Bachelor of Science

This guide has been prepared with the information you need to successfully register for your first year at UFV. Please review the information provided on this page thoroughly before contacting your academic advisor with questions.

Overview

UFV's Faculty of Science encompasses programs from a number of disciplines such as agriculture, biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, geography and the environment, computing science, and mathematics and statistics.

At UFV, lecture study is complemented with lab work, so that students get to learn and practice lab techniques and procedures that are commonly used in modern laboratories.

Fields that are in highest demand in Canada include computer science, math, engineering, natural and applied sciences, data science, and statistics. Job opportunities exist in government agencies, research and development firms, tech startups, health organizations, environmental consulting companies, manufacturing industries, laboratories, food processing plants, telecommunications firms, biotechnology firms, mining companies, and more.

Program structure and requirements

Watch the recorded planning session or read the guide below.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree requires the completion of a minimum of 120 credits (approximately 38 classes).

To earn a Bachelor of Science, you must choose to complete at least one of the following options within the Science disciplines:

• 1 science major (A collection of 12–18 courses in a single subject area) or
• 2 science minors (7–12 courses in two subject areas)

The first year in your degree you will begin to decide on a subject area to focus on selected from the subjects below:

Bachelor of Science majors and minors

• Biology and Biology Honours
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry and Chemistry Honours
• Computing Science
• Mathematics (and Math/Applied Statistics) and Mathematics Honours
• Physical Geography and Physical Geography Honours
• Physics and Physics Honours

Program requirements and declaration

These terms refer to choosing major and/or minor areas of study within your BSc. degree. The subjects (disciplines) you choose to declare as your major or minor(s) will be based on several factors including:

• Personal interests
• Educational goals
• Career goals

How to declare your major or two minors

• Complete 30 credits
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher
• Complete specific declaration requirements

Workload

Given that 3 classes correspond to approximately 20+ hours/week of school work both in and out of the classroom, it is very important that you consider your workload capacity carefully.

It is much better to start with less and add more coursework in future semesters than to start out feeling overloaded in your first semester.

Ultimately, the number of courses you take each semester is up to you, but here is what we recommend for first-year students:

Science courses can be a heavy course load. If you are working, you want to make sure to keep a good balance between work and school:

• Working 10hrs/week > 12 credits max. recommended
• Working 20hrs/week > 9 credits max. recommended

Suggested course plans

• In choosing courses, try to select a mix of what you would like to try out and what is required.
• Suggested number of courses is from 3 to 4 courses depending on your own schedule and plan for completion time.
• Many science courses require that you register in both a lecture and a lab (eg. BIO 111, CHEM 113). You must choose a lecture and a lab at the time of registration and register for both at the same time. Lab sections are indicated with a # sign (A#A, A#B, etc.) in the timetables and are held on campus.

Here is an example of how you may want to organize your fall and winter semesters:

Below you will find specific plans for each of the majors in the Bachelor of Science degree:

High school upgrading courses

If you are missing a high school level course or did not receive the grade you needed for a course prerequisite, you have the option of taking the equivalent course at UFV.

Next steps