Biological Science (BIOS)
College of Biological Science
The Biological Science (BIOS) major offers the opportunity to study a wide range of topics within the biological sciences. The major is one of the most flexible within the B.Sc. program. After the core sciences in first and second year, students can tailor the degree through strategic use of elective spaces to create a major all their own.
Benefits of the BIOS major include the ability to:
- Choose a focal area
- Explore unique opportunities
- Declare a minor
- Select electives that provide breadth and flexibility
Choose your own Focal Area
The BIOS major allows students to create a personalized educational experience by building course combinations that are not available in any other major or minor on campus.
Focal areas are informal clusters of courses meant to inspire possibilities within the BIOS major. In contrast, minors are official, formal areas of study that must be declared.
Students may design their own informal focal area to guide course selection. Each focal area combines courses to build foundational scientific knowledge, explore real-world applications, and develop transferable skills for the workplace.
Healthcare Leadership and Innovation: Prepares students to advance healthcare practices, make evidence-informed decisions, and promote accessible, equitable, inclusive healthcare. Emphasis on broad applications within the healthcare field, including but not limited, to clinical practice.
Healthcare Professional Foundations: Prepares students to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care by combining strong scientific knowledge with communication, collaboration, and social awareness. Emphasis on admission into professional health programs such as medical, veterinary, nursing, or pharmacy.
Molecular and Cellular Biotechnology: Prepares students to innovate, develop, and effectively communicate marketable biotechnology solutions across diverse industries.
Sustainable Ecosystems Biology: Prepares students to address complex environmental challenges through research, conservation, and sustainable management practices.
Unique Opportunities to Explore
Students in the BIOS major have access to a number of high impact opportunities to help frame their educational experience. These include:
- Internship In Biological Science (BIOL*3660)
- Integrative Problems in Biological Science (BIOL*4020)
- Research Courses
- Field Courses
- Study Abroad and Exchange
Internship In Biological Science (BIOL*3660)
The Internship In Biological Science (BIOL*3660) is a 0.50 credit course involving a minimum of 100 hours of experience with an organization, volunteer or paid, over the duration of a semester. Students must find their own opportunity and the role/work must be related to biological science. There must be clearly defined duties and responsibilities when working with the organization. More details can be found on the Biological Science Career Skills Resource on CourseLink.
Integrative Problems in Biological Science (BIOL*4020)
In this 1.00 credit capstone course, students work in teams to explore and address an authentic biological problem using an integrative and interdisciplinary approach. Topics are proposed by the instructor and students interact with external client or sources with experiences and expertise in the area. The topic will focus on a problem related to societal needs (e.g., food, health, environment), advanced technologies (e.g., genetic modification), or aspirations (e.g., sustainability). Students will develop skills in problem identification and research, stakeholder analysis, ideation of solutions, and communication to address the client’s needs. This course is restricted to students in the Biological Science (BIOS) major who have completed a minimum of 14.00 credits.
Research Opportunities
The College of Biological Science strives to give Biological Science students some opportunity to participate in research. Each department within CBS offers a variety of research experiences from topics courses to full research and thesis projects. These courses vary in credit weight and range from 0.50 credits in one semester to 2.00 across two semesters.
College of Biological Science offers research opportunities under the following subject areas:
- Integrative Biology (IBIO)
- Human Health Sciences (HHS)
- Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB)
Students may also want to consider the following subject areas, depending the nature of the project and the supervisor:
- Animal Science (ANSC)
- Biomedical Science (BIOM)
- Environmental Sciences (ENVS)
- Psychology (PSYC)
- Neuroscience (NEUR)
Please note that some of the research courses are restricted to specific majors and/or have specific course prerequisites. If you do not meet the restriction or do not have the necessary pre-requisites, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the coordinator to inquire about waiving the restriction/pre-requisite.
Details on how to enroll in research courses can be found on the College of Biological Science website.
Field Courses
The College of Biological Science offers several ways for students to gain field experience. There are three distinct courses that will take students off campus to various locations across Canada. These courses are offered within the Department of Integrative Biology. These courses include Field Ecology (BIOL*4410), Arctic Ecology (BIOL*4610) and Marine Biology and Oceanography (ZOO*4300). Details regarding each of these courses can be found on the Integrative Biology website.
The School of Environmental Science also offers some field courses under the ENVS subject area. B.Sc. students are eligible to select these courses as well. Students should confirm with their program counsellor how these courses will apply towards their degree requirements.
Students can also participate in the Ontario Universities Field Biology Program (OUPFB). This program allows Guelph students to apply to field courses offered by other Ontario Universities and apply the credit back to their degree. More information regarding these opportunities can be found on the OUPFB website.
Study Abroad and Exchange
The University of Guelph's 100+ exchange partners, and summer field schools in 36 countries, are available to undergraduate and graduate students from any academic program. Science students typically start planning in second year for an exchange semester in their 3rd year, but the Biological Science major allows for optimal flexibility as to where and when an exchange semester can happen. See the Global Learning Opportunities website for more details.
Declare a Minor
Many students in BIOS choose to use the flexibility built into the major to declare a minor. Minors provide a formal, official structure to explore an area of science, social science, arts, or business. With a credit requirement of 3.00 - 5.00, minors provide structure for choosing electives in an area that complements a students’ interests while retaining the core biological science foundations of the BIOS major.
Select Courses for Breadth and Flexibility
Students with diverse interests or those who want to keep their options open are advised to prioritize science electives that are prerequisites for upper-year courses. Below is a list of common prerequisites, check out the BSc Advising website for information on what courses require these courses as prerequisites.
Common prerequisite courses to consider taking:
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 will require the completion of 20.00 credits as indicated below:
Schedule of Studies
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/.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | ||
| BIOL*1070 | Discovering Biodiversity | 0.50 |
| BIOL*1090 | Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1040 | General Chemistry I | 0.50 |
| PHYS*1080 | Physics for Life Sciences | 0.50 |
| 0.50 liberal education electives or MATH*1080 Elements of Calculus I 1,2 | 0.50 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| BIOL*1080 | Biological Concepts of Health | 0.50 |
| CHEM*1050 | General Chemistry II | 0.50 |
| PHYS*1070 | Physics for Life Sciences II | 0.50 |
| MATH*1080 | Elements of Calculus I (or 0.50 liberal education elective) 1,2 | 0.50 |
| 0.50 liberal education electives | 0.50 | |
| Semester 3 | ||
| BIOL*2400 | Evolution | 0.50 |
| BIOC*2580 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 0.50 |
| or MBG*2040 | Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics | |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives 3 | 1.00 | |
| 0.50 liberal education elective 1 | 0.50 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| STAT*2040 | Statistics I | 0.50 |
| BIOC*2580 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 0.50 |
| or MBG*2040 | Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics | |
| 1.00 electives or restricted electives 3 | 1.00 | |
| 0.50 liberal education elective 1 | 0.50 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives 3,4 | 2.50 | |
| Semester 6 | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives 3,4 | 2.50 | |
| Semester 7 and 8 | ||
| 2.50 electives or restricted electives 3,4 | 2.50 | |
- 1
The list of liberal education electives for B.Sc. students can be found at: https://www.uoguelph.ca/bsc/.
- 2
MATH*1080 is a required course for the BIOS major. Students interested in taking MATH*1090 following MATH*1080, should consider selecting MATH*1080 in semester 1.
- 3
Consult the BSc Advising website for a list of approved electives.
- 4
For information on electives including interdisciplinary focal areas, experiential learning opportunities, research, field and a fourth year capstone course for BIOS majors please see the BIOS program Overview tab.
Restricted Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Select at least 2.00 credits of liberal education electives 1 | 2.00 | |
| 2. Select a minimum of 0.50 credits in Ecology from the following: | ||
| BIOL*2060 | Ecology | 0.50 |
| BOT*3050 | Plant Functional Ecology | 0.50 |
| 3. Select a minimum of 0.50 credits in Mathematical or Computational Science from the following: | ||
| CIS*1050 | Web Design and Development | 0.50 |
| CIS*1200 | Introduction to Computing | 0.50 |
| CIS*1500 | Introduction to Programming | 0.50 |
| MATH*1090 | Elements of Calculus II | 0.50 |
| STAT*2050 | Statistics II | 0.50 |
| 4. Select a minimum of 0.50 credits in Physiology from the following: | ||
| BIOM*3200 | Biomedical Physiology | 1.00 |
| BOT*2100 | Life Strategies of Plants | 0.50 |
| HK*2810 | Human Physiology I - Concepts and Principles | 0.50 |
| ZOO*3600 | Comparative Animal Physiology I 5 | 0.50 |
| 5. 5.50 additional Biological Science credits of which 4.00 must be at the 3000 or 4000 level 3,4 | 5.50 | |
- 5
May require additional prerequisites.
Credit Summary
(20.00 Total Credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First year science core | 4.00 | |
| Required science courses semesters 3 - 8 (# 2, 3 and 4 in restricted elective list) | 3.50 | |
| Approved Biological Science electives of which 4.00 must be 3000/4000 level (# 5 in restricted elective list) | 5.50 | |
| Approved Science electives of which 2.00 credits must be 3000/4000 level 6,7 | 3.00 | |
| Liberal education electives 1 | 2.00 | |
| Electives 3,4 | 2.00 | |
| Total Credits | 20 | |
- 6
May include 1 of BIOL*1020 Introduction to Biology, CHEM*1060 Introductory Chemistry
- 7
Of the total credits required, students are required to complete 16.00 credits in science of which a minimum of 2.00 credits must be at the 4000 level and an additional 4.00 credits must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.