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.

	Ottawa Informatique (4 ans) OUAC ORJ Remove	Waterloo Systems Design Engineering (Co-op Only) OUAC WD Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	78–80%“78%; co-op 80%”	87–93%“High 80s to low 90s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of ENG4U, FRA4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	FRA4U or ENG4U MHF4U MCV4U A combined minimum average of 70% is required for all prerequisites in mathematics.	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 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
Degree	Bachelor of Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science (Co-op), BSc (Co-op)	—
First-year intakewhere published	58	94
What you study	Computer Science General or Integrated Engineering Information Technology	Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Design General or Integrated Engineering
What it is	Informatique is a four-year computer science program taught in French. You study how to design, build, and troubleshoot software and systems, from programming languages to networks and databases. The co-op version lets you alternate between classroom terms and paid work terms at tech companies, giving you real job experience alongside your degree; the regular version is full-time study only.	This program teaches you to design and build complex systems — often combining software, hardware, human behaviour, and business — that solve real-world problems. Unlike a traditional engineering program focused on one discipline, it blends computer science, design thinking, and management so you learn how systems work across multiple fields. It suits students who want engineering skills but prefer understanding how all the pieces fit together and spending time working in industry during their degree.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	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
Source	University of Ottawa on OUInfo	University of Waterloo 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.