Academic Program Supervisor Email: plant-biology@utsc.utoronto.ca
Co-op Program Coordinator Email: coopsuccess.utsc@utoronto.ca
The Major Program in Plant Biology provides a broad education in all areas of contemporary biology and affords students an opportunity to concentrate on Plant Biology courses in upper years. This program is suitable for students with an interest in biochemistry, biotechnology, cell biology, ecology, evolution, genetics, physiology, and/or development of plants.
Enrolment Requirements
Students apply to the Major (Co-op) Program in Plant 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 your admission to the non-co-op without a request.
Deadlines follow 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:
Students are required to complete a total 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 of Introductory Chemistry Courses
CHMA10H3 Introductory Chemistry I: Structure and Bonding
[CHMA11H3 Introductory Chemistry II: Reactions and Mechanisms or CHMA12H3 Advanced General Chemistry]
3. 0.5 Credit in Mathematics or Statistics Courses
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
4. 2.5 Credits of Biology Core Courses
BIOB10H3 Cell Biology
BIOB11H3 Molecular Aspects of Cellular and Genetic Processes
BIOB38H3 Plants and Society
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.
5. 0.5 Credit of Biology Core Labs
Choose From:
BIOB12H3 Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory
BIOB52H3 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory
Third Year
6. 1.5 Credits of C-level Plant Courses
BIOC31H3 Plant Development and Biotechnology
BIOC37H3 Plants: Life on the Edge
BIOC40H3 Plant Physiology
Third/ Fourth Year
7. 1.0 Credit of Additional C-level Courses
Choose From:
BIOC12H3 Biochemistry I: Proteins and Enzymes
BIOC13H3 Biochemistry II: Bioenergetics and Metabolism
BIOC15H3 Genetics
BIOC17H3 Microbiology
BIOC30H3 From Genetic Codes to Fantastic Creatures
BIOC35H3 Principles in Parasitology
BIOC50H3 Macroevolution
BIOC52H3 Field Ecology
BIOC61H3 Community Ecology and Environmental Biology
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.
Fourth Year
8. 0.5 Credit of D-level Biology Courses
Choose From:
BIOD12H3 Protein Homeostasis
BIOD13H3 Herbology: The Science Behind Medicinal Plants
BIOD21H3 Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory
BIOD26H3 Fungal Biology and Pathogenesis
BIOD30H3 Plant Research and Biotechnology: Addressing Global Problems
BIOD36H3 Advanced Topics in Molecular Parasitology
BIOD37H3 Biology of Plant Stress
BIOD62H3 Symbiosis: Interactions Between Species
Note: Students who are interested in research or graduate studies can choose to take BIOC99H3, BIOD95H3, BIOD98Y3 or BIOD99Y3 supervised study courses with faculty to obtain additional research experience and training in plant biology.
Enrollment in a Co-op program requires careful planning of both academics and work terms. Students should consult their Co-op Program Coordinator and Department Academic Program Advisors, 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 satisfactorily complete Co-op work term(s) as follows: three 4-month work terms, one 4-month work term and one 8-month work term, or one 12-month work term. To be eligible for their first work term, students must be enrolled in the Major (Co-op) in Biology and have completed at least 7.0 credits, achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher, and complete COPB50H3 and COPB51H3.
Students must be available for work terms in each of the Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters and must complete at least one of their required work terms in either a Fall or Winter semester. This requires that students take courses during the Summer semesters.
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 at least one 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.
