Special Permission

Special permission to waive a constraint will likely will not be granted by any Basic Medical Science department. Any recommendation to waive a constraint must be subsequently approved by the BMSUE Office.

See the Access to Courses page for information about the constraints.

Although this does not often happen, you may ask the department offering the module to send a recommendation to use another course in place of a stated modular course to the BMSUE office. If approved by the BMSUE Office, then the recommendation will be sent to the Academic Counselling Office in NCB 280 for final approval.

Unfortunately, no.

As stated in the Academic Calendar, students must complete all the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the Honors Specialization (or Specialization) that they requested during the ITR period to be considered for admission. Students might be able to register in an alternative Honors Specialization or Double Majors (with special permission) in Year 3 BMSc and apply for the Honors Specialization module when entering Year 4.

Not usually, no.

The courses that must be completed prior to Year 4 to be considered for admission/progression to Year 4 of an Honors Specialization module are listed in the Weighted Average Chart in the Academic Calendar. The basic medical science departments usually do not grant special permission for students to register in Year 4 of an Honors Specialization module if they lack a course(s) that is listed in the Weighted Average Chart. Exceptions occasionally are made and students may contact the departmental counsellor to inquire if special permission might be granted. Keep in mind that special permission to register in an Honors Specialization module in Year 4 without having completed a course(s) listed in the Weighted Average Chart is much less likely if the particular module typically fills up and has a waiting list each year. In fairness to students who complete all courses listed in the Weighted Average Chart, special permission will likely not be granted.

No.

The 4000-level capstone courses are available only to students registered in the Honours Specialization modules that require these courses. Special permission will not be granted to students registered in other modules, as agreed upon by the BMSUE Program Committee (all undergraduate chairs and the decanal representatives).

The only exception may be the summer offering of Biochemistry 4483E. Students who have the prerequisites for Biochemistry 4483E but are not registered in one of the Honours Specialization modules that requires it may contact Dr. Derek McLachlin about the process to request special permission to take this course in the summer (only).

Note: for students admitted to Year 3 BMSc beginning in 2025/26 and who register subsequently in Year 4 BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors, departments may consider granting special permission for these students to replace Medical Sciences 4000E (capstone course for Double Majors) with 4000-level Research Projects. Students admitted to Year 3 BMSc prior to 2025/26 do not have the option of requesting such permission.