Course Curriculum

Waterloo’s Biology program offers a comprehensive and hands-on curriculum built around 9.0 units of required courses that provide a strong foundation in the life sciences. You’ll begin with core biology courses such as BIOL 110 (Biodiversity, Biomes, and Evolution), BIOL 130 and 130L (Introductory Cell Biology and Lab), BIOL 239 (Genetics), BIOL 240 and 240L (Fundamentals of Microbiology and Lab), and BIOL 273 (Principles of Human Physiology 1). As you progress, you'll explore more advanced topics through courses like BIOL 308 (Principles of Molecular Biology) and BIOL 359 (Evolution 1: Mechanisms). To complement your biology training, you'll take essential courses in chemistry—including CHEM 120/120L and CHEM 123/123L (General Chemistry and Labs), CHEM 237/237L (Introductory Biochemistry and Lab), and CHEM 266/266L (Basic Organic Chemistry and Lab). Mathematics and data analysis are covered through MATH 127 (Calculus 1 for the Sciences) and STAT 202 (Introductory Statistics for Scientists), while you’ll also complete one physics course—either PHYS 111 or PHYS 121—and a communication course—COMMST 193 or ENGL 193. This well-rounded set of courses prepares you for upper-year specialization and diverse career paths in research, healthcare, education, and the environment.