BIO400Y5 - Biology Internship Course

About the Course

NOTE: The deadline to apply for BIO400Y5 for the 2026/2027 academic year is April 9, 2026, 11:59PM.

BIO400 offers senior Biology students the chance to apply their life science knowledge and skills in a 200-hour unpaid work placement for academic credit. This typically involves one full day or two half-days of placement work per week throughout the academic year (during the fall and winter semesters). Possible placements include private-sector organizations (e.g., pharmaceutical and biotech companies) or public-sector institutions (e.g., hospitals, government agencies) within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

The BIO400Y5 Experiential Learning Officer arranges placements after you successfully complete an initial interview, skills assessment, and resume review.

Please note that students cannot enroll concurrently in any other internship, research, or ROP course while taking a BIO400 course (including BIO481, BIO399, PSY399, etc.).

Placement Matching

We make every effort to match students with placement sites that fit their academic background, interests, and experience, but there is no guarantee of placement type. Once a potential match is identified, you will interview with the site supervisor. Both you and the site must agree on the placement for it to proceed.

Final acceptance into BIO400 depends on being hired as an intern by a placement site. This course is a valuable chance to experience a real-world work environment.

• Contingency Courses: If you are accepted into BIO400, you will be asked to enroll in 1.0 contingency course(s)in case your placement does not finalize.
• International Students: If you are an international student, please contact the UTM International Education Centre (IEC) to confirm your eligibility for placement work in an academic internship course.

Requirements

Admission Requirements

• Registered as a full-time, degree student at UTM for the entire 2026-2027 academic year
• Completed a minimum of 15.0 credits, including a statistics course, by May 2026
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 in most recent 10.0 credits
• Fourth year standing in any Specialist or Major offered by the UTM Biology Department
• Students cannot have concurrent enrolment in any other internship, research, or ROP course while taking a BIO400 course (including BIO481, BIO399, PSY399 etc)
• Placements can be completed on site, remotely or hybrid.

Course Requirements

• Bi-weekly class meetings from September to April.
• A year-end report and a presentation are required for course completion.
• Full details on requirements and application steps are on the UTM Biology Student Quercus page. If you don’t have access, email utmbio.advising@utoronto.ca.

Application Instructions

1. Prepare Your Documents
   1. Personal statement
   2. Placement rankings form
   3. Resume (see details below)
2. Reference Contact
   • Gather contact information for one UTM Faculty or TA willing to act as a reference.
   • Do not request a letter—just obtain permission to list their contact.
3. Complete the Online Form
   • Access the MS Form here.
4. Upload Required Files
   • When prompted, upload your personal statement, placement rankings form, and resume.

Placement Ranking Details

You will classify your preferences for each listed Activity, Subject, Work Environment, and Location as High (H), Medium (M), or Low (L). If you would refuse a certain activity, label it “X.” These rankings help us match you to a suitable placement.
Access the Placement Rankings Form at the link provided in the application instructions.

Personal Statement Details

• Focus on your top 3 ranked items from the placement form. Explain why they interest you more than the others, mentioning strengths and areas where you’d like to grow or learn new skills.
• Briefly discuss the lowest 3 items (including any “X” ratings) and why they are less appealing.
• Your personal statement should be no more than 250 words.

Resume

• Upload your resume in PDF format.
• Before finalizing, review the Resume & Cover Letter Toolkit (available through the UTM Career Centre) to ensure quality.
• Include your UTOR email on your resume (avoid using other email accounts).

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply for BIO400Y5 for the 2026/2027 academic year is April 9, 2026, 11:59PM.

Choosing Between BIO400 or BIO481?