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	Trent (Durham) Honours Arts OUAC ROY Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–87%“Low-to mid-80s”	65%“65%+”	70%“70% minimum”
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	Minimum 70% calculated from best six 4U/M courses Required Courses: ENG4U with a minimum of 60%
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No	No
Degree	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Social Work, BSW	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	950	—	200
What you study	Anthropology Economics Health Informatics Human Geography	Politics	Aboriginal Studies Agriculture Anthropology Business Studies
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.	An Honours Arts degree lets you study humanities and social sciences in depth, choosing from subjects like history, English, anthropology, environmental studies, and others. Unlike a general arts degree, an honours program requires more advanced courses in your chosen major and typically demands higher academic performance. This program suits students who want to explore ideas across cultures, societies, and texts, and who are willing to commit to deeper study in at least one subject area.
The door tomajors you reach through it	criminology geography political science psychology sociology	political science	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	7 published, 7 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	None published by average
Source	McMaster University on OUInfo	Algoma University on OUInfo	Trent University — Durham GTA on OUInfo

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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.