ITR for Year 4 BMSc

Only students admitted to Year 3 of the BMSc Program can progress to Year 4 BMSc. Students in Year 3 BSc who think they might be eligible to submit an ITR for Year 4 BMSc should contact the Academic Advising Office via their Help Portal.

General Information about ITR, including a list of planned ITR event, can be found here

See  ITR Events at a Glance for Information Sessions

planned for BMSc and Neuroscience.

What are the consequences of not submitting an ITR by April 2?

If you are in Year 3 BMSc and do not submit an ITR by the deadline, then the Office of the Registrar will submit an ITR for you for the same module(s) in which you are registered for Year 3. You do not have a Second Choice for ITR. If you are not eligible for this/these modules, then the BMSUE Coordinator will determine which module(s) is the most appropriate for you for Year 4 during the adjudication period in May.

You may request a change to your degree/module(s) after the adjudication period in May (see "I want to change my program/plan for the upcoming Fall/Winter" under After Adjudication for details). It is unlikely that you would be admitted to an Honors Specialization module that filled up during the adjudication period in May but a department would likely put you on their waiting list.

Submitting an ITR for Year 4 BMSc: Tips and FAQs

How do I submit an ITR for Year 4 BMSc?

Login to Student Center. Select the Academics tile and then the Program Status tile. Select the Intent to Register Form. Login to Western One Experience.

If the online ITR process does not work for you, then go to the BMSUE Question Portal, choose your student group from the list on the left-hand side, select Intent to Register and let us know the issue in the section to submit your questions. Paste a screenshot of the error that you received when trying to submit your ITR.

Once logged in:

  • choose your intended course load: select Full-time, and then click on Continue

  • on the next screen, you'll see something like the following example:
    • You are currently in:
    • Schulich Sch of Med and Dent
    • Bachelor of Medical Sciences -HON (the HON stands for Honours degree)
    • Interdisciplinary Medical Sci - HSP (HSP stands for Honours Specialization)

  • IF you want this module (s) as your First Choice for next year: then click on "Continue in current program"
    • to submit a Second Choice, follow the steps below

  • IF you do NOT want this module(s) as your First Choice for next year (or to submit your Second Choice), follow the steps below:

    • select you faculty by clicking on "Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry" and then click on Continue

    • choose your degree: click on the drop-down arrow and choose either "Bachelor of Medical Sciences" or "Bachelor of Medical Sciences - Western Scholars", and then click on Continue
      • a pop-up box will appear if you select Bachelor of Medical Sciences - Western Scholars, to inform you of the minimum marks that must be achieved in each year to earn the Western Scholars designation (click OK). If you are not eligible for the Western Scholars designation, you will still be considered for Year 4 BMSc with the module(s) you submit during ITR

    • choose your degree, again, to distinguish between an Honours degree and a 4-year (non-honours) degree:
      • most students pick Honours Bachelor of Medical Sciences

    • choose the type of module(s): click on the drop-down arrow to select the type of module or the combination of modules that you would like to pick for next year
      • Honours Specialization (by itself or with either a Major or Minor), OR
      • Honours Major + Major (Double Majors)

    • choose the specific module(s): click on the drop-down arrow to pick the specific module, e.g. Honours Specialization in Biochemistry of Infection and Immunity, that you want as your First Choice
      • if you select Honours Major + Major, you have to choose both Majors from two drop-down boxes

  • after you click on Continue but before you click on Confirm, you should be able to go back and make changes. After you click on Confirm and then want to change your selection, you have to exit the ITR process and submit a new ITR

  • click on Confirm if your selection is correct

You can submit your online ITR as many times as you want but the last ITR you submit on or before March 31 will be the one that "sticks".

Honours Specialization or Double Majors? or Specialization in IMS?

As long as you took the "right courses" in Year 3 and your marks are sufficiently high, you can submit an ITR for any module(s) you want in Year 4. The "right courses" for admission to Honours Specialization modules in Year 4 are those courses listed in the Weighted Average Chart. The "right courses" for admission to Double Majors are the prerequisites (sometimes with minimum marks) for the 4000-level courses required in each Major.

If you want to graduate with an Honours degree,
then you need to choose either an Honours Specialization or Double Majors.

If your career path does not require or prefer that you graduate with an Honours degree,
then we still recommend that you pursue an Honours degree and chose either an Honours Specialization or Double Majors. You may find, down the road, that you need an Honours degree for wherever it is that life takes you.

We don't encourage students to complete a Specialization in IMS since this module leads to graduation with a non-honours degree.

See more about Honours Specialization or Double Majors? or Specialization?

What would make a good Second Choice?

A good Second Choice is likely a different Honours Specialization module or Double Majors within the BMSc Program.

If your Second Choice is an Honours Specialization module, make sure you will complete all of the 2000- and 3000-level courses listed in the Weighted Average Chart for that Honours Specialization module prior to the beginning of Year 4.

  • special permission is not often granted for a student to register in Year 4 of an Honours Specialization module if a course(s) listed in the Weighted Average chart is not completed before Year 4
  • check with the departmental counsellor responsible for the module (who will then consult the BMSUE Coordinator)

You can complete a BMSc (Honours) degree with Double Majors.

  • to be admitted/allowed to progress to Year 4 with Double Majors, students must have the prerequisites for the 4000-level courses they need to take (minimum marks in the prerequisite courses are sometimes required)
  • when completing Double Majors, BMSc students almost always have "common courses" in their Majors. See the Common Course Policy for dealing with common courses - use the worksheets to help with course selection.

See below for selecting Honours Specialization modules from the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology as your First and Second Choices for ITR.

Honours Specializations offered by Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology: averages for admission to Yr 4 and the importance of your Second Choice for ITR

The weighted average considered for admission to Year 4 is NOT the same for the three Honours Specialization modules.

The Weighted Average used for admission to Year 4 of the Honours Specialization in Physiology does NOT include Pharmacology 3620.

The Weighted Average used for admission to Year 4 of the Honours Specialization in Pharmacology is the SAME as the Weighted Average used for admission to Year 4 of the Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology (both include Pharmacology 3620).

Students having completed Pharmacology 3620 will likely have different Weighted Averages for Honours Specialization in Physiology (does not include Pharm 3620) vs. Honours Specialization in Pharmacology or Honours Specialization Physiology and Pharmacology (includes Pharm 3620),

It does NOT make sense to ask for Honours Specialization in Pharmacology as your First Choice and Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology as your Second Choice (since the Weighted Average would be the same for both your First and Second Choices - if you don't get into your First Choice, then you won't get into your Second Choice).

It makes a lot of sense to ask for Honours Specialization in Physiology as one ITR Choice and either Honours Specialization in Pharmacology or Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology as the other ITR choice (since the Weighted Average for HSP Physiology will be different than the Weighted Average for either HSP Pharmacology or HSP Phys Pharm).

If, for example, you select Honours Specialization in Physiology as your First Choice (and you are taking Pharmacology 3620 in Year 3) then you WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED for an Honours Specialization in either Pharmacology or Physiology and Pharmacology unless you ask for one of these as your Second Choice. The Honours Specialization modules offered by the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology must be listed as ITR choices for you to be considered for them.

If you choose, for example, an Honours Specialization in Physiology as your First Choice and an Honours Specialization in Physiology and Pharmacology as your Second Choice but are not admitted to either of these modules, then you will be considered for admission to an Honours Specialization in IMS for Year 4 along with all other students asking for admission to Year 4 of the Honours Specialization in IMS (see below for information about the capstone courses for IMS). If admitted to the Honours Specialization in IMS, then you may submit a request to be registered in Double Majors in Year 4 BMSc, instead, by the deadline in June (look under "After Adjudication" on the webpage for Adjudication for details).

NEW for 2024: a selection process for the capstone courses for Year 4 Honours Specialization in IMS (Medical Sciences 4990E and Medical Sciences 4995E) will be used - see the email that was sent to all Year 3 BMSc students on February 16, 2024. We are fairly confident that your chances will be lower in securing a spot in Medical Sciences 4995E (Community-Engaged Learning and Research Skills in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences) if you do not have Honours Specialization in IMS as one of your ITR choices.

What average do I need for admission to Honours Specialization modules in Year 4?

A Weighted Average is used to determine eligibility for admission to Year 4 of Honours Specialization modules and a minimum Weighted Average of 75% is required for admission to any Honours Specialization module in Year 4.

Admission to a particular Honours Specialization module becomes competitive when more qualified students apply than the maximum capacity of the module. When this happens, a Weighted Average greater than 75% is required for admission. The Weighted Average of the last student admitted to the module is considered the minimum average required for admission to that module for that year.

Familiarize yourself with the maximum capacity and the minimum averages that students have required for the past few years to secure a spot in each Honours Specialization module.

How are students admitted to modules once they are admitted to Year 4 BMSc?

See MODULES OFFERED IN THE BMSc PROGRAM for details about how students are admitted to modules in Year 4 BMSc.

Admission to Double Majors and the Specialization in IMS is not limited to a particular number of students. Students must have the prerequisites (and sometimes a minimum mark is in a particular course) to register in the 4000-level courses required in a Major to register in Year 4. See the requirements for each Major in the Academic Calendar for details.

Admission to each Honours Specialization module in Year 4 BMSc is limited to a certain number of students as each of these modules has a maximum capacity.

  • admission to a particular Honours Specialization module is NOT assured for any student who is admitted to Year 4 BMSc

  • being registered in a particular Honours Specialization module in Year 3 does NOT give you preference over other students for admission to Year 4

  • the students with the highest Weighted Averages are admitted to each Honours Specialization module during the adjudication period in May
    • e.g. the 15 students with the top 15 Weighted Averages are admitted to Year 4 of an Honours Specialization module that has a maximum capacity of 15 students

Can I change my module(s) before course registration in July?

We do allow Year 4 BMSc students to switch to Double Majors or revise their Double Majors after the adjudication period in May and before the registration period in July, as long as they are eligible for the requested Majors.

Check the Academic Calendar for the modular requirements for the various Majors offered in the BMSc Program, making sure that you satisfy any mark requirements in prerequisite courses.The basic medical science departments do not waive mark requirements, e.g., students who do not achieve a mark of at least 70% in Pathology 3500 do not have the prerequisite to register in Pathology 4400B and will not be granted special permission to register in Pathology 4400B and Year 4 of the Major in either Pathology or One Health.

After ensuring your eligibility for both Majors, use the Double Major worksheets to help with course planning.

The deadline and process for submitting a Change of Status to change modules is posted on the main webpage for Adjudication and is updated each year by early June.

I'm in the combined BMSc/HBA program (a.k.a. dual degrees). How do I submit an ITR for Year 5?

Submit your ITR to continue in the combined program by following these steps:

Login to Student Center. Select the Academics tile and then the Program Status tile. Select the Intent to Register Form. Login to Western One Experience.

  • choose your status (full- or part-time, usually full-time)
  • click on "Continue in Concurrent Program" and "continue"
  • DONE!

I'm registered in Year 4 (but not graduating in June). Can I submit an ITR and return next year?

Registering for another year (without graduating) is referred to as a "fifth year" by some programs, e.g. Schulich Medicine.

Registering for another year of undergraduate courses after graduating is referred to as a special year.

If your current Year 4 courses satisfy the requirements for graduation, then you can still register in the same module for an extra year. During this extra year, you would be registered as a Year 4 student and may take any courses you want, as long as you have the prerequisite and can gain access to the courses (i.e. satisfy any registration constraints). You do not have to take any more courses that appear in your module if your modular requirements have been completed.

If you have questions about registering in Year 4 BMSc for an extra year or graduating and returning as a "special student" for next fall/winter, then attend the Zoom session on Friday, March 10 from 1:30-2:30 (click for Zoom link). This meeting will be recorded and the recording will be accessible on March 13 by clicking on the link indicated under "ITR Q&A sessions with BMSUE Coordinators" - look for "Submitting an ITR for a fifth or special year" - on the this webpage (see above).

Alternatively, you can join one of the BMSUE Coordinators Zoom drop-in sessions or book an individual appointment. See "Connect with a BMSUE Coordinator" for details.

I'm graduating this year. Can I still submit an ITR?

Yes, you can submit an ITR to be a "special student". If you think that you might wish to take basic medical science courses, then you would submit an Intent to Register as a special student in the Faculty of Science.

NOTE: as a "special student, you do not have priority access to any basic medical science courses that have constraints in place.

Alternatively, you might wish to register in a Post-Degree Module (Major or Minor).

Check with the Academic Counselling Office in NCB 280 for your options.

Questions about submitting an ITR for Year 4 BMSc?

The best way to get them answered is to attend Q&A sessions: Kathy Boon (BMSUE Coordinator) will host sessions for students submitting an ITR for Year 4 BMSc. Jen is hosting a session specifcally for students interested in Year 4 IMS. Dates/times/locations and Zoom links" are posted under "ITR Q&A sessions with the BMSUE Coordinators" on the main ITR webpage.

Other ways to have your questions answered: join the Zoom drop-in sessions that both Kathy and Jen Chambers (BMSUE Coordinator, Interdisciplinary Studies) host. Waiting rooms are in place for these meetings so that the Coordinator can pull students into the meeting one-at-a-time for a quick but individual conversation. You can book a 15-minute Zoom appointment to talk about your specific ITR questions (these often get booked up quickly). You can see us for in-person Ask Me Anything sessions. See the details for the ways to "Connect with a BMSUE Coordinator"