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 Sciences infirmières (4 ans) OUAC ONF Remove	McMaster Chemical & Physical Sciences Gateway OUAC MPS Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	85%	83–87%“Mid-80s”	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	SBI4U SCH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of ENG4U, FRA4U	—	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	FRA4U or ENG4U SBI4U SCH4U MCF3M or MCR3U or one 4U Math course A minimum average of 65% is required for each prerequisite course. +1 more on the program page	English 4U Advanced Functions 4U Calculus & Vectors 4U Chemistry 4U Physics 4U	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
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	No	Available	Available
Degree	—	Bachelor of Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Applied Science, BSc/BASc	—
First-year intakewhere published	110	100	250
What you study	Human Biology Nursing	Astronomy Chemistry Others in Physical Sciences Physics	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science
What it is	You study nursing, which means learning how to care for patients, understand human biology and health conditions, and develop the clinical skills you'll use in hospitals and clinics. This four-year program combines classroom learning with hands-on practice in real healthcare settings from early on, rather than delaying clinical work until later years. It suits people who want direct patient care, can handle shift work and emotional demands, and are comfortable with both science and people skills.	This is a first-year science program that teaches you foundational chemistry, physics, and related subjects before you specialize. Unlike going directly into a single honours program, you spend your first year exploring different branches of physical science, then choose your final degree path — either a pure science degree or a combined science and engineering degree. It suits students who are strong in math and science but aren't yet sure whether they want to focus purely on theory or blend science with applied engineering.	Physical Sciences is a broad first-year program where you study foundational chemistry, physics, mathematics, and biology before choosing a specialization in second year. The co-op option means you alternate between study and paid work terms at companies or research labs, giving you real experience in your field. This program suits students who are strong in math and science but not yet certain which specific physical science direction — from astronomy to polymer chemistry — they want to pursue.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	chemistry physics	chemistry earth science physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	22 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	University of Ottawa on OUInfo	McMaster University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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Same subject area and a similar published range, at a campus you have not got in the table yet.

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.