Cutoffs

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

Life Sciences Gateway

OUAC MLS

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Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording93–97%Mid-90s78%80–83%Low 80s83–87%Mid 80s
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row belowENG4USBI4UNo course codes parsed — see prerequisitesENG4UMCV4UMHF4UENG4UMCV4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it
  • one of MCV4U, MHF4U
  • one of MCV4U, MHF4U, SCH4U, SPH4U
  • two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
  • two of SBI4U, SCH4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published
  • English 4U
  • 1 of Advanced Functions 4U, Calculus & Vectors 4U
  • Biology 4U
  • 1 of Advanced Functions 4U, Calculus & Vectors 4U, Chemistry 4U, Physics 4U
  • Applicants without Calculus & Vectors 4U will be required to take an equivalent Calculus course in Level I.
  • Honours in Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry,
  • Linguistics, Neuroscience and Mental Health, Psycholinguistics and Communications Differences, Psychology, and Gateway (Physical Sciences and Life Sciences):
  • Advanced Functions (MHF4U)
  • Two credits from Biology (SBI4U), Chemistry (SCH4U), Earth and Space Science (SES4U), or Physics (SPH4U)
  • 3 best 4U/M courses
  • +7 more on the program page
  • English (ENG4U – min. 70%)
  • Advanced Functions (min. 70%)
  • Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%)
  • Any two of the following: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Mathematics of
  • Data Management, or Physics
  • ENG4U
  • MCV4U
  • 2 of SBI4U, SCH4U, SPH4U
  • 2 additional 4U/M course
More than marks?supplementary applicationMarks onlyMarks onlyMarks onlyMarks only
Co-opAvailableAvailableAvailableNo
Degree
First-year intakewhere published1,000570100
What you studyAnimal ScienceBiological SciencesGeneticsMicrobiologyAudiology and Speech Language PathologyBiotechnologyChemistryEnvironmental StudiesAnimal ScienceBiological SciencesBiologyBiotechnologyAstronomyBiological SciencesChemistryComputer Science
What it isLife Sciences Gateway is a first-year program where you explore core sciences—biology, chemistry, and math—before specializing in areas like genetics, microbiology, pharmacology, animal science, or psychology. It includes mandatory co-op work terms alongside your studies. This broad entry lets you test different life science directions before committing to a specific degree, rather than applying directly to a single specialized program.This is a four-year science degree where you specialize in one of many fields — from chemistry and physics to biology, geology, audiology, linguistics, or environmental science. The honours designation means you go deeper into your chosen subject than a general science degree would. The program includes optional co-op work terms, letting you gain paid professional experience alongside your studies, which suits students who want both classroom learning and real workplace practice in their field.Life Sciences is a broad study of living organisms, their cells, genetics, and chemistry at the molecular level. You'll take core courses in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry, then choose a focus like microbiology, biotechnology, or human biology depending on your interests. The co-op option lets you alternate between school and paid work terms in research labs, hospitals, or biotech companies, giving you real experience alongside your degree.This program combines science study with teacher education, so you earn qualifications to teach science in secondary school while completing your degree. Unlike a regular science degree followed by teacher training, you work toward both goals at the same time, with coursework in science disciplines alongside education theory and practice teaching. It suits students who know they want to teach and want to study science deeply rather than broadly.
The door tomajors you reach through itbiochemistrybiologylife sciencesmedical sciencesmicrobiologyneurosciencebiochemistrybiologychemistryearth scienceenvironmental sciencelife sciencesneurosciencephysicsbiochemistrybiologylife sciencesmicrobiologyneuroscienceApplied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them16 published, 9 with no applicationfrom 75%See them4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See themNone published by average
SourceMcMaster University on OUInfoCarleton University on OUInfoUniversity of Waterloo on OUInfoQueen's University 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.