Cutoffs

Waterloo Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op)

University of Waterloo

The published admission average for Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op) at University of Waterloo is 80–83% for September 2027 entry, under OUAC code WSE.

Environmental Sciences is a degree combining biology, geology, chemistry, and geography to understand how natural systems work and respond to human activity. The co-op version requires you to complete paid work terms at environmental organizations or research facilities alongside your studies, giving you real-world experience before you graduate. It suits students who want hands-on learning and prefer to test career directions in the field rather than only in classrooms.

Plain-English summary. The universities publish requirements but not an explanation of the program, so this one is written for you and checked against the official listing above. Read the university’s own page before you decide.

Admission average

80–83%

OUAC code

WSE

First-year spaces

35

University of Waterloo publishes this as “Low 80s”

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Co-op available

What’s the Waterloo Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op) acceptance rate?

University of Waterloo doesn't publish an acceptance rate for Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op), and no Ontario university publishes one for any program. What it publishes is the admission average: 80–83% for September 2027 entry. Waterloo acceptance rate, program by program

Admission requirements

Required
ENG4U, MCV4U, MHF4U
Choose two of
MDM4U, SBI4U, SCH4U, SES4U, SPH4U
Recommended, not required
SCH4U, SES4U

Waterloo’s own wording

  • 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
  • + 1 additional 4U/M course
  • + Recommended: SCH4U, SES4U
  • + See Ontario high school course codes.

How many other programs require these outright:

What it costs

First-year tuition at Waterloo is $6,250 for an Ontario student in arts and science in 2026–27. Engineering ($14,248) and Computer Science and Data Science ($13,126) cost more. Waterloo tuition, program by program

Source: University of Waterloo on Ontario Universities’ Info. Grade ranges change year to year and are not guarantees — confirm with the university before you apply.

What this leads to

The picture for biological sciences as of 2026-08-17, not a description of this particular program.

Most graduates start as research technicians or lab associates in government agencies (Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans), hospitals, or biotech companies, preparing samples and entering data. With a master's degree, you move into positions like biologist or ecology technician doing actual research on wildlife, fisheries, or environmental issues.

In its favour

  • Federal government biology positions pay $72,500–$150,000 depending on level, with job security and benefits hard to find elsewhere.
  • If you add programming or data analysis skills, you're in demand—AI-related biology roles are expected to grow over 40% by 2028.
  • The work often involves fieldwork and real problem-solving on things like fisheries management or conservation, not just lab drudgery.

Worth knowing

  • Entry-level work is heavily repetitive: sample prep, data entry, logging specimens. This is exactly what robotic automation and AI are replacing fastest.
  • Nearly 40% of routine lab tasks could be automated in the next decade; technician roles are being hit hardest right now.
  • Most meaningful research roles (biologist level) require a master's degree minimum. A bachelor's alone leaves you stuck in automating-away positions.
  • Entry-level pay out of high school is low: research technicians start around $41–$56K, and many positions have slow advancement without further credentials.

How AI is changing this work

The split is real. Routine lab work—sample prep, data entry, quality checks—is already being automated and will keep shrinking. But analysing data, designing experiments, interpreting results, and fieldwork that requires judgment are not being replaced yet. If you plan to just do entry-level lab work without upgrading your skills, you're betting on a shrinking pool. If you learn data analysis or programming alongside biology (or pursue grad school), you're moving into roles that AI creates rather than kills. The field itself isn't vanishing, but the jobs that don't require either advanced education or computational skills are.

Where this came from (6 sources)
  1. 1. Biology & Life Sciences jobs in Canada | May 2026
  2. 2. 239 biology jobs in Toronto, ON, July 2026 | Glassdoor
  3. 3. Life Sciences jobs in Canada
  4. 4. BI Salary & Rates of Pay Oct 2025: $72K–$150K | Government of Canada | FedPay.ca
  5. 5. 105 molecular biology jobs in Canada, June 2026 | Glassdoor
  6. 6. 94 master of science biology Jobs in Canada, May 2026 | Glassdoor

Deadline reminders

Application dates move, and supplementary deadlines land before the January OUAC one. We’ll email you before the ones that apply to Environmental Sciences (Regular/Co-op).

We send your email address and the programs you’ve starred, so the reminders are the right ones. Your marks and your average are never sent — they stay in this browser. Deadline emails only, and you can reply to stop them.

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