3 programs, side by side

+ Add a program	McMaster Life Sciences Gateway OUAC MLS ☆ Add to planRemove	Waterloo Business Administration (Laurier) and Computer Science (Waterloo) Double Degree (Co-op Only) OUAC WBC ☆ Add to planRemove	Waterloo Computing and Financial Management (Co-op Only) OUAC WCF ☆ Add to planRemove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	93–97%“Mid-90s”	90–97%“Low to Mid-90s”	90–97%“Low to Mid-90s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4USBI4U	ENG4UMCV4UMHF4U	ENG4UMCV4UMHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of MCV4U, MHF4U one of MCV4U, MHF4U, 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.	Any Grade 12 U English Advanced Functions Calculus and Vectors One other Grade 12 U course	Any Grade 12 U English Advanced Functions Calculus and Vectors One other Grade 12 U course
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Yes An Admission Information Form is required. We will send you instructions when we acknowledge your application. You're strongly encouraged to write the Euclid Mathematics Contest and the Canadian Senior Mathematics Competition. Individual selection may vary. Usually closes before January 15	Yes An Admission Information Form (AIF) is required. We will send you instructions when we acknowledge your application. Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	1,000	29	42
What you study	Animal ScienceBiological SciencesGeneticsMicrobiology	Artificial IntelligenceBusiness StudiesComputer ScienceSoftware Engineering	Artificial IntelligenceBusiness StudiesComputer ScienceFinance
What it is	Life 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.	You study both computer science and business administration as integrated degrees, not separate majors. This co-op stream requires you to alternate between classroom terms and paid work terms throughout your program, giving you applied experience in tech and business roles. It suits students who want technical depth and business acumen together, and who are willing to commit to a longer timeline that includes mandatory internships.	You study computer science and finance together, learning to build software systems and understand money management, accounting, and business strategy. This is different from studying either field alone because you learn how technology and financial systems interact. The co-op requirement means you alternate between school and paid work terms, giving you real-world experience in tech or finance companies. This suits people who want both technical skills and business knowledge, and who are ready to commit to the co-op schedule.
The door tomajors you reach through it	biochemistrybiologylife sciencesmedical sciencesmicrobiologyneuroscience	Applied to directly	finance
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	McMaster University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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.