Western University Programs & Pathways
London, Ontario
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
- Western has four module types: Honours Specialization and Specialization are 9.0 or more credits, Major is 6.0–7.0, and Minor is 4.0–5.0.
- Arts, Social Science, Science, Kinesiology, Health Sciences, and Media & Communication Studies use a flexible first year, then you request a module.
- Engineering students all take the same first-year courses, then pick one of seven upper-year programs, such as Chemical, Civil, or Software Engineering.
- Medical Sciences is the first-entry path. BMSc module admission happens in Year 3 through Intent to Register after second year.
- Ivey HBA uses a 2+2 structure: two preliminary university years, then HBA Years 1 and 2. AEO is conditional pre-admission, not direct HBA admission.
Reviewed August 14, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides
Current undergraduate program map
Western University programs: entry, modules, and specialization
Western does not use one selection model for every program. Many students enter a broad faculty, complete a flexible first year, and choose a degree module later. Engineering has a prescribed common first year, while Medical Sciences, Ivey HBA, and other capacity-limited or second-entry routes have additional progression decisions. The useful comparison is therefore not just “which major?” but “when is the decision made, and what must be completed first?”
Flexible first year
Explore, then declare
Some faculties let you try first-year subjects. Then you can ask for a module for the next year.
Four module types
HSP, Specialization, Major, Minor
A module is the subject concentration used to build many Western degrees. It is not always the same as the OUAC (Ontario's university application site) entry choice.
Later-entry routes
Check the decision year
Admission to a BMSc module occurs for Year 3. Ivey HBA starts after two preliminary university years.
Compare Western program entry paths
This table keeps the first application apart from the later academic decision. It uses current Western faculty guidance. You must recheck admission, progression, and module thresholds for the student's cycle.
| Program or pathway | Entry model | Later decision | Planning note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Humanities, Social Science, Science, Kinesiology, Health Sciences, and Media & Communication Studies | Western describes these as flexible common-first-year routes. | In first year, you explore introductory subjects. Then you request a module or a limited-enrolment option for the next year. | Course choices still matter: first-year prerequisites can determine which modules are available later. |
| Computer Science | Begin in the Faculty of Science and complete the required first-year Computer Science and mathematics courses. | Students are not enrolled in a Computer Science module until the beginning of second year. | The department publishes minimum grades for the required first-year courses. You should check capacity and progression rules before you pick courses. |
| Engineering | All students complete the same common first-year Engineering curriculum. | Select an upper-year Engineering program after first year; the current list is Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Integrated, Mechanical, Mechatronic Systems, and Software Engineering. | Biomedical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Systems Engineering are five-year combined routes completed alongside a core discipline, entered from the common first year. |
| Medical Sciences and the BMSc | Medical Sciences is the first-entry path; it is not the same as direct admission to a BMSc module. | Admission to Year 3 of the BMSc occurs through Intent to Register after second year. | Honours Specialization modules have limited capacity. They are competitive. The published competitive-pool minimum is 75% in specified 2000-level courses. But actual thresholds can be higher. |
| Health Sciences | Students complete a common first year in the School of Health Studies. | Apply to a Health Sciences specialization or major before second year. | Every option has limited enrolment. Meeting a minimum does not guarantee entry. This is true when demand exceeds capacity. |
| DAN Management & Organizational Studies | Enter the Management & Organizational Studies program group and build the first-year foundation. | Use Western's modular structure to select the appropriate management specialization as the degree progresses. | Compare the exact module. Check the mathematics prerequisites. Check internship eligibility. Do not treat all management routes as the same. |
| Ivey HBA and AEO | Ivey's HBA uses a 2+2 structure: two preliminary university years followed by HBA Years 1 and 2. | Students can complete the first two years in any Western faculty or program, then apply to enter HBA. | AEO is conditional pre-admission status for high-school applicants. It is not direct admission to HBA. Students must satisfy progression requirements. |
| Music | Music is a structured first-year route with program-specific selection beyond the academic application. | The Bachelor of Music uses an audition and interview; BA Music uses an interview, while Popular Music Studies and Music Administrative Studies also require a video. | Complete the OUAC application first. Then follow the Don Wright Faculty of Music registration and questionnaire steps. |
| Nursing | Nursing is a structured first-year professional program rather than a flexible common-first-year faculty. | Apply to the Nursing entry route and follow its prescribed course sequence from first year. | Verify the current prerequisite, assessment, placement, and clinical requirements on the official program page for the application cycle. |
| Huron and King's Affiliated University Colleges | Apply to Huron or King's as a separate OUAC choice. Both campuses are within walking distance of main campus and grant the Western degree. | Choose the campus and program at application time; affiliate students can take courses at main campus and vice versa. | Brescia University College fully integrated with Western in May 2024. So it is no longer a separate application choice. Its Foods & Nutrition and Family Studies programs continue at Western. |
Western degree module types
| Module | Size | How it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Honours Specialization | 9.0 or more credits | The most concentrated honours route; it can be combined with a Major or Minor when the degree structure permits. |
| Specialization | 9.0 or more credits | A concentrated non-honours route built around one principal subject area. |
| Major | 6.0–7.0 credits | A substantial subject area that can support one-major, double-major, or combined-module degree structures. |
| Minor | 4.0–5.0 credits | A smaller secondary concentration used alongside a larger module. |
Program-choice checklist
- 1.Start with the faculty or first-entry program selected on OUAC, not only the eventual major name.
- 2.Classify the route as flexible first year, prescribed common first year, structured direct entry, or second entry.
- 3.Map the first-year courses required for the intended module, specialization, or upper-year program.
- 4.Check whether the later choice is open, limited enrolment, capacity-limited, or competitive.
- 5.Treat AEO, BMSc modules, and second-entry professional programs as later decisions with separate progression rules.
- 6.Verify the live academic calendar and program page before registration because requirements can change.
Verified program facts for Fall 2027 planning
Each card lists the cycle it belongs to. It lists its verification status. It lists the official page it came from. So a family can tell the first application apart from the later module, Engineering, BMSc, or Ivey HBA decision. It also shows how the 2024 Brescia integration changed the affiliate landscape.
Engineering common first year and upper-year choice
Current structure · Published for this period
All first-year Western Engineering students take the same set courses. Their timetable is built for them. After first year, they enrol in one of seven upper-year programs. The choices are Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Integrated, Mechanical, Mechatronic Systems, or Software Engineering. Biomedical Engineering and Artificial Intelligence Systems Engineering are five-year combined routes. Students complete these alongside a core discipline.
Applies to: All applicants
Western Engineering: Western Engineering common first year · Verified August 14, 2026
Medical Sciences is not direct BMSc module admission
Current route · Published for this period
Medical Sciences is the first-entry path. Admission to Year 3 of the BMSc happens later through Intent to Register. Honours Specialization modules are capacity-limited. The published competitive-pool minimum is 75% in specified 2000-level courses. Actual thresholds can run higher.
Applies to: All applicants
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry: Admission to Year 3 of the BMSc · Verified July 29, 2026
Ivey AEO conditional pre-admission
Fall 2027 · Published for this period
Ivey's Advanced Entry Opportunity gives exceptional high-school students conditional, pre-admission status to the HBA. The HBA begins after two preliminary university years at Western, Huron, or King's. Ivey asks for a low-90% average in the best Grade 12 courses, including English. It also asks for a mathematics course for university-bound students and demonstrated leadership. Ivey weighs academics and leadership equally. The Fall 2027 AEO application deadline is January 15, 2027.
AEO is not direct HBA admission. Students must maintain the progression requirements in the Ivey AEO handbook across their first two years.
Applies to: Ontario high school, Other Canadian, International
Ivey Business School: Ivey AEO for secondary-school applicants · Verified August 14, 2026
Two affiliated university colleges; Brescia integrated in 2024
Current structure · Published for this period
Western now has two Affiliated University Colleges, Huron and King's, both within walking distance of main campus. Affiliate students earn the Western degree and can take courses across campuses. Brescia University College fully integrated with Western in May 2024; its Foods & Nutrition and Family Studies programs continue at Western, with the Brescia School of Food and Nutritional Sciences now part of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Applies to: All applicants
Western University: Brescia–Western integration hub · Verified August 14, 2026
Official Western sources
- Western undergraduate programs
- Western degree structure and module types
- Western Engineering common first year
- Western Engineering upper-year programs
- BMSc admission to Year 3
- BMSc modules
- Health Sciences undergraduate programs
- Ivey HBA program roadmap
- Computer Science first-year requirements
- Music audition and interview process
- Brescia–Western integration
Entry models, affiliates, and Ivey AEO facts verified August 14, 2026. Verify the live program and admission pages before applying.
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