Academic Calendar 2023-2024

Admission to a Second Degree Program

Admission to a Second Degree Program

The Second Degree program allows the holder of an undergraduate degree from Queen’s or from another university to complete the online Bachelor of Health Sciences degree in the Faculty of Health Sciences, subject to the following regulations. These regulations are designed in conformity with Queen’s University Senate Policy on Second Degrees.

The Faculty has limited capacity to accommodate Second Degree students, and only accepts candidates into second degree combinations that are academically viable. To ensure the academic integrity of the Second Degree program the Faculty Office, in consultation with the Department(s) concerned, approves combinations to ensure that there is minimal overlap in course content.

Admission requirements are available from Undergraduate Admission. Enrolment limitations or lack of appropriate prerequisites may result in the denial of an application.

1.1 – Admission Requirements

Students are required to have completed all requirements for their first degree program before being admitted to the Second Degree program.

Faculty approval for the Second Degree combination is required. Enrolment is limited in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. The minimum GPA required for admission may vary from year to year, depending on the size and strength of the applicant pool.

1.2 – Program Requirements

Students must complete all course and degree requirements for the Second Degree program according to the Academic Regulations of the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program. (See Academic Regulation 16 for degree requirements.)

1.2.1 – First degree from Queen’s University

Second Degree applicants whose first degree is from Queen’s may use up to a maximum of 24.0 transferable units from their first degree program toward their Second Degree program. When there are 24.0 transferable units from the first degree, the BHSc.(Gen.) degree requires a minimum of 66.0 additional units and the BHSc.(Hons.) degree requires a minimum of 96.0 additional units. These applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 to be eligible for a second degree with the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. GPA will be calculated from the last 48.0 units that a student has taken. 

A maximum of 24.0 course units may be transfer credits (grade of TR) from outside the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at Queen’s University. All 24.0 units may be transferred as elective courses, or can be made up of a combination of core, option, and elective units, up to a maximum of 12.0 units for core courses and 6.0 units for option courses.

1.2.2 – First degree from Another Post-Secondary Institution

Second Degree applicants whose first degree is from another post-secondary institution may use up to a maximum of 24.0 transferable units from the first degree toward either the BHSc (Gen.) degree program or the BHSc.(Hons.) degree program. The additional courses for the second degree must all be completed at Queen’s. These applicants must have the equivalent of a Queen’s cumulative GPA of 2.7 to be eligible for a second degree with the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. GPA will be calculated from the last 48.0 units (or equivalent) that a student has taken.

A maximum of 24.0 course units may be transfer credits (grade of TR) from outside the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at Queen’s University. All 24.0 units may be transferred as elective courses, or can be made up of a combination of core, option, and elective units, up to a maximum of 12.0 units for core courses and 6.0 units for option courses.

1.3 – Degree Combinations

A Second Degree can only be completed in cases where the student’s first degree is in a program that is significantly different from the Bachelor of Health Sciences program, where a significantly different  program is defined as one in which fewer than half of the  program units are required (or may be used) in the first degree program. See Appendix A: Second Degree Specific Programs for further details on allowable internal and external programs.

1.3.1 – A three-year General Degree after a four-year Honours Degree

With the completion of a minimum of 66.0 additional units from Queen’s University in a significantly different Degree Plan from their BHSc Honours degree, students may obtain a BHSc General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a four- year Honours degree.

1.3.2 – Two three-year General Degrees

With the completion of a minimum of 66.0 additional units from Queen’s University in a significantly different Degree Plan from their first degree, students may obtain a BHSc General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a different three-year General degree.

1.3.3 – Two four-year Honours Degrees

Students admitted to the Second Degree Program must complete a minimum of 96.0 additional units from Queen’s University in a significantly different Degree Plan from their first degree to obtain a BHSc (Hons.) degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a first four-year Honours degree.

1.4 – Program Restrictions

In addition to restrictions based on the Faculty’s limited capacity to accommodate Second Degree students, the following academic restrictions apply.

1.4.1 – General Restrictions

Students are not eligible to obtain a second three-year General degree or four-year Honours degree of the same program type from another university. That is, a student will not be permitted to obtain two BHSc degrees.

Students may not obtain a three-year General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a four-year Honours degree of the same program type. For example, students may not obtain a BHSc (Gen.) degree after a BHSc (Hons.) degree.

In order to be academically viable, the BHSc degree may only be obtained after a Degree Plan in a substantially different discipline. Students may be refused access to the BHSc Second Degree program if it is determined that there is significant overlap between the BHSc and the first degree. If at least half of the required units in the BHSc Second Degree program may be used in the first degree program, the overlap is considered significant and the combination is not approved. Specifically, a BHSc (Gen.) degree program requires 90.0 units, of which 72.0 are Degree Plan units. If 36.0 or more of the 72.0 Degree Plan units are required (or may be used) in the first degree program, there is too much overlap for the Second Degree combination to be approved. Similarly, a BHSc (Hon.) degree program requires 120.0 units, of which 96.0 are Degree Plan units.  If 48.0 or more of the 96.0 Degree Plan units are required (or many be used) in the first degree program, there is too much overlap for the Second Degree combination to be approved.

1.4.2 – First Degree from Another Post-Secondary Institution

All of the units required for the Second Degree must be completed through Queen’s University.

1.5 – Application Process

Students who wish to complete a Second Degree Program from Queen’s must apply for admission through the BHSc online application. Units from the first degree will be assessed for credit towards the Second Degree by Undergraduate Admission.

Second Degree Specific Programs within Queen's University

Primary Degree Allowed to take BHSc Gen.? Allowed to take BHSc. Hon?
Nursing No No
Chemical Engineering Yes Yes
Engineering Chemistry Yes Yes
BA Health Studies No Yes
BAH Health Studies No No
BSc Biochemistry Case by case Case by case
BScH Biochemistry Case by case Case by case
BSc Life Sciences No Case by case
BScH Life Sciences No No
BSc Biology No Case by case
BScH Biology No Case by case
BCMP Biomedical Computing No Case by case
BCMPH Biomedical Computing No Case by case

* all other programs on Queen’s campus are not exclusions 

Second Degree Specific Programs outside of Queen's University

Institution Primary Degree Allowed to take BHSc Gen.? Allowed to take BHSc. Hon?
Athabasca University Bachelor of Sciences (Online) Case by case Case by case
University of Alberta BSc Biological Sciences
BScH Biological Sciences
No
No
Case by case
No
University of British Columbia BSc Biochemistry
BSc Microbiology w or w/o Immunology
BSc Cellular, Anatomical & Physiological Sciences
BSc Pharmacology
BSc Biotechnology
BScH Biochemistry
BScH Microbiology w or w/o Immunology
BScH Cellular, Anatomical & Physiological Sciences
BScH Pharmacology
BScH Biotechnology

No
No

No

No
No
No
No

No

No
No
Case by case
Case by case

Case by case

Case by case
Case by case
No
No

No

No
No
University of Calgary BSc Biochemistry
BSc Biological Sciences
BSc Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology
BSc Biomedical Sciences
BSc Health and Society
BScH Biochemistry
BScH Biological Sciences
BScH Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology
BScH Biomedical Sciences
BScH Health and Society
No
No
No

No
No
No
No
No

No
No
Case by case
Case by case
Case by case

Case by case
Case by case
No
No
No

No
No
Dalhousie University BSc Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
BSc Medical Sciences
BSc Microbiology and Immunology
BSc Neuroscience
BScH Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
BScH Medical Sciences
BScH Microbiology and Immunology
BScH Neuroscience
No

No
No
No
No

No
No
No
Case by case

Case by case
Case by case
Case by case
No

No
No
No
University of Manitoba BSc Anatomy and Cell Biology
BSc Biochemistry
BSc Microbiology and Immunology
BSc Physiology
BScH Anatomy and Cell Biology
BScH Biochemistry
BScH Microbiology and Immunology
BScH Physiology
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Case by case
Case by case
Case by case
Case by case
No
No
No
No
McMaster University BHSc Health Sciences
BSc Life Sciences
BHScH Health Sciences
BScH Life Sciences
No
No
No
No
No
Case by case
No
No
University of Ottawa BSc Biochemistry
BSc Biomedical Science
BSc Biopharmaceutical Science
BHSc Health Sciences
BScH Biochemistry
BScH Biomedical Science
BScH Biopharmaceutical Science
BHScH Health Sciences
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Case by case
Case by case
Case by case
No
No
No
No
No
University of Saskatchewan BSc Anatomy and Cell Biology
BSc Biochemistry
BSc Biochemistry and Biotechnology
BSc Biotechnology, Microbiology and Immunology
BSc Microbiology and Immunology
BSc Physiology and Pharmacology
BSc Toxicology
BScH Anatomy and Cell Biology
BScH Biochemistry
BScH Biochemistry and Biotechnology
BScH Biotechnology, Microbiology and Immunology
BScH Microbiology and Immunology
BScH Physiology and Pharmacology
BScH Toxicology
No
No
No

No


No

No

No
No
No
No

No

No

No

No
Case by case
Case by case
Case by case

Case by case


Case by case

Case by case

Case by case
No
No
No

No

No

No

No
University of Toronto BSc Life Sciences
BScH Life Sciences
No
No
Case by case
No
University of Waterloo BSc Biochemistry
BSc Biomedical Sciences
BScH Biochemistry
BScH Biomedical Sciences
BSc Science (Online)
No
No
No
No
Yes
Case by case
Case by case
No
No
Yes
Western University BHSc Health Sciences
BMSc Medical Sciences
BHScH Health Sciences
BMScH Medical Sciences
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No