Honours Biology and Pharmacology (BioPharm) is the longest-standing undergraduate co-operative education program at McMaster University. It began over 20 years ago to provide students with comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge of Biology and Pharmacology. The BioPharm program at McMaster prides itself on the quality of its graduates both in their practical skills and theoretical knowledge.

There are many aspects of the program that set it apart:

• Limited enrollment to twenty students per year
• High instructor to student ratios in both tutorial and lab courses
• Problem based learning: self directed approach to researching and learning about many aspects of Pharmacology
• Up to 12 months of coop experience in major areas such as academia, government and pharmaceutical industries
• 12 unit senior thesis can be combined with work terms and may be conducted outside of McMaster University
• Possibility to develop professional networking through work terms with coop supervisors and program instructors
• Fully paid coop placements
• Excellent preparation for graduate or professional schools and the job market

Selection will be based on academic achievement, a written statement of interest and an interview but requires, as a minimum, submission of an online application by the stated deadline, completion of Level II (or above) of a Science or Health Sciences program with a grade point average of at least 5.0 on the McMaster 12-point scale (Note: normally, a grade point average of at least 8.0 is required). Applicants from other disciplines may also be a good fit depending on their educational background. Successful completion of courses from the following areas of study are strongly recommended: human or animal physiology, genetics, organic chemistry, cell biology, microbiology and biotechnology, ecology, bio-analytical chemistry, and/or physical chemistry.

A required Level II course for admission is BIOLOGY 2A03 since this is a prerequisite for our course BIOLOGY 3P03. An alternative to BIOLOGY 2A03, is HTH SCI 2F03 and 2FF3.

The program will be open to applicants who have completed equivalent Level I and/or II courses at another university. Applicants who have completed a university degree are also eligible to apply as a second degree student.

• This is a five-level (year) co-op program, three terms of which must be spent in work related to biology or pharmacology placements under the auspices of the Science Career & Cooperative Education office in the Faculty of Science.
• A senior thesis, PHARMAC 4T12, will be completed in the Fall term of Level V. Work terms must be completed in the Spring/Summer term of Level III, Fall term of Level IV and Spring/Summer term of Level V. See Co-op program chart below.
• PHARMAC 3A06 A/B, 3B06 A/B, 4A03, 4AA3, 4C03, 4D03 and 4E03 will use a self-directed problem-based learning approach.
• Students must be registered full-time and take a full academic workload as prescribed by Level and Term.
• Students are required to complete SCIENCE 2C00 and SCIENCE 3C00 before the first work placement and are strongly recommended to complete SCIENCE 2C00 in Level II.
• Students should seek academic advising for this program from the Director of the Honours Biology and Pharmacology Co-op Program.
• If BIOCHEM 2B03 and 2BB3 have not been completed at the time of admission, BIOCHEM 3G03 must be completed in Level III. Students with credit in BIOCHEM 2B03 and 2BB3 are not required to complete further Biochemistry courses.

BIOCHEM 3D03 – Metabolism and Regulation

BIOCHEM 3H03 – Clinical Biochemistry

BIOCHEM 4E03 – Gene Regulation in Stem Cells and Development

BIOCHEM 4M03 – Cellular and Integrated Metabolism

BIOCHEM 4N03 – Molecular Membrane Biology

All Levels III and IV Biology and Molecular Biology courses

CHEM 2II3 – Introductory Inorganic Chemistry: Structure and Bonding

CHEM 4IB3 – Bio-Inorganic Chemistry

CHEM 4OA3 – Natural Products

CHEMBIO 2P03 – Physical Chemistry Tools for Chemical Biology

CHEMBIO 3OA3 – Organic Mechanistic Tools for Chemical Biology

CHEMBIO 3P03 – Biomolecular Interactions and Kinetics

CHEMBIO 4A03 – Bio-Analytical Chemistry and Assay Development

CHEMBIO 4IB3 – Bio-Inorganic Chemistry

CHEMBIO 4OA3 – Natural Products

CHEMBIO 4OB3 – Medicinal Chemistry: Drug Design and Development

EARTHSC 4EA3

ENVIRSC 3B03 – Ecosystems and Global Change

ENVIRSC 4EA3 – Environmental Assessment

HTHSCI 2G03 – Statistics & Epidemiology 1

HTHSCI 2K03 – Cell Biology

HTHSCI 3BA3 – Symptomatology

HTHSCI 3I03 – Introductory Immunology

HTHSCI 3K03 – Introductory Virology

HTHSCI 3U03 – Medical Genetics

HTHSCI 4II3 – Advanced Concepts in Immunology

HTHSCI 4J03 – Immunological Principles In Practice

LIFESCI 3AA3 – Human Pathophysiology

STATS 2D03 – Introduction to Probability

Apply On OSCARplus!

As a collaborative program with the Faculty of Science, here are the co-op guidelines outlined by The Science Career & Cooperative Education Office for applying to a co-op program, such as BioPharm!

1. Decide if co-op is right for you!

• Attend a co-op information session to learn about your program in greater detail.
• Connect with upper-year co-op students to learn more about their experiences. The BioPharm Student Society is a great resource.
• Meet a career advisor in the SCCE to discuss whether co-op fits with your career goals.

2. Ensure you meet all the requirements

• Complete SCIENCE 2C00: Skills for Career Success in Science in Year 2
• Ensure you have met all academic requirements for your co-op program if interest. The Undergraduate Calendar is best to review.
• Note: Co-op admission requirements are typically much higher as the program are Problem Based Learning environments.

Applications for the 2023/2024 intake have closed, but there are a few spots still left! Contact us today to learn more. It is highly recommended you follow The Science Career & Cooperative Education Office on INSTAGRAM (McMasterSCCE) to receive updates regarding upcoming co-op information sessions and application dates!

McMaster University students who have access to OSCAR plus, need to apply through this portal. Health Sciences students need to submit their complete package to the Program Director and/or to the Director of the co-op program.