Academic Program Supervisor Email: integrative-biology@utsc.utoronto.ca
Co-op Program Coordinator Email: coopsuccess.utsc@utoronto.ca
The Integrative Biology program allows students to pursue a specialist program built on a broad, multi-perspective approach towards understanding biological complexity. This program provides students with a solid foundation in core biological areas (cellular and organismal biology, ecology and conservation, genes and development) and builds on this knowledge base in third and fourth years. A key advantage to this program is that it allows students to pursue specialization in more than one area at the same time, providing students with a broad understanding of biology. Many of the biggest issues facing today’s planet require scientists that are capable of bringing different and complementary perspectives to look for solutions, and this program provides the coursework and training to help undergraduates build this knowledge base. Students who are interested in careers in conservation biology, ecology, environmental sciences, cellular/organismal biology, as well as ones interested in careers in medicine and other health professions, will benefit from this program.
Enrolment Requirements
Students apply to the Specialist (Co-op) in Integrative 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 grade point average (CGPA) of at least 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:This program consists of 14.5 required credits.
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 or MATA30H3 Calculus I for Physical Sciences]
and
[MATA35H3 Calculus II for Biological Sciences or 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
Choose from:
BIOB12H3 Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory
BIOB32H3 Animal Physiology Laboratory
BIOB33H3 Human Development and Anatomy
BIOB52H3 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Laboratory
8. 0.5 Credit in Statistics
Choose from:
STAB22H3 Statistics I
PSYB07H3 Data Analysis in Psychology
Third/Fourth Year
9. 2.5 Credits of Biology Foundation Courses
BIOC15H3 Genetics
BIOC17H3 Microbiology
[BIOC37H3 Plants: Life on the Edge or BIOC40H3 Plant Physiology]
BIOC54H3 Animal Behaviour
BIOC61H3 Community Ecology
10. 1.0 Credit of Advanced Courses in Cellular and Organismal Biology
Choose from:
BIOC12H3 Biochemistry I: Proteins and Enzymes
BIOC13H3 Biochemistry II: Bioenergetics and Metabolism
BIOC18H3 Looking Inside Cells Current Methods in Cell Biology
BIOC20H3 Principles of Virology
BIOC21H3 Vertebrate Histology: Cells and Tissues
BIOC23H3 Practical Approaches to Biochemistry
BIOC29H3 Introductory Mycology
BIOC30H3 From Genetic Codes to Fantastic Creatures
BIOC32H3 Human Physiology I
BIOC34H3 Human Physiology II
[BIOC37H3 Plants: Life on the Edge or BIOC40H3 Plant Physiology; whichever course is not used to fulfill Biology Foundation course requirement]
BIOC39H3 Immunology
BIOC65H3 Environmental Toxicology
BIOC70H3 An Introduction to Bias in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine)
BIOC44H3 Neuroethology
11. 1.0 Credit of Advanced Courses in Ecology and Conservation
Choose from:
BIOC50H3 Macroevolution
BIOC51H3 Tropical Biodiversity Field Course
BIOC52H3 Ecology Field Course
BIOC58H3 Biological Consequences of Global Change
BIOC59H3 Advanced Population Ecology
BIOC60H3 Winter Ecology
BIOC62H3 Role of Zoos and Aquariums in Conservation
BIOC63H3 Conservation Biology
(BIOC67H3) Inter-University Biology Field Course
EESC04H3 Biodiversity and Biogeography
12. 1.0 Credit of Advanced Courses in Genes and Development
Choose from:
BIOC10H3 Cell Biology: Proteins from Life to Death
BIOC14H3 Genes, Environment and Behaviour
BIOC16H3 Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics
BIOC19H3 Animal Developmental Biology
BIOC31H3 Plant Development and Biotechnology
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.
13. 1.0 Credit of D-Level Biology Courses
Choose from:
Any BIO D-level course offered by the Biological Sciences department.
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.
