the department of biological sciences
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The Department ofBiological SciencesThe Department ofBiological Sciences
Wednesday 3rd September 2008Presenter: Dr. Stephen Reid
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What is required to obtain a degree?What is required to obtain a degree?
1. Complete 20 credits (40 courses); 5 courses per semester
2. Complete the requirements for either:
1 Specialist Program or
2 Major programs or
1 Major + 2 Minor Programs
3. Earn a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 1.6
(equivalent to a C minus or 60-62%)
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Programs in Biological SciencesPrograms in Biological Sciences
1. Cell and Molecular Biology Specialist2. Conservation Biology Specialist3. Human Biology Specialist 4. Integrative Biology Specialist5. Integrative Biology Major6. Biology Minor
7. Cell and Molecular Biology Co-op8. Conservation Biology Co-op
9. Neuroscience Joint Program with Psychology
10. Paramedicine Joint Program with Centennial College11. Industrial Microbiology Joint Program with Centennial College
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First Year CoursesFirst Year Courses
Integrative Biology Major
1. Introductory Biology: Part 1
2. Introductory Biology: Part 2
3. Introductory Chemistry: Part 1
4. Introductory Chemistry: Part 2
5. Six additional courses
Program Supervisor: Dr. Kamini Persaud
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First Year CoursesFirst Year Courses
Integrative Biology Specialist
1. Introductory Biology: Part 1
2. Introductory Biology: Part 2
3. Introductory Chemistry: Part 1
4. Introductory Chemistry: Part 2
5. Calculus: Part 1
6. Calculus: Part 2
7. Introduction to Physics: Part 1
5. Three additional courses Program Supervisor: Dr. Kamini Persaud
There are two calculus streams;one for students who have taken high school calculus and one for students who have not taken high school calculus.
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First Year CoursesFirst Year Courses
Conservation Biology Specialist / Co-op
1. Introductory Biology: Part 1
2. Introductory Biology: Part 2
3. Introductory Chemistry: Part 1
4. Introductory Chemistry: Part 2
5. Introduction to Planet Earth
6. The Geography of Global Processes
7. Geographic Information Systems
5. Three additional courses
Program Supervisor: Dr. Lisa Manne
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First Year CoursesFirst Year Courses
Cell & Molecular Biology Specialist / Co-op
1. Introductory Biology: Part 1
2. Introductory Biology: Part 2
3. Introductory Chemistry: Part 1
4. Introductory Chemistry: Part 2
5. Calculus: Part 1
6. Calculus: Part 2
7. Introduction to Physics: Part 1
5. Three additional courses Program Supervisor: Dr. Clare Hasenkampf
There are two calculus streams;one for students who have taken high school calculus and one for students who have not taken high school calculus.
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First Year CoursesFirst Year Courses
Human Biology Specialist
1. Introductory Biology: Part 1
2. Introductory Biology: Part 2
3. Introductory Chemistry: Part 1
4. Introductory Chemistry: Part 2
5. Calculus: Part 1
6. Calculus: Part 2
7. Introduction to Physics: Part 1
8. Introduction to Physics: Part 2
9. Introduction to Physiology: Part 1
10. Introduction to Physiology: Part 2
Program Supervisor: Dr. Kamini Persaud
There are two calculus streams;one for students who have taken high school calculus and one for students who have not taken high school calculus.
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Second Year CoursesSecond Year Courses
1. Cell Biology2. Molecular Aspects of Genetic Processes3. Mammalian (Human) Physiology I4. Plant Physiology5. Ecology6. Evolutionary Biology7. A physiology or anatomy or cell biology or ecology lab course
All biology programs contain a core of six coursesthat everyone must take.
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Third & Fourth Year CoursesThird & Fourth Year Courses
Students begin true specialization in their third year.Some of our third and fourth year courses include:•Biochemistry (Proteins and Enzymes)•Biochemistry (Metabolism)•Practical Approaches to Biochemistry•Molecular Endocrinology•Mammalian (Human) Physiology II•Comparative Environmental Physiology•Pathologies of the Nervous System•Animal Developmental Biology•Microbiology: The Bacterial Cell•Seminars in Cellular Microbiology•Vertebrate Histology (Cells and Tissues)•Vertebrate Histology (Organs)•Animal Behaviour•Evolutionary Biology of Insects•Marine Biology•Animal Communication
•Molecular Aspects of Plant Development•Genetics•Genomics•Molecular Biology Lab (Cloning)•Molecular Biology Lab (Nucleic Acids)•Special Topics in Molecular Genetics•Consequences of Global Change•Advanced Population Ecology•Restoration Ecology•Role of Zoos in Conservation•Conservation Biology•Environmental Toxicology•Biology of Plant Stress•River Ecology•Directed Research in Biology I•Directed Research in Biology II
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Programs in Biological SciencesPrograms in Biological Sciences
Entry requirements after First Year
1) Complete (pass) 4 credits (8 courses) which must include:
Introductory Biology: Part I
Introductory Biology: Part 2
Introductory Chemistry: Part 1
Introductory Chemistry: Part 2
One course in mathematics or statistics
2) A cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.0 (“C” average)
Some programs are highly competitive and may require
a higher CGPA for entry.
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Applying to a Biology ProgramApplying to a Biology Program
• There are two subject post (program) application periods per year:1) Early April to early May.2) Early July to early August.
• Go on to your ROSI (Repository of Student Information) account and select the subject post that identifies the program of study that you wish to pursue (you may select more than one subject post).
• Admission decisions are announced in mid-June and mid-September.
Follow this link for information and instruction.
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Pre-Requisites, Co-Requisites and ExclusionsPre-Requisites, Co-Requisites and Exclusions
BGYB10H3 Cell Biology This course is designed to introduce theory and modern experimental techniques incell biology. Emphasis will be on eukaryotic cells. Structure and function of majoranimal and plant organelles will be covered. Subsequent topics include the role ofthe cytoskeleton.
Exclusion: BGYB10Y, BIO250Y
Prerequisite: [BGYA01H & BGYA02H] & [CHMA10H & CHMA11H]
• A pre-requisite must be taken before you can take the course in question.
• A co-requisite must be taken before or at the same time.
• You cannot take, for credit, a course for which you have taken an exclusion.
Must be taken prior totaking BGYB10H
You cannot take BGYB10H if you have taken these courses
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Physics and Biology ProgramsPhysics and Biology Programs
• In this case you can take PHYA01H (Basic Physics). This course is intended for students who did not take grade 12 physics. It is worth 0.5 credit.
• You can take this course in your first semester (fall 2008).
• You can then take PHYA10H in the spring 2009 semester.
• PHYA22H can then be taken in the summer or at a later date (this course is required in the human biology program).
I want to enter a biology program that requiresphysics but I didn’t take grade 12 physics.
What can I do?
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Taking Courses at the Other U of T CampusesTaking Courses at the Other U of T Campuses
• You may take up to 5.0 credits of courses in the other Arts and Science Divisions at the Univ. of Toronto (St. George & UTM).
• No more than 1.0 of your first 4.0 credits may be taken at the other two campuses.
• Students are responsible for confirming (by looking at the UTSC calendar) whether or not a course at another campus is an exclusion to a UTSC course that has already been taken.
• You need permission from your program supervisor to replace a UTSC program requirement with a course from another campus.
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Summer CoursesSummer Courses
• Summer courses were initially established so that co-op students could complete their degree in four years.
• Summer courses are useful if you have failed or dropped a course that you need as a pre-requisite to courses the following year.
• Not all courses are offered in the summer. Consult the course calendar and/or your program supervisor if you are planning on putting off a course until the summer.
• Medical schools do count summer courses but they don’t like students using them to lighten their course loads in the fall and winter semesters.
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Components of a CourseComponents of a Course
Depending upon the particular course, the following are general course components:
• Lectures (usually 2 hours per week).*
• Laboratory/practical sessions (3 hours every week or every second week).
• Tutorials (the role of tutorials differ in different courses).
*, Lecture etiquette is very important. You should not talk as this disturbs other students. Cell phones ringers must be turned off and phones must not be answered.
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How will I be evaluated?How will I be evaluated?
Depending upon the particular course, the following are used as evaluation tools:
• Midterm examination (1 or 2 per course).
• Final examination (1 per course).
• Lab reports (in courses with lab sections).*
• Quizzes.
• Written assignments or oral presentations.*
*make sure that you are familiarwith the university’s rules on plagiarism.
University rulesprohibit the presence of cellphones in an exam.
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How will I be evaluated?How will I be evaluated?
• You are assigned a mark (percentage) in each course.
• This percentage is then converted to a letter grade.
• The letter grade is then converted to a grade point value.
• Grade point values are then used to calculate your grade point average (GPA).
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How will I be evaluated?How will I be evaluated?
Percentage90-10085-8980-8477-7973-7670-7267-6963-6660-6257-5953-5650-520-49
Letter GradeA+AA-B+BB-C+CC-D+DD-F
Grade Point Value4.04.03.73.33.02.72.32.01.71.31.00.71.0
DefinitionExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodAdequateAdequateAdequateMarginalMarginalMarginalWholly Inadequate
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Who are my course instructors?Who are my course instructors?
• Tenured or tenure-track faculty (Assistant Professors; Associate Professors and Full Professors) who are all active researchers.
• Full-time lecturers (teach but do not do research)
• Sessional lecturers (replacement instructors hired when a regular course instructor is on leave).
• Teaching assistants (Masters or PhD students; occasionally a fourth year undergraduate student)
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What does a university professor do?What does a university professor do?
• 40% Research
• 40% Teaching (one course per semester; supervising graduate and undergraduate research students).
• 20% Administration
• Every faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences runs an externally-funded research program.
• Research lab personnel include graduate (MSc and PhD students; undergraduate thesis students; post-doctoral fellows and technicians).
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Communicating with your ProfessorsCommunicating with your Professors
• Different professors like to communicate in different ways.
• Every professor holds designated office hours each week which time students may drop by to ask questions or seek advice.
• Short questions are easily asked via e-mail. Questions that require long answers or explanations should be asked in person.
• Most professors do not like to receive phone calls as multiple calls can be highly disruptive.
• E-mails must NOT be sent in text-message format. Such messages will be deleted and not answered.
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Where do I go for advice or to solve problems?Where do I go for advice or to solve problems?
In first year you should consult the Pre-Program coordinator, Sean Ramrattan.
Once you are in a biology program (major or specialist) you should consultwith the Program Supervisor.
• Integrative Biology Dr. Kamini Persaud [email protected]
• Cell & Molecular Biology Dr. Clare Hasenkampf [email protected]
• Human Biology Dr. Kamini Persaud [email protected]
• Conservation Biology Dr. Lisa Manne [email protected]
• Paramedicine Dr. Stephen Reid [email protected]
• Industrial Microbiology Dr. Roberta Fulthorpe [email protected]
Program supervisors will give advice on course selection, course sequences, replacement courses and any other program-related concern).
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What happens when I have met all the requirements for my degree?What happens when I have met all the requirements for my degree?
Follow this link for information and instruction.
• If you are registered in, or have already successfully completed the correct number of credits for the Degree Post you are registered in then you must signal your intent to graduate. Information is available on the Registrar’s web site.
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The People of the DepartmentThe People of the Department
• Departmental Chair Dr. Greg Vanleberghe• Associate Chair for Research Dr. Dan Riggs• Associate Chair for Undergraduate Affairs Dr. Stephen Reid • 20 tenured or tenure-track faculty members• 5 emeritus professors 2 full-time lecturers
• Dozens of graduate students and other research personnel
• 4 administrative staff membersNella Semoff, Secretary to the Chair Lucy Pickering, Administrative OfficerGloria Luza, Clerical Assistant Tony Rupnaraine, Business Officer
• 5 teaching techniciansNankie Bissoon, Alex Yi, Patrick Ng, Joanne Pearce; Sheila Rush
• 5 technical staff M. Agoston – greenhouse; A. Gristock – vivarium;Y. Ma, R. Or – Centre for the Neurobiology of Stress;A. Ranieri - Wash/Sterilisation
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Research ClustersResearch Clusters
1. Biological Dynamics of Environmental Change
2. Neurobiology of Stress
3. Integrative Behaviour and Neuroscience
4. Cells and Infection
5. Plant Cellular and Molecular Processes
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchMechanisms of cell survivaland cell death following heart attack and stroke
Michelle AartsB.Sc., MSc. (Western), Ph.D. (McGill)Assistant ProfessorCanada Research Chair
TeachesBiochemistryand Endocrinology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchEvolution of Mating Systems
Maydianne AndradeB.Sc. (Simon Fraser), M.Sc. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Cornell) Associate ProfessorCanada Research Chair
TeachesEvolution andAnimal Behaviour
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchEcology andNeurobiologyof Stress
Rudy BoonstraB.Sc. (Calgary), Ph.D. (British Columbia)Professor
TeachesGlobal Change &Population Ecology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchMolecular Neurobiologyof Heat Shock Proteins
Ian BrownB.Sc. (Carleton), Ph.D. (Texas), ProfessorCanada Research Chair
TeachesAnimal Developmental Biologyand Molecular Biology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchGenetics/Genomics
Mark FitzpatrickB.Sc., M.Sc., (Brock), Ph.D. (Toronto)Assistant Professor
TeachesGeneticsand Genomics
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchPlant Development, Biochemistry andMolecular Biology
Sonia GazzarriniB.Sc., M.Sc. (Milan), Ph.D. (Tuebingen)Assistant Professor
TeachesPlant Developmental Biologyand Molecular Biology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchCell Biology - the regulationand function of immune cellsand bone cells.
Rene HarrisonB.Sc. (Winnipeg), M.Sc. (Manitoba), Ph.D. (Toronto) Assistant Professor
TeachesCell Biology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchPlant Genetics
Clare HasenkampfB.Sc. (Loyola), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Florida State)Associate Professor
TeachesFirst Year Biologyand Genetics
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchEcophysiology of plantnutrient acquisition;Solutions to World hunger
Herbert KronzuckerB.Sc. (Wuerzburg), Ph.D. (British Columbia)ProfessorCanada Research Chair
TeachesEcology andEnvironmental Toxicology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchMolecular Phylogeneticsand evolution of behaviors
Nate LovejoyB.Sc., M.Sc. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Cornell)Assistant Professor
TeachesEcology andEvolutionary Biology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchSpatial ecology, biogeography andconservation
Lisa ManneB.Sc. (Otterbein College), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Univ. of Tennessee)Assistant Professor
TeachesFirst Year Biology andConservation Biology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchBioacoustics,NeuroethologySensory Systems & Communication
Andrew MasonB.Sc. (Guelph), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Toronto)Associate Professor
TeachesFirst Year Biology andAnimal Communication(Neuroscience)
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchBiological Basis ofBrain Pathology and Parkinson’s Disease.
Joanne NashB.Sc. (Aberdeen), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Univ. of Manchester)Assistant Professor
TeachesMammalian (Human) Physiologyand Nervous System Pathology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchRespiratory Physiologyand Neurobiology
Stephen ReidB.Sc. , Ph.D. (Ottawa)Associate Professor
TeachesMammalian (Human)and Animal Physiology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchPlant Molecular Biology
Dan RiggsB.Sc. (North Carolina), Ph.D. (Florida State)Associate Professor
TeachesCell and Molecular Biology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchMicrobiology
Mauricio TerebiznikB.Sc., Ph.D. (Buenos Aires)Assistant Professor
TeachesMicrobiology
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchMetabolism and Stress Physiology in Plants
Greg VanlerbergheB.Sc., M.Sc. (Western Ontario), Ph.D. (Queen's)Professor
TeachesPlant Physiology andthe Biology of Plant Stress
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FACULTYFACULTY
ResearchEcological Studiesof Running WaterCommunities
Dudley WilliamsB.Sc. (North Wales), Dip. Ed. (Liverpool),M.Sc., Ph.D. (Waterloo), D.Sc. (Wales)Professor
TeachesBiology of Insects, River Ecologyand Ecology Field Courses
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FACULTYFACULTY
Marc CadotteB.Sc., M.Sc. (Windsor University), PhD (Tennessee)Arriving in July 2009Community Ecology
Rongmin Zhou B.Sc. (Peking University), Ph.D. (Chinese Academy of Agriculture)Plant Biochemistry
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RESOURCESRESOURCES
Department of Biological Scienceswww.utsc.utoronto.ca/biosci
www.utsc.utoronto.ca/sgreid
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