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	OCAD Digital Futures OUAC HDF Remove	OCAD Graphic Design OUAC HGD Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	83–87%“Mid-80s”	Not published“N/A”	Not published“N/A”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U SPH4U	ENG4U	ENG4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	one of MCV4U, MHF4U	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	English (ENG4U – min. 78%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) or Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Physics (min. 70%)	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%	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	Yes Admission based primarily on your portfolio assessment. All offers of admission are conditional on meeting the minimum academic requirements. Alternative Offers There are no alternative offers. Usually closes before January 15	Yes Admission is based primarily on your portfolio assessment. All offers of admission are conditional on meeting the minimum academic requirements. Alternative Offers There are no alternative offers. Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	Available	No	No
Degree	—	Bachelor of Design, BDes, Bachelor of Fine Arts, BFA	—
First-year intakewhere published	75	—	—
What you study	ArchitectureBuildingDesign	Computer Animation and Visual Effects Design Fine Art Information Systems	Computer Animation and Visual Effects Design Information Systems Media and Communication Studies
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.	Digital Futures is a design and fine arts program where you study visual storytelling through digital tools and media, combining animation, graphic design, coding, and art. Unlike traditional design or fine art streams, it's built around interdisciplinary collaboration and real-world projects that blend artistic creativity with digital technology and communication. It suits people who want to create visually, think critically about media, and work across both artistic and technical domains.	You study how to create visual communication using design principles, digital tools, and image-making across print, screen, and interactive media. Graphic design differs from fine arts in that you're solving communication problems for clients or audiences rather than making art for its own sake. This program suits people who think visually, enjoy problem-solving with images and type, and want to work in advertising, branding, publishing, or digital media.
The door tomajors you reach through it	architecture	Applied to directly	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	None published by average	None published by average
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	OCAD University on OUInfo	OCAD University on OUInfo

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