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At Waterloo, you’ll dive into your Biology major right from day one. And with more than 80 biology courses available, you’ve got plenty of options. Keep your Biology degree broad, or go deeper with one of six possible specializations.
You’ll graduate ready for a career in laboratory or field research, environmental assessment, education, the health professions, or industry. If you enrol in co-op, you'll also have up to two years of paid work experience to add to your resume.
Looking for practical skills? Take advantage of hands-on field courses to study terrestrial, aquatic, or marine biology in places like Algonquin Park and Jamaica.
Make some time in your schedule for the Biology Undergraduate Society (BUGS), which organizes student-professor nights, tutoring sessions, and a full calendar of social events.
By choosing an area of specialization within the Biology program, you can focus your studies and prepare for rewarding career opportunities.
Ranked among the world's top universities for biological sciences
Earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Honours BiologyOntario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including
Admission averages: Low 80s
Complete the Admission Information Form once you've applied.
Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements.
Apply to Life Sciences and select Biology as your major.
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Most of the classes you’ll take will be Biology courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.
View a list of all the courses required for your degree (refer to Honours Biology or one of the specializations in Biology).
BIOL 225 – Plants and Civilization
BIOL 310 – Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL 346 – Microbial Ecology and Diversity
BIOL 472 – Cell Biology of Human Disease
Offered by the Faculty of Science
Apply to Life Sciences and select Biology as your major
Available as a major and minor
By alternating school terms and paid co-op work terms throughout your degree, you can explore different careers and types of employers.
You can add additional areas of expertise to your degree by including one or more of the areas of focus.
You can also include one of the minors available to all Waterloo students. Popular areas of focus for Biology students include Medical Physiology, Human Nutrition, Microbiology, Environmental Biology, and Biotechnology.
Graduates often work in health care, microbiology and genetics for agricultural companies, hospitals and health science centres, medical research centres, labs, pharmaceutical companies, energy companies, and in education as teachers, lecturers, researchers, and more.
Learn about the future of careers in science. Or thinking about a career in pharmacy? Learn how to become a pharmacist.
Available as a