Biology Undergraduate FAQs

Are you a current or prospective undergrad with questions? Here you’ll find information on the topics students ask about most, from program requirements to research opportunities. If you can't find the answer to your question listed here, please connect with our Undergraduate Advising Team for further assistance.

  1. Can the SBI4U prerequisite for BIO152 be waived?
    • No, you must complete grade 12 biology or an equivalent course before you can take BIO152. 
  1. I didn’t take grade 12 biology, but I want to take BIO152 & BIO153. What are my options?
    • Peel Board of Education continuing education courses: https://www.peelschools.org/continuing-adult-learning. If you're outside the Peel Region, you may check with your local School Board of Education regarding the availability of senior-level classes.
    • You can take high school courses through TVO ILC: https://www.ilc.org/collections/all-courses
    • Another option is Virtual High School (online private school that offers Ontario Secondary School Diploma credits): https://www.virtualhighschool.com/. This option is available for international students.
    • You can look at completing BIO130H1 at UTSG – it is equivalent to BIO152H5. You can check to see if they will allow you to take it without the grade 12 biology prerequisite. You can go here for more information: https://csb.utoronto.ca/undergraduate-course/bio130h1/

Once you complete SBI4U and earn at least 70%, you are free to enroll in the next offering of BIO152H5. Please email your transcript to cindy.short@utoronto.ca when you have enrolled in the course. 

Our Biology advising team can see the transcripts you submitted with your application. We’ll review them to check if you’ve taken a course that matches Ontario Grade 12 Biology. If we can’t find an equivalent course, we’ll reach out to you directly. 

  1. What should I do if I am a St. George or a UTSC student and I want to transfer to the UTM campus or vice-versa?

  1. Does UTM Biology offer a co-op internship program (CIP)?
    • Yes, Biology offers a co-op program with paid 12-16 month internship placements to students enrolled in the Biology Specialist CIP. Degree completion for CIP students is 5 years. The placement takes place between year 3 and 4. Applications for the Biology CIP are open to students enrolled/eligible for a Biology Specialist (ESPE2364) at the end of their first year. Students must be accepted to the Biology Specialist (ERSPE2364) and apply for the CIP in June following your first academic year. Applications will be reviewed in July and August; students who are selected will be contacted at the end of August.
    • More information about Biology CIP is available here: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/experience/utm-co-op-internship-program 

  1. What are the dates to apply for Subject POSts/program (s)? Where can I find them?
    • Subject POSts (Program of Study) requests take place twice a year (March/April and June/July/August). Students can request their programs on Acorn during that period. To view the current dates for program requests please visit the Office of the Registrar’s Program Selection website:  https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/registrar/program-selection 

  1. I don’t meet the requirements for applying for my biology POSt. What should I do?
  1. What are the biology SubjectPOSt codes?
    • ERMIN2364 – Biology Minor
    • ERMIN0840 – Biomedical Communications Minor
    • ERMAJ2364 – Biology (Science) Major
    • ERMAJ1149 – Biology for Health Science Major
    • ERMAJ1004 – Paleontology Major
    • ERSPE2364 – Biology Specialist
    • ERSPE1118 - Biotechnology Specialist
    • ERSPE0482 – Comparative Physiology Specialist
    • ERSPE1020 – Ecology & Evolution Specialist
    • ERSPE1237 – Molecular Biology Specialist 
  1. What courses do I have to take to get into a biology program? (Do I need to take MAT132 & MAT134 in my first year?)
    • You can find the program entry requirements for UTM Biology programs in the UTM Academic Calendar.
    • The entry requirements can be found between the program title and the completion requirements. Not all first-year completion requirements are required for program entry. For example, all Biology Major and Specialist programs require students to complete MAT132 & 134 to complete their program, and generally these are taken in year one, but the math courses are not required to enter the program. As long as you meet the entry requirements and request the program in round one or round two you will receive an invite. 
  1. I’ve finished second year, but my CGPA does not meet the minimum for program enrolment. What should I do?
    • Depending on your CGPA, you may want to request a Biology Major (ERMAJ2364). The entry CGPA is 2.0 for the major. The Biology Major will grant you priority access to Biology courses when enrolling in courses for the next fall/winter academic year (this happens in early to mid-July depending on your year of study).  You can use the Biology Major as a placeholder and drop the program when you are in your program of choice.
    • If your CGPA is less than 2.0, you will not be eligible for any Biology programs. Students in this scenario should enroll in Type 1 placeholder program(s) until they can be invited to their programs of choice. If you are not in a Biology program by early July when course enrollment begins for Fall/Winter, you will not have priority for enrolling in courses. You will need to wait until the second round of course enrollment (late July) to add Biology courses. Certain Biology courses are always restricted to students in Biology programs, you would generally not be able to enroll in these courses. If you are close to graduation, please connect with an Advisor in Biology to discuss your plans. 
  1. What are my options if I am not doing well in a required program course?
    • Students can:
      1. Drop a course prior to the drop deadline to remove a course from academic record
      2. Request to LWD (late withdraw) from a course up until the end of term as long as the final exam/assignment has not been completed.
      3. Request CR/NCR (up until the last day of classes in the term) – choosing to CR/NCR a course will replace the numerical grade with CR or NCR and the course will not count to your CGPA. However, courses taken as CR cannot be applied to your Biology program so you would be required to re-take the course in a future term before graduating.
        • Information on CR/NCR, LWD and other grade details can be found in the Academic Calendar.
      4. Seek help from the instructor, TA or Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre 

Some common reasons for being refused from a program are: 

  1. Having less than 4.0 CR in this case you would need to take more courses in the summer and request your program in the second request period in June/July/August. 
  1. Having a CGPA less than 2.0 in this scenario you would not be eligible for any Biology program until your CGPA has reached this minimum. Students should complete more courses, improve their CGPA and request the program in the next request period. 
  1. Requesting Biology Specialist Programs if your CGPA is less than 2.5 you cannot ernol in any Specialist program (or the Biology for Health Science program). In this scenario, if your CGPA is between 2.0 and 2.49, you can request a Biology Major as a placeholder until you can work to meet the entry requirements. This process can be more complicated, booking an appointment with an advisor about your program plans and concerns is always a good idea!  https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/biology/undergraduate-academic-advising 

  1. I don’t have the prerequisite for a course I want to take. Can I take the course?

  1. I am trying to enrol in a biology course, and I am being denied access. What is the problem?
    • The main reasons students cannot enroll in a course are:
      1. Max course load:  students who have reached their maximum number of courses cannot enroll in more courses. The course load maximum for fall and winter is 6 courses per term and 6.0 CR over the academic year. Students with compelling reasons to take more than 6.0 CR in an academic year can petition for course overload: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/registrar/petitions
      2. Priority Enrollment Controls not met: The Timetable Builder displays the priority enrollments for each course at UofT. Biology courses are restricted in the first round of course enrollment (most of the month of July) to students in certain programs. Students outside of those programs cannot add restricted courses. Most controls for Biology courses will lift at the end of July when the second round of enrollment begins. Some Biology courses will remain restricted at all times. Students with the pre-requisites and a compelling reason can request to be enrolled in courses where they don’t meet the priority enrollment controls, and the courses are not full, starting on August 1 via an online form which will be made available on the Biology Advising webpage. https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/biology/undergraduate-academic-advising
      3. PRA or TUT is full: If you are trying to enroll in a Biology course, but there are no available PRA or TUT spaces, please enroll in the LEC only. Students that have the pre-requisites and a spot in the LEC will have a PRA/TUT by the time classes begin. We will open additional PRA/TUT to accommodate students in the LEC after pre-requisites have been checked. When sections are opened, we will email everyone in the class to inform them of the newly opened sections. Students can view all open and closed sections via the Timetable Builder. 

  1. Can I take another stats course in place of BIO259H5?
    • No, all Biology program (Major and Specialist) students must complete BIO259H5 for their program requirements. There are no stats alternatives. Transfer students who received a second-year statistics course via their transfer credit assessment should connect with a Biology Academic Advisor to discuss your statistics options. 

  1. Can I take MAT132 & MAT134 at St. George?
    • UTM Biology will accept any two math courses taken at any UofT campus for our Biology program requirements. UTSG and UTSC reserve the right to admit or refuse students to their math courses. UTM Biology does not have the authority to permit your enrollment in other department’s courses. UTM Math has an equivalency table which we follow for program requirements. If you complete an equivalent math course at another campus you will need to connect with a Biology Academic Advisor to manually adjust your Biology program in Degree Explorer.
    • Biology will also accept mixing and matching Math courses as long as you complete a series. For example, you can do MAT132 & MAT136 and we will accept it.
    • NOTE: Students enrolled in a math program or who wish to take some Chemistry or upper year Math courses should check with those departments before taking other math courses.  

  1. Can I take courses at St. George or UTSC and have them count towards my program?
    • Yes, and no. The Biology Advising Team will review these requests and make decisions based on the program and course. Please forward the course outline (ideally with a weekly breakdown) to the Biology Undergraduate Administrator (stephanie.dorego@utoronto.ca)  prior to enrolling in the course, but no later than the start of the course, to request to use the course for your Biology program.  UTM Biology does not have the authority to permit your enrollment in other department’s courses. Please check with the other department to determine if your academic history will meet their course enrollment requirements. 

  1. If I want to take a course outside of U of T, can biology tell me if it’s eligible for transfer credit?
    • If the course has been assessed previously you will find the course on UofT’s transfer explorer. Otherwise, it will need to be reviewed by the Biology department. Please email the outline to the Biology Undergraduate Administrator (stephanie.dorego@utoronto.ca) for a preliminary review of the course. The student would be responsible for obtaining an LOP and seeking permission to enroll in the course from the other institution. More information on LOP’s can be found here: https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/registrar/enrolment/choosing/study-elsewhere 

  1. If I completed/passed a course in a previous term, but did not achieve the minimum required grade for program entry, what can I do?

  1. What if I am enrolled in a course, but there is no available space in the PRA &/ TUT?
    • Biology admin staff will eventually open additional PRA & TUT sections. Please be patient! There will be enough PRA & TUT spaces to accommodate all students enrolled in the LEC section. 
  1. I need to get into a particular course to graduate but it is full. What should I do?
    • If this course is a listed program requirement, where you must take that course, please connect with the Biology Advising Team as soon as possible. If the course is part of a list of courses that you can take for a program requirement, students should review all options and fix their timetable to fit another course instead. 

  1. Can I use CR for an elective course, and have it count towards the 4.0 credits I need to get into a biology program? 
    • Each student in this situation will be reviewed individually. Approval is more likely if the student completed first year Biology, Chemistry and Math and CR’d a non-Biology program course. 
  1. I’ve selected credit/ no credit (CR/NCR) for a required program course. Can this course count towards my biology program(s)? What are my options? 
    • Courses taken as CR do not count to your CGPA or your Biology program. Students who choose this option would need to retake the CR’d course before they can complete their program. However, the CR will still be used for pre-requisite to other Biology courses. 

  1. Can a course with a final grade of “CR” be used to satisfy biology course prerequisite requirements? 
    • Yes, a course taken as CR can be used as pre-requisites, however it cannot be used to satisfy program requirements. It’s a good idea to discuss your plans with a member of the Biology Advising Team prior to requesting CR/NCR. 

  1. How does Second Attempt for Credit work? 
    • A student can opt to repeat up to 1.0 credits of passed courses to try to earn a higher grade. When approved the first instance is marked as “extra” and the second attempt will count for the CGPA calculation and the 20 credits for degree requirements.  The grades for both instances would appear on the transcript. 
    • Students first need to be approved to repeat a previously passed course and then follow the deadlines for submitting a request to SAC.   
    • Watch UTM Registrar's Repeating Courses & Second Attempt for Credit (SAC) Explained Video

  1. If I repeated a course and I think my 2nd attempt final mark is going to be higher, what can I do? 

  1. Can I request a Second Attempt for Credit (SAC) for an equivalent course taken at another U of T campus?  For example, I passed MAT136H5 at UTM and I’d like to take MAT136H1 at St. George. Can I request SAC for MAT136H1? 
    • SAC must be used like for like. In this scenario you would need to SAC MAT136H5. If you enrolled in MAT136H1 it would be counted as extra, and the first instance would count in the CGPA and degree requirements. The grade for both courses would appear on your transcript. 

  1. What does “EXTra” mean on my academic record? Can “EXTra” courses count towards my biology program(s)?
    • An “EXT” or extra is designated to a course where the student has previously completed an exclusion course. In some instances, students may want/need to complete a course as an extra. When that happens, the second instance would not count to the CGPA or 20 credits for degree requirements. The Registrar’s Office will run a report on exclusions after the drop/add date in a course and contact students who are enrolled in a course that will be marked EXT. Students are responsible for checking the Academic Calendar to review pre-requisites, co-requisites and exclusions to courses. 

  1. How do I get research experience? 
    1. Students can gain research experience through: 
      1. ROP (Research Opportunities, available in Summer, Fall, Winter and Fall/Winter) 
      2. BIO481Y5 (Biology Thesis Course, available in Summer & Fall/Winter) 
      3. BIO400Y5 (Biology Internship Course; available in Fall/Winter) 
      4. USRA (Undergraduate Student Research Awards program, offered in the summer) 
      5. UTEA (UofT Excellence Award, summer research program) 
      6. Work Study program 
      7. Volunteer in research labs 
  1. How do I apply for BIO400 or BIO481? Where can I find information? 

  1. Where can I find more information for Biology students? 
    • Follow us on Instagram (@biologyutm), LinkedIn (@Department of Biology UTM) and Facebook (@UTMBiology). 
    • Students enrolled in a Biology program have access to the UTM Biology Quercus page. We post opportunities and communications important for Biology students in the Quercus page. If you are in your biology program but do not yet have access to the Quercus page, please email cindy.short@utoronto.ca to be added. Once a year the students are purged, and the current Biology program students are re-added.
  1. Where are the biology advising and admin offices located? 
    • The Biology Advising Offices are located on the third floor of the William G. Davis Building, down the hall from the third-floor chemistry labs. Take the stairs near Tim Horton’s up one flight and walk down the hallway past Campus Safety, Conference Services and veer to the left (as the hallway turns) through the set of doors. Stay to your right and follow the window overlooking the New Science Building to the next set of doors. Going through those doors (which are just to the left of the stairway doors) will take you to the Biology Advising offices. You can find Cindy in DV3058 and Stephanie in DV3057, and Grace (administrator) in DV3032.
  1. Does Biology offer drop-in advising? 
    • Yes! We have advising drop-in hours 3-4 days per week. The current schedule can be found here. Additionally, we are often available if our doors are open, feel free to stop by and say hi!