How to Apply to Biology at Western University: Biology Sits in the Faculty of Science (OUAC Code ES), with Modules in Biology, Genetics, Synthetic Biology and Animal Behaviour, and First-Year Courses That Need Grade 12 Biology and Chemistry; Admission, Prerequisites for Canadian, International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

Western University is in London, Ontario. Biology is taught by the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science and leads to a Bachelor of Science (BSc). Western does not let you choose biology as a program when you apply: undergraduates are admitted to a faculty, and biology students generally apply to the Faculty of Science (OUAC code ES) and choose biology-related modules once they are studying. Below is what you need to know for September 2027 entry, based on Western’s official information, for Canadian applicants (citizens and permanent residents), international applicants (including students in China) and transfer students. Medical Sciences (BMSc, OUAC code ESM), Health Sciences, Nursing, Kinesiology and similar programs belong to other faculties and are outside the scope of this article; see Western’s website.

1. Biology degrees and modules at Western

• Faculty and basics: the Science undergraduate programs page lists degree types of BSc and combined BSc and HBA (Ivey business), 3–5 years, a September 2027 start, OUAC code ES, a first-year class of about 550, an admission average guideline of “low to mid 80s” (for Ontario high school students; reaching it does not guarantee admission), and co-op or internship available.
• Biology modules (the Department of Biology program information page and the Science page): Honours Specializations in Animal Behaviour, Biodiversity and Conservation, Biology, Genetics, Genetics and Biochemistry, and Synthetic Biology; a Specialization in Biology; Majors in Biology, Ecosystem Health and Genetics; and Minors in Biology and Genetics. The department says all modules are built around twelve learning outcomes and offer opportunities for independent research.
• How modules make a degree (the Department of Biology “How Degrees are Constructed” page): a Minor is 4.0–5.0 courses, a Major 6.0–7.0, and a Specialization or Honours Specialization 9.0 or more. An Honours Bachelor degree is 4 years / 20.0 courses; a Bachelor degree is 4 years / 20.0 courses or 3 years / 15.0 courses; modules from different departments, including non-science subjects, can be combined (for example an Honours Specialization in Biology with a minor, or two Majors).
• Related options: the Science page also lists a combined Honours Specialization in Science plus Ivey HBA, and Integrated Science (WISc), with biology, genetics and synthetic biology among its disciplines after first year; WISc requires SCH4U and a supplemental application, with a deadline given as “April 2027 (TBC)” on the requirements pages and “early April” in the deadline table.
• First year and courses: first-year biology courses are Biology 1001A (Biology for Science I) and 1002B (Biology for Science II). Western says first-year Biology courses require Grade 12 Biology (SBI4U) and first-year Chemistry courses require SCH4U, and that first-year Biology and Chemistry courses are required for all modules offered by the Department of Biology and for some chemistry and other science modules.
• Fieldwork and research: the Science page mentions field research projects in places such as the Adirondacks, Costa Rica or Ecuador; research options include Independent Study in Biology and the Honours Research Thesis; there are also field courses and international exchange opportunities.
• After graduation: the department says graduates typically go on to graduate study, go straight into work, or move to professional programs such as medicine, dentistry, law and business.
• Entry to an Honours Specialization: the department’s pages read do not give a first-year average or course threshold; this is not published on the pages read, so check with Western’s Biology academic advisors.

2. Canadian applicants (citizens and permanent residents): prerequisites and applying

• How to apply: full-time undergraduate applications go through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC); Western cannot change your application, so edits are made in the OUAC. The OUAC application opens each September. Western says all undergraduates start in the fall (September) and there is no January start for undergraduate programs. Apply on the OUAC
• Science entry code ES: Ontario high school applicants need ENG4U and Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U) plus two of MHF4U, MDM4U, SBI4U (Biology), SCH4U (Chemistry), SPH4U (Physics), SES4U and ICS4U. The Ontario high school page says you need at least 70% in each required course, and required and recommended courses must be at the Grade 12 U/M level. The admission average guideline for Science is “low to mid 80s” (for Ontario high school students; not a guarantee).
• High school outside Ontario: Western has a separate page for each province or region (Alberta and Nunavut; British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories; Manitoba; New Brunswick; Newfoundland and Labrador; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island; Québec; CEGEP; Saskatchewan). It says no minimum grade guarantees admission and that decisions use self-reported grades. The average range for last year’s Science class is again “low to mid 80s”. This article does not go province by province: check your province on the Canadian high school page.
• Application fees (CAD): $159 for 3 program choices, $51 for each additional choice, and a $125 supplemental evaluation fee for applicants from non-Ontario high schools (Group B). Biology has no separate application fee or supplemental form; Integrated Science (WISc) has its own supplemental application.
• Deadline: Western says applications submitted through the OUAC by January 15 receive equal consideration (another page says “guaranteed to be reviewed”); later applications are accepted but space is not guaranteed. The deadline table lists January 15, 2027.
• Guaranteed admission: Western does not publish any guaranteed-admission or seat quota for in-province applicants on the pages read. For out-of-province applicants the only difference described is an admission bursary (see the fees section).

One inconsistency: the Faculty of Science admission page says Ontario applicants need ENG4U and MCV4U plus two courses from a list that includes SBI4U and SCH4U, while the Department of Biology’s admission requirements page says “and one of” the list. Check the requirements for your entry year. Both places state that first-year Biology courses need SBI4U and first-year Chemistry courses need SCH4U. The department also tells out-of-province students to consult the latest Academic Calendar.

3. International applicants: English, grades and funding

• English requirement: applicants whose first language is not English must provide proof. Accepted scores for fall 2027: IELTS Academic overall 6.5 with 6.0 in each section; TOEFL iBT overall 83 with 20 in each section for tests taken before January 21, 2026, and for tests on or after that date the new scale (overall 4.5, 4.0 in reading, speaking and writing, 4.5 in listening); PTE Academic overall 58 with 56 in each section; Cambridge C1/C2 overall 176 with 169 in each section; CAEL overall 60 with 60 in each section; Duolingo overall 115 with 100 in each subscore. If your score is close, Western may offer the nine-week summer English Boost Program (considered automatically, no separate application), for example IELTS overall 5.5, 5.5 in reading and writing, 5.0 in each section. The English page says the test must be taken before March 2027 and scores for tests before January 1, 2025 are not accepted, while the deadline table gives mid-April as the last date for English test results. The two statements differ, so check Western’s latest information.
• Waiver: you may request an exemption if, for example, you attended four years of secondary school in English full time, with academic courses and no English-as-a-second-language courses; submitting a request does not guarantee approval.
• Documents: documents must be in English, with notarized literal translations if not. After you accept an offer, final official documents must be sent by your school directly to World Education Services (WES) Canada; Western asks for a “WES-Basic Document-by-Document ICAP” report.
• Scholarships: the costs and financial support page says international students are automatically considered for Western’s admission scholarships (based on high school average), and the National Scholarship Program includes three $100,000 International President’s Entrance Scholarships. “Continue in Canada” ($40,000 over four years plus four years of guaranteed residence, for students finishing high school in Canada on a study permit) and “Welcome to Canada” ($10,000 in the first year plus two years of guaranteed residence, for students coming from outside Canada or transferring from a Canadian post-secondary institution) need no application. The terms on the Welcome to Canada page and Continue in Canada page are written for 2026 entry, so check whether they apply to 2027.
• Proof of funds: not published on the pages read; check Western’s international student pages.

4. Applicants from China

• Documents: the China page lists a senior secondary transcript (all completed and in-progress subjects with grades), the senior secondary graduation diploma, and graduation exam results (Hui Kao / Academic Proficiency Test); if your province does not hold the general exams, a letter from your school explaining its or the province’s policy is needed. English proof is required if English is not your first language, and required courses must be senior level. Western may also request course descriptions or syllabi.
• Gaokao: the China page does not say how gaokao results are used and gives no gaokao cut-off; ask Western’s admissions office (contact details on the official site).
• How grades are assessed: Western says admitted students typically have at least the equivalent of a B (3.0) average on the Canadian scale; because you are not studying a Canadian curriculum, the admission average is calculated by Western from your curriculum, grading practices and grading-scale interpretation. Programs differ in competitiveness, and no program-level average for Chinese applicants is published. You can apply before graduating, using in-progress or mid-year results, and may receive a conditional offer.
• Science course requirements (China page): Math and any one science are required; Biology and Chemistry are recommended (needed for first-year Biology and Chemistry courses); Physics may be required for some first-year Physics courses. Biology-specific details (for example a minimum biology mark) are not given on the China page beyond the recommendation above.
• Interviews and credential evaluators other than WES are not mentioned on the China page; check Western’s website.

5. Transfer students

• From a Canadian or international university: the Canadian university and international university transfer pages require a minimum overall average of 70% (about B-, 2.7 GPA) in all previous university study and no extensive academic difficulty; for international universities Western calculates the average and English proof is required. For Science, these pages list no required high school courses, only a recommendation of Grade 12 Math and Grade 12 Science, and no supplemental requirement apart from the Integrated Science (WISc) application.
• From a Canadian college: the college transfer page requires a cumulative average of at least 78% in a two- or three-year diploma, or at least 80% in the first year of a General Arts and Science or Pre-Health Sciences certificate; these are minimums and do not guarantee admission. Required courses are at Grade 12 level with at least 70% (Math and Science for Science), and an articulation agreement may apply.
• Transfer credit: assessed after you accept the offer. First-year university students may get conditional admission based on first-semester results and the high school average; second-year and above, on a mid-year transcript. Module-level credit and average requirements for entering the biology modules are not published on the pages read; check with the Department of Biology academic advisors.

6. Costs and scholarships

• Tuition: the costs page gives estimates of year-1 tuition and fees based on 2025–26 (shared across programs, not specific to this subject): Ontario students CAD 8,000–14,200; other Canadian students CAD 9,300–16,900; international students CAD 48,000–64,400. Western says that since September 2021 international undergraduate tuition will not rise more than 4% per year after year 1. For 2027 entry, use Western’s tuition lookup tool.
• Scholarships for Canadian students: Western’s Admission Scholarship Program (based on high school average, automatic); the National Scholarship Program, up to CAD 96,000 (application deadline February 14); Schulich Leader Scholarships for STEM, up to CAD 120,000 (nomination deadline late January); and the Out-of-Province Student Admission Bursary, CAD 3,000 for students from other provinces and at least CAD 4,000 for Québec students (application required).
• Living costs: Western estimates CAD 16,510–19,140 for residence and meal plan (8 months), and CAD 14,580–31,960 total for the first academic year when living off campus (2024–25 figures).

7. Co-op and research

• Science Co-op: the program page describes paid, career-related full-time work terms of 4 to 16 months, starting as early as the summer after year 2; graduation is normally delayed one year and students accumulate at least 12 months of co-op. The eligibility page says international students may apply: you must be a full-time Faculty of Science or BMSc student in a 4-year degree, in year 2 or 3, in good standing, with a cumulative average of at least 60%, and return for at least 2.0 courses after the co-op. It notes that most second-year summer postings target Computer Science or Statistical and Actuarial Sciences, and other disciplines more often find a position in year 3. Work-permit arrangements for international students are not published on the pages read; check Western’s website. The application dates on that page are for 2026–27 (registration opened August 24, 2026), so check the new year’s schedule.
• Research in biology: Independent Study in Biology, the Honours Research Thesis and field research projects, described above.

Sources: Western: Science undergraduate programs; Faculty of Science: admission; Biology: future students; Biology: admission requirements; Biology: program information; Biology: how degrees are constructed; Ontario high school requirements; Canadian high school requirements; International high school: China; English language proficiency; Admission deadlines; Apply on the OUAC; Costs and financial support; Welcome to Canada scholarship; Continue in Canada scholarship; Transfer students; Canadian university transfer; International university transfer; Canadian college transfer; Science Co-op Program; Co-op eligibility. Dates and fees without a printed year should be checked for 2027 entry; admission averages are guidelines and do not guarantee admission.