What University of Waterloo International Master's Award of Excellence (IMAE) actually covers.
The International Master's Award of Excellence (IMAE) is the University of Waterloo's flagship entrance award for international graduate students enrolling in research-based master's programs. Valued at CAD 2,500 per term for up to five full-time terms, the IMAE provides meaningful financial support over the full duration of a master's degree, helping international students — including those from Africa — focus on their research rather than financial stress. Waterloo is consistently ranked among Canada's most innovative universities and is globally recognised for its engineering, computer science, mathematics, and science programs, making this award especially valuable for African students in STEM fields. The award is administered through the faculties and departments, which assess candidates automatically through the graduate admissions process. Students do not need to submit a separate application; instead, departmental graduate coordinators identify and recommend outstanding international applicants when making admission offers. This streamlined approach means that well-prepared applicants who apply to eligible research-based programs are considered without additional paperwork. African students are strongly encouraged to apply well before program-specific admission deadlines — typically in early February for September intake — to maximise their chances of receiving the IMAE alongside an admission offer. The award reflects Waterloo's commitment to recruiting and retaining exceptional international talent and creating a diverse graduate community that enriches the research environment for all.
Who can apply.
Open to masters applicants seeking to study in Canada. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
Four steps to a complete application.
Scholar Africa is a discovery and tracking platform — the application itself is submitted directly through the official provider site. The steps below mirror our HowTo schema.
Check eligibility
Confirm your nationality, academic level, and field of study match the criteria above.
Eligibility checklist
Prepare documents
Transcripts, recommendation letters, personal statement, and a valid passport.
Document checklist
Submit the application
Submit before February 1, 2027 via the official portal.
Submission checklist
Track your application
Use your Scholar Africa dashboard to monitor status and deadline reminders.
Post-submission checklist
What we checked, when we checked it.
Every scholarship on Scholar Africa goes through six checks (link, contact, organisation, winners, third-party, manual review). University of Waterloo International Master's Award of Excellence (IMAE) currently scores 0.0/10.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.