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 Software Engineering (Co-op Only) OUAC WSO Remove	Carleton Cybersecurity OUAC COA Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	90–97%“Low- to mid-90s”	80–85%“80-85%”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U SCH4U SPH4U	MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	—
Prerequisitesas published	English (ENG4U – min. 70%) Advanced Functions (min. 70%) Calculus and Vectors (min. 70%) Chemistry (min. 70%) Physics (min. 70%)	Advanced Functions (MHF4U) Calculus (MCV4U) 4 best 4U/M courses Alternative Offers Find more information about alternative offers +1 more on the program page
More than marks?supplementary application	Yes NEW: All Engineering program applications require an online video interview. You will receive more information after you apply. An Admission Information Form is also required. We will send you instructions when we acknowledge your application. Experience in developing well-structured, modular programs is required, as demonstrated by at least 1 of the following: strong performance in a programming course such as ICS3U, ICS4U or equivalent; strong performance in a programming contest; significant work experience; other (must be explained on the Admission Information Form). Usually closes before January 15	Marks only
Co-op	Available	Available
Degree	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	127	60
What you study	Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Information Systems Information Technology	Artificial Intelligence Computer Science Software Engineering
What it is	You study how to design, build, and maintain large software systems using engineering principles and mathematics. This co-op stream requires you to alternate between classroom terms and paid work terms in industry, giving you real project experience alongside your degree. It suits people who want hands-on experience, enjoy problem-solving with code, and are ready to balance school with regular full-time work placements.	Cybersecurity is the study of protecting computer systems, networks, and data from attacks and breaches. You learn defensive programming, threat analysis, and security design alongside core computer science and artificial intelligence concepts. The built-in co-op placements let you apply these skills in real security roles while you study, which suits people who want hands-on experience alongside theory.
The door tomajors you reach through it	software engineering	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
Source	University of Waterloo on OUInfo	Carleton 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.