How to Apply to Biology at the University of Windsor (Ontario, Canada): Honours Biological Sciences in the Department of Integrative Biology with Thesis and Combined Honours Options and an Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Stream, and Admission Requirements and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Windsor is in Windsor, Ontario. Its biology-type science degrees sit in the Faculty of Science, offered by the Department of Integrative Biology (iBio); biochemistry belongs to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Below are the key points for fall 2027 entry from Windsor’s website (most pages show no year, so please confirm), for domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents), international applicants (including those from China) and transfer students. Medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health and biomedical engineering are outside this article, so see Windsor’s website.

1. Degrees and areas

• Biological Sciences: the program page tags it Honours (4-year), Thesis available and Combined Honours available. Windsor says you can specialize in microbiology, cellular development, environmental and evolutionary biology, or population and ecosystem ecology, or combine them, from the molecular level to whole organisms (including humans) and communities and ecosystems, learning research techniques in new labs and in the field. Sample courses include Biological Diversity, Cell Biology, Ecology, Economic Botany, Evolution, Genetics, Human Physiology and Microbiology.
• Honours Biological Science – Interdisciplinary Health Sciences (IHS): an honours program with combined honours available that combines a Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences or Psychology degree with one of ten concentrations: Healthcare Economics, Healthcare Informatics, Health and Aging, Health and Society, Health and Gender Studies, Indigenous Health, Healthy Spaces and Place, Medical Humanities, One Health (Environmental Health) and Biostatistics.
• Programs the department lists: the Integrative Biology undergraduate page lists Honours Biological Sciences (with or without thesis), Honours Behaviour, Cognition and Neuroscience (BCN), and the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Arts and Science (IAS) major and minor concentrations in Biological Sciences; it also mentions Combined Honours and a Biological Sciences minor. The Faculty of Science page additionally links Biomedical Sciences, Environmental Science and Studies and Forensic Science pages, for details of which see Windsor’s website. Biochemistry is in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and is introduced alongside chemistry on Windsor’s site, so it is only touched on here.
• Accreditation: not published on the pages read here; check Windsor’s website.
• Research projects, internships: the Biological Sciences program page does not carry the co-op tag (the chemistry program does); Windsor’s experiential learning page says most programs incorporate an internship or co-op option. Whether Biological Sciences offers co-op, and the research-project or thesis requirements, are not published on the pages read here; ask the Department of Integrative Biology.
• Applying to professional schools: the department says you can apply to a professional school (medical, dental, optometry, pharmacy, veterinary) with any undergraduate degree as long as you complete that school’s required courses; the degree name is not important.

2. Direct entry and the first year

• You apply to a specific program: Biological Sciences and IHS have their own requirements; whether a stream is chosen at application or after entry is not published on the pages read here. The department says that whether you take Biological Sciences (with or without thesis), BCN, a Combined Honours program or a minor, you complete a set of core courses covering biological systems from the level of DNA up to ecosystem processes; you can book an advising appointment.
• When you choose or change a major, and first-year required courses: not published there; see the undergraduate calendar or contact the Department of Integrative Biology.

3. Prerequisites

• Biological Sciences (applicants in Canada): Advanced Functions (MHF4U), Chemistry (SCH4U), Biology (SBI4U) and English (ENG4U); Physics (SPH4U) and Calculus & Vectors (MCV4U) recommended; 70% minimum average on all attempted science and math courses, excluding Math of Data Management (MDM4U); the page lists a Mean Average of 86%, with a footnote reading “Average over six Grade 12 academic courses”; the basis of the Mean Average is not otherwise explained.
• Biological Sciences (applicants outside Canada): Grade 12 Advanced Functions, Chemistry, Biology and English; Grade 12 Physics and Calculus & Vectors recommended; 70% minimum average (excluding Grade 12 Math of Data Management) and 86% Mean Average; applicants must submit evidence of education equivalent to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with six Grade 12 academic courses, with grades converted to Ontario equivalents.
• Honours Biological Science – IHS: the same courses (MHF4U, SCH4U, SBI4U, ENG4U, with SPH4U and MCV4U recommended) and a 70% minimum average; no Mean Average is shown.
• For comparison (listed on the Faculty of Science chemistry page): General Science (3-year) asks for MHF4U plus two of SCH4U, SBI4U or SPH4U and ENG4U, a 70% minimum and 79% Mean Average; Interdisciplinary Arts & Science (which offers a Biological Sciences major) asks for MHF4U plus two of the three and ENG4U, an 80% minimum and 85% Mean Average.
• Which A-level, AP or IB subjects and marks correspond: not published on the pages read here; see Windsor’s country equivalence page and Admissions.

四. How and when to apply

• Ontario high school students: Windsor says to apply through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC); after the acknowledgement email, activate your UWin account and use the To Do List in UWinsite Student to upload documents and follow your status; once you receive an offer, the Next Steps page covers accepting it, multi-factor authentication and course registration.
• Canadian high school students outside Ontario (including BC and Alberta): also apply through OUAC and submit a secondary-school transcript or grade report to OUAC. Evaluation and offers may be made on early or unofficial transcripts, but a final official transcript is required to confirm admission.
• Deadlines and application fee for domestic applicants: not published on the pages read for this article; check OUAC and Windsor for the fall 2027 dates and fees.
• International applicants have three routes:
  • Apply directly to Windsor if ALL of these apply: you live outside Canada and the United States; you are not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; you are not currently attending an Ontario secondary school in Ontario or abroad; you are not attending and have never attended a college or university in North America; and Windsor is the only Ontario university you are applying to.
  • Apply through OUAC if you are not attending an Ontario secondary school and plan to apply to more than one Ontario university.
  • Apply through an authorized educational agent.
• Recommended international deadlines: May 1 for September (fall), September 1 for January (winter) and January 1 for May (spring). Windsor says these help secure your program choice and visa-processing time, and it still admits qualified students later if space is available. The page shows no year, so confirm that they apply to 2027 entry. The page also points to the Academic Calendar for admission requirements (the linked file is a Winter 2024 PDF), so rely on the current calendar.
• After you apply: you should receive an acknowledgement email within about five business days and then upload documents to the UWinsite Student To Do List. For international applicants the list includes the secondary diploma and transcripts, the post-secondary diploma and transcripts (if applicable), a portfolio (if applicable) and course descriptions (only if you also seek transfer credit). Documents not in English need an official translation. Evaluation starts only when everything is in order and, absent unusual circumstances, may take up to four weeks.
• Application fee, essays, references, SAT/ACT: the application-process pages do not list them; whether they are required is not published there, so check the program admission pages or Admissions.

五. Domestic applicants (Canadian citizens and permanent residents)

• Ontario students: Grade 12 U/M courses apply directly as listed above; the page footnote says the average is taken over six Grade 12 academic courses.
• Canadian students outside Ontario: the program page points to a province-by-province course equivalence table for matching your courses to the Ontario subjects; check your province’s courses on Windsor’s website.
• Different treatment of in-province and out-of-province students: the Biological Sciences program page does not separate them; tuition figures are not published on the pages read here, so use Windsor’s fee estimator.
• Standardized tests: the pages read here do not require the SAT or ACT.

六. International applicants: grade requirements and English

• The “outside Canada” tab on the program page has the same courses and minimum average as the domestic tab, and adds that applicants educated outside Canada must submit evidence of education equivalent to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with six Grade 12 academic courses, with grades converted to Ontario equivalents.
• International curricula (IB, British A-level, AP and others): the marks required and any credit given are not published on the pages read here; see Windsor’s country equivalence page and Admissions.
• English: Windsor says you need not meet the English requirement when applying; applicants who do not meet it receive a conditional offer and must meet it through the English Language Improvement Program (ELIP) or another route before starting. Minimum IELTS, TOEFL and similar scores are not published on the pages read here, so check Windsor’s English requirements page.
• ELIP: four levels, each 12 weeks at 20 hours a week, with fall, winter and summer starts, online or in person; completing level 3 (75%) meets the English requirement. Your starting level is based on demonstrated proficiency; a valid CAEL, IELTS, PTE or TOEFL score may place you, but the ELIP placement test takes precedence, and scores are valid for 12 months. Windsor says a study permit is needed for both ELIP and the academic program.

七. Applicants from China

• How to apply: students at high schools in China who have not attended a North American college or university usually fall under the direct-application or OUAC routes for international applicants above; follow the conditions on Windsor’s international application page. Windsor also lists authorized educational agents and says they can help with the study permit.
• Gaokao: the pages read here do not say whether Windsor uses gaokao results or how they would be converted, and say nothing about the huikao; this is not published there, so ask Windsor’s international admissions.
• China regional page: it lists a student recruitment advisor for Eastern Asia (China), educational agents and a one-to-one chat, and says the International Tuition Guarantee keeps base tuition stable for the length of the program for all international students (except those on the US neighbour rate). It gives no China-specific admission conditions, interview or accreditation body; that is not published there.
• Country equivalence page: Windsor has one, but the version read here showed no specific content on Chinese high school subjects; check it on Windsor’s website.
• Documents: secondary diploma and transcripts (translated if not in English). The international page names a translation service in Windsor or the International Education Research Foundation; the transfer page names World Education Services or the International Education Research Foundation.

八. Costs and scholarships

• Tuition: Windsor offers a tuition and fee estimator, whose figures are not listed on the static pages; use it for domestic and international Biological Sciences tuition and any program-specific fees.
• Guaranteed entrance support (Windsor says that whatever program you choose you are guaranteed a minimum level of institutional support if you enter directly from full-time secondary school, assessed on your application and your best six final and interim Grade 12 U/M (or equivalent) courses available in May; amounts on the page carry only a “$” sign):
  • President’s level (95%–100%): $4,000 a year, renewable over four years.
  • Dean’s level (90%–94.99%): $2,500 a year, renewable over four years.
  • Blue & Gold level (85%–89.99%): $1,000, first year only.
  The page does not say outright whether this tier applies to international students.
• Application-based entrance awards: complete the UWinAward Entrance Application Profile (Windsor says it opens at the beginning of January) by April 30; submissions before April 30 may get early consideration. Windsor says most awards are open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, protected persons and international students, considering academics, financial need and citizenship; it also lists an International Baccalaureate Advanced Placement Scholarship and women-in-science awards, whose conditions are on its website.
• Outstanding Scholars: about 100 high-achieving first-year students are offered candidate status, with $750 per semester in first year on top of entrance awards; Windsor says Outstanding Scholars are paid to do research in Years 2–4 and students in all honours majors are eligible.
• Government loans and grants: Windsor mentions them; whether international students qualify is not published there.

九. Transfer students (including college transfers)

• Who counts: anyone who previously attended a post-secondary institution in or outside Canada; applications are made through OUAC for full-time or part-time study.
• Ontario CAAT diploma programs: at least one year of an academic 2- or 3-year diploma with a cumulative average of 3.0 (70%); program prerequisite courses and averages must have been met through high school or equivalent post-secondary courses. Canadian citizens and permanent residents who miss the requirements may be considered as mature students.
• Quebec CÉGEP: more than 12 academic courses, including two 603 or 604 series English courses; transfer credit is assessed for courses beyond the 12 with a grade of 60% or better, up to ten credits.
• Other Canadian colleges, US universities or colleges, and international institutions: an academic 2- or 3-year diploma needs at least one year with a cumulative average of 3.0 (70%); university-preparatory or degree programs follow the Canadian university degree route. International grades are converted to Ontario equivalents, course outlines may be requested, and non-English documents need an official translation.
• From a Canadian university degree: a transfer from a 3- or 4-year degree with a cumulative GPA of at least 60% is eligible for general admission. The page lists higher minimums for Odette School of Business (67%), Engineering (65%), Social Work (70%) and Nursing (75%), the last two with a supplementary application and fall entry only. It lists no higher figure for Science; confirm the Biological Sciences requirement on the program page or with Admissions.
• Timing: apply by November 1 for winter (January), March 1 for spring (May) and May 1 for fall (September); Windsor says it still admits qualified students later if space is available. A document evaluation fee is charged at application, and its amount is not published on the pages read here. The dates show no year, so check they apply to 2027 entry. Credit-transfer percentages and caps (other than for CÉGEP) are not published there.

Application checklist

Domestic applicants:

• Apply through OUAC; prepare MHF4U, SCH4U, SBI4U and ENG4U (outside Ontario, check Windsor’s course equivalence table), with at least a 70% average in science and math courses; SPH4U and MCV4U are recommended
• Confirm the fall 2027 deadlines and fee with OUAC and Windsor
• Complete the UWinAward profile by April 30

International applicants (including China):

• Grade 12 Advanced Functions, chemistry, biology and English, with at least a 70% average in science and math courses; translated diploma and transcripts
• Check Windsor’s English requirements page for scores; a conditional offer is possible with ELIP
• For fall, apply by May 1 as recommended; arrange the study permit as Windsor directs

Transfer students:

• Apply through OUAC; from a Canadian university degree a cumulative GPA of at least 60%, from a CAAT diploma at least one year at 70%, and program prerequisites must still be met
• Apply by November 1 (winter), March 1 (spring) or May 1 (fall) as recommended, with all transcripts and course outlines

Sources: University of Windsor, Biological Sciences program page; Integrative Biology undergraduate programs page; International applicants; Ontario high school applicants; Canadian high school applicants outside Ontario; Transfer applicants; Awards and financial aid; China regional page; International students page; English Language Improvement Program; Country equivalence page; Faculty of Science page; Experiential learning and co-op. Most pages carry no year, so the information is read as applying to fall 2027 entry; please confirm with Windsor. Windsor’s website is the authority for the latest information.