Course Requirements
Course Requirements for the BSc in Health Sciences
This Bachelor of Science degree requires 120 units of required, prerequisite and elective courses. The degree has a choice of a concentration in Life Sciences or a concentration in Population and Quantitative Health Sciences. Students must complete all lower and upper division requirements.
Note: Please be aware of the Writing/Quantitative/Breadth (WQB) requirements when choosing electives.
Life Sciences Area of Emphasis
Lower Division Requirements (44 units)
Students complete all of
BISC 101-4 General Biology I
BISC 102-4 General Biology II
BISC 202-3 Genetics
CHEM 121-4 General Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 122-2 General Chemistry II
CHEM 281-4 Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 282-2 Organic Chemistry II
HSCI 130-3 Foundations of Health Science
MATH 154-3 Calculus I for the Biological Sciences
MATH 155-3 Calculus II for the Biological Sciences
MBB 222-3 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
MBB 231-3 Cellular Biology and Biochemistry
PHYS 101-3 Physics for the Life Sciences I
and one of
STAT 201-3 Statistics for the Life Sciences
STAT 203-3 Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences
and two of
HSCI 211-3 Perspectives on Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease and Metabolic Diseases
HSCI 212-3 Perspectives on Infectious and Immunological Diseases
HSCI 214-3 Perspectives on Mental Health and Addiction
HSCI 215-3 Perspectives on Disability and Injury
HSCI 216-3 Ecological Determinants of Human Growth, Development and Health
Upper Division Requirements (46 units minimum)
Students complete all of
HSCI 305-3 The Canadian Health System
HSCI 324-3 Human Population Genetics and Evolution
HSCI 330-3 Exploratory Strategies in Epidemiology
HSBI 321-3 Human Pathophysiology
MBB 308-3 Molecular Biology Laboratory
MBB 331-3 Molecular Biology
STAT 302-3 Analysis of Experimental and Observational Data
and one of
HSCI 319W-3 Applied Health Ethics
PHIL 319W-3 Applied Health Ethics
HSCI 327-3 Global Health Ethics
Students must complete a minimum of at least seven of the following courses, which include a minimum of one as indicated by #, a minimum of one indicated by % and a minimum of two indicated by *.
BISC 300-3 Evolution
BISC 302-3 Genetic Analysis
BISC 303-4 Microbiology
BISC 304-3 Animal Ecology
BISC 313-3 Environmental Toxicology
BISC 333-3 Developmental Biology
BISC 405-3 Neurobiology
BISC 418-3 Parasitology
BISC 422-3 Population Genetics
BISC 441-3 Evolution of Health and Disease
CHEM 360-3 Thermodynamics and Chemical Kinetics
CHEM 371-3 Chemistry of the Aqueous Environment
CHEM 372-3 Chemistry of the Atmospheric Environment
HSCI 323-3 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology#
HSCI/MBB 426-3 Immune System I: Basis of Innate and Adaptive Immunity#
HSCI/MBB 427-3 Immune System II: Immune Response in Health and Disease*
HSCI 438-3 Animal Virology#
HSCI 439-3 Pathogenesis of Human and Animal Viral Infectious Diseases*
HSCI 440-4 Cell Pathophysiology Laboratory%
HSCI 441-4 Virology Laboratory%
HSCI 442-4 Immunology Laboratory%
HSCI 443-3 Molecular Toxicology Laboratory%
HSCI 474-3 Seminar in Neuropharmacology*
HSCI 475-3 Seminar in Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetics*
HSCI 476-3 Seminar in Molecular Basis of Drug Action and Environmental Exposure*
HSCI 477-3 Seminar in Vaccine Immunology*
HSCI 478-3 Seminar in Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases*
HSCI 479-3 Seminar in Aging-Related Neurodegenerative Disease*
HSCI 482-3 Senior Seminar in Infectious Disease*
KIN 305-3 Human Physiology I
KIN 306-3 Human Physiology II
KIN 407-3 Human Physiology Laboratory
KIN 412-3 Molecular and Cellular Cardiology
KIN 431-3 Environmental Carcinogenesis
KIN 446-3 Neurological Disorders
MBB 309-4 Biochemistry Laboratory
MBB 321-3 Intermediary Metabolism
MBB 322-3 Molecular Physiology
MBB 323-3 Introduction to Physical Biochemistry
MBB 421-3 Nucleic Acids
MBB 422-3 Biomembranes
MBB 423-3 Protein Structure and Function
MBB 424-3 Membrane Transport Mechanisms
MBB 428-3 Molecular Mechanisms of Microbial Pathogenesis
MBB 430-3 Mechanisms of Secretory Transport
MBB 431-3 Cells and Diseases
MBB 432-3 Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques
MBB 435-3 Genome Biology
MBB 436-3 Gene Expression
MBB 437-3 Selected Topics in Signal Transduction
MBB 438-3 Human Molecular Genetics
MBB 441-3 Bioinformatics
MBB 442-3 Proteomics
MBB 443-3 Protein Biogenesis and Degradation
MBB 444-3 Developmental Neurobiology
PHYS 347-3 Introduction to Biological Physics
PHYS 433-3 Biological Physics Laboratory
REM 445-3 Environmental Risk Assessment
Although many variations are possible, those with BC high school chemistry 12, mathematics 12, and physics 12 (or equivalents) might complete the following typical program in the lower division.
Term 1
BISC 101-4 or 102-4
CHEM 121-4
HSCI 130-3
MATH 154-3
Term 2
BISC 101-4 or 102-4
CHEM 122-2
CHEM 281-4
MATH 153-3
Term 3
BISC 202-3
MBB 222-3
PHYS 101-3
HSCI 211-3
Term 4
CHEM 282-2
HSCI 212-3
MBB 231-3
STAT 201-3
Students enrolled in the Fall semester in the Life Science program in the Faculty of Health Sciences should complete CHEM 281-3 in the Spring semester during the first year of enrolment.
Population and Quantitative Health Sciences Area of Emphasis
Lower Division Requirements (46 units minimum)
Students complete all of
BISC 101-4 General Biology I
BISC 102-4 General Biology II
BISC 202-3 Genetics
HSCI 130-3 Foundations of Health Sciences
MATH 154-3 Calculus I for the Biological Sciences
And at least five of
CHEM 121-4 General Chemistry and Laboratory I
CHEM 122-2 General Chemistry II
CHEM 281-4 Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 282-2 Organic Chemistry II
CMPT 126-3 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming
ECON 104-3 Economics and Government
MATH 155-3 Calculus II for the Biological Sciences
PHYS 101-3 Physics for the Life Sciences I
and one of
ENGL 199-3 Introduction to University Writing
PHIL 120-3 Introduction to Moral Philosophy
and one of
STAT 201-3 Statistics for the Life Sciences
STAT 203-3 Introduction to Statistics for the Social Sciences
and at least three of
HSCI 211-3 Perspectives on Cancer, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases
HSCI 212-3 Perspectives on Mental Health and Illness
HSCI 215-3 Perspectives on Disability and Injury
HSCI 216-3 Ecological Determinants of Human Growth, Development and Health
Upper Division Requirements (42 units minimum)
Students complete all of
HSCI 305-3 The Canadian Health System
HSCI 307-3 Research Methods in Health Sciences
HSCI 324-3 Human Population Genetics and Evolution
HSCI 330-3 Exploratory Strategies in Epidemiology
HSCI 484-3 Senior Seminar in Population Health Research
STAT 302-3 Analysis of Experimental and Observational Data
and one of
HSCI 319W-3 Applied Health Ethics
PHIL 319W-3 Applied Health Ethics
HSCI 320-3 Global Health Ethics
and at least six of the following courses, which include a minimum of one as indicated by #.
BISC 441-3 Evolution in Health and Disease
BISC 422-3 Population Genetics
HSCI 304-3 Perspectives on Environmental Health
HSCI 340-3 Social Determinants of Health
HSCI 410-3 Exploratory Data Analysis#
HSCI 424-4 Strategic Applications of GIS in Health#
HSCI 431-3 The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic
HSCI 432-3 Infectious Disease Epidemiology
HSCI 478-3 Seminar in Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Disease#
HSCI 481-3 Senior Seminar in Social Health Science
HSCI 483-3 Senior Seminar in Environmental Health
HSCI 485-3 Senior Seminar in Mental Health and Addictions
HSCI 486-3 Senior Seminar in Global Health
MBB 435-3 Genome Biology
MBB 441-3 Bioinformatics
REM 412-3 Environmental Modeling
SA 355-4 Quantitative Methods#
and a minimum two additional upper division HSCI courses (6 units minimum)
Honors Program
A minimum of 3.00 on all relevant measures (CGPA, upper division grade point average, Health Sciences major grade point average) is required for entry and must be maintained for graduation with honors.
Students who obtain both a program and graduation GPA of 3.5 are eligible for the designation first class.
Entry into the program requires sponsorship by a mentor from among Health Sciences faculty and approval of the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Students must complete at least 132 units and meet all the requirements for the major. Also required are 9 to 15 course credit hours for a research-based honors thesis carried out under the supervision of the a faculty Supervisor, as follows:
HSCI 490-3 Research Proposal
HSCI 491-3 Independent Research or HSCI 493-6 Extended Independent Research
HSCI 492-3 Honors Thesis
Or
HSCI 490-3 Research Proposal
HSCI 494-9 Independent Laboratory Research
HSCI 492-3 Honors Thesis
