Department of Physics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Note: admission, including internal or external transfer, to the Biological and Medical Physics major (regular and Co-op) has been suspended. For more information, please contact the Department of Physics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.  

The program emphasizes the application of physics to biology and medicine. It provides an excellent background for careers in the expanding interdisciplinary research laboratories of government and industry, as well as a starting point for a career in medical physics. Completion of the program at an appropriate level will qualify a student to pursue post-graduate studies in biophysics, medical physics and related areas of physics.

Note: admission, including internal or external transfer, to the Biological and Medical Physics major (regular and Co-op) has been suspended. For more information, please contact the Department of Physics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.  

Major Requirements (Honours)

This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Science. 

Students may enter this major in Semester 1 or any semester thereafter. A student wishing to declare the major may wish to consult the Faculty Advisor. This major requires the completion of 20.00 credits as follows:

Students lacking Grade 12 or 4U Biology, Chemistry or Physics should follow the revised schedule of study for this major found at: https://www.uoguelph.ca/bsc/revised_SS/.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1
BIOL*1090	Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology	0.50
CHEM*1040	General Chemistry I	0.50
CIS*1300	Programming	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from the following: 1
IPS*1500	Integrated Mathematics and Physics I	1.00
MATH*1080 & PHYS*1080	Elements of Calculus I and Physics for Life Sciences	1.00
MATH*1200 & PHYS*1080	Calculus I and Physics for Life Sciences	1.00
Semester 2
BIOL*1080	Biological Concepts of Health	0.50
CHEM*1050	General Chemistry II	0.50
MATH*1160	Linear Algebra I	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from the following: 2
IPS*1510	Integrated Mathematics and Physics II	1.00
MATH*1090 & PHYS*1070	Elements of Calculus II and Physics for Life Sciences II	1.00
MATH*1210 & PHYS*1010	Calculus II and Introductory Electricity and Magnetism	1.00
Semester 3
MATH*2200	Advanced Calculus I	0.50
MATH*2270	Applied Differential Equations	0.50
PHYS*2240	Thermal Physics	0.50
PHYS*2330	Electricity and Magnetism I	0.50
0.50 Liberal Education electives		0.50
Semester 4
BIOC*2580	Introduction to Biochemistry	0.50
PHYS*2030	Biophysics of Excitable Cells	0.50
PHYS*2180	Experimental Techniques in Physics	0.50
PHYS*2310	Mechanics	0.50
PHYS*2340	Electricity and Magnetism II	0.50
Semester 5
IPS*3000	Science Communication	0.50
PHYS*3130	Mathematical Physics	0.50
PHYS*3230	Quantum Mechanics I	0.50
1.00 electives 3		1.00
Semester 6
NANO*3600	Computational Methods in Materials Science	0.50
PHYS*3510	Intermediate Laboratory	0.50
PHYS*4040	Quantum Mechanics II	0.50
PHYS*4540	Molecular Biophysics	0.50
0.50 electives 3		0.50
Semester 7
PHYS*3170	Radioactivity and Radiation Interactions	0.50
PHYS*4500	Advanced Physics Laboratory	0.50
PHYS*4001	Research in Physics (or 0.50 electives)	0.50
ENGG*4040	Medical Imaging Modalities (or 0.50 electives) 3, 4	0.50
0.50 electives		0.50
Semester 8
PHYS*4002	Research in Physics (or 0.50 electives) 3	0.50
PHYS*4070	Clinical Applications of Physics in Medicine (or 0.50 electives) 3, 4	0.50
1.50 electives 3		1.50

¹

IPS*1500 Integrated Mathematics and Physics I is recommended

²

IPS*1510 Integrated Mathematics and Physics II is recommended

³

At least 1.00 credits of Liberal Education electives are required. In addition, students are required to complete 1.50 credits from either List A or List B below.

⁴

Either ENGG*4040 Medical Imaging Modalities or PHYS*4070 Clinical Applications of Physics in Medicine must be completed.

Note: PHYS*4001 Research in Physics and PHYS*4002 Research in Physics will be projects in biological or medical physics, some of which may be in areas outside the Department of Physics.

List A: Biological Physics Stream

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
BIOC*3560	Structure and Function in Biochemistry	0.50
BIOC*4050	Protein and Nucleic Acid Structure	0.50
BIOC*4580	Membrane Biochemistry	0.50
MBG*2040	Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics	0.50
MCB*2050	Molecular Biology of the Cell	0.50
NANO*4100	Biological Nanomaterials	0.50
PHYS*3000	Optics: Fundamentals and Applications	0.50

List B: Medical Physics Stream

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
BIOM*2000	Concepts in Human Physiology	0.50
BIOM*3200	Biomedical Physiology	1.00
MBG*2040	Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics	0.50
MICR*3230	Immunology	0.50
PATH*3610	Principles of Disease	0.50
PHYS*3000	Optics: Fundamentals and Applications	0.50
PHYS*4130	Subatomic Physics	0.50
ZOO*2090	Vertebrate Structure and Function	0.50

Credit Summary

(20.00 Total Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
First year science credits		5.00
Required science courses semesters 3 – 8		9.50
Restricted electives (from List A or List B)		1.50
Liberal Education electives		1.00
Free electives - any approved elective for B.Sc. students		3.00
Total Credits		20

Of the total credits required, students are required to complete 16.00 credits in science of which 2.00 credits must be at the 4000 level and an additional 4.00 credits must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.

Note: admission, including internal or external transfer, to the Biological and Medical Physics major (regular and Co-op) has been suspended. For more information, please contact the Department of Physics, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences.  

Co-op Requirements (Honours)

This is a major within the degree: Bachelor of Science. 

The Co-op program in Biological and Medical Physics is a five year program, including five work terms. Students must follow the academic work schedule as outlined below (also found on the Co-operative Education website: https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/). 

Academic and Co-op Work Term Schedule

Co-op Information

Year	Fall	Winter	Summer
1	Academic Semester 1	Academic Semester 2	Off
2	Academic Semester 3 COOP*1100	Academic Semester 4	COOP*1000 Work Term I
3	Academic Semester 5	COOP*2000 Work Term II	COOP*3000 Work Term III
4	Academic Semester 6	Academic Semester 7	COOP*4000 Work Term IV
5	COOP*5000 Work Term V	Academic Semester 8	N/A

Please refer to the Co-operative Education program policy with respect to work term performance grading, work term report grading and program completion requirements.

For additional program information students should consult with their Co-op Co-ordinator and Co-op Faculty Advisor, listed on the Co-operative Education web site.

Credit Summary

(22.50 Total Credits)

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
First year science credits		5.00
Required science courses semesters 3 – 8		9.50
Restricted electives (from List A or List B)		1.50
Liberal Education electives		1.00
Free electives - any approved elective for B.Sc. students.		3.00
Co-op Work Terms		2.50
Total Credits		22.5

Of the total credits required, students are required to complete 16.00 credits in science of which 2.00 credits must be at the 4000 level and an additional 4.00 credits must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.

Recommended Program Sequence

Students lacking Grade 12 or 4U Biology, Chemistry or Physics should follow the revised schedule of study for this major found at: https://www.uoguelph.ca/bsc/revised_SS/.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Semester 1 - Fall
BIOL*1090	Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology	0.50
CHEM*1040	General Chemistry I	0.50
CIS*1300	Programming	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from the following: 1
IPS*1500	Integrated Mathematics and Physics I	1.00
MATH*1080 & PHYS*1080	Elements of Calculus I and Physics for Life Sciences	1.00
MATH*1200 & PHYS*1080	Calculus I and Physics for Life Sciences	1.00
Semester 2 - Winter
BIOL*1080	Biological Concepts of Health	0.50
CHEM*1050	General Chemistry II	0.50
MATH*1160	Linear Algebra I	0.50
Select 1.00 credits from the following: 2
IPS*1510	Integrated Mathematics and Physics II	1.00
MATH*1090 & PHYS*1070	Elements of Calculus II and Physics for Life Sciences II	1.00
MATH*1210 & PHYS*1010	Calculus II and Introductory Electricity and Magnetism	1.00
Semester 3 - Fall
COOP*1100	Introduction to Co-operative Education	0.00
MATH*2200	Advanced Calculus I	0.50
MATH*2270	Applied Differential Equations	0.50
PHYS*2240	Thermal Physics	0.50
PHYS*2330	Electricity and Magnetism I	0.50
0.50 Liberal Education electives		0.50
Semester 4 - Winter
BIOC*2580	Introduction to Biochemistry	0.50
PHYS*2030	Biophysics of Excitable Cells	0.50
PHYS*2180	Experimental Techniques in Physics	0.50
PHYS*2310	Mechanics	0.50
PHYS*2340	Electricity and Magnetism II	0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*1000	Co-op Work Term I	0.50
Semester 5 - Fall
PHYS*3130	Mathematical Physics	0.50
PHYS*3230	Quantum Mechanics I	0.50
1.50 electives 3		1.50
Winter Semester
COOP*2000	Co-op Work Term II	0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*3000	Co-op Work Term III	0.50
Semester 6 - Fall
IPS*3000	Science Communication	0.50
PHYS*3170	Radioactivity and Radiation Interactions	0.50
ENGG*4040	Medical Imaging Modalities (or 0.50 electives) 4	0.50
1.00 electives 3		1.00
Semester 7 - Winter
NANO*3600	Computational Methods in Materials Science	0.50
PHYS*3510	Intermediate Laboratory	0.50
PHYS*4040	Quantum Mechanics II	0.50
PHYS*4540	Molecular Biophysics	0.50
0.50 electives 3		0.50
Summer Semester
COOP*4000	Co-op Work Term IV	0.50
Fall Semester
COOP*5000	Co-op Work Term V	0.50
Semester 8 - Winter
PHYS*4500	Advanced Physics Laboratory	0.50
PHYS*4070	Clinical Applications of Physics in Medicine (or 0.50 electives) 3,4	0.50
1.50 electives 3		1.50

¹

IPS*1500 Integrated Mathematics and Physics I is recommended

²

IPS*1510 Integrated Mathematics and Physics II is recommended

³

At least 1.00 credits of Liberal Education electives are required. In addition, students are required to complete 1.50 credits from either List A or List B below.

⁴

Either ENGG*4040 Medical Imaging Modalities or PHYS*4070 Clinical Applications of Physics in Medicine must be completed.

List A: Biological Physics Stream

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
BIOC*3560	Structure and Function in Biochemistry	0.50
BIOC*4050	Protein and Nucleic Acid Structure	0.50
BIOC*4580	Membrane Biochemistry	0.50
MBG*2040	Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics	0.50
MCB*2050	Molecular Biology of the Cell	0.50
NANO*4100	Biological Nanomaterials	0.50
PHYS*3000	Optics: Fundamentals and Applications	0.50

List B: Medical Physics Stream

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
BIOM*2000	Concepts in Human Physiology	0.50
BIOM*3200	Biomedical Physiology	1.00
MBG*2040	Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics	0.50
MICR*3230	Immunology	0.50
PATH*3610	Principles of Disease	0.50
PHYS*3000	Optics: Fundamentals and Applications	0.50
PHYS*4130	Subatomic Physics	0.50
ZOO*2090	Vertebrate Structure and Function	0.50