Ok.. I have a question for the Life Sciences Courses. I am picking courses for Level I so that it could reflect the requirements for Level II. I am planning to go for the Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences for Level II. The requirements for it are as follows:

Admission to Level II
Biology 1A03 1M03
One of Math 1A03 or 1LS3
Chemistry 1A03, 1AA3
One of Physics 1BO3 or 1LO3
Two courses from Life Science 1 Course list

Now let’s compare this with the General requirements in Level I

3 of Biology 1A03 1M03, PSYCH 1A03, PSYCH 1A03, 1AA3
1 of MATH 1A03, 1LS3
1 of Physics 1B03, 1L03
3 courses from Life Sciences: (a list which includes Chemistry 1A03 and 1AA3)
Electives

Well, if you notice, I have to take TWO Chemistry courses as a fixed requirement for admission to Biochem. But, under the General Requirement, it says I can only take 3 courses from Life Sciences, courses includes such as CHEM 1A03 and 1AA3. So if I take TWO Chem courses from the Life Sciences Course List and make it as the two courses out of 3 course requirements, then this leaves to choose only ONE course for the LS course list for Biochemistry. How is this possible? Am I missing something here? Please help! All the info here I got from the Faculty of Science pamphlet.

Was the info in a website or print?

Now let’s compare this with the General requirements in Level I

3 of Biology 1A03 1M03, PSYCH 1A03, PSYCH 1A03, 1AA3
1 of MATH 1A03, 1LS3
1 of Physics 1B03, 1L03
3 courses from Life Sciences: (a list which includes Chemistry 1A03 and 1AA3)
Electives

From my understanding,

3 of Biology 1A03 1M03, PSYCH 1A03, 1AA3 - You take Bio 1A03, Bio 1M03, and let's say, PYSCH 1A03.

and in 3 courses from Life Sciences, you take both Chem 1A03 and 1AA3, and another from from the LS course list.

PYSCH 1A03 and the extra course from the LS course list could constitute your 2 from the LS course List?? (Just check to make sure that they are one of these:

Life Sciences Course List:
ASTRON 1F03; BIOLOGY 1A03, 1M03; CHEM 1A03, 1AA3; COMP SCI 1FC3, 1MA3, 1MD3; ENVIR SC 1A03, 1B03, 1G03; KINESIOL 1Y03, 1YY3; MATH 1A03, 1AA3, 1B03, 1LS3; PHYSICS 1B03, 1BA3, 1BB3, 1L03; PSYCH 1X03, 1XX3

Or, you could always use your electives?

By the way, the new undergraduate calendar is up. I think PSYCH 1A03 is being renamed to PSYCH 1X03.

http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...2008/index.htm

Originally Posted by FlyWithMac

Ok.. I have a question for the Life Sciences Courses. I am picking courses for Level I so that it could reflect the requirements for Level II. I am planning to go for the Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences for Level II. The requirements for it are as follows:

Admission to Level II
Biology 1A03 1M03
One of Math 1A03 or 1LS3
Chemistry 1A03, 1AA3
One of Physics 1BO3 or 1LO3
Two courses from Life Science 1 Course list

Now let’s compare this with the General requirements in Level I

3 of Biology 1A03 1M03, PSYCH 1A03, PSYCH 1A03, 1AA3
1 of MATH 1A03, 1LS3
1 of Physics 1B03, 1L03
3 courses from Life Sciences: (a list which includes Chemistry 1A03 and 1AA3)
Electives

Well, if you notice, I have to take TWO Chemistry courses as a fixed requirement for admission to Biochem. But, under the General Requirement, it says I can only take 3 courses from Life Sciences, courses includes such as CHEM 1A03 and 1AA3. So if I take TWO Chem courses from the Life Sciences Course List and make it as the two courses out of 3 course requirements, then this leaves to choose only ONE course for the LS course list for Biochemistry. How is this possible? Am I missing something here? Please help! All the info here I got from the Faculty of Science pamphlet.

Since you know what you want to get into in second year you will have to take the prerequisites for that program.

What they're saying is the following:
If you don't know what you want to go into in second year, take the General courses and pick 3 courses from Life Sciences.

If you want to go into Biochem & Biomed Sci then you HAVE to take Chem1A03 & 1AA3 which will count as 2 of those 3 you can pick from the Life Sciences list. This will leave you with one choice because you want to go into Biochem & Biomed Sci.

So basically you will have to take Chem 1A03 and 1AA3 and you will be left with the choice of one course from the Life Science list.

That's how it is for many streams. To give you another example, Engineering I gets 2 electives. If you want to go into Engineering & Management in level 2 you HAVE to take ECON 1B03 as one of your electives. It's the same situation you're in.

Hope this helped.

Originally Posted by DannyV

So basically you will have to take Chem 1A03 and 1AA3 and you will be left with the choice of one course from the Life Science list.

Thanks for clarifying that, but what I was really wondering is if by doing that, would that jeopardize my entry to Biochem since they're asking TWO Chem and TWO Life Sci courses??

and no I do not want to use my electives for sciences but rather for humanities or any other non-science courses.

Originally Posted by dvy88

By the way, the new undergraduate calendar is up. I think PSYCH 1A03 is being renamed to PSYCH 1X03.

http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...2008/index.htm

Yes I have noticed that as well Thanks! I got the info from a print of the Faculty of Science last December so yea its kinda outdated

Originally Posted by FlyWithMac

Thanks for clarifying that, but what I was really wondering is if by doing that, would that jeopardize my entry to Biochem since they're asking TWO Chem and TWO Life Sci courses??

and no I do not want to use my electives for sciences but rather for humanities or any other non-science courses.

I don't think it would jeopardize your entry to Biochem. As far as I can tell, the requirements for Biochem are:

6 units BIOLOGY 1A03, 1M03 (or 1AA3)
6 units CHEM 1A03, 1AA3
3 units from MATH 1A03, 1LS3
3 units from PHYSICS 1B03, 1L03 (See Admission Note 1 above.)
6 units from Life Sciences I Course List (See Admission Notes 1 and 2 above.)

Taken from http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...08/sec_472.htm the requirements effective 2009-2010.

You will have to take two other courses from the Life Sciences list(LSL) even though the list contains CHEM 1A03/AA3. You'll end up taking at least 4 courses from the LSL (I don't know which other courses are on that list).

In terms of wanting to take Humanities courses as your electives, sometimes it's not possible. Electives are there and its true they are supposed to be your choice but most programs have prerequisite courses which you will have to take and thus forfeit a few electives. That's not to say you can't take the courses, they will just not count towards your degree.

wow... i don't even know what i want to do for level 2...

Originally Posted by DannyV

I don't think it would jeopardize your entry to Biochem. As far as I can tell, the requirements for Biochem are:
Taken from http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...08/sec_472.htm the requirements effective 2009-2010.

You will have to take two other courses from the Life Sciences list(LSL) even though the list contains CHEM 1A03/AA3. You'll end up taking at least 4 courses from the LSL (I don't know which other courses are on that list).

Ok thanks for the help!

Originally Posted by sinthusized

wow... i don't even know what i want to do for level 2...

You don't have to know right away.

I'm just asking questions just so I could consider the possible courses I could take and have options available for Level II.

Originally Posted by sinthusized

wow... i don't even know what i want to do for level 2...

indeed, it is totally okay to NOT know what you want to do in level two. and it's okay to change your mind between when you first get to mac and the end of first year, or even into second year.

I have another question... it might be a stupid one but like what Chad said "No question is a stupid question on MacInsiders ".

Ok my question is, what is the difference between Bachelor of Science and Honours Bachelor of Science? If there's a difference, do you choose between these two degrees in Life Science I? or Level II or beyond??

I've seen in the Faculty of Science that Level II consists of Honours Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, Honours Biology, etc. Do these programs lead to Honours Bachelor of Science??

Yes, those Honours programs you listed lead to a B.Sc (Hons).

Honours means four years instead of three for a standard bachelor's degree

Oh okay.

Say a student applied for a professional school (medical school, law school, etc.) on his third year and he got accepted to that school and pursues it the next year, will he get the standard Bachelor of Science degree instead of the Honours?

I'm almost 100% sure that if you need to leave your program early (like if you get into med school ) then you can apply to graduate early with a 3-year BSc.