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.

	Waterloo Climate and Environmental Change (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WCE Remove	Ottawa Environmental Geoscience (4 years) (French Immersion Stream is available) OUAC OWO Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	77–80%“High 70s”	80%	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of SCH4U, SPH4U	one of ENG4U, FRA4U two of SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Any Grade 12 U Mathematics (min. 70%) Chemistry or Physics	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	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	5	—	250
What you study	Chemistry Environmental Studies Human Geography Physical Geography	Environmental Studies Geology Human Geography Physical Geography	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science
What it is	You study how Earth's climate and environment work, using chemistry, physics, and geography to understand weather systems, ecosystems, and human impacts. This program combines natural science with social geography, so you examine both the physical causes of environmental change and how people and communities respond to it. It suits students curious about climate science who want hands-on experience through co-op placements alongside their coursework.	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.	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	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	chemistry earth science physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	22 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	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.