Admission to Year 3 BMSc

Admission to the BMSc Program occurs in Year 3. Students apply for both admission to Year 3 BMSc and a particular module(s) through the Intent to Register (ITR) process during their second year. Only those students who submit their ITR by the deadline are considered for admission to Year 3 BMSc and the various modules during the May adjudication period. See the consquences of not submitting an ITR for Year 3 BMSc by the deadline for details.

This flowchart outlines the two paths (assured admission or via the competitive pool) into Year 3 of the BMSc Program.

Admission from Medical Sciences 2:

Students in Medical Sciences 2 are assured admission to Year 3 BMSc provided they satisfy the conditions for assured admission that are outlined in Admission to the Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSc) Program.

Note that, for the following condition for assured admission:

  • A minimum average of 80% must be achieved on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the module to which the student applies. If 3.5 or more 2000-level courses are listed in the Admission Requirements, a minimum average of 80% is required on the best 3.0 of these 2000-level courses.

it is a minimum average of 80% that is required on the 2000-level Admission Requirements, not a minimum mark of 80% in each of these courses. If there are six 2000-level half courses listed in the Admission Requirements, then the average is calculated by adding up the final marks in the six half courses and dividing by six (and if there are more than six 2000-level half courses listed in the Admission Requirements, then the average is calculated on the best six of these courses).

Students in Medical Sciences 2 who do not satisfy the conditions for assured admission can apply for admission to Year 3 BMSc and will be considered for admission if they satisfy the conditions for admission from the competitive pool (see below for "Students Applying from the Competitive Pool").

By satisfying the conditions for assured admission to Year 3 BMSc, students in Medical Sciences 2 are guaranteed consideration for admission to the limited number of spaces in each Honours Specialization module before any students from the competitive pool are considered. Students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy the conditions for assured admission are admitted to the Honours Specialization modules for which they "apply" (via the Intent to Register process) based on the averages achieved on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements. Admission to the Honours Specialization modules in Year 3 BMSc will be competitive when the number of qualified applicants exceeds the limited number of spaces. The averages required on the 2000-level Admission Requirements for admission to some Honours Specialization modules often will be greater than 80%. See "Honours Specialization Modules - maximum capacity and minimum averages required for admission" below for more details.

Students Applying from the Competitive Pool

Students in second year of other programs, as well as students in Medical Sciences 2 who do not satisfy their conditions for assured admission, are considered as applicants from the competitive pool to Year 3 BMSc.

Certain conditions must be satisfied by this group of students appyling for admission to Year 3 BMSc from the "competitive pool", as outlined in Admission to the Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMSc) Program.

Note that, for the following condition for admission from the competitive pool:

  • A minimum average of 75% must be achieved on the 2000-level courses listed in the Admission Requirements for the module to which the student applies. If, however, the Admission Requirements list 3.5 or more 2000-level courses, a minimum average of 75% is required on the best 3.0 of these 2000-level courses. Note that an average greater than 75% may be required for admission, depending on the number of applicants from the competitive pool and the number of spaces remaining in Year 3 of the BMSc Program.

it is a minimum average of 75% that is required on the 2000-level Admission Requirements, not a minimum mark of 75% in each of these courses. If there are six 2000-level half courses listed in the Admission Requirements, then the average is calculated by adding up the final marks in the six half courses and dividing by six (and if there are more than six 2000-level half courses listed in the Admission Requirements, then the average is calculated on the best six of these courses).

Thus far, all "qualified" students from the Competitive Pool have been admitted to Year 3 BMSc, i.e., all applicants from the competitive pool who satisfied the minimum conditions for admission from the competitive pool have been satisfied. It is expected that this trend will continue.

The disadvantage of being admitted from the competitive pool is that admission to the limited spaces in Honours Specialization modules is determined in the following order (until the Honours Specialization module is full):

  1. students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy their conditions for assured admission,

  2. students in the competitive pool who satisfy the minimum conditions

Due to the number of limited spaces in each Honours Specialization module, several Honours Specialization modules fill with students in Medical Sciences 2 who satisfy their conditions for assured admission before students in the competive pool are considered for admission. Students admitted from the competitive pool are often admitted to less competitive Honours Specialization modules and Double Majors within the BMSc Program in Year 3.

2000-Level Admission Requirements:

2000-Level Admission Requirements are found in the Academic Calendar for each of the modules that lead to graduation with a BMSc degree. 

Note: See the "Chart of Admission Reqts for Double Majors", found on the landing page for Medical Sciences 2 since the Common Course Policy comes into effect when students are completing two Majors and this impacts the Admission Requirements.

Honours Specialization Modules - maximum capacity and minimum averages required for admission

The maximum capacity in each Honours Specialization module is limited by the number of spaces in the capstone courses required in these modules in Year 4.

The number of students admitted to each Honours Specialization module in Year 3 is determined by the departments, based on the number of spaces in capstone courses in Year 4. Beginning with students admitted to Year 3 BMSc for 2025/26, students admitted to Year 3 of each Honours Specialization module are guaranteed their spot in Year 4 as long as they satisfy the minimum Progression Requirements for that module.

There is not a pre-determined minimum average required for admission to each Honours Specialization module for Year 3. There is only a pre-determined maximum capacity for each module. The average of the last student admitted to the module determines the minimum average required for admission to that module for that particular year.

See the maximum capacity and minimum averages required for Year 3 of the Honours Specialization modules.

Specialization in IMS

Students must be admitted to Year 3 of the BMSc Program to be admitted to the Specialization in IMS. Once admitted to the BMSc Program, enrolment in the Specialization in IMS is not limited since this module does not contain a capstone course in Year 4.

The Specialization in IMS leads to graduation with the 4-year BMSc degree (non-honors) degree and, since admission to the BMSc Program requires higher marks than generally required for admission to an Honours degree, BMSc students are encouraged to pursue either an Honours Specialization module or Double Major modules so that they can graduate with Honours degrees.

Double Major Modules

Students wishing to pursue two Majors, both of which are offered by basic medical science departments, must be admitted to the BMSc Program.

Once admitted to the BMSc Program by satisfying the minimim requirements for Admission to BMSc, enrolment in Double Majors is not limited. Students must satisfy the Progression Requirements of both Major modules to be enrolled in the Double Majors in Year 4

Currently, Double Majors can be completed in either the 4-year BMSc degree (non-honours) or the BMSc (Honours) degree (see Double Majors in BMSc for more details). For students admitted to Year 3 BMSc in 2027/28, Double Majors can be completed in the BMSc (Honours) degree.

Students in Double Majors have "common courses" in their Majors.  A maximum of 1.0 common course can be double-counted toward both Majors (refer to Common Courses and the Double Major worksheets for students registered in Year 3 BMSc in 2025/26 and onward).

NOTE: The Major in Pharmacology and the Major in Physiology contain too many "common courses" and students cannot complete both of these Major modules.