Modules in the BMSc Program

There are 21 Honors Specialization modules which lead to graduation with BMSc (Honors) degrees and only students in Years 3 and 4 BMSc can register in these modules.

Enrollment in Year 3 and 4 of each Honors Specialization module is limited due to the capstone course required in Year 4 (either a research project or an advanced lab):

• 20 Honors Specialization modules contain a 4000-level Research Project as the capstone course
• the Honors Specialization in IMS does not contain a Year 4 research project - the IMS capstone courses are an advanced lab half course and a selected topics half course

If more students apply for admission to a particular Honors Specialization module than there are spaces available, admission to the Honors Specialization will be competitive:

• see Admission to Year 3 BMSc for information about admission to Honors Specialization modules in Year 3 (e.g. maximum capacity and competitive averages for admission to each module, etc.)
• see Admission to Year 4 BMSc for information about admission to Year 4 of the Honors Specialization modules (e.g. maximum capacity and competitive Weighted Averages for admission to each module, etc.)

See the Academic Calendar for the complete listing of modules offered by the basic medical science departments.

There are 6 Specialization modules available in the BMSc Program and only students registered in Years 3 and 4 BMSc may register in these modules.

NOTE: Very few students pursue the Specialization modules since these modules lead only to non-honors BMSc degrees. Since most students in the BMSc Program meet and/or exceed the marks/averages required to register in Honors degrees, students are strongly encouraged to pursue either Honors Specialization modules or Double Majors.

Enrollment in the Specialization modules is not limited as none of these modules contain a capstone course in Year 4

• the 4000-level capstone courses (Research Projects and Medical Sciences 4900F/G + 4930F/G) cannot be taken by students in the Specialization modules
• see Admission to Year 3 BMSc and Admission to Year 4 BMSc for information about admission to the Specialization modules in Years 3 and 4

See the Academic Calendar for the complete listing of modules offered by the basic medical science departments

Double Majors can be completed in both BMSc (Honors) and BMSc (non-honors) degrees, provided both Major modules are selected from the 9 Major modules offered by the basic medical science departments. The only difference between Double Majors in a BMSc (Honors) degree and Double Majors in a BMSc (non-honors) degree is the level of marks achieved in the modular courses.

Only students in Year 3 and 4 BMSc can register in Double Majors that lead to graduation with BMSc (Honors) and BMSc (non-honors) degrees

• a BMSc (non-honors) degree is granted if the average on the 6.0 courses required for one or both Majors is less than 70% and/or a mark less than 60% is achieved in a modular course in one or both of the Major modules and/or or if a failing grade is achieved in any course

Enrollment in Double Majors is not limited as none of the Majors contain a capstone course in Year 4:

• the 4000-level capstone courses (Research Projects and Medical sciences 4900F/G + 4930F/G) can only be taken by students in the Honors Specialization modules

Most BMSc students completing Double Majors will find that the same courses appear in both Major modules (e.g. Biochemistry 2280A shows up in both Majors)

• a maximum of 1.0 "common course" can be counted toward both modules -- see the Common Course Policy
• see Admission to Year 3 BMSc and Admission to Year 4 BMSc for information about admission to the Double Majors in Years 3 and 4
• see the Academic Calendar for the complete listing of modules offered by the basic medical science departments.

Modules that focus on one or two specific basic medical science disciplines in Years 3 and 4 are referred to as "discipline-specific" modules. Examples of how the discipline-specific modules differ from the IMS modules are as follows:

• discipline-specific modules are more structured than IMS modules
• a Research Project is undertaken in Year 4 by students in discipline-specific Honors Specialization modules

The decision to pursue a discipline-specific module or an IMS module is a personal decision for each student.

In Years 3 and 4 of the Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (IMS) modules, at least two basic medical science disciplines must be studied and each IMS student chooses the disciplines to be studied.

• rather than a Research Project in Year 4, students in the Honors Specialization in IMS take Medical Sciences 4900F/G (lab course) and 4930F/G (lecture course) in which a clinical condition/disease is considered from an interdisciplinary perspective
• students in the Major in IMS are required to take Medical Sciences 4931F/G to gain insight into the study of a clinical condition from the lens of the various disciplines.

The decision to pursue a discipline-specific module or an IMS module is a personal decision for each student.