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Biology - Science and Engineering

i) All BSc and Honours BSc degree candidates (except those in Honours Double Major programs) must complete the program core: SC/BIOL 1010 6.00; and any five of SC/BIOL 2010 4.00, SC/BIOL 2020 4.00, SC/BIOL 2021 4.00, SC/BIOL 2030 4.00, SC/BIOL 2040 4.00, SC/BIOL 2050 4.00, SC/BIOL 2060 3.00, SC/CHEM 2020 6.00.

ii) All BSc and Honours BSc degree candidates must comply with general regulation 4 (refer to the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements section) by completing the following (in addition to SC/BIOL 1010 6.00 from the program core):

Note: students intending to combine biology with applied mathematics, chemistry, computer science, earth and atmospheric science, mathematics, physics and astronomy or statistics should not take SC/MATH 1505 6.00.

Note: HH/PSYC 1010 6.00 may be included in this section for Honours Double Major and Honours Major/Minor combinations of biology and psychology, or of biology and kinesiology.

  • 12 general education credits (refer to General Education Requirements in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements section).

iii) All BSc and Honours BSc degree candidates, in accordance with their declared programs, must comply with general regulation 5 or 6 (refer to the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements section) and, in so doing, must also satisfy the course, credit and standing requirements specified below.

Bachelor Program

To graduate in a bachelor program. A minimum overall grade point average of 4.00 (C) is required in order to be eligible to graduate with a BSc degree (bachelor program).

  • The program core, as specified in i) above;
  • the Faculty of Science and Engineering general education and 1000-level science requirements, as specified in ii) above;
  • additional credits from biology courses, as required for an overall total of at least 46 credits from biology courses;
  • additional elective credits, as required for an overall total of at least 90 credits, including at least 66 credits from science courses and at least 18 credits at the 3000 or higher level.

Honours Programs

To declare Honours requires successful completion of at least 24 credits, a minimum cumulative credit-weighted grade point average of 6.00 (B) over all biology courses completed, and a minimum cumulative credit-weighted grade point average of 4.25 over all courses completed, subject to the exception in the note below.

To proceed in each year of an Honours program requires a minimum cumulative credit-weighted grade point average of 6.00 (B) over all biology courses completed, and a minimum cumulative credit-weighted overall grade point average as specified in the Academic Standards section of the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements section, subject to the exception in the note below.

To graduate in an Honours program requires successful completion of all Faculty requirements and departmental required courses, a minimum cumulative credit-weighted grade point average of 6.00 (B) over all biology courses completed, and a minimum cumulative credit-weighted grade point average of 5.00 (C+) over all courses completed, subject to the exception in the note below.

Note: the minimum 6.00 (B) biology grade point average is not required where biology is the minor in an Honours Major/Minor program. Only the minimum 5.00 (C+) overall grade point average is required in that case.

Specialized Honours Program

Students may follow a stream in biology, biomedical science, biotechnology or conservation ecology.

Biology Stream

  • the program core, as specified in i) above;
  • the Faculty of Science and Engineering general education and 1000-level science requirements, as specified in ii) above;
  • SC/BIOL 3100 2.00; SC/BIOL 4000 8.00 or SC/BIOL 4000 3.00;
  • additional credits from biology courses, as required for an overall total of at least 68 credits from biology courses;
  • additional elective credits, as required for an overall total of at least 120 credits, including at least 90 credits from science courses and at least 42 credits at the 3000 or higher level.

Biomedical Science Stream

Biotechnology Stream

Conservation Ecology Stream

International Bachelor of Science

Specialized Honours in Biology (Honours iBSc)

Students may follow a stream in biology or conservation ecology.

i) All Honours iBSc degree candidates must complete the program core:

Biology Stream

ii) All Honours iBSc degree candidates must comply with the Faculty of Science and Engineering general education and 1000-level science requirements by completing the following (in addition to SC/BIOL 1010 6.00 from the program core):

iii) International component:

  • 12 credits of language study in one of the languages offered at York University;
  • 18 credits of non-science courses with an international component (refer to sample list of courses In the section on International degrees), which will also serve to meet the general education requirement;
  • one to two exchange terms abroad as a full-time student at an institution with which York University has a formal exchange agreement.

iv) All Honours iBSc degree candidates must comply with general regulation 7 (refer to the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements section) and, in so doing, must satisfy the course, credit and standing requirements specified below:

  • students must complete additional elective credits, as required for an overall total of at least 120 credits, including at least 90 credits from science (SC) courses, at least 42 credits at the 3000 or higher level, and at least 54 credits in biology.

Conservation Ecology Stream

i) The program core, as specified in i) above, including SC/BIOL 1010 6.00, SC/BIOL 2010 4.00, SC/BIOL 2030 4.00, SC/BIOL 2040 4.00, SC/BIOL 2050 4.00 and SC/BIOL 2060 3.00.

ii) The Faculty of Science and Engineering general education and 1000-level science requirements by completing the following:

iii) International component:

  • 12 credits of language study in one of the languages offered at York University;
  • 18 credits of non-science courses with an international component (refer to sample list of courses in the section on international degrees), which will also serve to meet the general education requirement.

iv) The following:

v) All Honours iBSc degree candidates must comply with general regulation 7 (refer to the Faculty of Science and Engineering Regulations Governing Undergraduate Degree Requirements section) and, in so doing, must satisfy the course, credit and standing requirements specified below:

  • students must complete additional elective credits, as required for an overall total of at least 120 credits, including at least 90 credits from science (SC) courses, at least 42 credits at the 3000 or higher level, and at least 68 credits in biology.

For further information about the international bachelor of science, refer to the International Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Programs of Study section.

Honours Major Program (BSc)

  • the program core, as specified in i) above;
  • additional credits from biology courses, as required, for an overall total of at least 51 credits from biology courses;
  • additional elective credits, as required for an overall total of at least 120 credits, including at least 42 credits at the 3000 or higher level.

Note: both SC/CHEM 1000 3.00 and SC/CHEM 1001 3.00 are required as prerequisites for SC/BIOL 2020 4.00 and SC/CHEM 2020 6.00 in the program core.

Students may follow a stream within the Honours Major program in Biomedical Science.

Biomedical Science Stream

Honours Double Major Program

All Honours BSc degree candidates should consult departmental advisers as early as possible concerning course requirements for particular Honours Double Major programs. Possible subject combinations for Honours Double Major BSc degree programs are listed under Undergraduate Degree Programs in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Undergraduate Degree and Certificate Programs section.

  • SC/BIOL 1010 6.00;
  • the Faculty of Science and Engineering general education and 1000-level science requirements, as specified in ii) above and including courses appropriate for the second major;
  • at least 12 credits from 2000-level biology courses in the program core (refer to i) above);
  • at least 12 credits from biology courses at the 3000 or higher level;
  • additional credits from biology courses, as required for an overall total of at least 36 credits from biology courses;
  • the course requirements for the second major;
  • additional elective credits, as required for an overall total of at least 120 credits, including at least 90 credits from science courses and at least 42 credits at the 3000 or higher level.

Honours Major/Minor Program

An Honours Major in biology may be combined with an Honours Minor in another subject area in an Honours Major/Minor BSc degree program. Possible subject combinations are listed under Undergraduate Degree Programs in the Faculty of Science and Engineering Undergraduate Degree and Certificate Programs section.

  • The Faculty of Science and Engineering general education and 1000-level science requirements, as specified in ii) above and including courses appropriate for the minor;
  • the biology Honours Major requirements above;
  • the course requirements for the minor;
  • additional elective credits, as required for an overall total of at least 120 credits, including at least 42 credits at the 3000 or higher level.

Students may follow a stream within the Honours Major/Minor program in Biomedical Science (stream requirements are listed under the Biology Honours Major program). This stream may be combined with other approved science minors.

Honours Minor

  • SC/BIOL 1010 6.00;
  • at least 12 credits from biology courses at the 2000 level;
  • at least nine credits from biology courses at the 3000 or higher level;
  • additional credits from biology courses at the 2000 or higher level, as required for an overall total of at least 30 credits from biology courses.

Note: it is recommended that students interested in cell biology, genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry take the following courses: SC/BIOL 1010 6.00, SC/CHEM 1000 3.00, SC/CHEM 1001 3.00, SC/BIOL 2020 4.00, SC/BIOL 2021 4.00, SC/BIOL 2040 4.00 and SC/CHEM 2020 6.00, plus a minimum of nine additional credits from biology courses at the 3000 or higher level. For other areas of interest, students are advised to choose their 2000-level biology courses wisely, based on the prerequisites for the courses they wish to take at the 3000 or higher level. Check the course outlines in this publication for course prerequisites.

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