Academic Program Supervisor: biodiversity@utsc.utoronto.ca
Co-op Program Coordinator: coopsuccess.utsc@utoronto.ca
This program presents a foundation for understanding how ecology and evolution shape organismal features (from morphology and physiology to behaviour), and the structure and function of communities and ecosystems. These processes determine the broad patterns of organization of life on earth and biodiversity, and the challenges to biodiversity are daunting: habitat destruction, biological invasions and climate change are causing loss of species and disruption of ecosystems worldwide. In this program, students are trained to understand and actively seek solutions to these problems. This program will also show how ecological and evolutionary perspectives can be used to understand and predict the outcome of dynamic interactions among organisms, populations, species, and communities, Graduates will be well trained to take on positions in government agencies, consulting firms or NGOs, to pursue careers in business or law related to environmental issues, stewardship and sustainable development, or to continue with graduate studies in science for academic careers.
The co-op option of the Conservation and Biodiversity program complements and punctuates academic course work with full-time work terms in the various governmental or non-governmental conservation agencies, in labs or in public or private industry. These work terms help students define and refine their career and/or professional school goals. For information on 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.
Enrolment Requirements
Students apply to the Co-op Specialist Program in Conservation and Biodiversity 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 and with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.5.
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.
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. 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.
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: The program requires students to complete a total of 14.5 credits.
A. Required Courses
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. 1.0 Credit in Mathematics
Choose from:
[MATA29H3 Calculus I for the Life Sciences and MATA35H3 Calculus II for Biological Sciences] or
[MATA30H3 Calculus I for Physical Sciences and MATA36H3 Calculus II for Physical Sciences]
4. 0.5 Credit in Physics
Choose from:
PHYA10H3 Physics I for the Physical Sciences
PHYA11H3 Physics I for the Life Sciences
5. 0.5 Credit in Computer Science
Choose from:
CSCA08H3 Introduction to Computer Science I (most appropriate course for Computer Science students)
CSCA20H3 Introduction to Programming (most appropriate course for non-Computer Science students)
Second Year
6. 3.0 Credits of Biology Core Courses
BIOB10H3 Cell Biology
BIOB11H3 Molecular Aspects of Cellular and Genetic Processes
BIOB34H3 Animal Physiology
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.
7. 0.5 Credit of Biology Core Labs
BIOB52H3 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory
8. 0.5 Credit in Statistics
Choose from:
STAB22H3 Statistics I
PSYB07H3 Data Analysis in Psychology
Third Year
9. 2.5 Credits of C-level Ecology and Evolution Foundation Courses
BIOC16H3 Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics
BIOC50H3 Macroevolution
BIOC52H3 Field Ecology
BIOC61H3 Community Ecology and Environmental Biology
BIOC63H3 Conservation Biology
Third/Fourth Year
10. 4.0 credits of C- & D-level courses from Bins 1 and 2 below. This must include at least 1.0 credit from each bin and at least 1.0 credit total at the D-level.
Bin 1: C- & D-level Ecology and Evolution Courses
Choose from:
BIOC51H3 Tropical Biodiversity Field Course
BIOC58H3 Biological Consequences of Global Change
BIOC60H3 Winter Ecology
BIOC65H3 Environmental Toxicology
BIOD25H3 Genomics
BIOD52H3 Biodiversity and Conservation
BIOD54H3 Applied Conservation Biology
BIOD55H3 Experimental Animal Behaviour
BIOD59H3 Models in Ecology, Epidemiology and Conservation
BIOD60H3 Spatial Ecology
BIOD62H3 Symbiosis: Interactions Between Species
BIOD63H3 From Individuals to Ecosystems: Advanced Topics in Ecology
BIOD66H3 Quantitative Ecological and Biodiversity Analysis
BIOD67H3 Inter-University Biology Field Course
EESC04H3 Biodiversity and Biogeography
Bin 2: C- & D-level Organismal Biology Courses
Choose from:
BIOC29H3 Introductory Mycology
BIOC30H3 From Genetic Codes to Fantastic Creatures
BIOC37H3 Plants: Life on the Edge
BIOC40H3 Plant Physiology
BIOC54H3 Animal Behaviour
BIOC59H3 Advanced Population Ecology
BIOC62H3 Role of Zoos and Aquariums in Conservation
BIOC70H3 An Introduction to Bias in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine)
BIOD26H3 Fungal Biology & Pathogenesis
BIOD34H3 Conservation Physiology
BIOD37H3 Biology of Plant Stress
BIOD43H3 Animal Movement and Exercise
BIOD45H3 Animal Communication
BIOD48H3 Ornithology
BIOD53H3 Special Topics in Animal Behaviour
BIOC90H3 Integrative Multimedia Documentary Project (CR/NCR 0.0 credit)*
EESC30H3 Environmental Microbiology
*Note: Completion of BIOC90H3 is a graduation requirement for students in this program. Please see BIOC90H3 in the Calendar for important information.
B. Senior Research Courses (optional)
Students interested in graduate research are encouraged to take one or more of the independent research courses offered in Biological Sciences as part of their degree.
BIOD95H3 Supervised Study in Biology
BIOD98Y3 Directed Research in Biology
BIOD99Y3 Directed Research in Biology
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 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 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 semesters.
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.
