Life Sciences students may graduate with a three year general B.Sc. degree, or one of seven four year honours B.Sc. degrees. The degree programs are built around a core group of natural and life science subjects. First year students study biology, calculus, general chemistry and physics in preparation for genetics and organic chemistry in year two and the core life sciences subjects in years three and four. In the upper years, science option courses may be chosen to provide specialization in one or more of the life science disciplines. In addition, students may take biology and psychology courses to create secondary concentrations in these disciplines.
Both the three and four year degree programs provide the course requirements for admission to most health profession schools such as medicine and dentistry. The four year honours degrees prepare students for post-graduate studies (M.Sc. and Ph.D.) in any of the life science disciplines and for work or further studies in associated fields such as forensic science, space life sciences, molecular biology and genetic engineering.
Records show that almost half of the graduates from the life science program have continued their education to qualify for a professional career in medicine, dentistry, law, chiropractic, speech pathology, etc. About a quarter of the graduates have found employment in business, government or industry. University education and research careers attract about a fifth of the graduates and a smaller, but significant proportion, have entered the teaching profession.
Apart from preparing students for certain careers, what attracts students in to the Life Sciences programs?
They provide challenging programs of study, unique to Queen's, which have acquired a national reputation for academic excellence.
The Life Sciences disciplines are so closely interrelated that to understand fully one, it is necessary to have a broad background in the others. Thus, the interdisciplinary nature of the program provides this breadth and the opportunity to explore one or more disciplines in depth.
The programs provide extensive and valuable hands-on experience. Honours graduates may spend between 500 and 700 hours in laboratory courses over the period of four years study.
Because the courses reflect the location of the departments in the Faculty of Health Sciences as well as the overall research interests of the faculty, the focus of study is the human body in relation to the environment.
Students wanting more information on the Life Sciences programs and the career opportunities they provide are encouraged to consult an academic counselor for Life Sciences (see Academic Counsellors).
The Life Sciences Departments (Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Community Health and Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, Pathology, Pharmacology and Toxicology and Physiology) offer the following undergraduate degrees through the Faculty of Arts and Science:
Four Year Programs
B.Sc. Honours, Specialization in Life Sciences (Biomedical Discovery, Biomedical Sciences, the Cancer Stream, the Cardiorespiratory Stream, the Drug Development and Human Toxicology Stream, and the Neurosciences Stream).
B.Sc. Honours MAJOR in Life Sciences
