Biomedical Sciences

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses, including Grade 12 U courses in: English, Advanced Functions (MHF4U), and two of Biology (SBI4U) or Chemistry (SCH4U) or Physics (SPH4U).

Notes:

1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
   
2. The grade(s) required in the subject prerequisites (normally in the range of 70 percent) will be determined subject to competition.
   
3. Completion of all three science courses is recommended.
   
4. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.  

Scientific findings in the last fifty years have caused a massive shift in our understanding of biology. We have accumulated an atlas of thousands of genomes. Now, in the post-genomic era, we aim to understand how these genes, and the proteins encoded by these genes, are regulated and integrated in space and time at the molecular and cellular levels. These processes are fundamentally linked to health, infection and the development of disease states.

Therefore, a deep understanding of biomedical sciences, such as molecular and cell biology, genetics and genomics, and microbiology, is important for medical research, and the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Biomedical Sciences undergraduates will follow a curriculum that emphasizes the molecular and cellular mechanisms that drive health and development of disease-states in all living organisms. The curriculum will also provide opportunities to learn about biomedical technology and innovation and offer versatility between theoretical and applied education so that graduates are poised to enter the workforce directly or further their education in graduate school.

The Biomedical Sciences program aims to train students in the scientific concepts, models and theories in biomedical sciences, applying the knowledge to derive and test new hypotheses, and synthesize better models of knowledge. The Biomedical Sciences program is primarily hosted by the Department of Chemistry and Biology, with contributions from the Departments of Medical Physics and Psychology.

Students in science programs must enrol in SCI 180 in their first semester of studies.

Year 1 of the program primarily consists of science courses in Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Math. Year 1 is designed to give all Biomedical Sciences students a foundational understanding in science to build upon in upper years.

Year 2 is comprised of cell biology, microbiology, biochemistry and biomedical science courses, which will provide foundational knowledge in cornerstone areas of the biomedical sciences as well as being necessary for specialization and development of expertise in Years 3 and 4.

In Year 3, students will begin developing depth of knowledge by acquiring and applying advanced knowledge in biomedical sciences. This will be implemented through specific core courses that include advanced biochemistry, molecular biology and immunology.

In Year 4, students will take specialized courses in biomedical science and select electives so they can gain either a greater depth of knowledge in one area and/or develop multi-disciplinary knowledge in several areas

An optional co-operative program is available which provides the graduating students with 20 months of work experience that enhances their organizational and technical abilities as well as their oral and written communication skills.

Although the Office of Co-operative Education (opens in new window)  cannot guarantee a placement, they provide assistance in locating suitable positions and counselling of students in their search for suitable jobs. This co-operative program enables students to earn competitive wages to offset the costs of a university education.

Students who have completed the first year of the Biomedical Sciences program can apply through the Career & Co-op Centre (opens in new window)  for admission to the co-operative education program at the end of first year during our spring/summer admissions period. This is the only time for students to apply to Co-op. Enrolment in the co-op program is limited.  Admission will be based on a criteria which includes the student's grade point average, courses completed, a resume, statement of intent and interview if deemed necessary.  To be admitted into the co-­op program, students must have all first year courses completed and a CLEAR Academic Standing. Students who are direct entry/transfer are not permitted into the program except on an exceptional case by case basis. Students who are ahead with significant course credits are not permitted into the program except on an exceptional case by case basis.  All decisions regarding admission into the program are final and at the discretion of the Career and Co-op Centre (opens in new window) .

The sequencing of academic and work terms is shown below:

Work terms are graded on a pass/fail basis. Each work term is assessed by the School's Faculty Advisor on the basis of the student's comprehensive written report and the employer's evaluation of the student's performance on the job. Students must successfully complete 3 co-op WKT’s in order to graduate from their program of study with a Co-op designation. Once the requirements are satisfied being able to do another work term is at the discretion of the Career & Co-op Centre (opens in new window) .

The co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in Biomedical Sciences. The regular program can be completed in four years.

All co-op placements must be approved by the Career & Co-op Centre (opens in new window)  and the Faculty Advisor for the Biomedical Sciences co-op program.

Additional information about co-op can be found on the Office of Co-operative Education website.

Students can enrich their studies and hone their management skills with the Optional Specialization in Management Sciences. Courses within the optional specialization cover four major areas in management sciences: Strategic Engineering Management, Operations Management/Operations Research, Finance and Organizational Behaviour. For eligibility, registration, and course information see Optional Specialization in Management Sciences (OS MS).

How to Enrol

1. Students must first find a supervisor. Descriptions of faculty research are available on the Faculty of Science website (opens in new window) .
2. Students should contact supervisors whose research interests them by email or in person. Students must give their potential supervisor an unofficial transcript (opens in new window) , a one-page resumé and a brief covering letter. This package must include their contact information, degree program and stream, a brief statement of their career goals and how this research experience would further those goals, and any relevant work experience (paid or volunteer).
3. Follow the instructions available in the  (PDF file) Research Practicum Application Form. (opens in new window) 
   

Biomedical Sciences students can pursue careers in clinical or forensic laboratories in biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries. Other opportunities include biomedical research institutions, non-governmental organizations, health administration organizations, policy organizations, consulting management companies and patent law firms. Graduates who choose to continue their studies may apply to an MSc or PhD in Molecular Science, or to professional schools leading to careers in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy or physiotherapy.

Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Toronto Met (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

Revised curriculum begins 2024-2025 for students admitted Fall 2022 and after.

Revised curriculum begins Fall 2024 for students admitted Fall 2022 and after.

The following table shows the sequence of academic and work terms for this program.

WKT courses are graded on a pass/fail basis.

Students must successfully complete a minimum of three work terms in order to graduate from the co-op program.
 
The co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in Biomedical Sciences. The regular program can be completed in four years. All Co-op placements must be approved by the Office of Co-operative Education and the Dean's designate responsible for administering science programs.

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Dr. Lewis Tomalty
Vice Dean, Medical Education, School of Medicine
Associate Dean, Continuing Professional Development
Associate Professor, Department Biomedical and Molecular Medicine       
Queen’s University
 
Dr. Ron Pearlman
Emeritus Professor, Department of Biology 
York University
 
Dr. Arthur Slutsky
Vice President, Research      
St. Michael’s Hospital
 
Dr. Patricia Houston
Vice President, Education
St. Michael’s Hospital
 
Dr. Sergio Grinstein
Senior Researcher, Pitblado Chair in Cell Biology
Professor, University of Toronto
Hospital for Sick Children
 
Dr. Sonja Dhani
Senior Manager and Medical Lead
Allergan, Neurosciences Medical Affairs
 
Lance Lovelock
President and Principal Consultant
Red Deer Pharmaceutical GMP Consulting Inc.
 
Dr. Nirojini Sivachandran
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto