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 Environmental Geoscience (4 years) (French Immersion Stream is available) OUAC OWO Remove	Waterloo Geography and Environmental Management (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WG Remove	Waterloo Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WSE Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80%	77–80%“High 70s”	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of ENG4U, FRA4U two of SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	—	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	ENG4U or FRA4U MHF4U MCV4U 2 of SBI4U, SCH4U, SPH4U, SES4U A combined minimum average of 70% is required for all prerequisite courses in science and mathematics. +2 more on the program page	Any Grade 12 U English (min. 70%)	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	Available	Available	Available
Degree	Bachelor of Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science (Co-op), BSc (Co-op)	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	41	35
What you study	Environmental Studies Geology Human Geography Physical Geography	Environmental Studies Human Geography Physical Geography	Biological Sciences Environmental Studies Geology Physical Geography
What it is	Environmental Geoscience is the study of Earth's physical systems — rocks, landforms, water, and climate — combined with how human activity affects and depends on the environment. It differs from pure geology because it emphasizes the interactions between natural processes and people, drawing on geography and environmental science alongside earth science. It suits students curious about how landscapes form and change, and interested in solving real-world problems like pollution, resource management, or climate impacts.	You study how people interact with the natural environment, combining physical geography (climate, landforms, ecosystems) with human geography (cities, cultures, economics) and environmental problem-solving. The co-op option requires you to complete four paid work terms alongside your degree, giving you real-world experience in environmental consulting, urban planning, or conservation. This suits people who want to understand environmental challenges from both scientific and social angles and who value applying classroom learning in professional settings.	Environmental Sciences is a degree combining biology, geology, chemistry, and geography to understand how natural systems work and respond to human activity. The co-op version requires you to complete paid work terms at environmental organizations or research facilities alongside your studies, giving you real-world experience before you graduate. It suits students who want hands-on learning and prefer to test career directions in the field rather than only in classrooms.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	geography	environmental science
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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