Queen's University

Queen's University Programs & Pathways

Program strengths and how to compare pathways. This focused guide keeps the detailed tables, official sources, and practical next steps in one manageable reading path.

The short answer

Queen's has several entry models. Arts and Science students often pick a plan after first year.
Arts (QA) and Science (QS) students with at least 24.0 completed units take part in Plan Selection after first year.
Computing (QD) students enter the School of Computing first, then choose a plan like Artificial Intelligence or Security.
Smith Engineering has a general first year (QE) plus six direct-entry programs, including Mechatronics and Robotics (QEM) and Computer (QEC).
Commerce (QC), on-campus Health Sciences (QH), and four-year Nursing (QN) require a supplementary application through Kira Talent.

Reviewed August 14, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides

Current undergraduate program map · re-verified August 14, 2026

Queen's University programs, faculties, and degree pathways

Queen's uses several different entry models. Many Arts and Science students enter a broad first year. They choose a plan later. Computing students enter the School before selecting a plan. Engineering combines common-first-year and direct-entry routes. Commerce, Health Sciences, Nursing, Life Science & Biochemistry, Kinesiology, Music, and Concurrent Education have more structured application decisions. Compare when the choice is made before comparing program names.

Arts & Science

Plan after first year

Most students preserve gateway courses, complete at least 24.0 units, and request an eligible plan through Plan Selection.

Computing

School first, plan later

Students enter Computing, then compare the current Major sub-plans and specializations after first year.

Engineering

General or direct entry

General-first-year students choose among ten disciplines later. Six direct-entry routes place students in a discipline from day one.

Professional routes

Apply to the credential

Commerce, on-campus Health Sciences, and four-year Nursing also require their current program-specific supplementary application.

Compare Queen's program entry paths

The application choice and the final subject are not always the same decision. This table separates the high-school entry route from the later plan, discipline, or curriculum decision.

Program or pathway	Application entry	Later decision	Planning note
Arts (QA) and Science (QS)	Apply to the broad Arts or Science entry category rather than to most individual majors.	After first year, you can take part in Plan Selection if you have at least 24.0 completed units. You pick a major, minor, specialization, or permitted combination.	Choose first-year gateway courses for every realistic plan. Bachelor of Music and Kinesiology are direct-entry exceptions, and Concurrent Education/French students begin with French Studies already on the record.
Computing (QD)	Apply to the School of Computing and begin the common first-year Computing foundation.	Select a Computing plan after first year, including the Computing Major with a sub-plan or a listed specialization.	Current major sub-plans include Artificial Intelligence, Fundamental Computation, and Security; specializations include Cognitive Science, Creative Arts, Computing/Mathematics/Analytics, and Software Design.
Life Science & Biochemistry (QL)	You must apply through the distinct Life Science & Biochemistry admission code. Do not assume general Science and Health Sciences are interchangeable.	Follow the first-year science pathway. Also follow the applicable Arts and Science plan-selection requirements for the intended Life Sciences or Biochemistry route.	This Faculty of Arts and Science pathway emphasizes biomedical disciplines. It is not the Bachelor of Health Sciences degree.
Smith Engineering	Choose the general first-year entry (QE). Or choose one of six current direct-entry programs. They are Mechatronics and Robotics (QEM), Computer (QEC), Chemical (QEH), Civil (QEV), Mechanical (QET), and Mining (QEN) Engineering.	Smith Engineering says general-first-year students who pass all their classes and apply by the February discipline-selection deadline get their discipline of choice. This choice is guaranteed among ten disciplines.	The general first year covers mathematics, physics, programming, design, and shared engineering foundations. Direct-entry students are placed in their discipline from day one, so compare those application codes separately before applying.
Smith Commerce (QC)	Apply straight to the four-year Bachelor of Commerce. You must also do the mandatory program-specific supplementary application.	Build the business core first. Then you can personalize the degree through Commerce and non-Commerce electives, exchange, certificates, minors, or approved combined options.	Commerce is not an Arts and Science plan selected after first year. Use the separate Smith Commerce guide for prerequisites and the current Kira assessment.
Health Sciences (QH)	Apply to the Bachelor of Health Sciences in its on-campus or online delivery mode. Only the on-campus high-school route currently requires the supplementary application.	Complete the interdisciplinary health-science core. Use electives or learning tracks to shape the degree rather than switching it into the Life Sciences plan.	Health Sciences looks at health from biomedical and social-science views. Check the delivery mode, because admission and supplementary rules differ.
Nursing (QN)	High-school applicants apply to the four-year Bachelor of Nursing Science. Queen's also offers an accelerated stream for applicants with prior university study.	Follow the set nursing and clinical sequence. Do not select an Arts and Science major after first year.	The four-year first-entry program currently requires a supplementary application. Clinical, placement, certification, and health requirements must be checked directly with Nursing.
Concurrent Education	Apply to Concurrent Education with an eligible Arts, Science, Kinesiology, Music, or French Studies route. Work toward an honours degree and a BEd together.	Choose teaching divisions and, where applicable, Arts and Science plans. Complete Education courses and placements alongside the first degree.	Queen's says prospective students applying in Fall 2026 enter the shortened five-year plus one-summer format. Music routes also require the applicable audition.

Source-verified program facts

Each card below states one changing fact. It also states its cycle and its status. It states the live first-party page it was checked against on August 14, 2026.

Arts and Science Plan Selection rules

Current process · Published for this period

You need 24.0 or more completed units to request a major, minor, or specialization. These count toward a 120.0-unit degree. In the current cycle, first-year students selected plans May 19–29. There were three outcomes. You could get automatic acceptance at the plan's threshold. You could go on a pending list reviewed manually by the department. Or you could be denied and reapply. If you are not accepted to a plan by late July, you cannot register in courses for the upcoming year.

Applies to: All applicants

Queen's University Faculty of Arts and Science: Arts and Science Plan Selection · Verified August 14, 2026

Smith Engineering entry model

Current structure · Published for this period

Smith Engineering runs a general first year (OUAC (Ontario's university application site) code QE). It leads to ten disciplines. These are Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Mechanical, Mining, Engineering Chemistry, Engineering Physics, Geological, and Mathematics and Engineering. There are also six direct-entry programs. These are Mechatronics and Robotics (QEM), Computer (QEC), Chemical (QEH), Civil (QEV), Mechanical (QET), and Mining (QEN). Direct-entry students are placed in their discipline from day one. They do not select in February.

Applies to: All applicants

Smith Engineering at Queen's University: Smith Engineering undergraduate programs and direct entry · Verified August 14, 2026

Guaranteed discipline choice after the general first year

Current policy · Published for this period

Smith Engineering states that students are guaranteed their discipline of choice. This applies if they pass all their classes. They must also apply in second semester by the given discipline selection deadline in February. The guarantee applies to the general-first-year route. It does not apply to switching out of a direct-entry program.

Applies to: All applicants

Smith Engineering at Queen's University: Smith Engineering first-year guide and discipline guarantee · Verified August 14, 2026

Published prior-cycle minimum averages

Prior September cycle · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed

For the last published September cycle, minimum averages were as follows. Low 80s for Arts (QA), Science (QS), and Music. Mid 80s for Computing (QD), Life Science & Biochemistry (QL), general Engineering (QE), and Kinesiology (QK). High 80s for direct-entry Computer Engineering (QEC), Mechatronics (QEM), and Concurrent Education/Arts. Low 90s for Nursing (QN), Health Sciences (QH), and Concurrent Education/Kinesiology. And 90+ for Smith Commerce (QC). Queen's warns the minimums vary by year. They can be higher than published.

Applies to: Ontario high school, Other Canadian, International

Queen's University Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment: Published competitive admission averages · Verified August 14, 2026

Smith Commerce class size trend

Latest published profiles · Published for this period

Smith publishes entering-class profiles. They show 627 students in the Class of 2029. They show 595 in the Class of 2028. They show 525 in the Class of 2027. They show 494 in the Class of 2026. Commerce is a direct-entry Bachelor of Commerce. It has a mandatory supplementary application. It has the highest published minimum average (90+) among Queen's first-entry programs.

Applies to: All applicants

Smith School of Business: Smith Commerce entering-class profiles · Verified August 14, 2026

Programs with a mandatory supplementary application

Current requirements · Published for this period

Commerce, the on-campus Health Sciences program, and the four-year Bachelor of Nursing program require a supplementary application. It is delivered through the Kira Talent platform. The platform includes a practice environment. High-school applicants to Concurrent Education are not required to complete a supplement. Queen's will not accept late submissions. The page's February 15 fall-entry deadline is the standing pattern.

Queen's will post new dates for the Fall 2027 cycle. When it does, confirm the exact supplementary deadline. Do not reuse a prior year's calendar.

Applies to: All applicants

Queen's University Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment: Supplementary application programs and the Kira platform · Verified August 14, 2026

Concurrent Education no longer runs in its prior form

Current structure · Published for this period

Concurrent Education is still offered, but it has been redesigned. It is now an accelerated five-year plus one-summer-term program. It is completed by August of year 5. It was shortened to align with announced Ministry of Education changes to teacher education. Prospective students applying in Fall 2026 apply to the shortened program. The Faculty of Education says more updates will be made as details are confirmed.

The redesign is still being confirmed. Fall 2027 applicants should re-verify the program length on the live page. They should also re-verify the eligible degree pairings on the live page.

Applies to: All applicants

Queen's University Faculty of Education: Concurrent Education program structure · Verified August 14, 2026

Arts, Science, Computing, and plan selection

Queen's Plan Selection happens after students have had a first year to test subjects. That flexibility still needs advance planning. Each intended plan can require specific 100-level gateway courses and current automatic-acceptance or pending-list thresholds. Computing follows the same broad timing but has its own current Major sub-plans and specializations.

Life Science & Biochemistry is a distinct admission path within Arts and Science, while Bachelor of Music and Kinesiology are direct-entry exceptions. The useful question is therefore not only “What major do I want?” but “Which first-year entry and courses keep that plan available?”

Choose by academic goal, not by label alone

Explore before committing to a subject

Start with Arts or Science, preserve multiple first-year gateway courses, and compare the published plan thresholds before Plan Selection.

Build a computing degree

Apply to Computing. Then compare the Major sub-plans and specializations by required courses, diploma/transcript naming, and room for another plan.

Choose an engineering discipline

Use the general first year when broad exploration is valuable. Compare the six direct-entry programs when that commitment is clear. The six are Mechatronics, Computer, Chemical, Civil, Mechanical, and Mining.

Study business

Apply directly to Smith Commerce. Plan separately for its mandatory supplement. Plan for its core curriculum and electives too. Plan for its exchange and combined-degree options as well.

Prepare for health-related study

Compare Health Sciences, Life Science & Biochemistry, Nursing, and Kinesiology by curriculum and credential. Do not compare them by the shared word 'health'.

Become a teacher

Apply to the Concurrent Education route paired with the intended honours degree. Confirm the teaching division, teachable-subject, and placement plan.

Program-choice checklist

1.Start with the actual Queen's application code and credential, not only a possible major name.
2.Classify the route as broad first-year entry, school entry with later plan selection, common Engineering, or structured direct entry.
3.Map every first-year gateway course required for the intended plan, discipline, or professional sequence.
4.Check whether the later choice uses automatic, pending-list, capacity, audition, supplementary, or clinical requirements.
5.Compare Health Sciences, Life Sciences, Nursing, and Kinesiology by curriculum and degree rather than treating them as one pre-med route.
6.Recheck the live program directory, academic calendar, prerequisites, and deadlines before applying or registering.

Official Queen's sources

Official Sources and Next Steps

Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.

Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed August 14, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology

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