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 Indigenous Visual Culture OUAC HIG Remove	OCAD Visual and Critical Studies (Art History) OUAC HVC 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 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	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	No	No
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	75	—	—
What you study	ArchitectureBuildingDesign	Aboriginal StudiesCraftsCreative Writing Design	Creative Writing Design English Studies Fine 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 visual art, design, and cultural expression from Indigenous perspectives, combining traditional crafts, fine art, and creative writing. This differs from a general fine art program by centring Indigenous artists, histories, and ways of making throughout, rather than treating them as one unit. It suits students who want to create and think critically about art and culture while engaging deeply with Indigenous knowledge and contemporary Indigenous artistic practice.	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
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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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.