Course and Module Updates
Planned revisions to the BMSc Program are posted below and will impact students in first and second year in 2024/25 (this year) and future Western students. These changes do NOT impact students registered in Years 3 and 4 of the BMSc Program for 2024/25.
Below is the overall plan to revise the BMSc Program which is working its way through Western's approval process. Specific details for revisions to each of the modules will be added during the week of January 6, 2025.
Honours Specialization modules - for students entering Yr 3 for 2025/26 and onward:
Admission to the limited number of spaces in each of the Honours Specialization modules in Year 3 BMSc will not change and students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy the conditions for assured admission will be considered for admission before students from the competitive pool.
What is changing?
- Students admitted to Year 3 of the Honours Specialization modules will be guaranteed their spots in Year 4 of the same Honours Specialization modules as long as they satisfy minimum Progression Requirements.
- A Year 3 BMSc student who is NOT admitted to a particular Honours Specialization module in Year 3 might be granted permission to register in it in Year 4 if space is available and they meet the minimum Admission and Progression Requirements.
- Admission to the following Honours Specialization modules will be discontinued and these modules will be withdrawn (no students will be admitted to these modules for Year 3):
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology*
- Biochemistry and Pathology of Human Disease*
- Biochemistry of Infection and Immunity*
- Chemical Biology
- Computational Biochemistry
- Microbiology and Immunology with Pathology*
- Pharmacology
* Double Majors will replace, essentially, these Honours Specialization modules
What is the impact on students?
- Movement from one Honours Specialization in Year 3 to a different Honours Specialization in Year 4 will occur far less often that in the past
- Movement from Double Majors in Year 3 to an Honours Specialization in Year 4 will occur far less often that in the past
- Satisfying the conditions for progression from Medical Sciences 1 to Medical Sciences 2, and then satisfying the conditions for assured admission to Year 3 BMSc, becomes more important for those who wish to be considered for admission to Honours Specialization modules.
- Students applying to Year 3 as applicants from the competitive pool will have less opportunity to complete high-demand Honours Specialization modules
Major modules - for students entering Yr 3 for 2025/26 and onward:
What is changing?
A capstone course (1.0 new 4000-level course) will be introduced and added to the following Major modules and these Major modules will be restricted to students in the BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors:
- Biochemistry
- Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences
- Medical Cell Biology
- Microbiology and Immunology
- Pathology
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
What is the impact on students?
- Registration in any of the Major modules above will not be possible unless students are in the BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors.
- Students wishing to complete one of the Major modules above with any of the following Majors may do so in the BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors, only: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Biophysics, One Health.
- The Admission Requirements (2000-level courses) will change a bit for some of the Double Major combinations. The chart of Admission Requirements for Double Majors will be posted in early January.
- The courses required to satisfy the modular requirements for any combination of these Double Majors will be revised to incorporate 1.0 capstone course. The worksheets for these Double Major combinations will be posted in early January.
- Majors that will be available to students in non-BMSc degrees will be as follows: Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Medical Biophysics, Medical Sciences, and One Health. These Majors will not include 1.0 capstone course.
