4 programs, side by side

Full	Waterloo Planning (Co-op Only) OUAC WP ☆ Add to planRemove	York Undeclared Major (BA) OUAC YBQ ☆ Add to planRemove	York Environmental Arts & Justice (BES - Co-op available) OUAC YDF ☆ Add to planRemove	TMU Undeclared Arts (First Year Studies Only) OUAC SUN ☆ Add to planRemove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–83%“Low 80s”	73–80%“Mid- to high 70s”	73–77%“Mid-70s”	70–75%“70-75%”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U	ENG4U	ENG4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	—	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	Any Grade 12 U English (min. 75%)	BA: Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) ENG4U 5 additional 4U/M courses BES: +7 more on the program page	Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) ENG4U 5 additional 4U/M courses Alternative Offers If you are inadmissible to the original degree program you have applied to, you may be +3 more on the program page	English/Anglais (ENG4U/EAE4U preferred)
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No	Available	No
Degree	—	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Environmental Studies, BES	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	200	—	40	70
What you study	Environmental StudiesPlanning	Human GeographyInterdisciplinary StudiesPlanningPolitics	Environmental StudiesInterdisciplinary StudiesPoliticsSocial Policy	English StudiesHistoryHuman GeographyInterdisciplinary Studies
What it is	This program teaches you how to design and manage the built and natural environments — from city neighborhoods and transportation systems to parks and land use. The co-op requirement means you'll alternate between classroom semesters and paid work terms at planning firms, municipalities, or environmental organizations, giving you real experience while you study. It suits people who want hands-on learning, enjoy solving problems about how communities develop, and are willing to commit to the co-op schedule.	In an undeclared major, you start a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Environmental Studies without committing to a specific subject right away. You take introductory courses across areas like geography, politics, social policy, and planning, then choose your major after your first year once you know what interests you most. This approach suits students who are drawn to social and environmental questions but unsure which discipline to study them through.	This program combines environmental science and social justice, exploring how environmental problems affect communities and how policy and activism can address them. You study ecology alongside politics, sociology, and ethics rather than treating environmental issues as purely technical. It suits students who care about the environment but want to understand its human and political dimensions, and the co-op option lets you work in nonprofits, government, or advocacy organizations while you study.	You enter this program without committing to a specific major, taking first-year courses across subjects like English, history, psychology, philosophy, and sociology. This gives you time to explore different areas of arts study before declaring a focus at the end of year one, rather than applying directly to a named program. It suits students who are interested in humanities and social sciences but unsure which direction fits them best.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	2 published, 0 with no applicationfrom 85%See them
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	York University on OUInfo	York University on OUInfo	Toronto Metropolitan University on OUInfo

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.