Complete first-year biological physics at VCC and transfer directly into second-year degree programs at Simon Fraser University.
University Transfer – Biological Physics (SFU)
Entrance award
September intake of this full-time program is eligible for financial award.
ENTRANCE AWARDS
September intake of this full-time program is eligible for financial award.
What you will learn
Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be able to:
- Solve a wide range of problems related to mathematics and science at the 1st year level
- Produce high quality oral presentations and written materials
- Apply theoretical knowledge and technical skills in solving problems
- Complete projects both independently and in teams
- Use their scientific educational experiences as a solid foundation for academic readiness in 2nd year science
What to expect
Program Duration and Maximum Time for Completion
The expected length of the program is 12 months, spread over three full semesters. There is also the option of part-time studies, which would result in a longer time frame for completion of the credential. The maximum allowable time for students to complete the program is three years.
For the assured pathways to SFU, the maximum time for completion is 16 months. For the competitive admission to SFU, the maximum time for completion is 3 years.
The courses are presented using a variety of face-to-face and online instructional strategies, resources and activities including lectures, laboratories, field trips, demonstrations, guest speakers, case studies, and applied practical experiences.
Admission requirements
Program-specific
-
Grade 12 graduation, or equivalent
-
Knowledge of English demonstrated by one of the following:
-
English 12 with a minimum ‘C+’ grade, or equivalent
or -
English Language Proficiency at a minimum English 12 ‘C+’ level ?
-
- Pre-calculus 12 with a minimum ‘B’ grade, or equivalent
Notes
-
Students are required to have successfully completed prerequisite course(s) or equivalents leading to courses in the Certificate (for example: prerequisite course Chemistry 12, or equivalent, needs to be successfully completed in order to take CHEM 1121 Chemistry 1). Please see the requirements for each course.
-
Specific post-secondary level courses may be used to substitute for high school courses
General
- This program is available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. See program options for international students at VCC International.
- Applicants who self-identify as Indigenous are strongly encouraged to connect with VCC’s Indigenous Education and Community Engagement team to learn more about VCC’s Indigenous Enrolment policy, application preparation/completion, program advising, and a range of other individualized services.
- Applicants must be 16 years of age or older or a graduate of a secondary school. (Some exceptions may apply.)
- Applicants must submit official transcripts and other documents as required by their course or program. Seats are offered to eligible applicants with completed applications, in order of application completion date (except for programs with competitive admissions). A complete application includes an application form, evidence of educational pre-requisites (e.g. transcripts), any required supporting documents (e.g. language proficiency, audition video), and the required deposit or fee payment. If you do not meet the requirements for the term applied, your application may be cancelled.
Missing prerequisites? Learn more about VCC's tuition-free academic upgrading or English as a Second Language (ESL) courses, or discover which university transfer options are right for you.
Recommended Characteristics
- Demonstrate proficiency in the English language with excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Motivated and positive attitude towards learning.
- Possess analytical and critical thinking skills.
- Some word processing experience and basic computer skills required.
Courses *
Prior learning assessment and recognition
For students attempting the assured pathway to Simon Fraser University, PLAR is not allowed, as per the agreement with SFU.
Specific Requirements for the Science Certificate
A. 3 credits in first-year English; and
B. 6 credits of Calculus; and
C. 15 credits in Science; and
D. 6 additional credits of courses in Arts or Science
Courses
Students do not have to declare their intention of completing the University Transfer Science Certificate credential before beginning to take courses. Courses are open to any student who meets the general and specific requirements for the course.
Students will need to meet the admission requirements to the program before courses can be used to complete the University Transfer Science Certificate.
No course will be used to meet more than one of the specific requirements (for example, MATH 1120 as both a Science requirement and as an additional Arts and Science requirement).
Students must complete:
A. English Requirement (3 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1100 | English 1 | 3 |
| or ENGL 1101 | English | |
B. Math Requirements (6 credits)
Students must take:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1100 | Calculus 1 | 3 |
| MATH 1200 | Calculus 2 | 3 |
C. Science Requirements (minimum of 15 credits)
Any course such as, but not limited to, the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1100 | Biology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 1200 | Biology 2 | 4 |
| BIOL 1120 | Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 1220 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4 |
| CHEM 1121 | Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 1223 | Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| CMPT 1010 | Intro to Comp Programming 1 | 3 |
| CMPT 1020 | Intro to Comp Programming 2 | 3 |
| GEOG 1110 | Earth Systems | 3 |
| MATH 1020 | Precalculus | 3 |
| MATH 1120 | Discrete Mathematics | 3 |
| MATH 1111 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| MATH 1190 | Mathematics for Teachers | 3 |
| MATH 1221 | Applied Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 1210 | Mathematics for the Arts | 3 |
| MATH 2251 | Calculus 3 | 3 |
| MATH 2310 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| MATH 2700 | Probability and Statistics for Science and Engineering | 3 |
| PHYS 1100 | Physics 1 | 4 |
| PHYS 1200 | Physics 2 | 4 |
| PHYS 1110 | Introduction to Astronomy | 3 |
| PHYS 1170 | Mechanics 1 | 3 |
| SCIE 1100 | Engineering Tech & Society | 3 |
| SCIE 1151 | Engineering Graphics & Design | 3 |
| SCIE 1180 | Intro to Engineering Analysis | 3 |
Institutions have the discretion to not accept MATH 1020 for transfer. Check with receiving institution to ensure transferability.
D. Additional Arts and Science courses (minimum 6 credits)
Any courses from those in list C above or from (but not limited to) the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2104 | Introduction to Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 1100 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 1200 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ENGL 1200 | University Transfer English 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 1102 | English | 3 |
| GEOG 1100 | Introducting Human Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 2241 | Social Geography | 3 |
| INDG 1100 | First Nations & Indigenous Stu | 3 |
| PSYC 1100 | Psychology 1 | 3 |
| PSYC 1200 | Psychology 2 | 3 |
| SOCI 1100 | Sociology 1: Introductory Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 1200 | Sociology 2: Canadian Society | 3 |
| SCIE 1110 | Professional Communication | 3 |
Admission Pathways
Two transfer pathways will be available to students from the VCC University Transfer Science Certificate (UTSC) program into 9 eligible Faculty of Science (FSci) programs at SFU: Assured Admission and Competitive Admission. The required courses for FSci program transfer are outlined below in options A to I.
Assured Admission Pathway
Assured admission from VCC's UTSC to the a FSci major is based on a CGPA of 2.60 (calculated based on the best attempt for each required course within the certificate program), and an overall GPA of 2.00 on any transferable coursework from all post-secondary institutions attended.
Students who were required to withdraw, or were not in good academic standing upon leaving a former post-secondary institution are not eligible for consideration under the Assured Admission pathway.
All certificate courses must be completed at VCC within 16 months of commencing the UTSC. Any courses in the certificate taken at post-secondary institutions other than VCC may be transferred to VCC and used towards completion of the VCC/SFU pathway certificate, providing those courses transfer independently to SFU and receive the same credit at SFU as does the VCC pathway course.
In addition, students must meet a minimum course load of 12 credits for at least two terms while enrolled in the UTSC program at VCC.
The assured admission pathway does not apply to international students. While the certificate is fully transferrable, international students’ GPA requirements may vary at the time of transfer.
Competitive Admission Pathway
VCC UTSC students who do not meet the Assured Admission pathway criteria may be eligible to enter FSci programs based on the existing college transfer criteria for SFU admission (24 credits of transferable coursework and meeting the competitive admission GPA requirement for the Faculty of Science set for the specific term of admission), plus program-specific requirements (http://www.sfu.ca/students/admission-requirements/canadian-transfer/college-university.html.html).
Applicants from both pathways must meet the general SFU English language and quantitative admission requirements.
Bachelor of Science — Biological Physics second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
BIOL 1100 - Biology 1 (4 credits)
BIOL 1200 - Biology 2 (4 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
Specific Requirements for the Science Certificate
A. 3 credits in first-year English; and
B. 6 credits of Calculus; and
C. 15 credits in Science; and
D. 6 additional credits of courses in Arts or Science
Courses
Students do not have to declare their intention of completing the University Transfer Science Certificate credential before beginning to take courses. Courses are open to any student who meets the general and specific requirements for the course.
Students will need to meet the admission requirements to the program before courses can be used to complete the University Transfer Science Certificate.
No course will be used to meet more than one of the specific requirements (for example, MATH 1120 as both a Science requirement and as an additional Arts and Science requirement).
Students must complete:
A. English Requirement (3 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 1100 | English 1 | 3 |
| or ENGL 1101 | English | |
B. Math Requirements (6 credits)
Students must take:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 1100 | Calculus 1 | 3 |
| MATH 1200 | Calculus 2 | 3 |
C. Science Requirements (minimum of 15 credits)
Any course such as, but not limited to, the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1100 | Biology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 1200 | Biology 2 | 4 |
| BIOL 1120 | Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 1220 | Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 | 4 |
| CHEM 1121 | Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 1223 | Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| CMPT 1010 | Introduction to Computer Programming 1 | 3 |
| CMPT 1020 | Introduction to Computer Programming 2 | 3 |
| GEOG 1110 | Earth Systems | 3 |
| MATH 1020 | Precalculus | 3 |
| MATH 1120 | Discrete Mathematics 1 | 3 |
| MATH 1111 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| MATH 1190 | Mathematics for Teachers | 3 |
| MATH 1221 | Applied Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 1210 | Mathematics for the Arts | 3 |
| MATH 2251 | Calculus 3 | 3 |
| MATH 2310 | Ordinary Differential Equations | 3 |
| MATH 2700 | Probability and Statistics for Science and Engineering | 3 |
| PHYS 1100 | Physics 1 | 4 |
| PHYS 1200 | Physics 2 | 4 |
| PHYS 1110 | Introduction to Astronomy | 3 |
| PHYS 1170 | Mechanics 1 | 3 |
| SCIE 1100 | Engineering, Technology and Society | 3 |
| SCIE 1151 | Engineering Graphics & Design | 3 |
| SCIE 1180 | Introduction to Engineering Analysis | 3 |
Institutions have the discretion to not accept MATH 1020 for transfer. Check with receiving institution to ensure transferability.
D. Additional Arts and Science courses (minimum 6 credits)
Any courses from those in list C above or from (but not limited to) the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 2104 | Introduction to Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 1100 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 1200 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ENGL 1200 | English 2 | 3 |
| ENGL 1102 | English | 3 |
| GEOG 1100 | Society, Space, Environment: Introducing Human Geography | 3 |
| GEOG 2241 | Social Geography | 3 |
| INDG 1100 | Introduction to First Nations & Indigenous Studies | 3 |
| PSYC 1100 | Psychology 1 | 3 |
| PSYC 1200 | Psychology 2 | 3 |
| SOCI 1100 | Sociology 1: Intro to Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 1200 | Sociology 2: Canadian Society | 3 |
| SCIE 1110 | Professional Communication | 3 |
Admission Pathways
Two transfer pathways will be available to students from the VCC University Transfer Science Certificate (UTSC) program into 9 eligible Faculty of Science (FSci) programs at SFU: Assured Admission and Competitive Admission. The required courses for FSci program transfer are outlined below in options A to I.
Assured Admission Pathway
Assured admission from VCC’s UTSC to the a FSci major is based on a CGPA of 2.60 (calculated based on the best attempt for each required course within the certificate program), and an overall GPA of 2.00 on any transferable coursework from all post-secondary institutions attended.
Students who were required to withdraw, or were not in good academic standing upon leaving a former post-secondary institution are not eligible for consideration under the Assured Admission pathway.
All certificate courses must be completed at VCC within 16 months of commencing the UTSC. Any courses in the certificate taken at post-secondary institutions other than VCC may be transferred to VCC and used towards completion of the VCC/SFU pathway certificate, providing those courses transfer independently to SFU and receive the same credit at SFU as does the VCC pathway course.
In addition, students must meet a minimum course load of 12 credits for at least two terms while enrolled in the UTSC program at VCC.
International student eligibility for the assured admission pathway is dependent on the availability of international student seats at SFU within the destination program.
Competitive Admission Pathway
VCC UTSC students who do not meet the Assured Admission pathway criteria may be eligible to enter FSci programs based on the existing college transfer criteria for SFU admission (24 credits of transferable coursework and meeting the competitive admission GPA requirement for the Faculty of Science set for the specific term of admission), plus program-specific requirements (http://www.sfu.ca/students/admission-requirements/canadian-transfer/college-university.html.html).
Applicants from both pathways must meet the general SFU English language and quantitative admission requirements.
Option A: Bachelor of Science – Biological Sciences second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
BIOL 1100 - Biology 1 (4 credits)
BIOL 1200 - Biology 2 (4 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
Option B: Bachelor of Science – Chemistry second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
Two of:
ECON 1100 - Microeconomics (3 credits)
ECON 1200 - Macroeconomics (3 credits)
PSYC 1100 - Psychology 1 (3 credits)
PSYC 1200 - Psychology 2 (3 credits)
SOCI 1100 - Introductory Sociology (3 credits)
SOCI 1200 - Canadian Society (3 credits)
Option C: Bachelor of Science – Applied Mathematics second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
MATH 1120 - Discrete Mathematics (3 credits)
MATH 1221* – Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits)
MATH 2700 - Probability and Statistics for Science and Engineering (3 credits)
CMPT 1010 – Introduction to Computer Programming 1 (3 credits)
CMPT 1020 - Introduction to Computer Programming 2 (3 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
*For assured admission to SFU a minimum B grade is required
Option D: Bachelor of Science – Mathematics second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
MATH 1120 - Discrete Mathematics (3 credits)
MATH 1221* – Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits)
MATH 2700 - Probability and Statistics for Science and Engineering (3 credits)
CMPT 1010 – Introduction to Computer Programming 1 (3 credits)
CMPT 1020 - Introduction to Computer Programming 2 (3 credits)
Two of:
ECON 1100 - Microeconomics (3 credits)
ECON 1200 - Macroeconomics (3 credits)
PSYC 1100 - Psychology 1 (3 credits)
PSYC 1200 - Psychology 2 (3 credits)
SOCI 1100 - Introductory Sociology (3 credits)
SOCI 1200 - Canadian Society (3 credits)
*For assured admission to SFU a minimum B grade is required
Option E: Bachelor of Science – Molecular Biology and Biochemistry second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
BIOL 1100 - Biology 1 (4 credits)
BIOL 1200 - Biology 2 (4 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
Option F: Bachelor of Science – Physics second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
MATH 1221 – Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
CMPT 1010 – Introduction to Computer Programming 1 (3 credits)
CMPT 1020 - Introduction to Computer Programming 2 (3 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
Option G: Bachelor of Science – Applied Physics second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
MATH 1221 – Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
CMPT 1010 – Introduction to Computer Programming 1 (3 credits)
CMPT 1020 - Introduction to Computer Programming 2 (3 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
Option H: Bachelor of Science – Biological Physics second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
BIOL 1100 - Biology 1 (4 credits)
BIOL 1200 - Biology 2 (4 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
Option I: Bachelor of Science – Statistics second-year transfer to SFU
Students must complete:
ENGL 1100 - University Transfer English 1 (3 credits)
or
ENGL 1101 - English 1101 (3 credits)
MATH 1100 - Calculus 1 (3 credits)
MATH 1200 - Calculus 2 (3 credits)
MATH 2700 - Probability and Statistics for Science and Engineering (3 credits)
MATH 1221 – Applied Linear Algebra (3 credits)
MATH 2251 - Calculus III (3 credits)
CMPT 1010 – Introduction to Computer Programming 1 (3 credits)
CMPT 1020 - Introduction to Computer Programming 2 (3 credits)
Two of:
ECON 1100 - Microeconomics (3 credits)
ECON 1200 - Macroeconomics (3 credits)
PSYC 1100 - Psychology 1 (3 credits)
PSYC 1200 - Psychology 2 (3 credits)
SOCI 1100 - Introductory Sociology (3 credits)
SOCI 1200 - Canadian Society (3 credits)
MATH 1120 - Discrete Mathematics (3 credits)
CHEM 1121- Chemistry 1 (4 credits)
CHEM 1223- Chemistry 2 (4 credits)
PHYS 1100 - Physics 1 (4 credits)
PHYS 1200 - Physics 2 (4 credits)
* This information is intended as a guideline only. Program and course details are subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors.
Apply now
Are you interested in this program?
To apply to this pathway, please submit your application to the University Transfer Science Certificate program.
Don't forget to:
- Submit your official transcripts to the Registrar's Office when you apply
- Check Important Dates for deadlines and registration information
Get started
Entrance award
September intake of this full-time program is eligible for financial award.
ENTRANCE AWARDS
September intake of this full-time program is eligible for financial award.