Science Academic Programs and Plans

Advisors: See Faculty of Science, academic advisors.

Honours Science provides students with flexibility to pursue areas of interest within and outside of Science, providing an education experience that matches their interests and goals. This program provides the necessary foundation to prepare students for professional schools, graduate studies, and Science-relevant employment. 

Continuing in Honours Science requires a cumulative overall average of 60% and a cumulative Science average of 60%.

Successful completion of this program requires:

21.0 units that include at least 19.0 lecture units, distributed as follows:

• 1.0 unit chosen from: ACTSC, AMATH, CO, CS, MATH, PMATH, or STAT
• 12.0 Science units chosen from BIOL, CHEM, EARTH, MNS, PHYS, or SCI courses, with the following conditions:
  • 1.0 Year One lecture unit plus associated labs that complete a Year One sequence
  • 1.0 Year One lecture unit plus associated labs that complete a different Year One sequence
  • 8.0 units of which:
    • 4.0 units must be 200-level or higher
    • 3.0 units must be 300-level or higher
    • 1.0 unit must be 400-level
  • Additional lecture units, any level, when less than 2.0 lab units are completed, in order to bring overall Science unit total to 12.0
  • 100-level BIOL courses count as 200-level courses if they are not used to satisfy Year One sequences
• 0.5 ENGL unit: ENGL 193/SPCOM 193
• 7.5 elective units chosen from any subject

Additional Program Conditions:

1. A maximum of 3.0 SCI course units count towards the Science units.
2. SCI courses do not count towards the 300- or 400-level Science units.
3. SCBUS courses do not count toward Science units.
4. MATH 103 and SCI 237 do not count towards the degree.
5. CS 100 and COMM and MTHEL courses do not count towards the Mathematics unit.
6. A maximum of 2.0 lab units count towards the total units. Extra labs will be included in the average.

Notes

1. PHYS 121 can be substituted for PHYS 111.
2. PHYS 122 can be substituted for PHYS 112.
3. PHYS 121L or PHYS 131L can be substituted for PHYS 111L.
4. PHYS 122L or PHYS 132L can be substituted for PHYS 112L.
5. Students are advised to take at least 2.0 units from non-Science areas.
6. Students are advised to take the required 1.0 unit in Mathematics in Year One.
7. Normally, 5.0 lecture units are taken per year. 

Recommended Course Sequence

Year One

Fall

Two of (up to 1.5 units):

• 100- or 200-level BIOL course with associated labs (exclusive of BIOL 225 and BIOL 280)
• CHEM 120/CHEM 120L General Chemistry 1/General Chemistry Laboratory 1
• EARTH 121/EARTH 121L Introductory Earth Sciences/Introductory Earth Sciences Laboratory
• PHYS 111/PHYS 111L Physics 1/Physics 1 Laboratory

One Mathematics course (0.5 unit)
Two electives (1.0 unit)

Winter

Two of (up to 1.5 units):

• 100- or 200-level BIOL course with associated labs (exclusive of BIOL 225 and BIOL 280)
• CHEM 123/CHEM 123L General Chemistry 2/General Chemistry Laboratory 2
• EARTH 122/EARTH 122L Introductory Environmental Sciences/Introductory Environmental Sciences Laboratory
• PHYS 112/PHYS 112L Physics 2/Physics 2 Laboratory

One Mathematics course (0.5 unit)
One of ENGL 193/SPCOM 193 Communication in the Sciences
One elective (0.5 unit)

Year 2

5.0 lecture units of which 3.0 to 4.0 should be Science units.

Year 3

5.0 lecture units of which 3.0 to 4.0 should be Science units.

Year 4

5.0 lecture units of which 3.0 to 4.0 should be Science units.