Science Academic Programs and Plans

Advisors: See Faculty of Science, academic advisors.

This academic plan allows focus in biochemistry with a chemical, physiological, molecular, or microbiological emphasis.

Professional standing: The academic plan in Biochemistry fulfils the academic requirements for professional membership in the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC).

Continuing in Honours Biochemistry requires a cumulative overall average of 60% and a cumulative average of 60% in each of the subjects, Chemistry and Biology.

22.0 units that include:

• 3.0 BIOL units: BIOL 130, BIOL 130L, BIOL 239, BIOL 240, BIOL 240L, BIOL 309, and BIOL 331
• 0.5 BIOL elective unit 200-level
• 7.75 CHEM units: CHEM 121, CHEM 121L, CHEM 125, CHEM 125L, CHEM 140, CHEM 200, CHEM 212, CHEM 220, CHEM 220L, CHEM 233, CHEM 233L, CHEM 254, CHEM 264, CHEM 265, CHEM 265L, CHEM 331, CHEM 335L, and CHEM 357
• 1.0 MATH unit: MATH 127 and MATH 128
• 1.0 PHYS unit: PHYS 111 or PHYS 121; and PHYS 112 or PHYS 122
• 0.5 ENGL unit: ENGL 193/SPCOM 193
• 0.5 program elective unit chosen from: STAT 202 or MATH 228
• 5.75 program elective units distributed as follows:
  • 0.25 lab unit chosen from: PHYS 111L, PHYS 121L, CHEM 250L, CHEM 313L, or BIOL 373L
  • 0.5 lab unit chosen from: CHEM 224L or CHEM 360L
  • 5.0 BIOL and CHEM elective units chosen with the following conditions:
    • 4.0 units must be chosen from List A: BIOL 308, BIOL 335L, BIOL 341, BIOL 342, BIOL 365, BIOL 382, BIOL 428, BIOL 431, BIOL 432, BIOL 433, BIOL 434, BIOL 438, BIOL 439, BIOL 441, BIOL 465, BIOL 469, BIOL 483, BIOL 486, BIOL 499A, and BIOL 499B; CHEM 224L, CHEM 360, CHEM 360L, CHEM 381, CHEM 382L, CHEM 383, CHEM 430, CHEM 432, CHEM 433, CHEM 494A, and CHEM 494B
    • 1.0 unit must be chosen either from List A or from List B: BIOL 303, BIOL 323, BIOL 345, BIOL 354, BIOL 359, BIOL 370, BIOL 371, BIOL 373, BIOL 442, BIOL 443, BIOL 444, BIOL 447, BIOL 448, BIOL 472, BIOL 473, BIOL 477L, BIOL 484; CHEM 209, CHEM 221, CHEM 310, CHEM 313, CHEM 323, CHEM 400, CHEM 404, and CHEM 464
    • A minimum of 1.5 BIOL units and 1.0 CHEM unit must be chosen from List A and B
    • A minimum of 1.5 units from List A and B must be 400-level 
• 2.0 elective units chosen from any 0.5 unit lecture or lab course

Notes

1. PHYS 111L or PHYS 121L should ideally be taken in Year One if it counts as the 0.25 program lab unit.
2. CHEM 250L should ideally be taken in Year Two if it counts as the 0.25 program lab unit.
3. CHEM 313L or BIOL 373L should ideally be taken in Year Three winter if it counts as the 0.25 program lab unit.
4. CHEM 224L should ideally be taken in Year Two winter if it counts as the 0.5 program lab unit.
5. CHEM 212 should ideally be taken in Year Two winter and CHEM 360L should ideally be taken in Year Three winter if CHEM 360L is the 0.5 program lab unit.
6. BIOL 373L has a BIOL 373 corequisite, which has a BIOL 273 prerequisite; CHEM 360L has a CHEM 360 corequisite.
7. BIOL 241 must be taken in Year Two winter for students considering the biotechnology specialization.
8. Students should consult their academic advisor with any course sequencing questions.

Recommended Course Sequence

Year One

Fall

Winter

BIOL 239 Genetics
CHEM 125/CHEM 125L Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics/Chemical Reaction Laboratory 2
CHEM 140 Introduction to Scientific Calculations
MATH 128 Calculus 2 for the Sciences
PHYS 112 Physics 2
 or PHYS 122 Waves, Electricity and Magnetism

Year Two

Fall

BIOL 240/BIOL 240L Fundamentals of Microbiology/Microbiology Laboratory
BIOL 309 Analytical Methods in Molecular Biology
CHEM 200 Introduction to Laboratory Techniques 
CHEM 220/CHEM 220L Intro Analytical Chemistry/Quantitative Chemical Analysis Laboratory
CHEM 264 Organic Chemistry 1  

Note: Students transferring into this plan after their 2A term must take a 0.5 unit CHEM lecture or lab course in place of CHEM 200.

Winter

BIOL elective 200-level (0.5 unit)
CHEM 233/CHEM 233L Fundamentals of Biochemistry/Fundamentals of Biochemistry Laboratory
CHEM 254 Introductory Chemical Thermodynamics
CHEM 265/CHEM 265L Organic Chemistry 2/Organic Chemistry Laboratory 1
One program lab elective (0.5 unit) - if choosing CHEM 224L

Year Three

Fall

CHEM 331 Fundamentals of Metabolism 1
STAT 202 Introductory Statistics for Scientists
 or MATH 228 Differential Equations for Physics and Chemistry
Two program electives (1.0 unit) 
One elective (0.5 unit)

Winter

BIOL 331 Advanced Cell Biology
CHEM 212 Structure and Bonding
CHEM 335L Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory
CHEM 357 Physical Biochemistry
One program elective (0.5 unit)
One program lab elective (0.5 unit) - if choosing CHEM 360L

Year Four

Seven program electives (3.5 units)
Three electives (1.5 units)