Photograph of a chemistry instructor in the chemistry lab. Links to Chemistry faculty bios at https://scitech.viu.ca/chemistry/faculty.

Upper-Level Courses for 2023-2024

Tentative list of upper-level Biology courses offered during Fall 2023 and Spring 2024. Core courses listed in bold are offered every year; courses not in bold may not be offered each year (many are offered in alternate years). Some prerequisites apply. Subject to change. See timetable.

Fall 2023

Spring 2024

BIOL 320 - Aquatic Ecosystems

BIOL 305 - Animal Physiology

BIOL 336 - Bacterial Genetics

BIOL 322 - Terrestrial Ecosystems

BIOL 360 - Animal Behaviour

BIOL 345 - Molecular Ecology

BIOL 372 - Plant Ecology

BIOL 403 - Current Topics in Biology 

BIOL 402 - Evolution

BIOL 434 - The Microbiome

BIOL 432 - Applied Microbiology

BIOL 435 - Immunology

BIOL 437 - Applied Epidemiology

BIOL 436 - Pathogenic Microbiology

BIOL 443 - Developmental Biology

BIOL 491 - Undergraduate Research Project (all year)

Tentative list of courses for 2024-2025

BIOL 305, 325, 332, 333, 334, 341, 342, 348, 350, 351, 375, 402, 403, 432, 457, 465.
See course descriptions.

Upper-Level Science Electives for 2023-2024

List of upper-level courses in other science programs that may be taken as Upper-Level Electives. Students who have completed the 2nd-year courses in the Honours or Major in Biology should meet most prerequisites. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) may be counted as Upper-Level Biology Electives for the Honours, Major, or Minor in Biology. Courses with double asterisks (**) satisfy the requirement for an Applied Biology course for registration as a Registered Professional Biologist with the College of Applied Biology of BC. Subject to change.

Fall 2023

  • AQUA 328 Methods and Techniques of Finfish Culture
  • ASTR 312 History of Astronomy and Cosmology
  • CHEM 300 Green Chemistry and Toxicology
  • CHEM 302 Atmospheric Environmental Chemistry
  • CHEM 334 Bio-Organic Chemistry
  • FRST 328 GIS for Natural Sciences *
  • FRST 351 Forest Pathology *
  • GEOG 328 Geographic Information Systems *
  • GEOG 350 Natural Resource Management
  • GEOG 373 Biogeography *
  • GEOL 301 Caves & Karst Landscapes
  • RMOT 306 Environmental Monitoring *

Spring 2024

  • AQUA 332 Finfish, Shellfish, and Crustacean Nutrition
  • ASTR 311 Exploring the University
  • FISH 322 Coastal and Estuarine Ecosystems *
  • FISH 324 Ichthyology *
  • FRST 352 Forest Entomology *
  • GEOG 324 Research Methods in Geography
  • GEOG 328 Geographic Information Systems *
  • GEOL 312 Environmental Geology
  • RMOT 357 Research Methods in Natural Resource Management *
  • RMOT 400 Fisheries Conservation and Management **
  • RMOT 401 Wildlife Management **

May 2024

  • AQUA 342 Finfish, Shellfish and Crustacean Health (April 25 - May 8)

Lower-Level Electives for 2023-2024

List of lower-level courses that may be of interest for biology and science students. There is no prerequisite for most of these courses. This is not a complete list.

Fall 2023

  • ANTH 111 Introduction to Archaeology and Biological Anthropology
  • ANTH 214 Biological Anthropology
  • AQUA 101 Introduction to Aquaculture
  • ASTR 111 Introductory Astronomy: The Solar System
  • BIOL 156 Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology I (Nanaimo and Cowichan Campus)
  • FRST 143 Forest Hydrology and Riparian Management
  • GEOG 101 Environmental Geography
  • GEOG 211 Atmospheric Environments
  • GEOG 212 Earth Environments
  • GEOG 228 Maps and Mapping
  • GEOL 111 Discovering Planet Earth
  • GEOL 112 Understanding Earth's History
  • GLST 211 Geographies of Environmental Change and Sustainability
  • INDG 103 Introduction to Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies I
  • KIN 201 Human Anatomy
  • RMOT 275 Wildlife Techniques

Spring 2024

  • ANTH 111 Introduction to Archaeology and Biological Anthropology
  • ANTH 214 Biological Anthropology
  • ASTR 112 Introductory Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies
  • BIOL 157 Nursing: Anatomy and Physiology II (Nanaimo and Cowichan Campus)
  • GEOG 101 Environmental Geography
  • GEOG 211 Atmospheric Environments
  • GEOG 212 Earth Environments
  • GEOG 228 Maps and Mapping
  • GEOL 111 Discovering Planet Earth
  • GEOL 112 Understanding Earth's History
  • INDG 104 Introduction to Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies II
  • INDG 204 Indigenous Perspectives on the Environment
  • KIN 252 Nutrition: A Holistic Approach
  • LING 201 Introduction to Second Language Acquisition
  • PHIL 248F Special Topics: Philosophy of Science
  • RMOT 101 B.C. Wildlife
  • RMOT 192 Wildlife Technical Report
  • RMOT 297 Wildlife-Human Conflicts
  • SCIE 254 Our Physical World (Cowichan Campus)

Upper-Level Electives for 2023-2024

List of upper-level courses in non-science programs that may be taken as Non-Science Electives or Upper-Level Electives. The prerequisite for these courses is either "None" or "Third-Year Standing" (min. 54 credits completed). Subject to change.

Continuous Intake Online

  • INTP 300 (3) Planning for Upper-Level Internship

Fall 2023

  • ENGL 304 (3) Advanced Professional Writing
  • GEOG 342 (3) Urban and Regional Planning
  • GEOG 344 (3) Urban Social Geography
  • GEOG 350 (3) Natural Resource Management
  • GLST 390 (3) Globalization: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry
  • INDG 380 (3) Special Topics in Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies
  • INTP 300 (3) Planning for Upper-Level Internship
  • KIN 325 (3) Social Perspectives of Sport in Film
  • KIN 351 (3) Human Wellness
  • KIN 365 (3) Active and Healthy Aging
  • KIN 371 (3) Organization and Administration of Physical Activity
  • KIN 373 (3) Planning for Work Integrated Learning in Kinesiology
  • KIN 391 (3) Research Methods Kinesiology
  • KIN 462 (3) Coaching Practicum in Sport
  • LBST 305 (3) East and West (Advanced)
  • LBST 332 (3) Modernity and Postmodernity (Advanced)
  • LBST 350 (6) Finding the Human, Knowing the Divine (Advanced)
  • MEDI 301 (3) Studies in Global Media
  • MEDI 302 (3) Making the News
  • MEDI 311 (3) Film About Media
  • POLI 320 (3) American Foreign Policy
  • POLI 323 (3) Canadian Political Parties
  • POLI 345 (3) Democratic Theory and Practice
  • SOCI 335 (3) Social Problems and Solutions
  • SOCI 340 (3) The Sociology of Health and Illness
  • SWAG 310 (3) Unsettling Canada: Indigenous Women's Activism
  • TRMT 300 (3) Managing Human Resources and Behaviour
  • TRMT 333 (3) Leisure Lifestyles
  • TRMT 357 (3) Applied Research & Evaluation Methods in Tourism
  • TRMT 410 (3) Leisure Planning for Resilience
  • TRMT 459 (3) Outdoor Recreation Administration

Spring 2024

  • ACCT 350 (3) Fraud Awareness, Prevention, and Detection
  • GEOG 330 (3) Cultural Geography
  • GEOG 340 (3) Urban Systems
  • GEOG 433 (3) Special Topics in Geography
  • GLST 391 (3) Responses to Globalization
  • INDG 380 (3) Special Topics in Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies
  • KIN 370 (3) Outdoor Education, Interpretation and Adventure Programming
  • LBST 303 (3) The Highest Things (Advanced)
  • LBST 370 (6) Revolutions of the Modern World
  • LBST 450 (3) The Human Condition: Questions Past and Present
  • PHIL 310 (3) Introduction to Philosophical Thought
  • PHIL 345 (3) Aesthetics (Advanced)
  • PHIL 448F (3) Selected Topics: Philosophy of Science
    • Science students can request a prerequisite waiver
  • POLI 335 (3) Asian Governments and Politics
  • POLI 370 (3) Canadian Provincial and Territorial Politics
  • POLI 440 (3) Contemporary Themes in Political Thought
  • POLI 457 (3) Public Policy and Global Resources
  • SWAG 311 (3) Healing Words: Indigenous Women's Storytelling
  • SWAG 330 (3) Women and Gender in Digital Spaces
  • SWAG 380 (3) Topics in Women and Gender
  • TRMT 320 (3) Leisure Innovation for Change
  • TRMT 330 (3) Niche Tourism
  • TRMT 344 (3) Recreation Governance
  • TRMT 360 (3) Experiential Product Development in Tourism
  • TRMT 449 (3) Tourism Marketing