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.

	Western Health Sciences OUAC EW Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove	McMaster Chemical & Physical Sciences Gateway OUAC MPS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	87–93%“High 80s to low 90s”	80–83%“Low 80s”	83–87%“Mid-80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U SBI4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	English, ENG4U Biology, SBI4U One of: Advanced Functions, MHF4U Calculus and Vectors, MCV4U +3 more on the program page	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	English 4U Advanced Functions 4U Calculus & Vectors 4U Chemistry 4U Physics 4U
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	Bachelor of Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Applied Science, BSc/BASc
First-year intakewhere published	430	250	100
What you study	Health Informatics Others in Subjects Related to Medicine Social Policy	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science	Astronomy Chemistry Others in Physical Sciences Physics
What it is	Health Sciences is a broad program combining study of how health systems work, the use of technology and data in healthcare, and social policy that shapes health outcomes. It differs from biology or medicine by focusing on the bigger picture of health delivery and policy rather than pure life sciences or direct clinical training. It suits students interested in healthcare careers beyond clinical practice, like health administration, public health, or health technology roles.	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 is a first-year science program that teaches you foundational chemistry, physics, and related subjects before you specialize. Unlike going directly into a single honours program, you spend your first year exploring different branches of physical science, then choose your final degree path — either a pure science degree or a combined science and engineering degree. It suits students who are strong in math and science but aren't yet sure whether they want to focus purely on theory or blend science with applied engineering.
The door tomajors you reach through it	health sciences	chemistry earth science physics	chemistry physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 85%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them
Source	Western University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	McMaster University on OUInfo

Also compare with

Same subject area and a similar published range, at a campus you have not got in the table yet.

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.