DRAFT
Academic Calendar
2026/27
Academic Calendar 2026/27
Biology
ufv.ca/biologyBiology major concentrations
Students who wish to specialize in a sub-discipline of biology or prepare for professional studies as part of their Biology major may choose to complete a concentration in Pre-Medicine/Pre-Veterinary; Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Conservation; or Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics.
Students in the Biology major may declare their intention to complete a concentration at any time.
The Biology major may be combined as a concentration with a minor in another discipline (e.g., Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics concentration with a Chemistry minor) or students may wish to complete a double concentration (e.g., Pre-Medicine/Pre-Veterinary with Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics).
Students are strongly advised to consult an Academic Advisor for information on course sequencing prior to starting a concentration.
Note: A special topics course or any other appropriate course can be designated for credit under a particular concentration.
Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics concentration
In addition to the courses required for a Biology major or Biology Honours, this concentration requires completion of the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| BIO 320/ BIOC 320 | Biochemistry | 3 |
| BIO 401 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| Four of: | 12–18 | |
| BIO 309 | Microbiology I | |
| BIO 312 | Developmental Biology | |
| BIO 333 | Bioinformatics I | |
| BIO 350 | Medical Genetics | |
| BIO 403/ BIOC 403 | Molecular Techniques I | |
| BIO 406 | Advanced Genetics | |
| BIO 407 | Applied Biotechnology | |
| BIO 414/ BIOC 414 | Genomics | |
| BIO 415 | Cancer Biology | |
| BIO 425 | Introductory Medical Microbiology | |
| BIO 433 | Bioinformatics II | |
| BIO 448 | Immunology | |
| Plus: | BIO special topics course or directed studies course designated for credit under the Cellular, Molecular, and Genetics concentration (contact the department for more information) | |
Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Conservation concentration
The Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Conservation (OBEC) concentration has been accredited by the B.C. College of Applied Biologists. Students who complete this concentration will meet the academic requirements for entry into the Stream 1 pathway for the Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) designation.
In addition to the courses required for a Biology major or Biology Honours, this concentration requires completion of the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| ENGL 105 | Academic Writing | 3 |
| or CMNS 125 | Introduction to Professional Communication | |
| STAT 270/ MATH 270 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3-4 |
| or STAT 271 | Introduction to Data Analysis and Statistical Modeling | |
| BIO 310 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIO 416 | Evolution | 3 |
| Four of: | 12–18 | |
| BIO 301 | Anatomy and Physiology of Invertebrates | |
| BIO 305 | Structural and Functional Anatomy of Vertebrates | |
| BIO 306 | Vertebrate Organ Systems | |
| BIO 307 | Anatomy and Diversity of Plants | |
| BIO 308 | Plant Physiology | |
| BIO 312 | Developmental Biology | |
| BIO 319/ GEOG 319 | Swamps and Bogs | |
| BIO 330 | Plants and Animals of British Columbia | |
| BIO 335/ GEOG 335 | Freshwater Ecology | |
| BIO 340 | Population and Community Ecology | |
| BIO 357/ GEOG 357 | Conservation GIS | |
| BIO 360 | Insect Biology | |
| BIO 370 | Introduction to Mycology | |
| BIO 380 | Ornithology | |
| BIO 390 | Animal Behaviour | |
| BIO 410/ GEOG 410 | Plant Ecology | |
| BIO 419/ GEOG 419 | Paleoecology | |
| BIO 426 | Environmental Microbiology | |
| BIO 430 | Forest Ecology | |
| BIO 477/IPK 477 | Traditional Ecological Knowledges | |
| or | BIO special topics course or directed studies course designated for credit under the Organismal Biology, Ecology and Conservation concentration (contact the department for more information) | |
| Plus: | 1-3 science electives from the list below, to achieve a total of 25 science courses that meet the College of Applied Biologists academic requirements | 3-12 |
Science electives
Students in the OBEC concentration are required to complete a total of 25 science courses to satisfy the RPBio academic requirements. Depending on the number of courses completed while fulfilling the Biology major and degree requirements, students will need to complete an additional one to three science courses from the approved list below.
| Course | Title | Credits |
| AGRI 163 | Pest Biology and Identification | 3 |
| AGRI 203 | Fundamentals of Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
| AGRI 306 | Field Techniques in Integrated Pest Management | 3 |
| AGRI 321 | Vegetable Crop Production: Science and Practice | 3 |
| AGRI 323 | Fruit Crop Production: Science and Practice | 3 |
| AGRI 324 | Protected Crop Production: Science and Practice | 3 |
| AGRI 327 | Nursery Production and Propagation: Science and Practice | 3 |
| AGRI 328 | Forage Crop Production: Science and Practice | 3 |
| AGRI 331 | Dairy Herd Management: Science & Practice | 3 |
| AGRI 371 | Agroecology | 3 |
| BIO | Any Biology course numbered 300 or above (see Note) | 3-9 |
| CHEM 311 | Intermediate Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 312 | Intermediate Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 320 | Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 325 | Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 341 | Instrumental Analysis / Applied Spectroscopy | 4 |
| CHEM 350/ BIOC 350 | Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory | 3 |
| CHEM 401/ BIOC 401 | Enzymes, Coenzymes, and Inhibitors | 3 |
| CHEM 422 | Principles and Methods of Molecular Modeling | 4 |
| CHEM 444 | Medicinal Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 455 | Chemistry of Biological and Synthetic Polymers | 3 |
| ENV 111 | Environmental Issues and Strategies | 3 |
| ENV 212 | Environmental Field and Lab Techniques | 4 |
| ENV 331 | Environmental Assessment and Management | 3 |
| ENV 345 | Invasive Species Management | 4 |
| GEOG 103 | The Physical Environment | 4 |
| GEOG 116 | Earth Rocks | 4 |
| GEOG 201 | Climate and People | 4 |
| GEOG 202 | Understanding Your Earth: Landforms and Processes | 4 |
| GEOG 219/ BIO 219 | Biogeography | 3 |
| GEOG 253 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GEOG 257 | Environment: Science and Communications | 3 |
| GEOG 302 | River Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOG 303 | Environmental Hydrology | 4 |
| GEOG 304 | Coasts and Climate Change | 4 |
| GEOG 308 | Climate Change and Variability | 4 |
| GEOG 315 | Soilscapes | 4 |
| GEOG 319/ BIO 319 | Swamps and Bogs | 4 |
| GEOG 335/ BIO 335 | Freshwater Ecology | 4 |
| GEOG 357/ BIO 357 | Conservation GIS | 3 |
| GEOG 410/ BIO 410 | Plant Ecology | 4 |
| GEOG 419/ BIO 419 | Paleoecology | 4 |
| MATH 112 | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH 118 | Calculus II for Life Sciences | 4 |
| MATH 270/ STAT 270 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 4 |
| STAT 104 | Introductory Statistics | 4 |
| STAT 106 | Statistics I | 4 |
| STAT 271 | Introduction to Data Analysis and Statistical Modeling | 3 |
| STAT 272 | Statistical Graphics and Languages | 3 |
| STAT 307 | Data Visualization | 3 |
| STAT 315 | Applied Regression Analysis | 3 |
| STAT 330 | Design of Experiments | 3 |
| STAT 350 | Survey Design and Sampling | 3 |
Note: Applicable BIO courses must be a minimum of 3 credits. BIO 409 (6 credits) and BIO 442 (8 credits) are counted as two courses for the purposes of this requirement.
Pre-Medicine/Pre-Veterinary concentration
The Pre-Medicine/Pre-Veterinary concentration does not guarantee admission into a medical or veterinary school program. The concentration requires more course work than is usually required for Canadian medical or veterinary programs. However, the Biology department advises that the courses in this concentration will better prepare students for both writing the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and pursuing a career in medicine or veterinary medicine. Students interested in this concentration should consult with an Academic Advisor for program planning.
The Pre-Medicine/Pre-Veterinary concentration requires completion of the following courses as part of a Biology major or Biology Honours program:
| Course | Title | Credits |
| BIO 309 | Microbiology I | 4 |
| BIO 320/ BIOC 320 | Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 214 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| Plus: | Any two ENGL courses numbered 105 or higher | 6 |
| Four of: | 12–18 | |
| BIO 305 | Structural and Functional Anatomy of Vertebrates | |
| BIO 306 | Vertebrate Organ Systems | |
| BIO 312 | Developmental Biology | |
| BIO 350 | Medical Genetics | |
| BIO 383 | Human Physiology | |
| BIO 385 | Neurobiology | |
| BIO 415 | Cancer Biology | |
| BIO 425 | Introductory Medical Microbiology | |
| BIO 448 | Immunology | |
| KIN 215 | Introduction to Biomechanics | |
| KIN 270 | Human Physiology I | |
| KIN 272 | Human Physiology II | |
| Plus: | BIO special topics course or directed studies course designed for credit under the Pre-Medicine/Pre-Veterinary concentration (contact the department for more information) | |
Course listings
For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.