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.

	York Environmental Science (BSc) - Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change OUAC YBS Remove	Lakehead Water Science (Thunder Bay) OUAC AAR Remove	Waterloo Physical Sciences (Regular/Co-op) OUAC WPS Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–87%“Low to mid 80s”	70%	80–83%“Low 80s”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U	ENG4U MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	3 of MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U	two of MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Prerequisitesas published	Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) ENG4U 4U Math 4U Science three additional 4U or 4M courses +5 more on the program page	ENG4U 3 of MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U Alternative Offers If you do not meet the admission requirements for your program of choice but do meet Lakehead University's general admission requirements, you will automatically be considered for an alternate program.	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	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No	Available
Degree	—	—	—
First-year intakewhere published	25	—	250
What you study	Biological Sciences Physical Geography	Biological Sciences Environmental Studies Others in Physical SciencesOthers in Technology	Astronomy Chemistry Geology Materials Science
What it is	Environmental Science combines the study of living systems and Earth's physical processes — like climate, water, and soil — to understand how natural environments work and respond to human activity. Unlike a program focused only on biology or only on geology, this degree integrates both to tackle real-world environmental problems. It suits students interested in conservation, resource management, or environmental consulting who want a broad scientific foundation rather than specialization in a single discipline.	Water Science combines biology, chemistry, physics, and geography to study how water systems work and how to protect them. You'll examine lakes, rivers, and groundwater from ecological and physical angles rather than focusing only on engineering solutions. This program suits students interested in environmental problems who want a science-based approach grounded in both living systems and earth processes.	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	environmental science	Applied to directly	chemistry earth science physics
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	4 published, 3 with no applicationfrom 80%See them
Source	York University on OUInfo	Lakehead University on OUInfo	University of Waterloo on OUInfo

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