Biology

Program Overview
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
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Please select your province for specific admission requirements.

General Requirements for High School Graduates

  • See CBU’s English Language Requirements here.
  • English 12 (academic or advanced)
  • Math 12 (academic or advanced, pre-cal recommended)
  • 2 Science 12 level
  • 1 additional grade 12 academic or advanced level course

Please select your country to view admission requirements.

Transfer Student Requirements

  • In order to transfer to CBU you must be in good academic standing at your current/previous institution.
  • You must meet the general admissions requirements (or the post-secondary equivalent) for the program, found under the Canadian or International tabs of this tool.
  • To see if your institution is an articulation partner, please view our articulation agreements page.
  • Please email us if you have specific questions about admission requirements and transferring to CBU:

Explore The Diversity Of Life

There’s an instant connection that’s made between the study of biology and living on Cape Breton Island. In this incredibly bio-diverse region on the coast of Atlantic Canada, we’re constantly reminded that we’re all part of nature.

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of all living organisms. Although living organisms share some unifying themes, such as their origin from the same basic cellular structure, and their molecular basis of inheritance, they are extremely diverse. This diversity of life leads to many divisions in biological science. That’s why, at CBU, collaboration and collective learning environments are so important.

As a biology student, you will look at such topics as origins, structure, function, reproduction, growth and development, and behaviour and evolution of different organisms. In addition, you will consider how living organisms interact with each other and the environment on an individual and group basis.

Sample Courses and Resources

Why study at CBU?

Come to Cape Breton for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about biology in a truly unforgettable setting.

More than 85% of our courses include a laboratory component, with an emphasis placed on hands-on activities, skills development and field-based exercises. Many of our labs take students outside the classroom to apply material learned in lectures to the forests, streams and shorelines nearby. That means you’ll be meeting real people in our communities and making a real impact on how we interact with our environment.

CBU’s biology faculty are actively engaged in diverse fields of research, including forest ecology, plant genetics, invertebrate zoology, freshwater and marine biology, avian behavioural ecology, neuroethology and vertebrate palaeontology. Plus, biology at CBU offers a sound foundation for a wide variety of professional careers in fields including business, conservation, education, health care, natural resources and technology.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in biology at CBU are prepared to go on to graduate studies to pursue research or academic careers in any branch of biology.

What skills will I gain from this program?

  • Solid grounding in key biology concepts and essential skills.
  • Ability to specialize in multiple areas of
  • Exposure to scientific research and educational experience.
  • Skills required for any future career in biology.

Possible Career Paths

  • Biologist/technician
  • Business
  • Conservation
  • Education
  • Health care
  • Natural resources

Experiential Learning Opportunities

CBU biology research projects have taken students:

  • Snorkelling in the tropical waters of Barbados.
  • Sampling whelk and sea cucumber from fishing boats off Scatarie Bank.
  • Examining the effects of moose grazing in the Cape Breton Highlands.
  • Prospecting for fossils in the southern United States.
  • Looking for rare freshwater mussels in Cape Breton streams.

Faculty & Staff

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