COURSE CURRICULUM

The Biomedical Sciences program at Waterloo requires the completion of 10.5 core academic units, offering a rigorous and health-focused foundation for students pursuing careers in medicine, research, or the life sciences. Core courses include BIOL 130 and 130L (Cell Biology and Lab), BIOL 201 (Human Anatomy), BIOL 239 (Genetics), BIOL 240 and 240L (Microbiology and Lab), BIOL 241 (Applied Microbiology), BIOL 273 and 373 (Human Physiology 1 and 2) with BIOL 373L (Physiology Lab), BIOL 302 (Histology), and BIOL 308 (Molecular Biology). Supporting science courses include general and organic chemistry with labs, biochemistry, calculus (MATH 127), and statistics (STAT 202). Students must also complete physics with labs (PHYS 111/121 and PHYS 111L/121L) and a communication course (COMMST 193 or ENGL 193). Electives deepen specialization, requiring four upper-year BIOL courses such as virology, parasitology, genomics, or developmental biology, and two more from a broader biology course list. Additional breadth is gained through 2.0 science units (1.5 at the 300-level or above) and 1.5 units from approved interdisciplinary electives in health, sociology, psychology, or ethics. With a strong mix of core science, lab work, and flexibility, this program prepares students for health professions, biomedical research, and related graduate or professional studies.