Bio-Medical Science

Why Study Bio-Medical Science at U of G?

How do we build a healthier society?

During your studies in Bio-Medical Science, you will develop an understanding of evidence-based medicine, ethics, biases, and the environment; critically analyze biomedical research; dive into the application of research and medical technologies to disease treatment and prevention; and employ these skills in your research and studies to help impact the world around you, both locally and globally.

Broaden Your Knowledge of Human and Animal Health

This joint program offered through the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Biomedical Sciences provides students with a broad and integrated foundational overview of human and animal health through the study of function, structure, and paraclinical sciences.

Build Your Career Foundation

Are you interested in a career in human health and medicine? The Bio-Medical Science major will help you meet the entry requirements for medical school in Ontario. If animal health is where your interests lie, this major will prepare you to apply to Ontario Veterinary College's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, the #1 rated veterinary school in Canada.

Forge Your Biomedical Career

The program prepares students for more advanced studies or applied training in many health-related fields including clinical practice, business, government, research and education.

To see all courses offered in the Bio-Medical Science program, visit our Academic Calendar.

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Top Comprehensive University: in Canada (Maclean’s 2025)
Top 150 in the World: for Life Sciences (Times Higher Education 2025)
Top 20% in the World: for Biological Sciences (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
Top 6 in Canada for Life Sciences: Top 4 for Life Sciences Teaching (THE 2025)

Careers in Bio-Medical Science

Bio-Medical Science graduates enjoy challenging careers in healthcare, business, nutrition and pharmacology fields, applying the knowledge and skills gained through this major to professional studies, graduate programs or a career in the health sciences.

Here are a few careers our graduates have successfully pursued:

Physician
Dentist
Veterinarian
Pharmacist
Professor

Medical sales
Medical writer
Quality control officer

Hear From a Bio-Medical Science Student and Graduates

Joining the Bio-Medical Science program has been one of the best decisions I've made. The diverse course options and labs have greatly enriched my academics. I love the program's flexibility, allowing students to explore different paths. My favourite experience was taking a comparative mammalian anatomy course, where I got to study the anatomy and later dissect species like horses, sheep, dogs, and cats!

Jeeval Singh, Undergraduate Student
Bio-Medical Science (BSc '25)

As an international student from China, I chose the University of Guelph for its top-ranked veterinary school. In my second year, I discovered a profound interest in utilizing biological processes to restore health. This realization led me to pivot from animal health to human health, a transition that was seamlessly supported by program counselors. My degree has been filled with opportunities to gain hands-on experience, including working as a summer lab assistant and undergraduate thesis student. As I prepare to embark on the next phase of my academic journey, I am confident that the skills I've cultivated at U of G will continue to propel me toward a future marked by innovation and impactful contributions to my chosen field.

Juntian Bu, Alumni
Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '24)

[Bio-Medical Science] really is a pre-med program. When I eventually went to the University of Toronto for medical school, the first two years of classroom lectures mimicked my four years here, including the anatomy program. So, for me – not that it was easy – but it was a little bit of a reminder. I felt well-prepared. I don’t know if people realize that the anatomy program here at Guelph is the only one of its kind outside of medical schools across Canada. Where else are you going to get that?

Dr. Stephanie Milone, Alumni
Family Physician, Chief of Emergency, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '96)
Hear how Guelph helped launch her career

Bio-med graduate Rebecca Romanishen standing outside, wearing a lab coat with her hands in her pockets.

Throughout my degree, I genuinely felt like I was being supported by the professors. I really appreciated how open so many professors were to research opportunities or connecting you to other professors. Especially when applying to post-grad programs in the health sciences, getting research experience is essential and I found there was so much opportunity to find it. I would advocate for anyone to come to U of G, especially if you are pre-pharmacy, medicine, dentistry or considering any other competitive post-grad program.

Rebecca Romanishen, Alumni
Pharmacy Student, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '23)
Read more about how Guelph prepared Rebecca for a career in Pharmacy

Close-up portrait of Maya smiling, dressed in a white lab coat, with a red background.

The knowledge I gained at U of G was invaluable to getting me where I am now. The diversity of courses I took helped me establish a strong foundation to continue my education in medicine. The curriculum applies to many healthcare fields, whether you hope to continue your studies in a master’s program, pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, or veterinary.

Maya Fields, Alumni
Medical Student, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '23)
Read more about how Guelph opened the door to a career in Medicine for Maya

What I loved most about the Bio-Medical Science program was how well it prepared me for various healthcare professions. Different graduate schools have specific prerequisites, and many of those were built into the curriculum, making it easier to tailor my studies. A lot of Bio-Med graduates rave about the Human Anatomy Lab, and for good reason. It was such a unique experience to explore human anatomy in a hands-on environment in small groups.

Emily Kalbfleisch, Alumni
Speech-Language Pathology Student, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '23)
Read more about Emily's experiences.

The Bio-Medical Science program prepares you for many different fields of science, creating a broad interdisciplinary range of knowledge. It teaches you how to be a scientist, starting with basic, essential knowledge and slowly allowing you to dive into specific aspects of interest. Although I came into this program wanting to be a veterinarian, I still took a lot of courses in human medicine, in order to have a fuller understanding. The Human Anatomy program profoundly impacted my life and learning, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of such an incredible experience that is so rare in undergrad. After three years of university at Guelph, I got into veterinary school and can now reflect on how helpful this program was in preparing me for my future career.

Isabel Cormie
Veterinary School Student
Watch a day in the life of a Bio-Medical Science student

Joining the Bio-Medical Science program has been one of the best decisions I've made. The diverse course options and labs have greatly enriched my academics. I love the program's flexibility, allowing students to explore different paths. My favourite experience was taking a comparative mammalian anatomy course, where I got to study the anatomy and later dissect species like horses, sheep, dogs, and cats!

Jeeval Singh, Undergraduate Student
Bio-Medical Science (BSc '25)

As an international student from China, I chose the University of Guelph for its top-ranked veterinary school. In my second year, I discovered a profound interest in utilizing biological processes to restore health. This realization led me to pivot from animal health to human health, a transition that was seamlessly supported by program counselors. My degree has been filled with opportunities to gain hands-on experience, including working as a summer lab assistant and undergraduate thesis student. As I prepare to embark on the next phase of my academic journey, I am confident that the skills I've cultivated at U of G will continue to propel me toward a future marked by innovation and impactful contributions to my chosen field.

Juntian Bu, Alumni
Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '24)

[Bio-Medical Science] really is a pre-med program. When I eventually went to the University of Toronto for medical school, the first two years of classroom lectures mimicked my four years here, including the anatomy program. So, for me – not that it was easy – but it was a little bit of a reminder. I felt well-prepared. I don’t know if people realize that the anatomy program here at Guelph is the only one of its kind outside of medical schools across Canada. Where else are you going to get that?

Dr. Stephanie Milone, Alumni
Family Physician, Chief of Emergency, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '96)
Hear how Guelph helped launch her career

Throughout my degree, I genuinely felt like I was being supported by the professors. I really appreciated how open so many professors were to research opportunities or connecting you to other professors. Especially when applying to post-grad programs in the health sciences, getting research experience is essential and I found there was so much opportunity to find it. I would advocate for anyone to come to U of G, especially if you are pre-pharmacy, medicine, dentistry or considering any other competitive post-grad program.

Rebecca Romanishen, Alumni
Pharmacy Student, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '23)
Read more about how Guelph prepared Rebecca for a career in Pharmacy

The knowledge I gained at U of G was invaluable to getting me where I am now. The diversity of courses I took helped me establish a strong foundation to continue my education in medicine. The curriculum applies to many healthcare fields, whether you hope to continue your studies in a master’s program, pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, or veterinary.

Maya Fields, Alumni
Medical Student, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '23)
Read more about how Guelph opened the door to a career in Medicine for Maya

What I loved most about the Bio-Medical Science program was how well it prepared me for various healthcare professions. Different graduate schools have specific prerequisites, and many of those were built into the curriculum, making it easier to tailor my studies. A lot of Bio-Med graduates rave about the Human Anatomy Lab, and for good reason. It was such a unique experience to explore human anatomy in a hands-on environment in small groups.

Emily Kalbfleisch, Alumni
Speech-Language Pathology Student, Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '23)
Read more about Emily's experiences.

The Bio-Medical Science program prepares you for many different fields of science, creating a broad interdisciplinary range of knowledge. It teaches you how to be a scientist, starting with basic, essential knowledge and slowly allowing you to dive into specific aspects of interest. Although I came into this program wanting to be a veterinarian, I still took a lot of courses in human medicine, in order to have a fuller understanding. The Human Anatomy program profoundly impacted my life and learning, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been a part of such an incredible experience that is so rare in undergrad. After three years of university at Guelph, I got into veterinary school and can now reflect on how helpful this program was in preparing me for my future career.

Isabel Cormie
Veterinary School Student
Watch a day in the life of a Bio-Medical Science student

Joining the Bio-Medical Science program has been one of the best decisions I've made. The diverse course options and labs have greatly enriched my academics. I love the program's flexibility, allowing students to explore different paths. My favourite experience was taking a comparative mammalian anatomy course, where I got to study the anatomy and later dissect species like horses, sheep, dogs, and cats!

Jeeval Singh, Undergraduate Student
Bio-Medical Science (BSc '25)

As an international student from China, I chose the University of Guelph for its top-ranked veterinary school. In my second year, I discovered a profound interest in utilizing biological processes to restore health. This realization led me to pivot from animal health to human health, a transition that was seamlessly supported by program counselors. My degree has been filled with opportunities to gain hands-on experience, including working as a summer lab assistant and undergraduate thesis student. As I prepare to embark on the next phase of my academic journey, I am confident that the skills I've cultivated at U of G will continue to propel me toward a future marked by innovation and impactful contributions to my chosen field.

Juntian Bu, Alumni
Bio-Medical Science Graduate (BSc '24)