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.

	Queen's Smith Engineering – Common First Year programs OUAC QE Remove	Lakehead Engineering (co-op available) (Thunder Bay and Barrie) OUAC AM Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	87–90%“High 80s”	70%	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	one of ICS4U, SBI4U	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	ENG4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U MHF4U	Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Mechatronics: ENG4U, MHF4U with a minimum grade of 60%, SCH4U, SPH4U MCV4U is strongly recommended An additional Math, Science or Technological Education course is also recommended Software: +7 more on the program page	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 Engineering, BEng, Bachelor of Engineering/Master of Business Administration, BEng/MBA	—
First-year intakewhere published	800	—	250
What you study	Aerospace EngineeringChemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science	Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Electronic & Electrical EngineeringFacilities Management	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science
What it is	Smith Engineering's common first year means you take the same core courses as all engineering students — math, physics, chemistry, and engineering fundamentals — before choosing a specialization like mechanical, civil, chemical, or aerospace engineering in second year. This delays your choice, letting you explore different engineering fields before committing. It suits students who know they want engineering but are unsure which branch fits them best.	You study a specialized branch of engineering — chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, software, or another field — applying math and science to design and build real structures, systems, or software. The co-op option lets you alternate between classroom semesters and paid work terms at engineering companies, giving you industry experience before you graduate. This program suits students strong in math and physics who want hands-on learning and concrete career preparation.	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	engineering	engineering software engineering	chemistry earth science physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	None published by average	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	Queen's University on OUInfo	Lakehead University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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