4 programs, side by side

Full	Waterloo Architecture (Co-op Only) OUAC WR ☆ Add to planRemove	Carleton Media Production and Design OUAC CMP ☆ Add to planRemove	Guelph-Humber Honours Bachelor of Applied Arts in Media & Communication Studies and Diploma in Media Communications OUAC GMT ☆ Add to planRemove	OCAD Visual and Critical Studies (Art History) OUAC HVC ☆ Add to planRemove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	83–87%“Mid-80s”	75%“75% (regular and co-op)”	70–75%“Estimated cut-off admission range is 70-75%.”	Not published“N/A”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4USPH4U	ENG4U	No course codes parsed — see prerequisites	ENG4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of MCV4U, MHF4U	—	one of EAE4U, ENG4U	—
Prerequisitesas published	English (ENG4U – min. 78%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) or Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Physics (min. 70%)	English (ENG4U) 1 Math credit (4U) 4 best 4U/M courses	Ontario applicants 6 4U/M courses: ENG4U (EAE4U is a recognized equivalent) 5 additional 4U/M courses Out of province applicants +5 more on the program page	OSSD with an overall academic average of at least 70% in six 4U/M courses, including English 4U with a minimum final grade of 70%
More than marks?supplementary application	Yes Qualified applicants will be invited to submit a portfolio. Usually closes before January 15	Marks only	Marks only	Yes In addition to meeting the academic requirements, you are required to submit the following to be considered for admission: A 1-page Statement of Intent (300 words maximum) on why you would like to study art history in a studio setting. An original essay of 500 words on an annually assigned topic. Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	Available	Available	No	No
Degree	—	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	75	50	—	—
What you study	ArchitectureBuildingDesign	Cinematics & PhotographyCreative WritingDesignMedia and Communication Studies	Cinematics & PhotographyCreative WritingDesignJournalism	Creative WritingDesignEnglish StudiesFine Art
What it is	You study how to design and plan buildings and structures, learning both the creative design side and the technical skills needed to make buildings work safely and function well. This program requires you to do paid work terms at architecture firms throughout your degree, alternating with school semesters, so you graduate with real professional experience. It suits people who want hands-on learning alongside theory and are ready to balance intensive coursework with workplace responsibility.	You study how to create and produce media across film, photography, writing, and design, learning both the technical skills and creative thinking behind what you see on screens and in print. Unlike a pure communication theory program, this one emphasizes hands-on production and design work alongside studying media's role in society. It suits people who want to make things, not just analyze them, and who enjoy combining visual, written, and conceptual work.	This program teaches you how media and communication work across multiple platforms — from journalism and photography to marketing and design. You'll study both the theory behind how messages reach audiences and the practical skills to create them yourself. It suits people who want to understand media industries from the inside and are ready to work across different formats rather than specializing in just one.	You study the history of visual art and design, learning to analyze images, objects, and cultural movements across time periods and societies. This differs from a studio art program because you focus on understanding and interpreting art rather than creating it yourself. It suits people who want to think critically about visual culture and understand how art reflects and shapes society.
The door tomajors you reach through it	architecture	Applied to directly	Applied to directly	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	16 published, 9 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	7 published, 6 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	None published by average
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	Carleton University on OUInfo	University of Guelph-Humber on OUInfo	OCAD 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.