4 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.

Full	McMaster Social Sciences I OUAC ML Remove	Algoma Political Science (BA 4 year) OUAC JBF Remove	Laurier (Waterloo) Honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) OUAC UZ Remove	Waterloo Honours Arts (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WA Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–87%“Low-to mid-80s”	65%“65%+”	73–77%“Mid-70s”	77–80%“High 70s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	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 at 60%	Any Grade 12 U English (min. 70%)
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No	No	Available
Degree	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Social Work, BSW	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	950	—	—	402
What you study	Anthropology Economics Health Informatics Human Geography	Politics	Anthropology Archaeology Classical Studies Comparative Literary Studies	Anthropology Archaeology Classical Greek Studies Classical 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 BA lets you specialize in one or more subjects from the humanities, sciences, and social sciences while building a broad education across different fields. You choose your major — such as English, Anthropology, Computer Science, or Creative Writing — and take courses in that area alongside electives that let you explore other disciplines. This program suits people who want depth in a subject they care about but also value exposure to different ways of thinking and fields of knowledge.	An Honours Arts degree lets you study humanities and social sciences — literature, history, languages, creative writing, drama, economics, or anthropology — with flexibility to combine subjects. The co-op option alternates your studies with paid work terms in related fields, giving you real workplace experience alongside your degree. This suits people who want a liberal arts education but also want to test out careers and build a professional network while studying.
The door tomajors you reach through it	criminology geography political science psychology sociology	political science	communications english history languages philosophy political science sociology	communications criminology economics english history languages philosophy political science
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	7 published, 7 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	11 published, 1 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	McMaster University on OUInfo	Algoma University on OUInfo	Wilfrid Laurier University — 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.