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.

	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove	Queen's Smith Engineering – Common First Year programs OUAC QE Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–83%“Low 80s”	87–90%“High 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	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	ENG4U MCV4U SPH4U SCH4U MHF4U
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available
Degree	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	250	800
What you study	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science	Aerospace EngineeringChemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science
What it is	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.	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.
The door tomajors you reach through it	chemistry earth science physics	engineering
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	None published by average
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	Queen's University on OUInfo

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