Develop a strong grounding in basic sciences like chemistry and biology, and then focus on the biomedical sciences such as human anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and pharmacology. This online general BSc program will foster an interdisciplinary perspective to your understanding of today's diseases and disorders, while enhancing your critical analysis and communication skills. This online degree is also a good fit if you have aspirations to attend professional schools to become a healthcare professional.
Program Plan
The Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences program plan consists of 90.0 units. 42.0 of these units are electives which can be taken from any subject, at any level and in any order, as long you have (or obtain) the prerequisites for any 200 or 300-level courses. The other 48.0 units must be taken as described below.
Note: Courses may not be offered every term.
Core courses (24.0 units)
- BIOL 102 (3.0 units): Fundamentals of Biology: Molecular and Cell Biology
- BIOL 103 (3.0 units): Fundamentals of Biology: Organisms to Ecosystem
- CHEM 113 (3.0 units): General Chemistry I: From Atoms to Matter
- CHEM 114 (3.0 units): General Chemistry II: Thermodynamics and Kinetics
- CHEM 281 (3.0 units): General Organic Chemistry I (with Virtual Laboratory)
- PHAR 370 (3.0 units): Fundamentals of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- PHGY 215 (3.0 units): Principles of Mammalian Physiology I*
- PHGY 216 (3.0 units): Principles of Mammalian Physiology II*
*Students may substitute PHGY 210/6.0 or PHGY 214/6.0 for PHGY 215/3.0 and PHGY 216/3.0
Option courses** (18.0 units)
Selected from the following online courses, including 12.0 units at the 200-level or above:
- ANAT 100 (3.0 units): Anatomy of the Human Body
- ANAT 380 (3.0 units): Clinically Relevant Human Anatomy
- BCHM 218 (3.0 units): Molecular Biology
- BCHM 270 (3.0 units): Biochemical Basis of Health & Disease
- BCHM 370 (formerly BMED 370) (3.0 units): Genetics and Genomics
- BCHM 482 (3.0 units): Proteomics and Metabolomics
- CHEM 285 (3.0 units): General Organic Chemistry II (with Virtual Laboratory)
- HLTH 230 (3.0 units): Basic Human Nutrition
- MICR 270 (3.0 units): Infection, Immunity and Inflammation
- MICR 271 (3.0 units): Introduction to Microbiology
- MICR 290 (3.0 units): Antibiotic Resistance Lab
- MICR 320 (3.0 units): Microbes in Health and Disease
- MICR 386 (formerly BMED 386) (3.0 units): Fundamentals of Immunology in Health and Disease
- PATH 310 (3.0 units): Introduction to Pathology and Molecular Medicine
- PHAR 100 (3.0 units): Introductory Pharmacology
- STAM 200 (formerly BIOL 243) (3.0 units) or equivalent (see course page for details): Introduction to Statistics
**No more than 12.0 units in BIOL (or 3.0 units in NURS and 6.0 units in BIOL)
Additional requirements (6.0 units)
In the physical and natural sciences or mathematics, all ANAT, ASTR, BIOL, CANC, CHEM, CISC, COGS, MATH, MICR, PHAR, PHGY, PHYS, and REPD courses, and a limited set of PSYC courses. The following courses in these disciplines are offered online:
- ANAT 100 (3.0 units): Anatomy of the Human Body
- ANAT 380 (3.0 units): Clinically Relevant Human Anatomy
- ASTR 101 (3.0 units): Astronomy I: The Solar System
- ASTR 102 (3.0 units): Astronomy II: Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe
- BCHM 218 (3.0 units): Molecular Biology
- BCHM 270 (3.0 units): Biochemical Basis of Health & Disease
- BCHM 370 (formerly BMED 370) (3.0 units): Genetics and Genomics
- BCHM 482 (3.0 units): Proteomics and Metabolomics
- BIOL 110 (3.0 units): Human Genetics and Evolution
- BIOL 111 (3.0 units): Ecology and the Environment
- BIOL 350 (3.0 units): Evolution and Human Affairs
- CANC 380 (3.0 units): Evolutionary Biology of Cancer
- CHEM 285 (3.0 units): General Organic Chemistry II (with Virtual Laboratory)
- CISC 101 (3.0 units): Elements of Computing Science
- CISC 102 (3.0 units): Discrete Mathematics for Computing I
- CISC 121 (3.0 units): Introduction to Computing Science I
- CISC 124 (3.0 units): Introduction to Computing Science II
- COGS 100 (3.0 units): Introduction to Cognitive Science
- MATH 121 (6.0 units): Differential and Integral Calculus
- MATH 225 (3.0 units): Ordinary Differential Equations
- MICR 270 (3.0 units): Infection, Immunity and Inflammation
- MICR 271 (3.0 units): Introduction to Microbiology
- MICR 320 (3.0 units): Microbes in Health and Disease
- MICR 386 (formerly BMED 386) (3.0 units): Fundamentals of Immunology in Health and Disease
- PATH 310 (3.0 units): Introduction to Pathology and Molecular Medicine
- PHAR 100 (3.0 units): Introductory Pharmacology
- PHAR 370 (3.0 units): Fundamentals of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- PHAR 380 (3.0 units): Drug and Environmental Toxicology
- PHAR 480 (3.0 units): Drug Discovery and Development
- PHGY 170 (3.0 units): Human Cell Physiology
- PHYS 118 (6.0 units): Basic Physics
- PSYC 100 (6.0 units): Principles of Psychology
- PSYC 271 (3.0 units): Brain and Behaviour I
- REPD 372 (Formerly BMED 372) (3.0 units): Reproduction and Development
- REPD 473 (formerly BMED 473) (3.0 units): Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
- STAM 200 (formerly BIOL 243) (3.0 units) or equivalent (see course page for details): Introduction to Statistics
NOTE: Courses may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement.
Electives (42.0 units)
42.0 additional units selected from all course offerings.
How do I apply?
Admission Requirements
Queen's Arts and Science Online has several admission categories for students with diverse educational backgrounds. Choose the right one for you here.
Application Periods
There are three application periods each year - Fall, Winter and Summer. View the dates and deadlines for each one.
Submit an Application
To apply for a Queen's online program, simply submit an online application directly through our website.
How Online Learning Works
Click here to learn more about when to access your course, time commitments, exams and more.
What can I do with my degree?
Can I apply to Grad School?
Admission requirements for graduate programs vary by institution and program. If your education goals include attending grad school, we recommend that you speak to the receiving institution and compare our programs to their admission requirements. It is currently not possible to complete an Honours degree in Life Sciences online at Queen's.
Possible Career Fields
Your BSc in Life Sciences can lead you to a wide variety of career fields, which may include:
- Animal research
- Audiology
- Biochemistry
- Biotechnology
- Drug development
- Environmental management
- Ergonomics
- Food science and technology
- Forensics
- Genetics
- Health administration
- Kinesiology
- Medical and clinical research
- Medical illustration
- Microbiology
- Nutrition & dietetics
- Occupational health and safety
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Public and private research laboratories
Note: Students who are interested in pursuing graduate studies are encouraged to contact the programs directly to find out if our ASO 3-year 90.0-unit general degree will meet admission requirements.