Take the readiness quiz and check that you're prepared.
What program should you follow? What courses should you choose?
There are a number of choices for students, so it is important to make a good choice with your future in mind, though it is not necessary to stay with your first or even second choice. To learn about the various programs, here are some resources:
- a downloadable chart that summarizes the possibilities of Undergraduate Degree Programs Involving Chemistry.
- a Credit Requirements by Type chart that lists the different amounts of Chemistry and other subjects required by each degree program,
- brief descriptions of each of the programs are under Degree Programs Descriptions,
- detailed listings of the requirements for each program are under the Degree Requirements.
- side-by-side comparisons of our programs.
When deciding on a program, the following should be kept in mind:
- You can always change programs (see Program Change). To do so without needing to catch up on requirements, it is best to do this as early as possible. So what does that mean? Depending on the year you joined the Faculty of Science, transfers as late as third year may cause no delay (see below). The Pharmaceutical & Biological Stream and the Biochemistry degrees deviate from the rest, with additional requirements starting in first year.
- As of 2012, the degree requirements for most degrees cascade. Thus, meeting the requirements of the Specialized Honours BSc stream in Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry degree will automatically* meet the requirements for the Specialized Honours BSc in Chemistry degrees (including the Analytical and Materials options) will be met, which will automatically meet the requirements for the Honours Major (or Double Major or Major-Minor) in Chemistry BSc degrees, which will automatically meet the requirements for the 3-year BSc degrees (including the Analytical option), which will automatically meet the requirements for a Minor in Chemistry in an Honours Major-Minor program.
Similarly, the Specialized Honours BSc in Biochemistry degree will automatically meet the requirements for the Honours Major (or Double Major or Major-Minor) in Biochemistry BSc degrees. - For easy transferability between programs, the first two years are identical for most degrees: the Specialized Honours BSc in Chemistry degrees (including the Analytical and Materials options), the Honours Major BSc degree, all Honours Double Major BSc degrees, all Honours Major-Minor BSc degrees and the 3-year BSc degrees (including the Analytical option).
- Similarly, the first two years of the Pharmaceutical & Biological Chemistry Stream are very similar to those of both the Specialized Honours BSc in Biochemistry degree and the Honours Major BSc in Biochemistry degree (adding a minor or a second major will mean additional requirements).
- Different academic standards are required for continuation in Honours and non-Honours degree programs. [Details]
- Some programs are accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC). [Details]
- Some programs are recommended for those who may wish to proceed to a post-graduate degree in chemistry or biochemistry. [Details]
As detailed on our Help & Advice pages, there is an on-line tool available to help you track your progress, and one-on-one advice on program and course selections is always available. The Personal Advisor or FAQs also answer numerous common questions about policies and procedures. They also point you to resources to help you become a more effective student, to deal with personal issues or to deal with coursework, and provide advice on your options.
Ready to apply? Visit the Apply for Admission page.
*The Undergraduate Program Director will exempt the one course substitution required to graduate with a Specialized Honours BSc after following the Pharmaceutical & Biological stream requirements.
