Course Selection for Year 3 BMSc

By the end of Year 3, students must complete ALL of the courses listed in the Weighted Average Chart for the Honours Specialization module to which they wish to apply for Year 4.

Note: some Honours Specialization modules (usually those that are competitive for admission, e.g., Honours specialization in Pathology) may not admit students to Year 4 if a course listed in the Weighted Average Chart (e.g., Anatomy and Cell Biology 2200B, 3200A or 3309) is being taken during the summer between Years 3 and 4. Check with the departmental counsellor if you want to inquire about taking one of the courses in the Weighted Average Chart during the summer between Year 3 and look to see which basic medical science courses tend to be offered during the summer.

If there are 2000- and 3000- level courses  listed in the Academic Calendar on the page for the module you are pursuing but these courses are NOT listed in the Weighted Average Chart, then you do NOT have to complete these courses before Year 4. They can be left until Year 4, provided there are no timetable conflicts with required 4000-level courses.

Since admission to some Honours Specialization modules is competitive in Year 4, students are encouraged to satisfy the requirements for either an alternative Honours Specialization module or Double Majors.

Note: most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces). See Access to Courses for full details.

The number of options to be taken (to result in a full load of 5.0 courses)
is determined once all of the courses listed in the Weighted Average Chart have been selected. Students are not required, however, to carry a full load of 5.0 courses during the Fall/Winter of Year 3 BMSc for admission/progression to an Honors Specialization module in Year 4.

The academic year in which you are admitted to a module determines the Academic Calendar you must use for module requirements.
For example, if you are admitted to Year 3 of the Honors Specialization in Physiology for 2021/22, then use the 2021/22 Academic Calendar for the module requirements. Sometimes modules change and you should contact the BMSUE Coordinator if you aren't certain which calendar to use for your module requirements.

The Weighted Average Chart outlines:

• the courses that must be completed by the end of Year 3 to be considered for admission to any Honours Specialization module in Year 4, and
• how the Weighted Average is calculated for each Honours Specialization module

Find out more about:
(i) calculating Weighted Averages and
(ii) determining the average you may need on your third-year courses to be competitive for an Honors Specialization module in Year 4

A minimum Weighted Average of 75% must be achieved for admission to any Honours Specialization module in the BMSc Program in Year 4. Each Honours Specialization has a maximum capacity in Year 4 and an average greater than 75% is required for admission when more qualified students apply than there are spaces in the module. See the Helpful Links below for more information about how to calculate the Weighted Average.

See Minimum Averages Required for Admission to Honours Specialization modules for the maximum capacity of each Honors Specialization module and the minimum Weighted Average required for admission to Year 4 for the past few years.

Departmental Counsellors can answer questions about the modules and courses offered by their department.

The Academic Counselling Team in North Campus Building (NCB) Rm 280 should be contacted for any "what if" questions, e.g. What would happen if I don't take a particular course in Year 3?

Before contacting either a Departmental Counsellor or the Academic Counselling Team:

• use the helpful links below, and
• see the list of FAQs on the Academic Counselling Team's website

In Year 3, students must complete the prerequisites for the 4000-level courses they need to take for the two Major modules in which they wish to register in Year 4. Make sure to check the Academic Calendar for each Major in which you are interested, looking at the Notes below the modular requirements, to see if certain modular courses must be completed prior to Year 4 and whether minimum marks are required in these courses. For example, students must complete both Microbiology and Immunology 3300B and 3400A with marks of at least 70% to register in Year 4 of the Major in Microbiology and Immunology.

In addition to satisfying the prerequisites for 4000-level courses, students should complete enough modular courses so that they will have a reasonable load of courses in both Years 3 and 4. A maximum of 1.0 "common course" can be used towards both Major modules - see the Common Course Policy for details.

Most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces). See Access to Courses for full details.

Notes:

• Enrollment in Double Majors in Year 4 is not limited to a particular number of students
• There is not a Weighted Average Chart for admission to Double Majors in Year 4

The number of options to be taken
is determined once all of the modular courses to be taken in Year 3 have been selected. Students are not required to carry a full load of 5.0 courses during the Fall/Winter of Year 3 BMSc for admission/progression to Double Majors in Year 4.

The academic year in which you are admitted to a module determines the Academic Calendar you must use for module requirements.
For example, if you are admitted to Year 3 of the Major in Medical Cell Biology for 2020/21, then use the 2020/21 Academic Calendar for the module requirements. Sometimes modules change and you should contact the BMSUE Coordinator if you aren't certain which calendar to use for your module requirements.

Students completing Double Majors in the BMSc Program almost always have "common courses" that appear in the two Majors and, when this occurs, the Common Course Policy comes into effect.

Check out the worksheets for the various Double Major combinations as they will help with course selection for both Years 3 and 4. Do not send in these worksheets for review in Year 3 as you can figure out the courses you need to take in Year 3 (and the minimum marks required in these courses) by reviewing the information above under the heading of Courses and checking the Academic Calendar for the courses you wish to take in Year 4.

There are hyperlinks in the worksheets for the "substitute courses" that are required. These hyperlinks will take you to the webpage for Substitute Courses which list the pre-approved courses allowed as substitute courses for the Major offered by that Department.

NOTE: students cannot complete a Major in Pharmacology and a Major in Physiology. 

Departmental Counsellors can answer questions about the modules and courses offered by their department.

The Academic Counselling Team in North Campus Building (NCB) Rm 280 should be contacted for any "what if" questions, e.g. what would happen if I don't take a particular course in Year 3?

Before contacting either a Departmental Counsellor or the Academic Counselling Team:

• use the helpful links below, and
• see the list of FAQs on the Academic Counselling Team's website

In Year 3, students must complete the prerequisites for the 4000-level courses they need to take for the Specialization in IMS in Year 4.

Most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces). See Access to Courses for full details.

Notes:

• Students are encouraged to pursue Honours Specialization or Double Majors, rather than the Specialization in IMS since the Specialization module does not lead to graduation with an Honours degree
• Enrollment in the Specialization in IMS in Year 4 is not limited to a particular number of students
• There is not a Weighted Average Chart for admission to the Specialization in IMS in Year 4

The number of options to be taken (to result in a full load of 5.0 courses)
is determined once all of the modular courses to be taken in Year 3 have been selected. Students are not required, however, to carry a full load of 5.0 courses during the Fall/Winter of Year 3 BMSc for admission/progression to the Specialization in IMS in Year 4.

The Academic Counselling Team in North Campus Building (NCB) 280 should be contacted for any questions about course selection in Year 3 BMSc and admission to the Specialization in IMS for Year 4 BMSc. Before contacting the Academic Counselling Team:

• use the helpful links below, and
• see the list of FAQs on the Academic Counselling Team's website