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 Social Sciences I OUAC ML Remove	Algoma Political Science (BA 4 year) OUAC JBF Remove	Western Social Science OUAC EO Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–87%“Low-to mid-80s”	65%“65%+”	80–87%“Low to mid 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U	ENG4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	English 4U * Completion of Advanced Functions 4U and Calculus & Vectors 4U are strongly recommended for students interested in Economics. * Completion of Calculus & Vectors 4U and Biology 4U are strongly recommended for students interested in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour.	ENG4U 5 other 4U/M courses 65% combined average in top six 4U/M courses	English, ENG4U Notes: All Honours Specializations and Majors in Psychology require a first-year university Math course; therefore any Grade 12 U-level Math is highly recommended for this program. Math is helpful in preparation for Sociology and Geography programs. MFH4U and MCV4U are required for all Economics modules. +1 more on the program page
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No	Available
Degree	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Social Work, BSW	—	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Science, BSc
First-year intakewhere published	950	—	850
What you study	Anthropology Economics Health Informatics Human Geography	Politics	Aboriginal Studies Accounting Animal Science Anthropology
What it is	Social Sciences I is a first-year entry point where you explore human behaviour, society, and social systems through subjects like economics, sociology, anthropology, politics, and social work. Unlike a specialized program, you sample multiple disciplines before declaring a focus, letting you discover which area — from international development to health policy — matches your interests. It suits students curious about how societies work and drawn to understanding people and social issues from different angles.	Political Science is the study of government, law, political systems, and how power works in society. You'll examine Canadian and international politics, political theory, and institutions from multiple angles. This four-year program suits people who want a broad foundation in politics before deciding whether to specialize in law, policy, international relations, or public administration.	Social Science is a broad study of how people, societies, and economies work. You choose a focus like economics, anthropology, history, or business studies, then take courses across that field. Western offers this as either a BA or BSc depending on your focus, and you can do it with co-op, meaning you alternate between school terms and paid work placements in your field.
The door tomajors you reach through it	criminology geography political science psychology sociology	political science	criminology economics geography history political science psychology sociology
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	7 published, 7 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 85%See them
Source	McMaster University on OUInfo	Algoma University on OUInfo	Western University on OUInfo

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