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.

	Ottawa Computer Engineering (4 years) OUAC OBE Remove	Waterloo Computer Science (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WCS Remove	Waterloo Mechatronics Engineering (Co-op Only) OUAC WMT Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80%	90–97%“Low to Mid-90s”	87–93%“High 80s to Low 90s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of ENG4U, FRA4U	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	ENG4U or FRA4U MHF4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U +2 more on the program page	Any Grade 12 U English Advanced Functions Calculus and Vectors One other Grade 12 U course	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Chemistry (min. 70%) Physics (min. 70%)
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Yes An Admission Information Form (AIF) is required. We will send you instructions when we acknowledge your application. You are strongly encouraged to write the Euclid Mathematics Contest and the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest. Individual selection may vary. Usually closes before January 15	Yes NEW: All Engineering program applications require an online video interview. You will receive more information after you apply. An Admission Information Form is also required. We will send you instructions when we acknowledge your application. Also considered: Involvement in extracurricular activities in school or community, evidence of interest in engineering and strong performance in mathematics, science or engineering-related competitions. Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	Bachelor of Applied Science, BASc, Bachelor of Engineering (Co-op), BEng (Co-op)	Bachelor of Computer Science, BCS, Bachelor of Mathematics, BMath	—
First-year intakewhere published	88	360	200
What you study	Computer Engineering Computer Science General or Integrated Engineering Software Engineering	Artificial Intelligence Computer Games Computer Science Health Informatics	Artificial Intelligence Computer Engineering Electronic & Electrical Engineering General or Integrated Engineering
What it is	Computer engineering combines the design of computer hardware with the software that runs on it. You'll study circuits, processors, programming, and systems that integrate both. The co-op stream lets you alternate between classroom and paid work terms at tech companies, giving you real industry experience alongside your degree, which sets it apart from the straight four-year option.	You study the design, development, and theory behind computer software and systems. In the co-op stream, you alternate between classroom terms and paid work terms at tech companies, giving you practical experience alongside your degree. This program suits people who want to build real-world coding skills early and explore whether they prefer software development, artificial intelligence, games, or other computing specializations while earning money.	Mechatronics Engineering combines mechanical systems, electronics, software, and artificial intelligence to design machines that think and act on their own. Unlike a traditional engineering program, this one requires you to complete paid work terms alternating with school, giving you real industry experience building the robots and automated systems you study in class. It suits people who want hands-on problem-solving across multiple engineering disciplines and are ready to balance studies with work semesters.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	computer science	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	22 published, 5 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	University of Ottawa on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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