ADN strand

Doctorate (PhD) in Biochemistry

On the following page, you will find the proposed course sequence for the Doctorate (PhD) in Biochemistry program.

  • 4-year program (average duration)

  • The following course sequences show you which courses you should take for your particular program and in which term you should take them. They help you plan your course schedule.

    • Course sequences are only guidelines.

    • Some graduate courses are offered every year, others in alternating years.

  • Visit My Academic Requirements in uoZone to make sure you enrol in all courses or activities you need to obtain your degree.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see:

  • the important milestones to complete every year for the full length of your program

  • the tool box (Links to forms, the description of the courses and other useful links)

Year 1 Course Sequence and Milestones

First Term

Courses

  • Optional course units from the list of approved Biochemistry (BCH) courses

  • MED 81661 Professionalism and Professional Skills

  • BCH 8366 Seminar

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestones

  • Fill out the Nomination of your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) Members form.

  • Organize and meet with your TAC before the end of the first term. It is essential that you schedule your TAC meeting well in advance.

  • Complete your section of the TAC report after the meeting.

  • Submit the TAC report before the end of the first term. Submit the form through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

Notes:

Second Term

Courses

  • Optional course units from the list of approved Biochemistry (BCH) courses

  • MED 81662 Professionalism and Professional Skills 

  • BCH 8366 Seminar

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestone

  • Submit the Annual Research Progress report before the end of the second term through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

Notes

Third Term

Courses

  • Optional course units from the list of approved Biochemistry (BCH) courses

  • BCH 8366 Seminar

  • THD 9999 Thesis

  • List of approved BCH graduate courses.

  • In some cases, we may cancel classes with low enrolment or convert them into Directed Studies.

  • Some graduate courses are offered every year, others in alternating years.

  • There are no BCH graduate courses available during the spring/summer term (excluding seminars and research activities).

  • MED 8166 part 1 and 2 is compulsory for all students enrolled in a PhD program and attendance is mandatory for all workshops. 

THD 9999 & BCH 8366: Continuous activities

  • Once you have enrolled for the first time in a continuing activity such as the seminar or thesis, you must maintain your enrolment until the activity is completed.

Enrolment to continuous activities:

  • BCH 8366: Enrolment to BCH 8366 is not automatic.
    Every term, you must go to your uoZone to enrol to this continuous before the deadline.

  • THD 9999: After your first (manual) enrolment to the thesis, all subsequent enrolments are automatic, unless you have a hold on your account, which will require that you manually enrol once you have arranged to have your hold lifted.

BCH 8366: Seminar Series

  • You must attend a minimum of 20 seminars throughout the fall and winter terms and track your seminar attendance using the Student Seminar Report form.

  • You must remain enrolled to Course Code:

    • during the spring-summer term, and

    • until you obtain permission to write, and

    • a grade of ‘Satisfactory’ is recorded.

  • As part of the requirements of the Seminar Series, you must attend the BMI Seminar and Poster Day.

    • Participation as a presenter either for a poster or a seminar is mandatory every year until permission to write is granted.

    • BMI Seminar & Poster Day Instructions

Year 2 Course Sequence and Milestones

Fourth Term

Courses

  • BCH 8366 Seminar (if permission to write has not yet been obtained)

  • BCH 9998 Comprehensive Examination

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestones

  • Meet with your TAC.
    You must hold your second TAC meeting within 16 months of initial enrolment.

  • Submit the Thesis Advisory Committee report before the end of this term through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

Notes

  • If you have not submitted your TAC report by the end of this term, you will not be able to enrolment for future terms.

  • Completion of the comprehensive examination should occur within 4 or 5 terms of your first enrolment.

Fifth Term

Courses

  • BCH 8366 Seminar (if permission to write has not yet been obtained)

  • BCH 9998 Comprehensive Examination (If not completed)

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestones

  • Submit the Annual Research Progress report before the end of the second term through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

  • Completion of the Comprehensive Examination, if not completed, before the end of this term.

Note

  • If you have not submitted your Research Progress Report by the end of this term, you will not be able to enrolment for future terms.

Sixth Term

Course

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestone

  • In the event you have to redo the comprehensive examination, you must complete successfully the oral exam before the end of this term.

Year 3 Course Sequence and Milestones

Seventh Term

Courses

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestone

  • Submit the Thesis Advisory Committee report before the end of this term through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

Note

  • If you have not submitted your TAC report by the end of the term, you will not be able to enrolment for future terms.

Eight Term

Course

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestone

  • Submit the Research Progress Report before the end of this term through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

Note

  • If you have not submitted your Research Progress Report by the end of the term, you will not be able to enrolment for future terms.

Ninth Term

Course

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Year 4 Course Sequence and Milestones

Tenth Term

Course

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestone

  • Submit the Thesis Advisory Committee report before the end of this term through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

Note

  • If you have not submitted your TAC report by the end of the term, you will not be able to enrolment for future terms.

Eleventh Term

Course

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestones

  • Submit the Research Progress Report before the end of this term through the Service Request application in your uoZone account.

  • Obtain permission to write before or during this term.

Note

  • If you have not submitted your Research Progress Report by the end of the term, you will not be able to enrolment for future terms.

Twelfth Term

Course

  • THD 9999 Thesis

Milestone

  • Submit your thesis during or at the end of this term.

  • Meet with your Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC).
    You must hold your first TAC meeting during the first term.
    Your meetings can be more frequent, but once a year, for every subsequent year, you must meet with your TAC.

  • Submit the following forms:

    • Student seminar report

    • Submit the form by email to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office before April 30 or once you have obtained permission to write.

    • Submit these two forms through the Service Request application in your uoZone account:

      • Report of the TAC

      • Annual Research Progress Report

  • Attend BMI Seminar & Poster Days 

    • All BCH students are required to present either a poster or a seminar, until permission to grant is granted.