. The faculty also collaborates with broader university infrastructure, including the Dana Porter Library, which serves as the primary library facility for humanities and social sciences research materials. Through these combined physical, academic, and administrative systems, the Faculty of Arts functions as a central component of the University of Waterloo's educational mission in Ontario, Canada.