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 Earth Science (includes Environmental Science) (Thunder Bay) OUAC AI Remove	Ottawa Géosciences environnementales (4 ans) OUAC OWP Remove
Your average, their wayrequired courses forced in
Published rangetheir exact wording	80–87%“Low to mid 80s”	70%	75–80%“75%; co-op 80%”
Required coursesforced into your top 6 — options are the row below	ENG4U	ENG4U	MCV4U MHF4U
Choose one ofany of these satisfies it	—	—	one of ENG4U, FRA4U two of 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	Earth Science (Environmental Science): ENG4U, 1 from MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U Earth Science: ENG4U, 2 from 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.	FRA4U or ENG4U MHF4U MCV4U 2 of SPH4U, SCH4U, SBI4U, SES4U A combined minimum average of 70% is required for all prerequisites in science and mathematics. +3 more on the program page
More than marks?supplementary application	Marks only	Marks only	Marks only
Co-op	Available	No	Available
Degree	—	—	Bachelor of Science, BSc, Bachelor of Science (Co-op), BSc (Co-op)
First-year intakewhere published	25	—	—
What you study	Biological Sciences Physical Geography	Environmental StudiesForestry & ArboricultureGeology Others in Physical Sciences	Environmental Studies Geology Physical Geography
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.	This program teaches you Earth's physical systems: rocks and minerals, landforms, weather patterns, soil, and water. You'll study how natural processes shape the planet and how humans interact with the environment through forestry, geology, and environmental management. It suits students curious about natural systems and interested in careers protecting ecosystems or managing natural resources.	You study how Earth's physical systems — rocks, soil, water, and climate — interact with living things and human activity. This program combines geology, geography, and environmental science rather than focusing on just one. The co-op option lets you do paid work terms with employers in the environmental or resource sector alongside your coursework, giving you real experience before you graduate. This suits people interested in understanding environmental problems and possibly working in conservation, resource management, or environmental consulting.
The door tomajors you reach through it	environmental science	earth science	Applied to directly
Entrance awardsat this campus, by average	29 published, 4 with no applicationfrom 75%See them	6 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 80%See them	22 published, 5 with no applicationfrom 75%See them
Source	York University on OUInfo	Lakehead University on OUInfo	University of Ottawa on OUInfo

Also compare with

Same subject area and a similar published range, at a campus you have not got in the table yet.

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.