The Department offers a concentration, major, honours, and minor in biology. The major in Biology has two recommended tracks: Pre-Health Sciences and Ecology and Evolution. It is possible to complete a Biology program by selecting courses from both tracks. A double major or double honours in Biology and another science can be done. Students may pursue a cooperative education option. See the Co-operative Education Office for details.

The Department trains graduate students through the MSc in Applied Science program. Consult the Graduate Academic Calendar for details.

Students typically adhere to the regulations that are described in the Academic Calendar for the year they entered the University. The details on BIOL requirements below are from the 2010-2011 Academic Calendar. These regulations have been in place since 2008. If you entered the University prior to this year you can find the relevant Academic Calendar for your year here.

ATTENTION: The 2009-2010 Academic Calendar has errors in the requirements for a Biology major. Use this corrected version for the 2009-2010 Academic Year.

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Major in Biology

For a major in Biology, students must complete the following, which include courses that apply to the general requirements for the Bachelor of Science (see Section 3 for details on the requirements for BSc with major):

• Six (6) credit hours in Mathematics at the 1210 level or above
• BIOL 1201 Molecular and Cell Biology
• BIOL 1202 Organismal and Ecological Biology
• CHEM 1210 General Chemistry I
• One of CHEM 1211, 1212 or 1213 General Chemistry II

• Any five of the six 2000-level Biology courses (15 credit hours)

o BIOL 2004 Cell Physiology and Metabolism
o BIOL 2307 Genetics
o BIOL 2308 Biostatistics or PSYC 2350 Psychological Statistics (Students will not receive credit for both)

o BIOL 2321 Cell Biology I
o BIOL 2324 Ecology
o BIOL 2423 Evolution

• One of either CHEM 2344 or CHEM 2346
• 24 credit hours of Biology electives at the 3000 and 4000-level, with at least 9 credit hours at each of the 3000 and 4000 level.

Up to six (6) credit hours of BIOL electives at the 3000 level may also be satisfied by completion of any of the following:

• ANTH 3471 Forensic Skeletal Identification
• ANTH 3472 Forensic Skeletal Analysis
• CHEM 3451 Introductory Biochemistry
• CHEM 4452 Biochemistry: Metabolism
• GEOL 3323 Palaeontology: History of Life
• PSYC 2350 Psychology Statistics (Group C)
  
• PSYC 4407 Introduction to Ethology

Note that these courses cannot count simultaneously as Biology electives and “other Science electives” (Regulation 6e) or Arts electives (Regulation 6c) for the Bachelor of Science with major.

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Recommended Tracks for Biology Majors

Note that the prerequisites required for courses listed in the two tracks may not appear in each of the lists below. Students will not be able to enroll in a course without the prerequisites.

1) Pre-Health Sciences Track

The Pre-Health Sciences Track is for students interested in pursuing careers in Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Optometry, Veterinary Medicine, Chiropractic, Genetic Counseling, Hospital Administration, Medical Technology and Diagnostics, Nursing, Paramedical Services, Physiotherapy and Podiatry. It provides all of the foundation courses usually required for admission to these programs. The track also accommodates interests in specialty topics such as Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, Histology, Microbiology and Physiology. Students are encouraged to enroll in health related electives in Arts and Business that complement this track. Details on the admission requirements to health profession programs can be obtained from the Science Academic Advisor.

Recommended Pre-Health Biology courses:

BIOL 3001 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology
BIOL 3003 Biological Techniques
BIOL 3005 Human Organ Systems
BIOL 3100 Biology of Human Health
BIOL 3398 Microbiology
BIOL 3420 Cell Biology II
BIOL 3426 Animal Tissues
BIOL 4002 Medical Mycology
BIOL 4004 Advanced Biostatistics
BIOL 4411 Medical and Veterinary Parisitology
BIOL 4414 Environmental Microbiology
BIOL 4408 Animal Developmental Biology
BIOL 4419 Molecular Biology
BIOL 4432 Medical and Veterinary Entomology
BIOL 4433 Ecotoxicology

PHYS 1000 or 1001 may be required for some health profession programs. Students are encouraged to take CHEM 2345 or 2346

2) Ecology and Evolution Track

This track is intended for students wishing to pursue careers as biologists with government or private labs, teachers, or those pursuing graduate study.

Recommended Biology courses:

BIOL 3002 Entomology
BIOL 3003 Biological Techniques
BIOL 3006 Animal Ecophysiology
BIOL 3303 Plant Form and Function
BIOL 3304 Animal Form and Function
BIOL 3329 Systematics
BIOL 3402 Population Genetics
BIOL 3412 Ecology of Animal Parasites
BIOL 3416 Mycology
BIOL 3420 Cell Biology II
BIOL 3421 Applied Plant Biology
BIOL 3424 Diversity and Ecology in Fishes
BIOL 4003 Molecular Ecology
BIOL 4004 Advanced Biostatistics
BIOL 4006 Plant-microbe Interactions
BIOL 4007 Bioinformatics and Genomics
BIOL 4331 Ecosystems
BIOL 4404 Behavioural Ecology
BIOL 4410 Plant Ecology
BIOL 4418 Plant Physiology
BIOL 4419 Molecular Biology
BIOL 4422 Conservation Biology
BIOL 4430 Ornithology
BIOL 4431 Herpetology
BIOL 4433 Ecotoxicology
BIOL 4434 Communication and Defense in Biological Systems
BIOL 4448 Biology Field Course
BIOL 4451 Ecology in the Tropics

Suggested Schedule
The following Schedule is suggested for students taking the Biology major program:
Year 1:

• ENGL 1205 Introduction to Literature
• BIOL 1201 Molecular and Cell Biology
• BIOL 1202 Organismal and Ecological Biology
• CHEM 1210 General Chemistry I
• One of CHEM 1211, 1212 or 1213 General Chemistry II
• Six (6) credit hours in Mathematics at the 1210 level or above
• Six (6) credit hours from Arts or Economics
• Three (3) credit hours from humanities
  
  

Year 2:

• Five of the six 2000-level Biology courses (15 credit hours)
  • BIOL 2004 Cell Physiology and Metabolism
  • BIOL 2307 Genetics
  • BIOL 2308 Biostatistics or PSYC 2350 Psychological Statistics
  • BIOL 2321 Cell Biology I
  • BIOL 2324 Ecology
  • BIOL 2423 Evolution
• CHEM 2344 Organic Chemistry I or 2346.1(.2) Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences
• Six (6) credit hours non-Biology science
• Three (3) credit hours in the humanities
• Three (3) credit hours of electives

Year 3:

• Twelve (12) credit hours BIOL at the 3000 level or above
• Nine (9) credit hours non-Biology science
• Three (3) credit hours from Arts or Economics
• Six (6) credit hours of electives
  

Year 4:

• Twelve (12) credit hours BIOL at the 4000 level or above
• Eighteen (18) credit hours of electives

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Double Major in Biology

To complete a double major in Biology and another science, students must complete all of the major requirements above, except that they need only complete eighteen (18) credit hours of BIOL electives at the 3000 and 4000-level, with at least six (6) credit hours at each of the 3000 and 4000-levels

Honours in Biology

Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above are encouraged to apply for admission to the honours program. It is the student’s responsibility to secure a supervisor for the honours thesis (BIOL 4500) before enrolling in the honours program. Check the Department website for research interests of the faculty.

Once an Honours supervisor has been secured complete the "Honours application form", have the honours supervisor sign the form and take it to the Chairperson of Biology.

For honours in Biology, students must fulfill the major requirements plus

BIOL 4549 Honours Seminar
BIOL 4500 Honours Thesis

Three (3) additional credit hours in Biology at the 3000-level and three (3) additional credit hours in Biology at the 4000-level, for a total of 30 credit hours of Biology electives at the 3000 and 4000-level, with at least 12 credit hours at each of the 3000 and 4000-levels.

Students must achieve a Degree GPA of 3.00 or above on all those courses presented in fulfillment of the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biology requirements.

Double Honours in Biology

The requirements from biology for Double Honours (which includes Biology) are the same as those for the major, plus
BIOL 4549 Honours Seminar

BIOL 4500 Honours Thesis

Students must achieve a Degree GPA of 3.00 or above on those courses presented in fulfillment of the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Biology requirements.

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Concentration in Biology:

Students interested in a career in the health professions are advised not to pursue a 3 year BSc with concentration in Biology as a 4 year degree is required for admission to most programs.
Requirements for a 3 year BSc with concentration in Biology are as follows (in addition to the normal requirements for the Bachelor of Science):

• Six (6) credit hours in Mathematics at the 1210 level or above
• CHEM 1210.1(.2) General Chemistry I
• One of CHEM 1211.1(.2), 1212.1(.2) or 1213.1(.2) General Chemistry II
• CHEM 2344.1(.2) Organic Chemistry I or CHEM 2346.1(.2) Organic Chemistry for Life Sciences
• BIOL 1201.1(.2) Molecular and Cell Biology
• BIOL 1202.1(.2) Organismal and Ecological Biology
• Any five of the six 2000-level Biology courses (15 credit hours)
  • BIOL 2004.1(.2) Cell Physiology and Metabolism
  • BIOL 2307.1(.2) Genetics
  • BIOL 2308.1(.2) Biostatistics or PSYC 2350.1(.2) Psychological Statistics
  • BIOL 2321.1(.2) Cell Biology I
  • BIOL 2324.1(.2) Ecology
  • BIOL 2423.1(.2) Evolution
• Nine (9) credit hours of BIOL at the 3000 level or above

Minor in Biology:

Requirements for a minor in Biology are:

• BIOL 1201 Molecular and Cell Biology
• BIOL 1202 Organismal and Ecological Biology
  
  
• Any five of the six 2000-level Biology courses (15 credit hours)
  • BIOL 2004 Cell Physiology and Metabolism
• BIOL 2307 Genetics
• BIOL 2308 Biostatistics or PSYC 2350 Psychological Statistics
• BIOL 2321 Cell Biology I
• BIOL 2324 Ecology
• BIOL 2423 Evolution
  
• Nine (9) other credit hours in BIOL the 3000-level or above.
  

Co-operative Education Option

Biology students have an opportunity to get work-related experience while studying by signing up for the CO-OP education option. For details click here.

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Academic Regulations:

In order to graduate with a BSc degree in Biology all students must comply with the academic regulations pertaining to the major AND the requirements of the Faculty of Science. If a student is unclear about these regulations it is advisable to make an appointment with the Science Undergraduate Advisor in the Dean of Science office.

All students should also be aware of their academic responsibilities and the standards of academic integrity at the University.

For specifics on the Faculty requirements and details on academic responsibility and intergrity click here.

Course Descriptions

For descriptions of all BIOL courses click here.

All BIOL courses have a 3 hour per week lab component unless otherwise noted. Students must pass both the laboratory and the lecture components of a course to pass the course. Majors must achieve a minimum grade of C in all BIOL courses applied to their degree.

Directed Study in Biology (BIOL 4876-4899)

These courses are available to senior students who have specific interests in a particular topic in biology and want to further coursework in that area. The course is completed over one academic term (including Summer Sessions) and is directed by a faculty member. The course must be initiated by the student and directed by a faculty member. The student will approach a faculty member and they will jointly develop course content, an evaluation scheme and a schedule for the course. Once a faculty member has agreed to provide direction on the subject matter for the course the "Application for Directed Studies form" must be completed with a course title, description and evaluation scheme attached. Then the form goes to the Chair of Biology for course number selection and final authorization.

Directed Study courses are offered at the discretion of individual faculty members who are not obligated to deliver a course, even if a request is made.

Degree Checklist

Click here for a helpful course checklist that will allow you to follow your progress through your biology major. If you have any questions about your degree requirements contact the undergraduate Science Advisor in the Dean of Science Office,or the Chair of Biology.

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