3 programs, side by side

Rows marked with a dot are where these differ. Everything is each university’s own published wording; the “your average” row is yours, calculated the way each program does it.

	Lakehead Environmental Management (co-op available) (Thunder Bay) OUAC AO Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove	Queen's Physical and Chemical Sciences Pathway OUAC QSP Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	70%	80–83%“Low 80s”	80–87%“Low to Mid-80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	3 of CGO4M, CGR4M, CGU4M, CGW4U, ICS4U, MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	one of SCH4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	ENG4U 3 from CGO4M, CGR4M, CGU4M, CGW4U, ICS4U, MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, and SPH4U. *Only 1 Geography course can be used.	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Any two of the following: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Mathematics of Data Management, or Physics	ENG4U MCV4U 1 of SCH4U or SPH4U 3 additional 4 U/M courses
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	250	—
What you study	Environmental StudiesForestry & ArboricultureGeology Others in Physical Sciences	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science	Astronomy Biotechnology Chemistry Mathematics
What it is	Environmental Management teaches you how to assess and solve real-world environmental problems — like water quality, habitat loss, and land use — by combining biology, geology, geography, and forestry. Unlike a pure science degree, it focuses on the practical side: working with communities, governments, and organizations to manage natural resources and protect ecosystems. It suits students who want hands-on environmental work and are willing to take co-op placements where you'll apply what you learn on actual projects.	Physical Sciences is a broad first-year program where you study foundational chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology before choosing a specialization in second year. The co-op option means you alternate between study and paid work terms at companies or research labs, giving you real experience in your field. This program suits students who are strong in math and science but not yet certain which specific physical science direction — from astronomy to polymer chemistry — they want to pursue.	This pathway lets you study the fundamental sciences — physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, and biology — together rather than committing to a single discipline right away. You'll take core courses across all these fields in your first year, then gradually specialize based on your interests. The included co-op option means you'll do work terms in research labs or industry, giving you hands-on experience alongside your coursework.
The door tomajors you reach through it	environmental science	chemistry earth science physics	chemistry physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	None published by average
Source	Lakehead University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	Queen's University on OUInfo

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Ranges are what each university publishes, not guaranteed cutoffs, and limited-enrolment programs often admit above them. Confirm anything you are about to act on with the university; each column links to its source.