Science

Bachelor of Science degree

The UFV Bachelor of Science (BSc) is a program of academic study for students pursuing educational or career goals in the natural sciences. The program requirements encourage a breadth of intellectual and academic experience, and at the same time, recognize the importance of concentrated study in a specific field or discipline. The BSc may serve as an educational goal in itself, as qualification for those who wish to pursue advanced degrees at other educational institutions, or as a qualification for employment.

The BSc consists of a minimum of 120 credits. To receive a Bachelor of Science degree, students must, at a minimum, complete the requirements for at least one of a science honours, science major, or double science minor, in addition to the General BSc requirements.

Entrance requirements

1. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent, or completion of nine university-level credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00 in all university courses attempted.
2. Mathematics requirement: one of the following:
   • Pre-calculus 12 or Principles of Mathematics 12 with a minimum grade of B
   • Calculus 12 with a minimum grade of A
   • MATH 095 with a minimum grade of B
   • MATH 096 with a minimum grade of B
   • MATH 092 and MATH 093, each with a minimum grade of B
   • MDPT score of 70% or better
   • MATH 110 with a minimum grade of C+
   • MATH 111 with a minimum grade of C
3. Science requirement: one course from one of the following disciplines, with a minimum grade of C+:
   • Biology: Anatomy and Physiology 12, Biology 12, BIO 093, or BIO 111
   • Chemistry: Chemistry 12, CHEM 093 (discontinued), CHEM 110, or CHEM 113
   • Geography: Physical Geography 12, Geography 12, GEOG 101 (discontinued), GEOG 102 (discontinued), or GEOG 103
   • Geology: Geology 12 or GEOG 116
   • Physics: Physics 12, PHYS 093, PHYS 100, PHYS 101, PHYS 105, or PHYS 111
4. English requirement: Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

Attendance at a Bachelor of Science information session or personal interview with an Advisor is recommended.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.

When to apply

Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall, Winter, and Summer semesters. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/apply.

   Additional documents required for a complete application:

   • For secondary school entrance, a final official transcript (if graduated). For students currently in Grade 12, see the secondary school grades and transcripts section of the Admissions website for more information.
   • For university students, official transcripts (or interim transcripts) from all post-secondary institutions attended showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details.
2. Proof of completion of prerequisites is required for course registration. It is essential that applicants submit an official secondary school transcript at least two weeks before registration.
3. Applicants will be advised of an admission decision and, if accepted, will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see the Fees and Other Costs section) and will be applied toward tuition fees.

Basis for admission decision

1. Students must meet the minimum standard for entry.
2. Applicants who qualify will be offered seats in order (from highest to lowest) of one of the following:
   • For secondary school entrance, an admission GPA based on the best Grade 12 science and either Pre-calculus 12 or Principles of Mathematics 12 (or equivalent).
   • For university entrance, a cumulative GPA based on all university credits attempted.
3. Application date and time will be used to break ties when students have the same GPA.
4. Students who do not meet the minimum standard will be admitted to Qualifying Studies.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. Books and additional supplies cost approximately $120–180 per course.

Program duration

With appropriate planning, the Bachelor of Science requirements can be completed in four years of full-time study. Because upper-level courses are offered on a limited basis, students should seek the help of an Advisor to plan their coursework in advance, in order to complete their degree in a timely manner. The choice of which courses are to be offered each year will be made with reference to the needs of students who have declared their BSc major. Students staying for a longer period may wish to pursue the Co-operative Education option. All graduation requirements must be completed within 10 years of initial entry to the program.

Location

First-year courses can be completed at either the Abbotsford or Chilliwack campus. Currently, most courses beyond first year are only offered at the Abbotsford campus.

Honours

Honours are offered in:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Physical Geography

Majors

Majors are offered in:

• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computing Science
• Mathematics
• Physical Geography
• Physics

Minors

Minors are offered in:

• Applied Statistics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computing Science
• Mathematics
• Mathematics (Statistics option)
• Physical Geography
• Physics

Double minor

A double minor degree is available. Students choose two minors from:

• Applied Statistics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computing Science
• Mathematics or Mathematics (Statistics option)
• Physical Geography
• Physics

Note: the Applied Statistics minor cannot be combined with the Mathematics minor (Statistics option), and the Mathematics minor (Statistics option) cannot be combined with the Mathematics minor, but the Applied Statistics minor can be combined with the Mathematics minor.

Bachelor of Science declaration requirements for majors and a minor

Students may formally declare a Science major or minor if they meet all of the following requirements:

• A minimum of 30 credits;
• A minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all credits attempted; and
• The declaration requirements of the specific subject discipline(s) (see below).

Bachelor of Science students are expected to declare a major or minor by the time they have completed 60 credits. In order to have access to discipline-reserved seating, where applicable, students must be admitted to the BSc and be formally declared. Students who are undecided should consult with an Advisor regarding their options.

Please note that the number of students requesting entry into any Science honours, major, or minor may exceed capacity. Departments reserve the right to select competitively if necessary. The basis for selection will be the applicant’s GPA on required lower-level prerequisites; students in the Bachelor of Science program will have priority. UFV cannot guarantee available seats in required program courses.

Specific major and minor declaration requirements

Applied Statistics minor declaration requirements:

• Prerequisites for STAT 271

Biochemistry major declaration requirements:

• BIO 111, BIO 112, CHEM 113 and CHEM 114
• One of MATH 111 or PHYS 111 or PHYS 105
• One of the following: ARTS 100, university-level ENGL, CMNS 125, or any CMNS course numbered 235 or above

Note: The Biochemistry major may not be combined with a minor in Biology or Chemistry.

Biology declaration requirements:

• C+ in both BIO 112 and CHEM 114
• One of the following: MATH 111, PHYS 105, PHYS 111, STAT 104, or STAT 106

Chemistry declaration requirements:

• CHEM 114 and PHYS 111
• One of the following: MATH 112 or MATH 118

Computing Science major declaration requirements:

• COMP 125
• C+ in COMP 150
• C in MATH 111
• MATH 125

Computing Science minor declaration requirements:

• Any two COMP courses

Physical Geography declaration requirements:

• One Physical Geography course (GEOG 101 (discontinued), 102 (discontinued), 103, or 116)
• One of the following: MATH 111, PHYS 101, PHYS 105, PHYS 111, BIO 111, CHEM 113, STAT 104, STAT 106, or STAT 270/MATH 270

Mathematics declaration requirements:

• C+ in one of the following: MATH 112, MATH 211, MATH 221, or MATH 255/ENGR 255

Physics declaration requirements:

• PHYS 112 and C in one of MATH 112 or MATH 118

Other degree programs may declare a science major or minor by satisfying the Bachelor of Science declaration requirements of the major/minor listed above. Students must also have the approval of their degree program.

Bachelor of Science declarations for Honours

Biology Honours, Mathematics Honours, and Physical Geography Honours declaration procedures and requirements are listed in those sections of the academic calendar.

Physics Honours will be awarded to students who declare the Physics major and have also completed the Physics Honours requirements.

Science major or Science double minor with an Arts major, Arts extended minor, Arts minor, Business minor, CIS minor, or Kinesiology minor

Students completing the requirements for a major in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physical geography, or physics, or a double minor in biology, chemistry, mathematics, physical geography, physics, or computing science may combine the science major or science double minor with any arts major, arts extended minor or minor, computer information systems minor, kinesiology minor, or any business minor. A mathematics major or minor in Science cannot be combined with a mathematics major, minor, or extended minor in Arts. When a major, extended minor, or minor outside the science faculty is completed, the transcript will specify both the science major and the applicable arts major, arts extended minor or minor, business minor, computer information systems minor, or kinesiology minor.

Note: Students who wish to combine a double minor with a non-science minor or major may need to complete more than 120 credits in order to complete the degree.

Co-operative Education option

The Co-operative Education option provides students with the opportunity to acquire paid, career-related work experience in conjunction with their studies in the Bachelor of Science and Associate of Science degree programs. See the Co-operative Education section for more details.

Program requirements

To be eligible for the BSc students must satisfy the following general requirements:

1. 120 applicable university-level credits, with a minimum GPA of 2.00. At least 30 of these university-level credits must be completed at UFV. Electives may be selected from any 100 or higher university-level course. Co-op course credit can be used towards the degree requirements but is limited to one course.
2. 44 upper-level credits with a minimum CGPA of 2.00, including a minimum CGPA of 2.00 in upper-level credits for each major or minor subject.
3. Declaration of a major/minor by the completion of 60 credits (see Notes).
4. MATH 111 and either MATH 112 or MATH 118
5. At least one of the following pairs:
   • BIO 111 and 112
   • CHEM 113 and 114
   • PHYS 111 and 112
6. Any two courses from the following: university-level ENGL, CMNS 125, or any CMNS course numbered 235 or above; or ARTS 100.
7. Discipline requirements for at least one of a science honours, science major, or double science minor. See above for available honours, majors, and minors.

Note 1: Students who fail to declare a major/minor by the completion of 60 credits may be removed from the program. Students who are undecided should consult with an Advisor regarding their options.

Note 2: Students who wish to complete a major and a minor may need to complete more than 120 credits to complete their degree.

Transfer credit

Students who have completed university-level courses at other post-secondary institutions can apply for the BSc at UFV. A maximum of 90 credits may be transferred to UFV for the degree. However, not all courses may be applicable to specific science programs; please check with an Academic Advisor. Applicants with significantly more than 90 credits might consider completing their studies at their original institution. (See Visiting students in the Transfer Credit section of the calendar.)

Most of the lower-level courses (100- and 200-level) offered as part of the BSc program are transferable to all B.C. universities and university colleges. Students enrolling in UFV upper-level courses with the intention of completing a degree at another institution should consult that institution for information regarding transferability of these courses.

Courses at other institutions

UFV BSc students who wish to take academic work at other institutions for credit toward the UFV BSc degree must obtain permission in advance from an Academic Advisor. A request for Letter of Permission form may be obtained from the UFV Office of the Registrar. When approval has been granted, the Office of the Registrar will issue a Letter of Permission to the student. (Also see Visiting students in the Transfer Credit section of the calendar.)

A maximum of 90 transfer and/or course challenge credits may be applied to the BSc. All requirements for the BSc must be met.

Program continuance

All students accepted into the BSc program at UFV are expected to maintain acceptable standards of scholarship. Specifically, they are expected to maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.00 on all courses.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or above) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV's Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

The academic standing of all students covered under this policy for courses where letter grades are assigned will be determined at intervals of nine credits at the start of students' academic careers and then at the end of every term after 27 credits have been completed. Students will be assessed after every term enrolled, but Academic Standing will only change at the intervals noted above. Students’ academic standing will be permanently reflected on their student record and will appear on official and unofficial transcripts.

After each semester, students put on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, or Required to Withdraw status or who are continued on Warning or Probation will be notified by the Registrar.

Course repetition

Students may not register for a course more than twice without approval. No more than five upper-level course duplications will be permitted on courses which apply to the BSc. Students with more than five upper-level course duplications will be required to withdraw from the program. Where a course has been repeated, only the higher grade is counted in the GPA calculation.

Auditing courses

Students may register as audit students or change to audit status only during the first three weeks of the semester. See the Audit section of the calendar for more information. Audited courses are not acceptable for meeting requirements for the BSc degree.

Course challenge

Course challenge is a method by which students may obtain credit for course material learned elsewhere (i.e., outside UFV). A maximum of 90 university-level credits may be obtained by the combined mechanism of course challenge and transfer credit. See the Course challenge section for more information.

Readmission

Students who have been required to withdraw from UFV under the Undergraduate Continuance policy (92) are subject to readmission and continuance requirements as listed in the UFV academic calendar. Students are normally only readmitted once to the same program.

Residency

To meet the residency requirement of the BSc, the following restrictions apply:

1. Of the 120 credits for the BSc, 30 must be completed at UFV.
2. Of the 44 upper-level credits for the BSc, 22 must be completed at UFV.
3. At least 50% of upper-level credits required for each honours, major, and minor subject must be completed at UFV.

Graduation requirements

It is the student's responsibility to ensure all program requirements are met. This should be done by regular consultation with an Academic Advisor.

Students must apply for graduation by completing the Graduation Request form available at ufv.ca/registrar/forms, or from the Office of the Registrar. This should be done in the first month of the final semester. The final deadline for students who wish to attend the June Convocation ceremony is April 1 of each year, with all program requirements completed by the Winter semester grade deadline (see Important Registration Dates) of each year.

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.