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 Physical and Chemical Sciences Pathway OUAC QSP Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–83%“Low 80s”	80–87%“Low to Mid-80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U	ENG4U MCV4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	one of SCH4U, 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 1 of SCH4U or SPH4U 3 additional 4 U/M courses
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available
Degree	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	250	—
What you study	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science	Astronomy Biotechnology Chemistry Mathematics
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.	This pathway lets you study the fundamental sciences — physics, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, and biology — together rather than committing to a single discipline right away. You'll take core courses across all these fields in your first year, then gradually specialize based on your interests. The included co-op option means you'll do work terms in research labs or industry, giving you hands-on experience alongside your coursework.
The door tomajors you reach through it	chemistry earth science physics	chemistry physics
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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