Biology

Program Overview

Biology is a broad field dedicated to the study of all aspects of living things and their vital processes. It encompasses the study of animals, plants, insects, and microbes as well as their relationships with their environments. The Biology program at UBC’s Vancouver campus offers an extremely rich range of specialty course options that span the field’s many sub-disciplines. It is overseen by two departments: Botany (in the academic field, one of the largest and strongest in North America) which focuses on plant science; and Zoology, another powerhouse department conducting research and teaching in developmental biology, comparative animal physiology, ecology, and evolution. Biology is available as a major or honours, with combined major or combined honours available with Computer Science, Chemistry, and Oceanography. There are several honours degrees in Biology specializations as well, including Animal Biology Cell and Development Biology Conservation Biology Ecology and Environmental Biology Evolutionary Biology Marine Biology Plant Biology The honours streams are recommended for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in a biological sciences field. Experiential learning and research The Biodiversity Research Centre is a state-of-the-art facility that is home to 50 researchers in disciplines such as evolution, systematics and phylogeny, population and community ecology, fisheries management, conservation biology, and theoretical modeling. UBC students are able to visit the Beaty Biodiversity Museum for free. The museum is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of biodiversity and making the research conducted by the scientists of UBC’s Biodiversity Research Centre accessible to the public. The museum has more than two million specimens of plants, insects, fish, shells, birds, mammals, and fossils.

Academic Requirements