Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate Calendar 2022-2023 
    
Undergraduate Calendar 2022-2023 [-ARCHIVED CALENDAR-]

Honours Life Sciences Co-op (B.Sc.)


Admission


Enrolment in this program is limited and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement and an interview but requires, as a minimum, submission of the on-line application by the stated deadline and completion of Level II Honours Life Sciences with a Grade Point Average of at least 5.0 and completion of the following courses:

Program Notes


  1. This is a five-level (year) co-op program which includes two eight-month work terms which must be spent in life sciences related placements.
  2. Students must be registered full-time and take a full academic workload, as prescribed by Level and Term.
  3. Students are required to complete SCIENCE 2C00  prior to the Fall Term of Level III. Students are required to complete SCIENCE 3C00  before the first work placement.   
  4. Registration in the Honours Life Sciences Co-op program does not guarantee access to all courses. Some courses have program restrictions and students are responsible to read course prerequisites carefully.
  5. Students interested in completing a thesis or independent study course should consider completing LIFESCI 3RP3  in Level III.
  6. Students interested in graduate school may wish to consider completion of a thesis or independent study course (see LIFESCI 4A03 4B09 A/B S , 4C12 A/B S 4D15 A/B S ).
  7. Level IV Research Seminar topics may change from year to year. Research Seminar topics and descriptions are available on the program web site (https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/sis/undergraduate/life-sciences.html​).
  8. Students entering Level IV or V of Honours Life Sciences Co-op must complete and submit a ballot, rank ordering their preference for enrolment in Level IV seminar offerings by the end of March. Students will be informed of their ballot result by the end of May. Failure to submit a ballot by the stated deadline may compromise enrolment in a preferred seminar. The Life Sciences program pre-registration ballot will include all Level IV Life Sciences research seminar courses. Co-op students will have access to the ballot only once during their undergraduate degree.
  9. LIFESCI 4CM3  is required for students completing the Honours Life Sciences - Origins of Disease Specialization and is not included in the pre-registration ballot. 
  10. LIFESCI 4XX3  is required for students completing the Honours Life Sciences - Sensory Motor Systems Specialization and is not included in the pre-registration ballot.
  11. Students must complete at least one of EXPLORE 3IS3 LIFESCI 3EP3  3RP3 , 3XX3 , 3YY3 , 4A03 , 4B06 A/B S , 4B09 A/B S , 4C09 A/B S , 4C12 A/B S , 4D15 A/B S  4EP6 A/B S SCIENCE 2A03 , 3A03 , 3M03 , 3WT0 .
  12. The Co-op option is not available with either the Origins of Disease or Sensory Motor Systems Specializations.
  13. Course planning is extremely important. Students must review and consider the requisites on Level II, III and IV courses when enrolling in the previous Levels.

Life Sciences Course List


Astronomy ASTRON 2B03  
Biochemistry Levels II, III, IV*
Biology Levels II, III, IV*
Biophysics BIOPHYS 2A03 , 2S03 , 3D03 3G03  
Chemistry CHEM 2BC3 , 2E03 , 2OA3 , 2OB3 , 2P03 , 3RC3  
Chemical Biology CHEMBIO 2A03 , 2P03 , 3BM3 , 3OA3 , 4OA3 , 4OB3  
Data Science DATASCI 2G03  
Earth Sciences EARTHSC 2E03 3P03 4PA3  
Environmental Science ENVIRSC 2E03, 2EI3, 2GI3, 3B03 , 3EE3, 3GI3, 3GV3, 3SR3, 4HH3 
Environment & Society ENVSOCTY 2EI3 , 2GI3 , 2HI3 2UI3 , 3EC3 , 3EE3  3ER3 3GI3 , 3GV3 3HP3 . 3SR3 3UP3 4HH3  
Explore EXPLORE 3IS3  
Geography GEOG 2EI3, 2GI3, 2HI3, 2UI3, 3EC3, 3EE3, 3ER3, 3GI3, 3GV3, 3HP3, 3SR3, 3UP3, 4HH3 
Health Sciences HTHSCI 2G03 , 3DD3, 3DD6 A/B , 3I03 , 3K03 , 3RS3 3DM3 , 4II3 , 4O03  
Kinesiology KINESIOL 2Y03 , 2YY3  
Life Sciences Levels II, III, IV*
Mathematics MATH 2UU3 , 3MB3   
Medical Physics MEDPHYS 2D03 , 4B03 , 4F03 , 4U03  
Medical Radiation Sciences MEDRADSC 3X03  
Molecular Biology Levels III, IV*
Neuroscience NEUROSCI 3J03 , 3SN3  
Physics PHYSICS 2G03 
Psychology PSYCH Levels II, III, IV*
Science Levels II, III*
Science Communication SCICOMM 2A03 , 2M03 2NM3  
* All Levels II, III, IV courses for which the prerequisites have been met are acceptable.

 

Requirements


120 units total (Levels I to IV), of which no more than 48 units may be Level I

Level I: 30 Units


30 units


  • Completed prior to admission to program

Level II: 30 Units


Level III


Consists of academic studies (Fall Term), Co-op Work Term (Winter Term), and Co-op Work Term (Spring/Summer Term)

Level IV


Consists of academic studies (Fall and Winter Terms) and Co-op Work Term (Spring/Summer Term)

Level V


Consists of Co-op Work Term (Fall Term) and academic studies (Winter Term)

Co-op Program Chart


 

FALL TERM

(September to December)

WINTER TERM

(January to April)

SPRING/SUMMER TERM

(May to August)

Level III 15 units from
Academic Level III
+
SCIENCE 3C00  

Work Term

SCIENCE 3WT0 

 

Work Term

SCIENCE 3WT0 

 
Level IV 30 units from Academic Levels III and IV

Work Term

SCIENCE 4WT0 

 
Level V

Work Term

SCIENCE 5WT0 

 
15 units from Academic
Level IV