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 Architecture (Co-op Only) OUAC WR Remove	Carleton Science – Non-Honours (3 years) OUAC CS Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	83–87%“Mid-80s”	78%	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U SPH4U	MHF4U SBI4U SCH4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of MCV4U, MHF4U	two of MCV4U, SES4U, SPH4U	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	English (ENG4U – min. 78%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) or Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Physics (min. 70%)	Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Neuroscience and Mental Health. Advanced Functions (MHF4U) Two credits from Calculus (MCV4U), Biology (SBI4U), Chemistry (SCH4U), Earth and Space Science (SES4U) or Physics (SPH4U) 3 best 4U/M courses Alternative Offers +2 more on the program page	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
More than marks?supplementary application	Yes Qualified applicants will be invited to submit a portfolio. Usually closes before January 15	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No	Available
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	75	—	250
What you study	ArchitectureBuildingDesign	Chemistry Geology Others in Physical Sciences Others in Subjects Related to Medicine	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science
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.	A Science Non-Honours degree lets you study physical sciences — chemistry, geology, and related fields — without committing to a specialized honours stream. You complete a three-year program with broader course choices and fewer upper-level requirements than an honours degree, giving you flexibility to explore different areas before specializing or applying to professional programs. This suits students who want a solid science foundation, aren't sure which specialization to pursue, or plan to move into medicine, health sciences, or graduate study.	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.
The door tomajors you reach through it	architecture	Applied to directly	chemistry earth science physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	16 published, 9 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	Carleton University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

Also compare with

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.