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 Engineering I - Software Engineering OUAC MES Remove	Ottawa Mechanical Engineering and Computing Technology (5-year double degree) OUAC OBC Remove	Queen's Smith Engineering – Common First Year programs OUAC QE Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	87%“A minimum of 87% is required for consideration. Admission is by selection.”Admission by selection — the real bar may sit above this	85%	87–90%“High 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MCV4U SCH4U SPH4U	MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	one of ENG4U, FRA4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	English 4U Calculus & Vectors 4U Chemistry 4U Physics 4U	ENG4U or FRA4U MHF4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U +2 more on the program page	ENG4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U MHF4U
More than marks?supplementary application	Yes OUAC application deadline: January 15, 2027 Mandatory supplementary application Usually closes before January 15	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	Bachelor of Engineering, BEng, Bachelor of Engineering and Management, BEng&Mgt, Bachelor of Engineering and Society, BEngSoc	Bachelor of Applied Science, BASc, Bachelor of Engineering (Co-op), BEng (Co-op), Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Applied Science, BSc/BASc	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	30	800
What you study	Software Engineering	Computer Science General or Integrated Engineering Interdisciplinary Studies Mechanical Engineering	Aerospace EngineeringChemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science
What it is	You study how to design, build, and test software systems that solve real problems. Software engineering goes beyond pure coding to include planning, teamwork, and understanding what users actually need. This program includes mandatory co-op work terms where you apply what you learn in paid positions, and you can choose a degree stream that adds management skills or explores the social impact of technology alongside the technical core.	You study both mechanical engineering and computer science together over five years, learning to design machines and systems while also programming and working with software and hardware integration. Unlike doing these as separate degrees, you graduate with credentials in both fields and understand how they work together in modern engineering. This suits students who want to bridge mechanical design with computing, or who are drawn to robotics, automation, and intelligent systems.	Smith Engineering's common first year means you take the same core courses as all engineering students — math, physics, chemistry, and engineering fundamentals — before choosing a specialization like mechanical, civil, chemical, or aerospace engineering in second year. This delays your choice, letting you explore different engineering fields before committing. It suits students who know they want engineering but are unsure which branch fits them best.
The door tomajors you reach through it	software engineering	Applied to directly	engineering
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	22 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	None published by average
Source	McMaster University on OUInfo	University of Ottawa on OUInfo	Queen's 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.