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.

	Queen's Smith Engineering – Common First Year programs OUAC QE Remove	Waterloo Systems Design Engineering (Co-op Only) OUAC WD Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	87–90%“High 80s”	87–93%“High 80s to low 90s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	ENG4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U MHF4U	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	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	800	94
What you study	Aerospace EngineeringChemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science	Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Design General or Integrated Engineering
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.	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	engineering	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	None published by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	Queen's University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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