Grade 12 U Prerequisites by Program: What Engineering, Business, and Science Actually Ask For
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jul 31, 2025 • Admissions & Applications, Canadian Universities & Colleges
Engineering prerequisites are close to identical across Ontario universities, Business diverges mainly on whether Calculus and Vectors is required, and Science prerequisites depend heavily on your intended major.
🎓 Engineering: English, Advanced Functions, Calculus and Vectors, Chemistry and Physics at Grade 12 U, at nearly every Ontario school
💵 Business: English and Advanced Functions are near-universal, but Calculus and Vectors is required at some schools and only recommended at others
Science: English plus 2-3 U-level sciences and math matched to your intended specialization, no single fixed list
Always confirm the exact course codes on your target program's own requirements page, since small differences change your eligibility
Why prerequisites differ by program type
Ontario universities set Grade 12 U course prerequisites based on the math and science skills a program needs on day one. Engineering programs need calculus and physics from week one of first year, so their prerequisites are tightly standardized across schools. Business programs vary more, since some treat quantitative reasoning as core and others build it into first year. Science is the widest category of all, since it covers everything from biology to physics under one admission label.
Engineering: the most uniform list in Ontario
Nearly every Ontario engineering program asks for the same 5 Grade 12 U courses:
ENG4U (English)
MHF4U (Advanced Functions)
MCV4U (Calculus and Vectors)
SCH4U (Chemistry)
SPH4U (Physics)
You need a sixth U or M course to reach the 6 required for an admission average, but that sixth spot is usually open to any subject. This 5-course core shows up at engineering programs across Ontario because the first-year curriculum assumes all 5 subjects as a baseline, not because schools coordinate their requirements directly. A small number of specialized engineering streams add an extra science or math course on top of this core, so check your specific program page rather than assuming the core 5 is the complete list.
Business: mostly aligned, calculus is the fault line
Business and commerce programs across Ontario generally require:
ENG4U (English)
MHF4U (Advanced Functions)
Where schools diverge is Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U). Some business programs list it as a hard requirement, treating quantitative finance and statistics content in first year as calculus-dependent. Others accept Advanced Functions alone and teach any needed calculus inside the program itself. This single course is the main variable to check when you compare business admission requirements between schools, since a program that requires MCV4U will reject an application missing it even with a strong average otherwise.
Science: the widest range
General Science admission at most Ontario universities asks for ENG4U plus 2 to 3 additional U-level courses matched to your intended area, rather than one fixed list. Typical patterns:
| Intended focus | Common Grade 12 U additions |
|---|---|
| Life sciences / health science stream | SBI4U (Biology), SCH4U (Chemistry) |
| Physical science / physics stream | SPH4U (Physics), MCV4U (Calculus and Vectors) |
| Math or computer science stream | MHF4U (Advanced Functions), MCV4U (Calculus and Vectors) |
Because Science covers so many possible majors, the safest approach is to check the specific specialization's page rather than a general Faculty of Science page, since a general science admission and a named major within it can list different required courses.
How to compare programs without missing something
Pull the exact course code list from each program's own admissions page, not a summary from a guidance counselor or forum post.
Treat Calculus and Vectors as the swing course for business applications specifically, and confirm it either way before ruling a program in or out.
For Science, search by your intended major or stream rather than the general faculty page.
Requirements can change between admission cycles. Recheck the official page for the year you are applying rather than relying on a past year's list.