How to Apply to Biology at the University of Victoria (UVic): Direct Entry to the Biology BSc in the Faculty of Science, with Forest, Marine and Neuroscience Concentrations, Grade 11 Chemistry and Physics and 77% in Pre-calculus 12 for BC, and Admission and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The University of Victoria (UVic) is in Victoria, British Columbia. Biology is taught in the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science and leads to a Bachelor of Science (BSc). Below is what you need to know for domestic students (Canadian citizens and permanent residents), international students (including those from China) and transfer students. Where a page prints no year, check that it applies to 2027 entry.

1. Degrees and streams

• Biology BSc: the department says you can study biology at one of four levels of concentration — General, Minor, Major or Honours; the General and Minor programs come as BSc or BA. The program page describes studying living systems from genes and neurons to forests and oceans, with fieldwork, lab research and paid co-op terms.
• Combined programs: Biology and Earth Sciences (major and honours), Biology and Mathematics and Statistics (major), and Biology and Psychology (major and honours).
• Concentrations: Forest Biology, Marine Biology and Neuroscience (the program page calls the last “Neurobiology”, the department page “Neuroscience”); after you complete the listed courses the concentration appears on your transcript. UVic says the Forest Biology concentration needs at least 7 courses including a capstone research or field experience; the course lists for the other two are on the department page.
• Honours: the Honours program lets qualified senior undergraduates carry out a research project, work closely with a supervisor and improve oral and written scientific communication. It differs from the Major by four required courses: BIOL 330 (Study Design and Data Analysis), BIOL 460 (Honours Seminar), and BIOL 499A and 499B (Honours Thesis). The department strongly encourages taking BIOL 330 in third year before applying, and the deadline to apply to the Honours Program is normally May 1 each year.
• Freedom to design your program: the department says students design their own program in biology — after the five core biology courses (course titles not listed on the page read) you choose 300- and 400-level courses by interest, with guidance documents for Ecology and Evolution, Cell and Molecular Biology, Organismal Biology and Physiology. Students can also take courses through the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.
• Facilities: the program page lists the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, the Electron Microscopy Lab, the Glover Greenhouse Facility, the Herbarium and the Centre for Forest Biology.
• Accreditation and total units: the pages read mention no outside accreditation for biology and do not state the total units for the major (see the academic calendar); ask the department.
• Related programs: Molecular Life Sciences (biochemistry and microbiology) and Chemistry are other Faculty of Science programs and are not covered here; medicine, pharmacy, nursing and other health degrees sit in the Faculty of Health and are outside this guide, so see the university website.

2. How admission works and when you choose the major

• Applying straight to biology: the program page says you can apply directly to this program as a high school student or as a transfer student from another post-secondary institution. The pages read state no enrolment cap and no grade threshold for entering the biology major; when you declare the program is not stated on the department pages, so check the Faculty of Science and the academic calendar.
• Courses after you arrive: the department says you choose freely after the five core courses; sample courses on the program page include Principles of Genetics, Survey of Invertebrates, Biology of Land Plants and Animal Behaviour. The department’s standard course-sequencing table lists, at the 100 level, BIOL 150A/150B, 184 and 186 and, at the 200 level, BIOL 215, 225 and 230 among others; the timetable is the authority on what is actually offered. Prerequisites for first-year courses are not published on the pages read; see the academic calendar or ask the department.
• Research and practice: the program page describes fieldwork and lab research on Vancouver Island, which it calls one of Canada’s most biodiverse regions; the department page says students can gain research experience through research-based courses, with seat numbers not published on the pages read. Co-op is optional (see below).

3. Prerequisites at a glance (one table shared across the Faculty of Science programs)

UVic’s Biology program page says you can apply directly to this program as a high school student or as a transfer student from another post-secondary institution, and lists requirements by education system. The page stresses that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission; the “estimated admission average” is an estimate from recent admission cycles and the actual requirement may be higher with competition and limited capacity. The page’s requirements are summarised below (course names are provincial course names).

• British Columbia and Yukon: Grade 11 — approved English 11, Pre-calculus 11, Chemistry 11, Physics 11 and approved social studies 11/12; Grade 12 — English Studies 12 or English First Peoples 12 (minimum 73%), Pre-calculus 12 (minimum 77%) and two approved science 12 courses. If you take two courses in the same science subject (for example Physics 12 and AP/IB Physics 12) only the higher grade counts and you must take another science 12 subject. Estimated admission average, based on the required Grade 12 courses: minimum 85%.
• Alberta and Nunavut: Grade 11 equivalents — English Language Arts 20-1, Mathematics 20-1, Chemistry 20, Physics 20 and approved social studies 20; Grade 12 — English Language Arts 30-1 (minimum 73%), Mathematics 30-1 (minimum 77%) and two approved science 30 courses. Estimated average minimum 85%.
• Ontario: Chemistry 3U, Physics 3U, English 4U (minimum 73%), Advanced Functions 4U (minimum 77%), two approved science 4U courses and two additional 4U/4M courses. Estimated average minimum 85%.
• Saskatchewan: Grade 11 — English Language Arts 20, Pre-calculus 20, Physical Science 20 (or Chemistry 20 and Physics 20) and approved social studies 20/30; Grade 12 — English (each course at least 73%), Pre-calculus 30 (minimum 77%) and two approved science 30 courses. Estimated average minimum 85%.
• Manitoba: 30S-level English, Pre-calculus, Chemistry, Physics and social studies; 40S-level English (minimum 73%), Pre-calculus (minimum 77%) and two approved science courses. Estimated average minimum 85%.
• New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec (private schools following the Ontario curriculum) each have their own course names with the same structure (English at least 73%, math at least 77%); they are not transcribed here, so see the program page. The page says Northwest Territories high schools are moving from the Alberta curriculum to the BC curriculum, and those graduating in 2027 or later are assessed on the BC curriculum.
• International Baccalaureate: full IB diploma with at least three Higher Level subjects; English HL or SL (minimum score 3); Math HL or SL (minimum score 4; Math Studies and Math Applications and Interpretations SL are not acceptable); two of Biology, Chemistry or Physics (HL or SL). Estimated IB score 30 points (excluding additional points).
• British curriculum: one of — 3 A-levels; 2 A-levels and 2 AS-levels in distinct subjects; or 4 AS-levels in distinct subjects, with at least a C in each; plus English (ordinary or advanced level), advanced-level mathematics, and two of biology, chemistry or physics (at least one at advanced level). Estimated A-level grades BBC (based on three exams).
• American curriculum: graduation from a recognized high school with 14 or more college-preparatory courses; 4 English (at least C+ in senior English), 4 math including pre-calculus (at least B-), 3 science with a lab component (1 chemistry, 1 physics and either a senior-year biology, environmental science or geology course or a second chemistry/physics course) and 3 social studies. Estimated cumulative unweighted GPA minimum 3.40; the SAT and ACT are not required but are considered if submitted (the page lists SAT minimum 1250 and ACT composite minimum 26).
• India, Mexico, Vietnam and “all other curriculums” have their own entries with a similar structure: 12 years of academic preparation, chemistry and physics (Grade 11 or equivalent), a senior-level academic math course and two senior-level science courses; the “all other” entry adds that home-country high school graduation or university entrance examinations may also be required.
• The page also says a limited number of Canadian high school graduates may be considered on non-academic “expanded qualifications”; academic performance remains the main criterion.

4. How to apply, documents and fees

• How: UVic says to apply and pay through EducationPlannerBC, the British Columbia application service (that portal is not covered here). You receive a UVic confirmation email within 3–5 business days, then use the student number in it to create a NetLink ID, log in to the UVic application portal to see your application checklist, and hear from an admission assistant.
• Application fee: CAD 89.50 if all transcripts come from institutions within Canada; CAD 184.00 if any transcript comes from an institution outside Canada.
• Grades and documents: the “How to apply” page asks for your current or most recent grades as soon as possible; BC-curriculum students order transcripts through the StudentTranscripts Service; IB students upload predicted scores in the UVic application portal; other international-curriculum students upload in-progress transcripts there; graduates have official transcripts sent directly; language test scores are sent by the testing organization. Neither that page nor the Biology program page lists an essay, reference letters or a portfolio; check with UVic if you need to confirm.
• After the offer: pay the acceptance deposit by the date in your offer email (the deposit is credited toward tuition; the amount is not published on the pages read) and receive the confirmation email to officially accept; for September entry to a first-year program you may be able to defer for one year. Admission is not confirmed until UVic receives official transcripts with final grades and any other required documents.

5. Deadlines and domestic students

• Deadlines (the page prints no year, so confirm they apply to 2027 entry): for September entry most degree programs are due January 31; the page’s list of September-entry exceptions (teacher education programs, public administration, Discovery Studies and others) does not name the Faculty of Science, so for science programs check the page and, if needed, UVic Undergraduate Admissions. January entry: all programs offered by Humanities, Science and Social Sciences September 30. Summer (May) entry: the same three faculties March 31.
• Early admission: high school students applying to degree programs who submit grades by early December can be considered for early admission on completed courses and may get offers within a few weeks; those who do not qualify are asked for updated grades.
• Late applications: some programs keep accepting applications after the published deadlines depending on demand and capacity; check whether the program is still open in the application service. UVic warns that applications can close at any time without notice, so apply early.
• Domestic students by province: course requirements are above. The page lists requirements by province but describes no priority or guaranteed admission for any province; the estimated average is stated as “minimum 85%” for each.
• Scholarships (Canadian citizens and permanent residents): the entrance scholarship page says awards based on admission average are automatic (no application): an average of 90% or higher (or 32 IB points) earns a one-time CAD 1,500–5,000 (the page gives these as 2027–2028 amounts, subject to change each year). BC-curriculum students must order transcripts through the StudentTranscripts Service when they apply; Canadian Grade 12 students outside BC must self-report Grade 12 marks between February 15 and March 15. Scholarships based on average plus other criteria require an application, with a window of February 15 to April 30.

6. International students

• Applying and deadlines: as above, through EducationPlannerBC, with the same deadlines as domestic applicants; the pages read give no separate international deadline.
• Academic requirements: use the entry for your education system above (American, British, Indian, Mexican, Vietnamese, IB and other curricula each have one). The “Minimum admission requirements for international students” page says you must meet the minimum qualification for your country or curriculum plus the program’s requirements and show a high level of academic achievement; if your country requires graduation or university entrance exams, you will be asked to submit the results as a condition of your offer, and UVic also accepts SAT, ACT or AP results in place of university entrance exams.
• English: every applicant must show English proficiency. You have already met it if you studied full time for at least four years in Canada at high school or university level with all instruction in English. Otherwise: four years of full-time English-medium secondary and/or post-secondary study in Canada or a recognized English-speaking country; four years at a recognized international-curriculum secondary school taught entirely in English; or three years with at least a B in Grade 11 English; a recognized degree from an accredited university in a recognized English-speaking country; Grade 12 English in Canada with at least 86% within the last three years; 1.5 or more units of transfer credit for university English; AP English Language and Composition or Literature 4 or higher; IB Higher Level English A 4 or higher; O-Level English or English Language grade B (6) or AS/A-Level English grade C (O-Level English as an Additional/Second Language is not accepted). Or a test: IELTS Academic 6.5 (no component below 6.0); TOEFL iBT 88 (no section below 20) or an overall 4.5 on the new scale (no section below 4.0); PTE Academic 65 (no skill below 60); Duolingo 120 (no subscore below 110); CAEL 70 (no section below 60); Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 180 (no skill below 170); MET (four-skill) 64. UVic does not accept unofficial scores or tests taken more than two years before application, and scores must be sent directly by the testing organization.
• Conditional admission: applicants to Science and several other faculties may receive conditional admission and must meet the English requirement by the date in the offer email, with lower scores accepted: IELTS 6.0 (no component below 5.5); TOEFL iBT 79 (no section below 17) or 4.0 on the new scale (no section below 3.5); PTE 54 (no skill below 50); Duolingo 110 (no subscore below 100); CAEL 60 (no section below 50); MET 58 (no skill below 53); or registering in UVic’s university admission preparation course. The English Language Centre’s preliminary admission gives up to 24 months to meet the requirement and then start degree studies without re-applying.
• International scholarships: the entrance scholarship page says international students with an admission average of “A- or equivalent” can receive a one-time CAD 15,000 (2027–2028 amount, subject to change); you must be entering first year, a current secondary student or a graduate within two years with no post-secondary study, hold a Canadian study permit and be admitted with a competitive average. Eligible students are referred automatically by Undergraduate Admissions to Student Awards & Financial Aid, and you must send an interim or final transcript.
• Co-op and work permits: see the costs and co-op section below. Study permits and similar immigration matters are not covered on the pages read; see UVic’s international student pages and the Government of Canada.

7. Applicants from China

• The China entry on the program page: the Biology program page gives China its own requirements: senior secondary school graduation showing grade results for Senior Years 1, 2 and 3 with a minimum overall average of 80%; the Huikao or Xuekao; three years of senior-level secondary math (Pre-Calculus) with a minimum of 85% in senior math; chemistry and physics (Grade 11 or equivalent); and two senior-level science courses (Grade 12 or equivalent). The estimated admission average is 85% (based on the average from years 10 to 12). The page again says meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission.
• Gaokao: the China entry names the Huikao or Xuekao and does not mention the Gaokao, and the international minimum-requirements page simply points China applicants to the program pages. That page’s general rule says that if your country requires graduation or university entrance exams, you will be asked to submit results as a condition of your offer; whether the Gaokao would be counted is not published on the pages read, so ask UVic Undergraduate Admissions.
• English: see the International section; students at a recognized international-curriculum secondary school taught entirely in English can use academic studies, others use a test, and Science applicants can be offered conditional admission. The pages read do not list Chinese domestic curricula as meeting the requirement directly.
• Interview and agencies: the pages read mention no separate interview for Chinese applicants and no accreditation-body requirement.

8. Transfer students (from colleges and other universities)

• Entry year: the program page says transfer students can apply directly to the program. If you have not completed the equivalent of 12 UVic units (24 credits) or at least one year of a diploma program, you must also meet the high school requirements for Year 1 entry.
• Minimum transfer averages (the page says these are the minimums in the UVic academic calendar; the actual average may be higher and meeting them does not guarantee admission):
  • BC colleges, Canadian institutes of technology, and US colleges or universities: eight or more university-transfer courses (12 UVic units) — C (2.00 on the UVic 9-point scale) on the most recent 12 units; one full year of a diploma program — A- (7.00); a completed diploma program — B (5.00); a certificate program is not eligible.
  • Canadian colleges of applied arts and technology: one full year of a diploma — A- (7.00); two or more years of a diploma, or a three-year diploma — B (5.00); a certificate is not eligible.
  • Canadian universities (including UVic): eight or more university-level courses — C (2.00) on the most recent 12 units.
  • Quebec CÉGEP: one or more years of an approved diploma program with an average of at least 70% or B (5.00), two semesters of English, two of math and two semesters each of two sciences; Year 2 entry needs at least 12 units of transferable coursework.
  • All other institutions: one full year of a bachelor degree program at a recognized university — B (5.00) on the most recent 12 units.
• Required courses: except for CÉGEP, two of MATH 100, 101, 102, 109 or 151 and four approved science courses (or equivalents); if you have not completed them, your high school transcript may also be considered. All averages include repeated and failed courses.
• Transfer credit: assigned from your transcripts when you apply, with a transfer credit email normally sent right after the offer. AP exams with 4 or 5 may earn credit and a 3 may earn advanced standing; a full IB diploma can earn up to one year of credit depending on subject scores; BC college courses transfer course by course under the BC Transfer Guide, with 30 units guaranteed once an associate degree is granted; two-year CAAT diplomas earn up to 7.5 units and three-year diplomas up to 15; CÉGEP gets a maximum of 15 units after more than one year; other institutions are assessed course by course.
• Transfer scholarships: students transferring directly from a Canadian college or university (at most one semester without studies between), with at least 12.0 graded transferable units and a 7.5/9.0 transfer or diploma average, can be considered, with final transcripts due January 15 (January entry), September 15 (September entry) or May 15 (summer entry).

9. Costs, scholarships and co-op

• Tuition: UVic’s tuition page offers an online estimator by status (Canadian citizen or permanent resident, or international student), faculty and program, and says the rates took effect May 1, 2026. The amounts appear only after you choose a program in the tool and are not published on the pages read, so this guide does not quote them; use UVic’s tuition page. The estimate excludes housing, food, books and supplies.
• Scholarships and bursaries: see the sections above; UVic also has needs-and-grades-based bursaries, which the site says are available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
• Co-op: Science co-op is optional (Biology is on the list). To join you must be in the Faculty of Science, have completed first year and be a full-time student, and you take SCIE 201 (Introduction to Professional Practice), an extra course in the winter session before the first work term, and register in the co-op portal; the page gives September 25, 2026 as that year’s SCIE 201 enrolment date. UVic recommends joining at the end of first year; work terms begin in January, May and September and are typically four months. International students: UVic says that from April 1, 2026 you need a valid study permit with remarks allowing on-campus work/employment, a letter from UVic Co-op and Career Services confirming you are enrolled in co-op, and full-time registration throughout every work term; co-op work permits issued before April 1, 2026 can be used until they expire.

10. Inconsistencies and what is not published

• The program page calls one concentration “Neurobiology” while the department page calls it “Neuroscience”; they appear to be the same concentration, so rely on the academic calendar.
• The tuition amounts (online estimator), the acceptance deposit amount, the September-entry deadline for the Faculty of Science (the exceptions list does not name it), whether the Gaokao is counted, outside accreditation and total units for the biology major, the titles of the five core courses, and prerequisites for first-year courses: not published on the pages read; check with UVic.
• Some department pages (for example the course-sequencing table and the honours deadline) carry no update year, so confirm they apply to 2027 entry; deadlines, fees and scholarship amounts elsewhere are printed without a year (the scholarship page states 2027–2028 amounts).

Checklist

Domestic students: prepare Grade 11 and 12 subjects for your province (BC: Chemistry 11, Physics 11, Pre-calculus 11 and 12, English Studies 12 and two science 12 courses, with Pre-calculus 12 at least 77%); estimated admission average minimum 85%; apply by January 31 for most degree programs; transcripts by early December for early admission consideration.

International students (including from China): Chinese senior secondary transcript (overall average at least 80%, senior math at least 85%), Huikao or Xuekao, chemistry and physics, two senior-level science courses; English score (for example IELTS 6.5 with 6.0 per component; conditional admission possible for Science); CAD 184.00 application fee when any transcript is from outside Canada.

Transfer students: reach the minimum transfer average for your type of institution and complete two of MATH 100/101/102/109/151 plus four approved science courses; final transcripts by January 15, September 15 or May 15 to be considered for transfer scholarships.

Sources: University of Victoria, Biology program page and admission requirements; Department of Biology undergraduate studies; Biology degree programs; Biology course planning; Biology concentrations; How to apply; Application deadlines; English language requirement; Transfer credit; Minimum admission requirements for international students; Tuition and costs; Entrance scholarships; Science co-op; Co-op for international students; Faculty of Science undergraduate programs. Dates and requirements are those published by UVic; check the UVic website for the latest details.