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Bachelor of Science programs of study

The Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) is a 120-credit degree designed to provide a strong foundation in scientific inquiry and exploration.

Building your degree means:

  1. Choosing an initial Program Group at the time of application;
  2. Fulfilling Foundation Program requirements by taking courses and/or receiving exemptions; and
  3. Choosing the Program Stream you wish to pursue (Liberal, Major, Honours, etc...);
  4. Choosing the specific Program(s) you wish to study (for example: Biology, Environment, Physics, etc...), which must be available in your Program Group.

1. Program Groups

When applying, students must select a Program Group on the application form - this will determine the range of programs they will be able to choose from as part of their degree. See below for the list of programs in each Program Group.


2. Foundation Program

The Faculty of Science's mandatory Foundation Program gives the B.Sc. degree a common academic base. The Foundation Program is fundamentally a set of course requirements for all students in all Program Groups, regardless of year of study.

Your pre-ɬÀï·¬ studies (e.g., CEGEP, IB, APs, etc.) of the Foundation requirements.

Your pre-ɬÀï·¬ studies will also determine the year of study to which you are admitted, usually U0 or U1.

  • U0 students cannot choose a Program Stream or declare their Program(s); their U0 "major" will be the Foundation Program.
  • U1 students select a Program Stream and choose (i.e., declare) their intended Program(s) of study from within their Program Group.

For guidance on the B.Sc. Foundation Program course requirements, consult the:

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3. Program Streams

Choosing your stream is an important step in shaping your Science degree. Consult the program streams below to see how you can mix and match different science disciplines to create a degree that fits your interests:

Liberal programs

Liberal programs provide students with the opportunity to study the core of one science discipline along with a breadth component from another area of science or from many other disciplines. In a Liberal program, students must complete a Core Science Component (CSC) (45–50 credits), plus a Breadth Component (at least 18 credits).

For the Breadth Component, students must complete one of the following:

  • Minor Program (18–24 credits) – one of the minor programs listed in the table below.
  • Arts Minor or Major Concentration (18 or 36 credits) – one of the Arts programs for Science students (see list in the , formerly the eCalendar).
  • A CSC in a second area (45–50 credits) – at least 24 credits must be distinct from the courses used to satisfy the primary CSC. Note that a second CSC can be selected from any of the Science groups.

EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + CSC in Atmospheric Science (48 credits) + Minor in Field Studies (18 credits) + 8 elective courses (24 credits) = 120 credits completed

For the list of available Core Science Components, consult the table below.

Major programs

The Major program stream is more specialized than the Liberal program stream and is usually centered on one specific discipline: students will select 1 Major program, which is a versatile, comprehensive primary area of study. Most Major programs require about two-thirds the total credits in the B.Sc. degree. With the remaining credits, students can choose to add a Minor (optional) or simply a variety of elective courses. Both the Minor and electives can be chosen from a wide variety of areas both within and outside Science.

EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + Major in Earth Systems Science (57 credits) + Minor in Philosophy (18 credits) + 5 elective courses (15 credits) = 120 credits completed

For a list of available Major programs, consult the table below.

Honours programs

Honours programs typically involve an even higher degree of specialization (as compared with Liberal and Major programs). They often include supervised research and require students to maintain a high academic standard. Although Honours programs are specially designed to prepare students for graduate studies, they are not normally required to be admissible to most graduate schools. Students who intend to pursue graduate studies in their discipline should consult a Program advisor regarding the appropriate selection of courses in their field.

Students interested in declaring an Honours program must consult the Course Catalogue (formerly eCalendar) information for their program of choice as some Honours programs require the completion of specific prerequisites during the U1 year. Students must obtain prior departmental approval before declaring an Honours program - consult appropriate Program advisors to request approval.

EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + Honours in Anatomy and Cell Biology (73 credits) + 6 elective courses (18 credits) = 121 credits completed

For a list of available Honours programs, consult the table below.

Joint programs (Joint Majors and Joint Honours)

Joint programs bring together related sciences. They are for students interested in working at the intersection of two major areas, rather than students with an interest in both areas (where a major and minor combination might be more appropriate).

EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + Joint Major in Biology and Mathematics (76 credits) + 5 elective courses (15 credits) = 121 credits completed

Students interested in declaring a Joint Honours program must consult the Course Catalogye (formerly the eCalendar) as the completion of specific prerequisite courses may be required during the U1 year. Students must obtain prior departmental approval before declaring a Joint Honours program (consult appropriate Program advisors to request approval). Note that students may only pursue the specific joint programs listed below; combining two separate majors or honours outside these pre-designed combinations is not permitted.

For a list of available Joint programs, consult the table below.

Note: In Science, a Minor is an additional and secondary area of specialization. You cannot graduate with only MinorsÌý— you must follow one of the Streams above.


4. Programs of study (by Program Group and Program Stream)

PROGRAM GROUPS PROGRAM STREAMS
Physical, Earth, Math & Computer Science group

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Liberal Programs (Core Science Components)

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Major Programs

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Joint Major Programs Honours Programs Joint Honours Programs Minor Programs
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Ìý Ìý
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.

(See also Software Engineering below)
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.

(See also Programs only available as Science Minors below)
CSC Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý
Ìý Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
Ìý Ìý Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
(inter-departmental) Ìý Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
Ìý Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.

(See also Programs only available as Science Minors below)
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
Mathematics and Computer Science ( or ) Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Jt. Hon. Ìý
Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Jt. Hon. Ìý
Ìý Ìý Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
StatisticsÌýand Computer Science ( or ) Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Jt. Hon. Ìý
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý Jt. Hon. Ìý
Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Jt. Hon. Ìý
Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Ìý Ìý
Software Engineering (see ) CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
Bio-Physical-Computational Sciences group Liberal Programs (Core Science Components) Major Programs Joint Major Programs Honours Programs Joint Honours Programs Minor Programs
Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Ìý Ìý
Computer Science and Biology ( or ) Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Jt. Hon. Ìý
Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Ìý Ìý
Ìý Ìý Jt. Maj. Ìý Ìý Ìý
Biological, Biomedical & Life Sciences group Liberal Programs (Core Science Components) Major Programs Joint Major Programs Honours Programs Joint Honours Programs Minor Programs
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
(open only to current ɬÀï·¬ students by separate application.) Ìý Ìý Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
Ìý Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Ìý
CSC Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
Neuroscience group Liberal Programs (Core Science Components) Major Programs Joint Major Programs Honours Programs Joint Honours Programs Minor Programs
Ìý Maj. Ìý Hon. Ìý Min.
B. Sc. Programs only available as Minors Min.
Min.
Min.
Min.
(note: only available to B.Sc. Liberal Students) Min.
(offered by theÌýDepartment of Earth & Planetary Sciences) Min.
Min.
Min.
(offered by theÌý) Min.
Minors in other Faculties (that are approved for B.Sc. Students) Min.
(note: only open to Chemistry students) Min.
Min.
(note: only open to Physics students) Min.
Min.
Min.
Min.
Min.
Min.
Min.
Arts Majors & Minors (that are approved for B.Sc. Students)
There are MANY programs offered by the Faculty of Arts which are approved for B.Sc. students, both major concentrations and minor concentrations. They are too numerous to list here; consult the Arts majors and minors for Science undergraduates page for a full list.
NOTE: B.Sc. students may take an Arts major concentration or minor concentration as a second program only - this is in addition to their primary science program: a Science major program, honours program, or liberal program (i.e., core science component).
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