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 Planning (Co-op Only) OUAC WP Remove	York Cities, Regions, Planning (BES - Co-op available) OUAC YHV Remove	McMaster Social Sciences I OUAC ML Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–83%“Low 80s”	73–80%“Mid to high 70s”	80–87%“Low-to mid-80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U	ENG4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	Any Grade 12 U English (min. 75%)	Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) ENG4U Five additional 4U or 4M 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 4U * Completion of Advanced Functions 4U and Calculus & Vectors 4U are strongly recommended for students interested in Economics. * Completion of Calculus & Vectors 4U and Biology 4U are strongly recommended for students interested in Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour.
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available	Available
Degree	—	—	Bachelor of Arts, BA, Bachelor of Social Work, BSW
First-year intakewhere published	200	40	950
What you study	Environmental StudiesPlanning	BuildingHuman Geography Interdisciplinary Studies International Development	Anthropology Economics Health Informatics Human Geography
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.	You study how cities and regions develop, grow, and change, combining geography, planning, politics, and social policy to understand urban and rural environments. This program emphasizes the interconnected nature of these topics rather than treating them as separate disciplines. Co-op work terms are available, letting you gain practical experience in planning offices, government agencies, or development organizations alongside your coursework.	Social Sciences I is a first-year entry point where you explore human behaviour, society, and social systems through subjects like economics, sociology, anthropology, politics, and social work. Unlike a specialized program, you sample multiple disciplines before declaring a focus, letting you discover which area — from international development to health policy — matches your interests. It suits students curious about how societies work and drawn to understanding people and social issues from different angles.
The door tomajors you reach through it	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	criminology geography political science psychology sociology
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	5 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 75%See them
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	York University on OUInfo	McMaster University on OUInfo

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Same subject area and a similar published range, at a campus you have not got in the table yet.

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.