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 Musique et informatique (Double grade – 5 ans) OUAC OZL Remove	Waterloo Systems Design Engineering (Co-op Only) OUAC WD Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	75%	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 MCV4U MHF4U A minimum combined average of 70% is required for all prerequisite courses 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	Yes Audition 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	No	Available
Degree	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Science, BSc	—
First-year intakewhere published	—	94
What you study	Computer Science General or Integrated Engineering Information Systems Interdisciplinary Studies	Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Design General or Integrated Engineering
What it is	You study music composition, theory, and performance alongside computer science and programming, earning both a BA and BSc over five years. Unlike separate music and computer science degrees, this combines them so you apply computing tools to music creation and analysis. It suits students drawn to both fields equally who want deeper technical skills in each rather than choosing one.	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.