Biology

Advisors:  D. Miskovic, B. Pickard, C. Duxbury and S. Whyte

The Faculty of Science Biomedical Sciences (previously called Pre-Optometry/Pre-Health) Academic Plan prepares graduates for entry into a comprehensive array of professional programs in the health care field. Core subjects are offered which are common for the majority of professional programs. These are supplemented with a significant number of elective courses which allow students to tailor their programs to meet the admission requirements for programs in optometry, medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, forensics, and radiotherapy or to pursue graduate studies in the health disciplines. Students are strongly urged to consult the admission requirements of the professional schools of interest to aid their choice of electives. (*See Note at end of Academic Plan requirements).

Students must maintain an overall cumulative average of 60% and a cumulative average of 65% in all Science courses in order to be eligible to continue in the plan. In order to graduate, the following requirements must be met:

1. Successful completion of at least 22.75 units (including labs); of the 22.75 units that are required, at least 14.25 must be from the Faculty of Science.
2. No more than 3.0 "SCI"- labelled units may be used
3. Mandatory courses as listed below.
4. A minimum of 3.0 Science elective units is required (at least 2.5 units must be obtained at the 300- and 400-level, exclusive of SCI-labelled courses)
5. A minimum of 2.0 lecture units from the list of "complementary elective" courses.
6. The balance of units are derived from "free elective" courses.
7. Completion of the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE).

Year One ( Fall )
BIOL 130/130L Introduction to Cell Biology/Laboratory
CHEM 120/120L Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter/Laboratory
PHYS 111/111L Physics 1/Laboratory
   or PHYS 121/121L Mechanics and Waves 1/Mechanics and Waves 1 Lab
Two Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (1.0 unit)

Year One (Winter)
BIOL 139 Genetics
CHEM 123/123L Chemical Reactions, Equilibria, and Kinetics/Laboratory
PHYS 112/112L Physics 2/Laboratory
   or PHYS 122/122L Mechanics and Waves 2/Mechanics and Waves 2 Laboratory
Two Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (1.0 unit)

Year Two (Fall)
BIOL 140/140L Fundamentals of Microbiology/Laboratory
CHEM 266/266L Basic Organic Chemistry 1/Laboratory
Three Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (1.5 units)

Year Two (Winter)
BIOL 273/273L Principles of Human Physiology 1/Laboratory
CHEM 267/267L Basic Organic Chemistry 2/Laboratory
Three Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (1.5 units)

Year Three (Fall)
BIOL 302 Functional Histology
BIOL 303 Introductory Developmental Biology and Embryology
CHEM 237/237L Introductory Biochemistry/Laboratory
Two Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (1.0 unit)

Year Three (Winter)
BIOL 301 Human Anatomy
BIOL 373/373L Principles of Human Physiology 2/Lab
BIOL 241 Introduction to Applied Microbiology
Two Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (1.0 unit)

Year Four (Fall)
BIOL 308 Principles of Molecular Biology
Four Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (2.0 units)

Year Four (Winter)
Five Electives (Science, Complementary or Free) (2.5 units)

Science Electives
A minimum of 3.0 additional Science units are required. At least 2.5 units must be at the 300- and 400-level.

Complementary Electives
The following is a listing of "complementary electives." (A minimum of 2.0 units are required from these courses):

Psychology
PSYCH 101 Introductory Psychology
PSYCH 261 Physiological Psychology

Sociology
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology
SOC 248 Health, Illness and Society
SOC 249 Sociology of Mental Disorder

Ethics

PHIL 226G Ethics and the Life Sciences
or any other introductory ethics course

Mathematics
MATH 127 Calculus 1 for the Sciences
MATH 128 Calculus 2 for the Sciences

Computer Science
CS 200 Concepts for Advanced Computer Usage

Statistics
STAT 202 Introductory Statistics for Scientists

Health Studies
HLTH 101 Introduction to Health 1
HLTH 102 Introduction to Health 2
HLTH 220 Psychosocial Perspectives on Lifespan Development and Health
HLTH 340 Environmental Toxicology and Public Health
HLTH 341 Immunobiology and Public Health 
HLTH 346 Human Nutrition
HLTH 348 Social Psychology of Health Behaviour
HLTH 349 Health Behaviour Change
HLTH 407 Physiology of Coronary Heart Disease
HLTH 442 Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases

Science
SCI 255 The Biology of Aging

Free Electives
Free Electives may be taken in any area of the student's choosing. Students should be aware that health profession programs often require courses in one or more of the following subject areas: English, Mathematics, Computer Science, Sociology, Accounting, Economics, Languages, Psychology, Philosophy, Humanities.

*Note

Applicants should satisfy the Admissions Committee that they are well prepared academically for entry to the School of Optometry . Successful applicants must have attended University for at least three years (15.0 credits) prior to acceptance into the OD program. The following courses represent the required prerequisites for admission to the School of Optometry :

• General Biology (with lab) – two terms, BIOL 130/130L, Cell Biology; BIOL 211, Vertebrate Zoology
• General Chemistry (with lab) – one term, CHEM 120/120L, Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter
• Physics (with labs) – two terms, PHYS 111/112, 111L/112L or 121/122, 121L/122L, General Physics
• Calculus – one term, MATH 127, Calculus 1 for the Sciences
• Introductory Psychology – one term, PSYCH 101, Introductory Psychology
• English – one term, any one term course
• Physiology (Human or Mammalian) or (Human Anatomy & Physiology) – two terms, BIOL 273 Principles of Human Physiology 1; BIOL 373 Principles of Human Physiology 2
• Introductory Ethics – one term, PHIL 105 Introduction to Ethics and Values; PHIL 218J Ethical Theory; PHIL 219J Practical Ethics; PHIL 220 Moral Issues; PHIL 221 Ethics 1 or PHIL 226 Ethics and the Life Sciences suggested
• Organic Chemistry – one term, CHEM 266, Organic Chemistry
• Microbiology – one term, BIOL 140, Fundamentals of Microbiology
• Biochemistry – one term, CHEM 237, Biochemistry
• Statistics – one term, STAT 202 Statistics

The following are recommended courses: 

• Human Anatomy – one term BIOL 301, Human Anatomy
• Embryology – one term, BIOL 303, Introductory Developmental Biology and Embryology
• Genetics – one term, BIOL 139 Genetics
• Histology – one term, BIOL 302, Functional Histology
• Immunology – one term BIOL 441, Immunology
• Linear Algebra or Geometry and Trigonometry - one term, MATH 114 Linear Algebra For Science; MATH 115 Linear Algebra for Engineering; MATH 106 Applied Linear Algebra 1.

The number of recommended courses successfully completed will be considered by the Admissions Committee.  Missing recommended courses could affect the competitive level of the candidate's application.