Honours Life Sciences (B.Sc.)

Admission Note

When completed together, BIOLOGY 1A01  and 1A02  serve as a substitute for BIOLOGY 1A03 . These courses should be completed in the same term. If completed, both BIOLOGY 1A01  and 1A02  would be required for admission.

Admission

Completion of any Level I program with a Grade Point Average of at least 5.0 including:

Program Notes

1. Registration in an Honours Life Sciences program does not guarantee access to all courses. Some courses have program restrictions. Students should check prerequisites carefully.
2. For students who previously completed LIFESCI 2G03, this course does not substitute for BIOLOGY 2C03  or MOLBIOL 2C03  for prerequisite purposes.
3. Students interested in completing a thesis or independent study course should consider completing LIFESCI 3RP3  in Level III.
4. 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 , SCICOMM 4A03 ). 
5. Level IV Research Seminar topics may change from year to year. Research Seminar topics and descriptions are available on the program web site (https://sis.mcmaster.ca/undergraduate/life-sciences/registered-students/). Honours Life Sciences students must complete at least 3 units from Course List E.  
6. Students entering Level IV Honours Life Sciences (not including the Sensory Motor Systems Specialization) 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. Students fulfilling Course List E through eligible thesis or project courses can opt out of balloting for research seminar course topics.
7. One of LIFESCI 4CM3  or 4U03  is required for students completing the Honours Life Sciences - Origins of Disease Specialization (B.Sc.) . Students in the Honours Life Sciences - Origins of Disease Specialization (B.Sc.)  will complete the pre-registration ballot process to indicate preference for either LIFESCI 4CM3   or 4U03 . Students in this specialization will receive first priority in the pre-registration ballot for one of these courses.
8. LIFESCI 4XX3  is required for students completing the Honours Life Sciences - Sensory Motor Systems Specialization (B.Sc.)  and is not included in the pre-registration ballot.
9. 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.
10. Effective September 2025, students in Honours Life Sciences will have the choice to use LIFESCI 4CM3  toward Course List C or Course List E.
11. Students who entered the program in September 2023 or prior, will have the choice to use LIFESCI 3P03  toward either Course List A or Course List C.
12. Students who entered the program in September 2023 or prior, may use LIFESCI 3PP3  toward Course List A.
13. SUSTAIN 3SS3  is only offered in the Spring Term.
14. Students who entered the program in September 2023 or prior, will have the choice to use LIFESCI 4A03 , 4B09 A/B S , 4C12 A/B S , 4D15 A/B S  toward Course List E.

Course Lists

Requirements

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

Course Lists for Students Who Entered in September 2023 or Prior

Requirements for Students Who Entered in September 2023 or Prior

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