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Department of Chemistry Faculty of Science

Admissions

Applications for admission into any degree program are administered by the Office of Admissions. The Chemistry department can only provide very limited guidance in the admissions process. 

Please note that the following information is supplied for informational purposes only and applies to Ontario high-school students currently looking to be admitted. Applicants from other jurisdictions, special applicants, mature students, etc., are invited to consult the Office of Admissions website for information on process and eligibility for admission.  

Requirements 

For Chemistry programs: 

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) 
  • ENG4U 
  • MHF4U 
  • SCH4U 
  • one additional 4U or M science course 
  • and two additional 4U or M courses – recommendation(s): MCV4U, SPH4U 
  • the high-school academic average should be at least in the high 70s to low 80s 

For Biochemistry programs, effective Fall 2018: 

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) 
  • ENG4U 
  • SBI4U 
  • SCH4U 
  • MHF4U 
  • MCV4U 
  • and one additional 4U or M courses – recommendation: SPH4U 
  • the high-school academic average should be at least in the low-to-mid 80s 

All of our degree programs require first-year, university-level Mathematics (Calculus) and Physics, which pre-require 4U Calculus and Physics.  

  • If you are admitted without MCV4U, you can take the following sequence without delaying your progress: MATH 1520, 1013 and 1014. Note that MATH 1014 pre-requires MATH 1013, which in turn pre-requires MCV4U or MATH 1520. MATH 1014 is required before taking CHEM 2011 and CHEM 2011 is a pre- or co-requisite for CHEM 3000 (needed for all Chemistry degrees). Delaying the completion of the MATH course sequence may delay graduation.  
  • If you are admitted without SPH4U, you can take the following sequence without delaying your progress: PHYS 1510 then either PHYS 1010, 1410 or 1420. Generally, it is not important when Physics is taken. However, delaying parts of the first-year curriculum to later years may cause scheduling conflicts, since conflicts can only be avoided for required courses at the same year level;  in some of our degree programs, CHEM 3080 is a requirement and CHEM 3080 pre-requires PHYS 1010, 1410 or 1420.  
  • All first-year required courses are available in summer terms to assist with re-doing courses where marks are lower than desired, to avoid scheduling conflicts, for electives or to lighten course loads later. Some of these are on a compressed schedule (6 weeks instead of 12, or 12 weeks instead of 24). Except for CHEM 2020 and 2021, CHEM courses required in later years are not offered in the summer. Several BIOL and BCHM courses required in the Biochemistry programs are available in the summer.  

Scholarships 

New students are automatically assessed for their eligibility for Entrance Scholarships. You may need to apply for other scholarships and bursaries. Consult the Scholarships page for details.  

Transfer Students 

Students coming from other institutions automatically have their transcripts assessed for transfer credits appropriate to their chosen York degree program as to number, exemptions, level and course credit exclusions that are relevant to the chosen program. This is contained in a letter sent to newly admitted students coming by transfer. If you later change degree program subjects (e.g. Biology to Chemistry), you may ask the Office of Admissions – Transfer Credit Section for a reassessment, as the relevance of your previous courses will have changed. 

How to proceed 

To proceed, first visit the Admissions website for all information pertaining to admission requirements, transferring credits from another university, tuition costs, scholarships, financial aid, as well as for information on the campus, on student life, campus services, etc. 

Then, to apply, go to the Application area of the Admissions website. Depending on whether you’re applying from in-province or from out-of-province, for September, January or May admission, as a regular student or a visiting student, different procedures and deadlines apply, and different documents are needed. 

After getting admitted to a Chemistry or Biochemistry program, you can get advice on course selections. 

  • If you are transferring from a college or from another university with credits for Chemistry and/or Biochemistry courses already taken elsewhere, or if you are a visiting or exchange student, you can book an individual Advising Session with the department. 
  • If you are a new first-year student or if you have no transfer credits for first-year Chemistry and/or Biochemistry courses taken elsewhere, the Science Academic Services staff will advise you on first-year course selections, for which you will need to book an appointment. 

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