Course Selection for Year 3 BMSc

Consider the following when planning your courses for Year 3 BMSc:

  • modular courses that must be taken in Year 3 to progress to Year 4,
    • these are your required courses for the upcoming year and are listed in the Progression Requirements for your module(s);
  • modular courses that must be completed by the time you graduate.
    • some 2000- and 3000-level modular courses may not be listed in the Progression Requirements and don't have to be completed by the end of Year 3. Look ahead at the 4000-level courses you will need in Year 4 and how leaving some 2000- and 3000-level modular courses to Year 4 impacts your fourth-year course load;
  • overall degree requirements, e.g., breadth requirements, minimum number of senior courses, etc.
  • whether you would like to maintain eligibility to request a different module(s) for Year 4
    • see below if you wish to shadow the course selection of Year 3 of an HSP in which you are not registered
  • basic medical science courses are not available in the summer, with the exception of a very few courses - see Summer Course Registration for the courses offered summer 2025 (use as a guideline for summer 2026)

Courses required to progress to Year 4 of your current module(s):

Honours Specialization

If you are registered in Year 3 of an Honours Specialization module, then you are guaranteed your registration in Year 4 of the same Honours Specialization module if you satisfy the minimum Progression Requirements.

NOTE: if you are registered in Year 3 of either the Honours Specialization in Physiology or the Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology, then you are guaranteed your spot in Year 4 of either of these Honours Specialization (HSP) modules in Year 4 as long as you satisfy the Progression Requirements of the module that you request for your Year 4 Intent to Register. For example, if you are registered in Year 3 of the HSP in Physiology and Pharmacology and you do NOT take Pharmacology 3620 in Year 3, then you can submit your ITR for Year 4 HSP Physiology and be guaranteed a spot in Year 4 HSP Physiology.

Courses required for Year 3:

  • See the Progression Requirements on the module page in the Academic Calendar for a list of the courses that MUST be completed by the end of Year 3. Make sure to check if there are minimum mark requirements in some of these courses.
Keep in mind: all of the modular requirements must be completed by the time you graduate, so if you choose to complete only the courses listed in the Progression Requirements by the end of Year 3, then you may be left with A LOT of courses in Year 4. Also consider the timetable when planning your courses over Years 3 and 4; courses not listed in the Progression Requirements can be left until Year 4 as long as there are no timetable conflicts with required 4000-level courses (use the current timetable as a guide for Year 4, although it can change year to year).

Double Majors

Courses required for Year 3: 

  • See the Progression Requirements on each Major module page in the Academic Calendar for a list of the courses that MUST be be completed by the end of Year 3. Make sure to check if there are minimum mark requirements in some of these courses.
  • If there are additional 2000- and 3000-level courses listed in your worksheet that are not included in the Progression Requirements, then these courses can be taken in any of Years 2-4
  • The Double Major worksheets on the webpage for the Common Course Policy provide a list of the required modular courses when two Majors are completed. The courses in blue on the worksheet are included in the Progression Requirements for each Major and must be completed by the end of Year 3. The minimum marks in specific courses are not indicated on these worksheets - this information is in the Academic Calendar for each Major.

Keep in mind: all modular courses must be completed by the time you graduate, for instance consider: 

  • Double Majors typically require 11.0 unique modular courses. If there are 6.0 courses listed in the Progression Requirements and you complete these 6.0 modular courses, only, by the end of Year 3, then you will have a heavy load of 5.0 modular courses left for Year 4.
    • Also consider the timetable when planning your courses over Years 3 and 4; you might choose to leave some courses not listed in the Progression Requirements until Year 4 but check the current timetable to see if any conflicts will arise in Year 4 (and the timetable can change year to year).

Maintaining eligibility for Year 4 of an Honours Specialization or Double Majors in which you are NOT registered for Year 3:

Students in Year 3 may wish to register in the courses listed in the Progression Requirements for another Honours Specialization or Double Majors and submit their Intent to Register for Year 4 with the desired module(s) as their First Choice. The BMSUE Office does not permit changes to the modules in which BMSc students are registered for Year 3 but students can submit their ITR for different modules for Year 4 if they satisfy the minimum Progression Requirements.

If departments have space in the 4000-level Research Projects that are required in their Honours Specialization modules (due to attrition in the number of students progressing from their Honours Specializations from Year 3 to 4), then permission might be granted to admit new students into their HSP modules for Year 4. Since it is not possible to predict whether space may open in Year 4 of any Honours Specialization module for students who are not registered in the HSP in Year 3, students are encouraged to satisfy the Progression Requirements of the module(s) in which they are registered for Year 3. 

Admission to Double Majors in Year 4 is not limited to a particular number of students but students must satisfy the minimum Progression Requirements of their desired Double Major combination while in Year 3.

  • For the courses required to progress to Year 4 of an Honours Specialization, see the module page in the Academic Calendar
  • For the courses required to progress to Year 4 of a particular Double Major, see the courses identified in blue text on the appropriate Double Major worksheet on the Common Course Policy page.
Keep in mind: Most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces), and registration in courses for which students do not have access during the Priority Enrollment Period may not be possible. See Access to Courses for full details, and use the waitlist option when registering for courses.

Double Major students may request special permission to substitute Medical Sciences 4000E for a 4000-level Research Project:

If departments have space in the 4000-level Research Projects that are required in their Honours Specialization modules (due to attrition in the number of students progressing from their Honours Specializations from Year 3 to 4), then permission might be granted to either (i) admit new students into their HSP modules in Year 4, or (ii) allow students in BMSc (Honours) Double Majors to substitute Medical Sciences 4000E with one of the 4985E Research Projects. The 4986Y corequisite course would have to be taken, in addition to the usual modular requirements for Double Majors (e.g., 11.0 modular courses + 4986Y would be required). It is important to note that typically the departments will require that students have satisfied the Progression Requirements of their Honours Specialization module to consider granting special permission for enrollment in their 4985E (and 4986Y) courses. 

The process for requesting special permission will be posted by the end of the fall term. 

Keep in mind: Most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces), and registration in courses for which students do not have access during the Priority Enrollment Period may not be possible. See Access to Courses for full details, and use the waitlist option when registering for courses.

Building your schedule:

Honours Specialization 

  1. schedule the courses listed in the Progression Requirements for your module that you haven’t yet completed;
  2. look at the 2000- and 3000-level courses required in the module but not specified in the progression requirements. Consider how you want to schedule these across Years 3 and 4;
  3. consider additional degree requirements. Have you accounted for completing your breadth requirements, senior courses requirements, etc.? See Graduation Requirements for details;
  4. fill out your timetable with remaining option or elective courses. These could include required courses for other modules in BMSc if you would like to maintain eligibility to request permission for a module change in Year 4. 
    • Keep in mind: most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces). See Access to Courses for full details.

Double Majors

  1. schedule the courses identified in blue text on the worksheet for your Double Major combination. These are the courses specified in the Progression Requirements and must be completed by the end of Year 3;
  2. look at the 2000- and 3000-level courses listed on worksheet but are not identified in blue text. Consider how you want to schedule these across Years 3 and 4;
  3. consider additional degree requirements. Have you accounted for completing your breadth requirements, senior course requirements, etc.? See Graduation Requirements for details;
  4. fill out your timetable with remaining option or elective courses. These could include required courses for other modules in BMSc if you would like to maintain eligibility to submit your Intent to Register for a different module(s) for Year 4.
    • Keep in mind: most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces). See Access to Courses for full details. 

Course selection with the Specialization in IMS in mind:

Not to be confused with the Honours Specialization in IMS, which leads to the Honours BMSc degree, the Specialization in IMS leads to graduation with a 4-year non-honours BMSc degree. For this reason, very few students pursue the Specialization in IMS.

Courses

In Year 3, students must complete the prerequisites for the 4000-level courses they need to take for the Specialization in IMS in Year 4.

Most of the basic medical science courses have constraints on registration (priorities, restrictions, reserved spaces). See Access to Courses for full details.

Notes:

  • Students are encouraged to pursue the BMSc Honours degree with either an Honours Specialization or Double Majors, rather than the Specialization in IMS since the Specialization module does not lead to graduation with an Honours degree;
  • Enrollment in the Specialization in IMS in Year 4 is not limited to a particular number of students.


Lacking a prerequisite?

Contact the departmental advisor  to ask if special permission might be granted.

Did you know?

That access to basic medical science courses is regulated by constraints? See Access to Courses for details.