The Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences offers opportunities for study leading to doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degrees. For information on advanced degrees, see graduate Cell and Developmental Biology. For further information on other courses within the Department, see the Faculty of Medicine.
There are two undergraduate specializations in Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences (CAPS): Major and Honours.
Admission to the Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences B.Sc. Specializations
Students may apply to enter either the Major or Honours specialization at the end of first year through the common application which is administered by the Office of the Dean of Science. If admitted for second year, students must follow the program of study and meet the academic standards below.
Admission into the Honours specialization requires a minimum academic average of 80% with a minimum of 70% in the communications courses. Students in the Honours Specialization must maintain an annual academic average of 80%. Those who do not meet the requirements to continue in the Honours specialization will be enrolled in the Major.
CAPS Major students interested in transferring into the Honours specialization after year 2 may apply to the Department, if they have met the academic requirements. See here for details.
Non-CAPS students interested in transferring into the CAPS specializations after year 2 may apply to the Department. Acceptance is contingent on space availability. See here for details.
Permission of the Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences is required to alter the progression throughout the specialization.
Students wishing to undertake directed studies at the undergraduate (CAPS_V 448) level must seek departmental approval prior to registration.
Cooperative Education Option
The Department offers a five-year Co-operative Education Option for undergraduate students in the Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences specialization. In addition to the traditional laboratory-based university instruction, the students will receive 12 or 16 months of work placement (i.e., three or four work terms) supervised by scientists in industrial, academic or governmental positions. Work placements typically start in May or September after the completion of third year and continue to the beginning of fourth year. Selection of students will be based on academic performance and general suitability to the work environment as determined by resume and interview. The total enrolment will be subject to the availability of appropriate work placements. The work placements are arranged by mutual agreement between students and employing organizations. Students in the Cooperative Education Option register in CAPS_V 398, 399, 498 and pay the Cooperative Education Option fee per course and Co-op Workshop fees. See Cooperative Education Fees.
Graduation in the Cooperative Education Option requires a student to complete CAPS_V 398, 399, and 498 in addition to the normal academic requirements. CAPS_V 499 is optional for students who wish to have four work placements.
Detailed information on the option can be obtained from the Cooperative Education Program.
Specializations
Major (3992): Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences (CAPS)
| First Year | |
| Communications Requirement1 | 6 |
| BIOL_V 1122 | 3 |
| BIOL_V 1212 | 3 |
| CHEM_V 1213 or 141 or 111 | 4 |
| CHEM_V 123 | 4 |
| MATH_V 1004 | 3 |
| MATH_V 101 | 3 |
| PHYS_V 100-level beyond PHYS_V 1005 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 29 |
| Second Year | |
| BIOL_V 200 | 3 |
| BIOL_V 234 | 3 |
| BIOL_V 201 or BIOC_V 202 | 3 |
| BIOL_V 300 or STAT_V 200 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 205 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 206 | 3 |
| CHEM_V 233 and CHEM_V 235 (or CHEM_V 203) | 4 |
| CHEM_V 2056 | 3 |
| Electives7,8 | 6 |
| Total Credits | 31 |
| Third Year | |
| BIOC_V 302 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 303 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 305 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 306 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 310 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 391 | 3 |
| Electives7,8 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Fourth Year | |
| Three of the following: CAPS_V 420, 421, 422, 424, 426, 427, 431 or 448 | 9 |
| Electives7,8 | 21 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Credits for Degree | 120 |
| 1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses see the Communication Requirement. | |
| 2 Students without one of B.C. High School Biology 11 or Biology 12 (or their equivalents) must take BIOL_V 111 before taking BIOL_V 112 or 121. Students without Chemistry 12 must take CHEM_V 100, CHEM_V 110 or CHEM_V 111 before taking BIOL_V 112. | |
| 3 Students without B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM_V 100. | |
| 4 Students may take MATH_V 120, 180 or 184 (4 credits) instead of MATH_V 100 (3) and reduce the number of required elective credits by 1 credit. Students may take MATH_V 110 (6) instead of MATH_V 100 and reduce the number of required elective credits by 3 credits. | |
| 5 Students without B.C. High School Physics 12 (or its equivalent) must take PHYS_V 100 before any other PHYS_V courses. | |
| 6 Students may take CHEM_V 211 (4) in lieu of CHEM_V 205 (3), and reduce the number of required elective credits by 1 credit. | |
| 7 The schedule for electives is a suggestion. Students are free to take any number of electives, in any year, as long as the total number of electives required for the specialization is achieved. | |
| 8Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s: a) Foundational Requirement b) Laboratory Science Requirement c) Science Breadth Requirement d) Science and Arts Requirements e) Upper-level Requirement f) General Degree Requirements |
Honours (3221): Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences (CAPS)
| First Year | |
| Communication Requirement1 | 6 |
| BIOL_V 1122, 1212 | 6 |
| BIOL_V 180 (or 140)2 | 2 |
| CHEM_V 1213 (or 111 or 141) | 4 |
| CHEM_V 123 | 4 |
| MATH_V 100 or 102 or 1044 | 3 |
| MATH_V 101 or 103 or 1055 | 3 |
| PHYS_V 100-level6 | 6 |
| Total Credits | 34 |
| Second Year | |
| BIOL_V 200, 201 (or BIOC_V 202) | 6 |
| BIOL_V 300 (or STAT_V 200) | 3 |
| CHEM_V 205 | 3 |
| CHEM_V 211 | 4 |
| CHEM_V 2337, 235 | 4 |
| MICB_V 202 | 3 |
| Electives8 | 12 |
| Total Credits | 35 |
| Third Year | |
| BIOC_V 301, 302 | 6 |
| CAPS_V 301 | 6 |
| CAPS_V 303 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 390 | 3 |
| Electives8 | 15 |
| Total Credits | 33 |
| Fourth Year | |
| CAPS_V 421 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 422, 423, 424, 426 | 12 |
| CAPS_V 4319,10 | 3 |
| CAPS_V 4499 | 6 |
| Electives8,10 | 6 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Credits for Degree | 132 |
| 1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses see the Communication Requirement. | |
| 2 Students without one of Biology 11 or Biology 12 must take BIOL_V 111 before taking BIOL_V 112, 121 or 180. Students without Chemistry 12 must take CHEM_V 100 or CHEM_V 111 before taking BIOL_V 112. | |
| 3 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM_V 100. | |
| 4 MATH_V 180 or 184 or 120 may substitute for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 1 credit. MATH_V 110 may be substituted for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 3 credits. | |
| 5 MATH_V 121 may substitute for any of the specified integral calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 1 credit. | |
| 6 Students require 6 credits of 100-level physics beyond PHYS_V 100. Students lacking Physics 12 must take PHYS_V 100 before any other PHYS_V courses. Students with Physics 12 should complete their first year requirement with PHYS_V 108 or 118. | |
| 7 CHEM_V 203 is accepted as a substitute for CHEM_V 233. | |
| 8 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s: a) Foundational Requirement; b) Laboratory Science Requirement; c) Science Breadth Requirement; d) Science and Arts Requirements; e) Upper-level Requirement; f) General Degree Requirements. Note that any extra elective credit taken in the first, second or third years can be applied to later elective credit requirements. | |
| 9 Students will normally be required to take CAPS_V 449 and one of CAPS_V 430 or CAPS_V 431 in the same Winter Session. | |
| 10 Students may take CAPS_V 430 (6) in lieu of CAPS_V 431 (3). Students taking CAPS_V 430 (6) are only required to take 3 credits of electives in 4th year. | |