Academic Program Supervisor Email: human-biology@utsc.utoronto.ca
Co-op Program Coordinator Email: coopsuccess.utsc@utoronto.ca
The Major in Human Biology provides training and background in general biology with the opportunity to concentrate on courses in upper years that are related to human health. Upper year courses are available in physiology, cell and molecular biology, anatomy, microbiology, pathology, endocrinology, anthropology, psychology and biochemistry. This program is suitable for students with an interest in applied biology in health sciences or in social sciences related to human health.
The Major (Co-op) in Human Biology program complements and punctuates academic course work with full-time work terms in various governmental or non-governmental agencies, in labs or in public or private industry. These work terms help students define and refine their career and/or professional school goals.
Enrolment Requirements
Students apply to the Major (Co-op) in Human Biology after completing a minimum of 4.0 credits, including 1.0 credit in Biology (excluding BIOA11H3, BIOA12H3), 1.0 credit in Chemistry, and 0.5 credit in Mathematics (excluding MATA02H3) or Statistics. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher is required for admission.
Note: Co-op students who started in Co-op prior to Fall 2025 are allowed to follow the calendar requirements in effect at that time.
Prospective Co-op Students
Students who have not yet been admitted into a Co-op Degree POSt must submit a co-op program request through ACORN and ensure they meet the minimum enrollment requirements as noted above. These qualifications may include a higher CGPA specific to the co-op program. We strongly encourage you to also request the non-co-op option of this program as an alternative as we are not able to grant you admission to the non-co-op without a request.
Applications must adhere to the Limited Enrolment Program Application Deadlines set by the Office of the Registrar each year. Failure to submit the program request on ACORN will result in the student's application/request not being considered.
Please note that meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee enrolment in the Co-op Program of Study or Degree POSt. The required CGPA may be higher than the minimum threshold and depends on the applicant pool and number of spaces available.
Minimum Qualifications for Prospective Co-op Students:
Credits: Minimum of 4.0 credits to a maximum of 10.0 credits.
Required Courses: Program-specific courses described in the Enrolment Requirements above.
Cumulative GPA: 2.50
Current Co-op Students
Students admitted to a Co-op Degree POSt must also request a Co-op Program of Study through ACORN upon completion of 4.0 credits and meet the minimum qualifications for entry as noted below.
Minimum Qualifications for Current Co-op Students:
Credits: 4.0 credits
Required Courses: Program-specific courses described in the Enrolment Requirements above
Cumulative GPA: 2.50 or higher across all attempted courses.
Program Requirements: This program consists of 8.5 credits.
Required Courses and Suggested Course Sequence
First Year
1. 1.0 Credit of Introductory Biology Courses
BIOA01H3 Life on Earth: Unifying Principles
BIOA02H3 Life on Earth: Form, Function and Interactions
2. 1.0 Credit in Introductory Chemistry Courses
CHMA10H3 Introductory Chemistry I: Structure and Bonding
[CHMA11H3 Introductory Chemistry II: Reactions and Mechanisms or CHMA12H3 Advanced General Chemistry]
3. 1.0 Credit in Courses Related to Human Health
HLTA02H3 Foundations in Health Studies I
HLTA03H3 Foundations in Health Studies II
HLTB15H3 Introduction to Health Research Methodology
HLTB16H3 Introduction to Public Health
HLTB20H3 Contemporary Human Evolution and Variation
HLTB22H3 Biological Determinants of Health
HLTB40H3 Health Policy and Health Systems
HLTB44H3 Pathophysiology and Etiology of Disease
PSYA01H3 Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology
PSYA02H3 Introduction to Clinical, Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology
4. 0.5 Credit in Mathematics or Statistics
Choose From:
MATA29H3 Calculus I for the Life Sciences
MATA30H3 Calculus I for Physical Sciences
STAB22H3 Statistics I
PSYB07H3 Data Analysis in Psychology
Second Year
5. 2.5 Credits of Biology Core Courses
BIOB10H3 Cell Biology
BIOB11H3 Molecular Aspects of Cellular and Genetic Processes
BIOB34H3 Animal Physiology
BIOB50H3 Ecology
BIOB51H3 Evolutionary Biology
BIOB90H3 Integrative Research Poster Project (CR/NCR 0.0 credit)*
*Note: Completion of BIOB90H3 is a graduation requirement for students in this program. Please see BIOB90H3 in the Calendar for important information.
6. 0.5 Credit in a Biology Core Lab
Choose From:
BIOB32H3 Animal Physiology Laboratory
BIOB33H3 Human Development and Anatomy
Third/Fourth Years
7. 1.5 Credits of C-Level Courses
Choose From:
ANTC47H3 Human and Primate Comparative Osteology
ANTC48H3 Advanced Topics in Human Osteology
BIOC10H3 Cell Biology: Proteins from Life to Death
BIOC14H3 Genes, Environment and Behaviour
BIOC15H3 Genetics
BIOC16H3 Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics
BIOC17H3 Microbiology
BIOC19H3 Animal Developmental Biology
BIOC20H3 Principles of Virology
BIOC21H3 Vertebrate Histology: Cells and Tissues
BIOC30H3 From Genetic Codes to Fantastic Creatures
BIOC32H3 Human Physiology I
BIOC34H3 Human Physiology II
BIOC35H3 Principles of Parasitology
BIOC39H3 Immunology
BIOC54H3 Animal Behaviour
BIOC58H3 Biological Consequences of Global Change
BIOC65H3 Environmental Toxicology
BIOC90H3 Integrative Multimedia Documentary Project (CR/NCR 0.0 credit)*
*Note: Completion of BIOC90H3 is a graduation requirement for students in this program. Please see BIOC90H3 in the Calendar for important information.
8. 0.5 Credit of D-Level Courses
Choose From:
BIOD06H3 Advanced Topics in Neural Basis of Motor Control
BIOD07H3 Advanced Topics and Methods in Neural Circuit Analysis
BIOD08H3 Theoretical Neuroscience
BIOD12H3 Protein Homeostasis
BIOD15H3 Mechanisms of Gene Regulation in Health and Disease
BIOD17H3 Seminars in Cellular Microbiology
BIOD19H3 Epigenetics in Health and Disease
BIOD20H3 Special Topics in Virology
BIOD24H3 Human Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
BIOD25H3 Genomics
BIOD26H3 Fungal Biology and Pathogenesis
BIOD27H3 Vertebrate Endocrinology
BIOD29H3 Pathobiology of Human Disease
BIOD32H3 Human Respiratory Pathophysiology
BIOD33H3 Comparative Animal Physiology
BIOD36H3 Advanced Topics in Molecular Parasitology
BIOD43H3 Animal Movement and Exercise
BIOD59H3 Models in Ecology, Epidemiology and Conservation
BIOD65H3 Pathologies of the Nervous System
BIOD95H3 Supervised Study in Biology (topic must be human-related and approved by the program supervisor)
HTLD18H3 Dental Sciences
HLTD44H3 Environmental Contaminants, Vulnerability and Toxicity
Planning Your Co-op Work Terms & Academics
Enrollment in a Co-op program requires careful planning of both academics and work terms. Students should consult their Co-op Program Coordinator and Academic support within the department, as well as review the standard co-op sequences and course maps available on the Arts & Science Co-op website and Arts and Science Co-op Compass for guidance.
Co-op Work Term Requirements
Students must successfully complete three Co-op work terms, totaling 12 months in duration, which can be fulfilled through the following options:
- Three 4-month work terms, or
- One 4-month work term and one 8-month work term, or
- One 12-month work term.
Students must be available for work terms during the Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters, and are required to complete at least one of their work terms in either the Fall or Winter semester. As a result, students must also take courses during the Summer semester.
To be eligible for their first work term, students must be enrolled in the program, have completed at least 7.0 credits, and maintain a CGPA of 2.50 or higher. In addition to their academic courses, students must also complete the required Co-op preparation courses.
Co-op Course Requirements
Co-op students complete the following Co-op-specific courses as part of their degree:
Co-op Preparation Courses (Completed in First Year):
Work Term Search Courses:
- COPB55H3/(COPB52H3) (Completed in the semester prior to the first work term)
- COPC98H3 (Taken in the semester prior to the second work term)
- COPC99H3 (Taken in the semester prior to the third work term)
Required Work Term Courses:
Additional Work Terms & Courses:
After successful completion of the three required work terms, students interested in additional work terms will require approval from the Arts & Science Co-op Office. Additional coursework will also be required:
Note: Co-op courses are taken alongside a full course load and are recorded on transcripts as Credit/No Credit (CR/NCR). These courses have no credit weight and are considered additional credits beyond the 20.0 required degree credits. No additional course fee is charged, as registration is included in the Co-op Program fee.
For information on course codes, fees, status in Co-op programs, and certification of completion of Co-op programs, see the Co-operative Programs section and the Arts and Science Co-op section in the UTSC Calendar.
