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.

	Guelph Biological Engineering (BEng) (co-op admission only) OUAC GBM Remove	Ottawa Chemical Engineering (4 years) OUAC OEE Remove	McMaster Chemical & Physical Sciences Gateway OUAC MPS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	84–89%“84 to 89%”	80%	83–87%“Mid-80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	one of ENG4U, FRA4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U +3 more on the program page	ENG4U or FRA4U MHF4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U +2 more on the program page	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 Applied Science, BASc, Bachelor of Engineering (Co-op), BEng (Co-op)	Bachelor of Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Applied Science, BSc/BASc
First-year intakewhere published	—	80	100
What you study	Biotechnology General or Integrated Engineering Medical Technology Physics	Chemical Engineering Chemistry General or Integrated Engineering	Astronomy Chemistry Others in Physical Sciences Physics
What it is	You study how to design and build systems that use living organisms or biological processes to solve problems — combining engineering principles with biotechnology. This is a direct-entry co-op program, meaning you alternate between classroom terms and paid work terms from the start, giving you hands-on industry experience alongside your degree. It suits students who want practical engineering skills and real-world application in fields like medical devices, bioprocessing, or pharmaceutical manufacturing.	You study how to design and operate chemical processes that transform raw materials into useful products — everything from pharmaceuticals to plastics to fuels. Chemical engineering combines chemistry, physics, and math to solve real industrial problems at scale. The co-op stream lets you alternate between classroom terms and paid work terms at companies, giving you direct experience in the field while you study.	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	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	chemistry physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	12 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	22 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them
Source	University of Guelph on OUInfo	University of Ottawa 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.