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 Architecture (Co-op Only) OUAC WR Remove	York Design (BDes) OUAC YD Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	83–87%“Mid-80s”	83–87%“Mid-80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U SPH4U	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%)	Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) ENG4U 5 additional 4U/M courses
More than marks?supplementary application	Yes Qualified applicants will be invited to submit a portfolio. Usually closes before January 15	Yes Submit your application for admission to the OUAC by January 15, 2026, for guaranteed consideration to this program.Applications received after this date will be reviewed if space is available. In addition to applying for admission to York via the OUAC, applicants must complete an audition, interview and/or portfolio review. Find out more at ampd.yorku.ca/apply. Usually closes before January 15
Co-op	Available	No
Degree	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	75	50
What you study	ArchitectureBuildingDesign	Design
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 Bachelor of Design teaches you to create visual and physical solutions to real problems, combining art, technology, and user needs. You'll learn design thinking, digital tools, and how to present ideas clearly rather than focusing narrowly on fine art or engineering alone. This program suits people who want to solve practical problems through creativity and aren't sure whether they're more interested in making things or making them look good.
The door tomajors you reach through it	architecture	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	York University on OUInfo

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