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.

	Trent Software Engineering - Co Op OUAC RZC Remove	Guelph Computer Science (BComp) Honours (co-op option) OUAC GCT Remove	Waterloo Computer Science (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WCS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	85–90%“85 to 90%”	85–90%“85 to 90%”	90–97%“Low to Mid-90s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U ICS4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of MCV4U, MDM4U	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	Minimum 80% calculated from best six 4U/M courses Required Courses: ENG4U @ 60% MHF4U One of: MCV4U or MDM4U +2 more on the program page	ENG4U MCV4U 4 additional 4U/M courses Computing courses are recommended, as are any other courses necessary to prepare for study in an "Area of Application". Alternative Offers +1 more on the program page	Any Grade 12 U English Advanced Functions Calculus and Vectors One other Grade 12 U course
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Yes An Admission Information Form (AIF) is required. We will send you instructions when we acknowledge your application. You are strongly encouraged to write the Euclid Mathematics Contest and the Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest. Individual selection may vary. Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	Bachelor of Computer Science, BCS, Bachelor of Mathematics, BMath
First-year intakewhere published	15	—	360
What you study	Computer Engineering Computer Science	Computer Science Information Systems Software Engineering	Artificial Intelligence Computer Games Computer Science Health Informatics
What it is	You study the practical design and development of software systems, combining computer science fundamentals with engineering principles. Unlike a straight computer science degree, this co-op program alternates your school terms with paid work placements in real software companies, letting you apply what you learn and build professional experience. It suits students who want hands-on experience building software and prefer learning by doing alongside their coursework.	This program teaches you how to design, build, and test software and computer systems. You learn programming, algorithms, data structures, and how computers work at a fundamental level. The co-op option requires you to complete paid work terms at companies alongside your studies, giving you real workplace experience before you graduate — something most computer science programs don't mandate.	You study the design, development, and theory behind computer software and systems. In the co-op stream, you alternate between classroom terms and paid work terms at tech companies, giving you practical experience alongside your degree. This program suits people who want to build real-world coding skills early and explore whether they prefer software development, artificial intelligence, games, or other computing specializations while earning money.
The door tomajors you reach through it	software engineering	computer science	computer science
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	12 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	Trent University on OUInfo	University of Guelph on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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