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.

	McMaster Environmental and Earth Sciences Gateway OUAC MEE Remove	Waterloo Environment, Resources and Sustainability (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WER Remove	Waterloo Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WSE Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	83–87%“Mid-80s”	77–80%“High 70s”	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of MCV4U, MHF4U one of SBI4U, SCH4U one of MCV4U, MHF4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SPH4U	—	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	English 4U 1 of Advanced Functions 4U, Calculus & Vectors 4U 1 of Biology 4U, Chemistry 4U 1 of Advanced Functions 4U, Calculus & Vectors 4U, Biology 4U, Chemistry 4U, Physics 4U Applicants without Calculus & Vectors 4U will be required to take an equivalent Calculus course in Level I.	Any Grade 12 U English (minimum final grade of 70% is required)	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
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	85	42	35
What you study	Environmental Studies Human Geography Physical Geography	Entrepreneurship Environmental Studies Human Geography Physical Geography	Biological Sciences Environmental Studies Geology Physical Geography
What it is	This program introduces you to how Earth's physical systems — climate, geology, water — interact with human society and geography. You explore environmental challenges through both natural science and social perspectives, rather than focusing on just one. It suits students curious about environmental issues from multiple angles who want hands-on experience through co-op placements.	This program combines environmental science, geography, and business thinking to explore how people use and sustain natural resources. Unlike a pure environmental science degree, it emphasizes the economic and entrepreneurial side of solving environmental problems, and includes mandatory work terms where you apply what you learn in real jobs. It suits people who care about the environment but want practical business and policy skills alongside scientific understanding.	Environmental Sciences is a degree combining biology, geology, chemistry, and geography to understand how natural systems work and respond to human activity. The co-op version requires you to complete paid work terms at environmental organizations or research facilities alongside your studies, giving you real-world experience before you graduate. It suits students who want hands-on learning and prefer to test career directions in the field rather than only in classrooms.
The door tomajors you reach through it	earth science environmental science	Applied to directly	environmental science
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	McMaster University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	University of Waterloo 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.