2 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 Geography (BA 4 year) OUAC JBJ Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–87%“Low-to mid-80s”	65%“65%+”
Required coursesforced into your top 6	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SBI4U	ENG4U
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
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No
Degree	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Social Work, BSW	—
First-year intakewhere published	950	—
What you study	Anthropology Economics Health Informatics Human Geography	Geology Human Geography Physical Geography
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.	A BA in Geography covers the physical Earth — landforms, climate, ecosystems — alongside human systems like culture, economics, and cities. You'll study both natural processes and how people shape and live in different places. It suits students curious about why the world works the way it does and interested in solving real-world problems across environment and society.
The door tomajors you reach through it	criminology geography political science psychology sociology	earth science geography
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	7 published, 7 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	McMaster University on OUInfo	Algoma University on OUInfo

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