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.
| 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 | 80% | 87–93%“High 80s to low 90s” |
| Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below | ENG4UMCV4USCH4USPH4U | MCV4UMHF4U | ENG4UMCV4UMHF4USCH4USPH4U |
| Choose one ofany of these satisfies it | — |
| — |
| Prerequisitesas published |
|
|
|
| More than marks?supplementary application | Yes
| Marks only | Yes
|
| 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 Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science (Co-op), BSc (Co-op) | — |
| First-year intakewhere published | — | — | 94 |
| What you study | Software Engineering | Computer ScienceGeneral or Integrated EngineeringInformation TechnologyInterdisciplinary Studies | Artificial IntelligenceComputer ScienceDesignGeneral or Integrated Engineering |
| 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 computer science and mathematics together as equally important subjects, rather than taking one as your main focus. This joint honours program lets you combine theoretical math with practical computing skills in ways a single-subject program cannot. It suits students who enjoy both fields and want to understand how mathematics powers computational problem-solving. | This program teaches you to design and build complex systems — often combining software, hardware, human behaviour, and business — that solve real-world problems. Unlike a traditional engineering program focused on one discipline, it blends computer science, design thinking, and management so you learn how systems work across multiple fields. It suits students who want engineering skills but prefer understanding how all the pieces fit together and spending time working in industry during their degree. |
| The door tomajors you reach through it | software engineering | Applied to directly | Applied to directly |
| Entrance awardsat this campus, by average | 5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them | 22 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 75%See them | 4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them |
| Source | McMaster University on OUInfo | University of Ottawa on OUInfo | University of Waterloo on OUInfo |
Also compare with
Same subject area and a similar published range, at a campus you have not got in the table yet.
- Computing83–87%+
- Management Engineering (Co-op Only)83–90%+
- Data Science and Analytics – Computational Data Sciences77–80%+
- Data Science and Analytics – Financial Analytics77–80%+
- Computer Engineering (BEng) (co-op admission only)84–89%+
- Engineering Systems and Computing (BEng) (co-op admission only)84–89%+
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.