Waterloo's Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP) lets eligible high school and first-year CEGEP applicants seek a conditional pathway to its PharmD. Applicants apply separately to an eligible Waterloo science program and CAP status. CAP has 40 places; admission requires a qualifying average, Casper, supplementary forms, references and a virtual interview. Students then complete two years of science and must maintain CAP conditions for a guaranteed PharmD interview.
- Program
- Conditional Admission to Pharmacy
- Credential
- PharmD
- Location
- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Casper
- Required · CSP-10200
- Next deadline
- February 1, 2027 (CAP application deadline, 11:59 PM EST)
- Interview
- Online / recorded assessment
- Seats
- 40
- Length
- Six years (two years BSc Honours Science plus four-year PharmD)
Casper Requirement for University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy
University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy requires Casper for the 2026-2027 cycle.
- Test to book
- Casper 1 (English) · CSP-10200
- Languages
- English
- Applicant ID to enter
- Waterloo Applicant ID Number
- Score distribution deadline
- March 2, 2027
Check available Casper test dates in your Acuity Insights account at takecasper.com.
Complete Casper 1 (English), add your Waterloo Applicant ID Number and select the University of Waterloo for score distribution by the deadline. Register at least three days before your chosen test date.
Casper format
Casper is an online, open-response situational judgment test run by Acuity Insights. The current format has 11 scenarios (4 video-response and 7 typed-response) with 2 questions each and takes about 65 to 85 minutes, including optional breaks. Typed-response scenarios allow 3.5 minutes to answer both questions.
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University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy Application Deadlines 2026-2027
- Apply through
- OUAC
- Applications open
- October 5, 2026
- Application fee
- OUAC undergraduate base application fee: CAD $159 for the first three choices; CAD $51 for each additional choice. Other applicable fees depend on the applicant.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| CAP application deadline, 11:59 PM EST | February 1, 2027upcoming |
| Supporting documents, applicable declarations and applicant-portal forms deadline, 11:59 PM EST | February 15, 2027upcoming |
| Two confidential references due, 11:59 PM EST | March 1, 2027upcoming |
| Last Casper test date and score-distribution deadline, 11:59 PM EST | March 2, 2027upcoming |
Submit two OUAC applications: one to Honours Science, Biomedical Sciences, or Life Sciences with Biology as the major subject of interest, and a separate application for CAP status. CAP applicants admitted to a co-op stream are moved to the regular science stream.
University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy Admissions Statistics
Period: 2026-2027 CAP admissions
- Seats / class size: 40
CAP has 40 places. Applicant counts and admitted-student averages are not published on the CAP admissions page.
Eligibility Requirements for University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy
- Degree / credits
Current Grade 12 applicants or year-one CEGEP applicants with at least 12 semestered academic courses; applicants who have graduated or are in university, college, or CEGEP years two or three are ineligible.
- Citizenship
Eligible international high school applicants can apply through OUAC and must meet CAP admission requirements.
- Language proficiency
An acceptable English-language test score is required if the applicant's four most recent years of full-time education were not in an English-language school system, unless an exemption applies.
Admission pathways
- Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP): Direct pathway for high school students in Canada: conditional pre-admission to the PharmD upon acceptance, then two years of BSc Honours Science followed by the four-year PharmD.
Complete the first two years in an eligible regular-stream Waterloo science program and maintain CAP eligibility. Progression requires PharmD prerequisites, a full course load, at least a 75.0% cumulative average at the specified stages, 200 pharmacy-experience hours, satisfactory Year Two Casper performance and a satisfactory PharmD interview.
Selection Factors University of Waterloo Considers
Prerequisites
| Course | Requirement |
|---|---|
| English 4U | required Minimum final grade 70% for Honours Science |
| Advanced Functions 4U | required Minimum final grade 70% for Honours Science |
| Calculus and Vectors 4U | required Minimum final grade 70% for Honours Science |
| Two of Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Mathematics of Data Management, or Physics 4U | required Honours Science route; other eligible science programs have their own requirements |
GPA
- How it is calculated
Faculty of Science admission average; for Ontario applicants, the top six Grade 12 U/M courses include courses required for the chosen science program.
- Minimum
- 90.0% high school admission average; 85.0% for eligible year-one CEGEP applicants
CAP students must meet specified 75.0% cumulative-average thresholds to progress toward the PharmD.
Admissions tests
- English language proficiency test (required for some applicants): Submit an accepted test score by the supporting-documents deadline if Waterloo requires one.
Experience and volunteer hours
Recommended.
Competitive CAP submissions usually document 50 or more hours of extracurricular experience, including community involvement and, where possible, pharmacy work or volunteering. To maintain CAP status after enrolment, students must document at least 200 hours of paid or volunteer pharmacy-related experience.
Supplementary application
Complete the Declaration of Academic Experience, CAP Extracurricular Experiences, and References Contact forms in the Waterloo applicant portal. Provide exactly two referees: one academic and one employer or volunteer-agency contact. Relatives and two referees of the same type are not accepted.
How applicants are ranked
CAP applicants must meet the minimum admission average and complete Casper, extracurricular and academic-experience forms, two qualifying references, and an asynchronous virtual interview for Admissions Committee consideration. A CAP offer is conditional: a guaranteed later PharmD interview depends on maintaining CAP eligibility, and progression requires satisfactory Casper and interview performance.
Interview Format at University of Waterloo
Format: Online / recorded assessment
CAP admission uses an asynchronous virtual interview with video and written responses. Separately, CAP students who maintain eligibility over their first two years receive a guaranteed PharmD admission interview; satisfactory interview performance is required for progression.
- Who is invited
- Applicants who complete all other CAP admission requirements by their deadlines
- When
- Invitations: March 22, 2027; virtual interview due March 29, 2027 at 2:00 PM EDT.
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Start Practicing FreeCurriculum at University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy
- Program length
- Six years (two years BSc Honours Science plus four-year PharmD)
- Structure
Two years of regular-stream science at Waterloo, followed, if CAP conditions and PharmD admission requirements are met, by Waterloo's four-year co-op PharmD. Eligible students can earn a Bachelor of Science alongside the PharmD; the BSc is not awarded automatically after two years.
- Campuses
- Waterloo
Years one and two cover foundational biology, chemistry, calculus, and electives; students must complete all PharmD prerequisites in those years. The PharmD emphasizes patient care, pharmacotherapy, and research, with competency-based assessments. The program yields two degrees.
Campus and facilities
CAP students complete their initial science studies at Waterloo's main campus. The School of Pharmacy is at the Health Sciences Campus in downtown Kitchener, approximately five kilometres south of the main campus.
Tuition and Funding at University of Waterloo
- CAP status program fee: CAD $750 annually, payable in instalments before the 1A and 2A terms
Science tuition and incidental fees are additional and depend on residency; Waterloo bills tuition by term.
University of Waterloo's Mission and Values
The Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP) program gives high school students a conditional offer of admission to Pharmacy and start the program right away.
Your direct path to pharmacy school starts here. The Conditional Admission to Pharmacy (CAP) program gives high school students a conditional offer of admission to Pharmacy and start the program right away.
What Applicants Are Saying
Matriculated students describe the cohort as driven, with many entering directly from high school. Student forums indicate hundreds apply annually. Students report that pharmacy shadowing or volunteering bolsters applications, though not all accepted candidates have it; those gaining 50+ volunteer hours report stronger positioning. Peers describe a collaborative campus culture focused on practical training.
Shared by applicants and students on forums and communities. It is anecdotal, not official program information.
How to Prepare Your University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy Application
- Aim to meet the 90.0% high school admission-average minimum and the requirements of your chosen science program.
- Document extracurricular activities; competitive CAP submissions usually include at least 50 hours.
- Apply through OUAC to an eligible science program and separately to CAP status.
- Book Casper 1 (English), CSP-10200, with your Waterloo Applicant ID Number.
- Complete the applicant-portal forms and arrange one academic and one employer or volunteer-agency reference.
- Prepare video and written responses for the virtual CAP interview.
More About University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy
- Degrees awarded
Bachelor of Science alongside the PharmD, subject to degree requirements
- Co-op PharmD
Canada's only co-op PharmD; three co-op terms and six months of clinical rotations
Frequently Asked Questions About University of Waterloo Conditional Admission to Pharmacy
Does University of Waterloo CAP require Casper?
Yes. CAP applicants must take Casper 1 (English), CSP-10200, using their Waterloo Applicant ID Number. Waterloo does not list Duet among CAP requirements.
What is the GPA requirement for Waterloo CAP?
The minimum Faculty of Science admission average is 90.0% for high school applicants or 85.0% for eligible first-year CEGEP applicants. CAP students must later meet specified 75.0% cumulative-average thresholds for the PharmD interview and offer.
How many seats are available in University of Waterloo CAP?
Waterloo lists 40 CAP places. It does not give an applicant count on its CAP admissions page.
Does Waterloo CAP have interviews?
Yes. Admission to CAP includes an asynchronous virtual interview with video and written responses. Students who maintain CAP eligibility through their first two years also receive a guaranteed PharmD admission interview.
Is pharmacy experience required for Waterloo CAP?
Pharmacy experience is not stated as a high-school CAP application minimum. Competitive CAP applications usually document 50 or more hours of extracurricular experience; maintaining CAP status later requires at least 200 hours of pharmacy-related experience.
What is the structure of University of Waterloo CAP program?
CAP begins with two years of eligible regular-stream science study, followed by the four-year co-op PharmD if progression requirements are met. A BSc can be earned alongside the PharmD, subject to degree requirements.
Can international students apply to Waterloo CAP?
Eligible international high school applicants can apply through OUAC. Out-of-province and international applicants must provide high school transcripts; an English-language test may also be required.
When are Casper test dates for Waterloo CAP?
Check the Casper score-distribution deadline listed above and the Acuity Insights booking calendar for available approved sittings and times; book Casper 1 (English), CSP-10200.
Sources
- uwaterloo.ca: conditional admission pharmacy cap
- uwaterloo.ca: current cap students
- uwaterloo.ca: pharmd application process
- uwaterloo.ca: pharmacy
- uwaterloo.ca: offers admission
Last updated: September 26, 2026