Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences

University of British Columbia

Canada, Vancouver

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Home/Canada/Vancouver /University of British Columbia/Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences

University of British Columbia

Canada , Vancouver

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Application Fee

CAD 125

Campuses

Vancouver

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines15-May-2023

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

CAD 46,296 / year

Next Intake 15-May-2023

Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences

About

You can study intense specialization in a single field.

The Honours Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences (CAPS) program enriches a core study of physiology through a broad curriculum. You'll study the human body structure and function, but also receive interdisciplinary training that prepares you for a wide range of careers in academic, biotechnology, or medical fields. Courses are offered in human structure and function with emphasis in nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and gastrointestinal systems.

Cellular, Anatomical, and Physiological Sciences is available only as an Honours degree. The program is extremely competitive, with only about 15 students admitted to the specialization each year. Students apply at the end of their second year. The specialization is specifically geared towards students intending to pursue graduate studies in the biological sciences (including medical, dental, pharmacy, or veterinary school), with the majority of graduates from the program each year entering medical school.

Campus features

The Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology Club of UBC is a thriving club in the Alma Mater Society. It's a great place for first-year students to make contacts with current undergraduate and graduate students, and get a sense of what a major in these programs is all about.

Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Physiology Club of UBC

Experiential learning and research

As a CAPS student, you'll spend a year carrying out a research project under the supervision of a research faculty member that forms the basis of a graduating honours thesis. In addition, you may choose to do a 12-16 month cooperative education program, working in a research laboratory as part of their undergraduate training.

Take courses in human structure and function with emphasis in nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, and gastrointestinal systems while you study life processes. The overarching goal of this program is to provide interdisciplinary training in life and health sciences while preparing you for a career in academics, or biotechnology or medical fields.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4

BIOL 112 - Biology of the Cell
The principles of cellular and molecular biology using bacterial and eukaryotic examples.
CHEM 123 - Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Organic Chemistry
Fundamentals of chemical reactivity: thermodynamics; kinetics; organic chemistry, including stereochemistry; applications relevant to modern society.
MATH 100 - Differential Calculus with Applications to Physical Sciences and Engineering
Derivatives of elementary functions. Applications and modeling: graphing, optimization. Consult the Faculty of Science Credit Exclusion List: www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,414.
PHYS 100 - Introductory Physics
Kinematics, force, energy, momentum, use of graphs and vectors in physics; thermal energy, heat transfer, Earth's energy balance; electricity. Students with credit for Physics 12 may not obtain credit for this course unless they took AP, IB, or A-level Physics and were offered advanced credit for PHYS 100.
BIOL 121 - Genetics, Evolution and Ecology
Principles of storage and transmission of genetic variation; origin and evolution of species and their ecological interactions.

CAPS 200 - Biomedical Research: Essential Skills and Concepts
Analysis of the underlying questions and assumptions, experimental approach, results and significance of work described in selected biomedical research presentations.
CHEM 205 - Physical Chemistry
Chemical kinetics and thermodynamics and spectroscopy useful in biological, medical, agricultural, earth, and related sciences.
BIOL 200 - Fundamentals of Cell Biology
Structure and function of plant and animal cells; membrane models, cytoplasmic organelles, biological information from gene to protein, the endomembrane system, secretion, intracellular digestion, endocytosis, transport processes, cytoskeleton and cell motility.
MICB 202 - Introductory Medical Microbiology and Immunology
Introduction to cellular and humoral immune responses, the properties of viruses and the principles of bacterial pathogenesis. (Consult the Credit Exclusion list within the Faculty of Science section of the Calendar.)

CAPS 390 - Introduction to Microscopic Human Anatomy
Organ system development, structure and function at the microscopic level.
CAPS 303 - Laboratory in Human Physiology (Honours)
Techniques and principles of human physiology. This course must be taken in conjunction with CAPS 301. Restricted to Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences and Pharmacology Honours students.
CAPS 301 - Human Physiology
Organ systems function with particular reference to mammalian and human physiology. See credit exclusion list: http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=12,215,410,414
BIOC 301 - Biochemistry Laboratory
Techniques by which the chemical and physical properties of fundamental components of the cell are studied.

CAPS 426 - Physiological Basis of Central Nervous System Functions
An integrated study of the structural and functional organization of the central nervous system with special emphasis on neurophysiological mechanisms.
CAPS 430 - Advanced Laboratory in Physiology
Methods, techniques, and use of instruments required for physiological investigation. CAPS 303 or PHYL 303 and the consent of the department are required and enrolment will be limited.
CAPS 421 - Advanced Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Recent advancements in cellular and molecular physiology that have revolutionized our understanding of cell function in health and disease.
CAPS 422 - Mammalian Cardiovascular and Respiratory Physiology
The control and integration of cardio-pulmonary function in mammals. Intended for Honours students in Cellular, Anatomical and Physiological Sciences or other life sciences.

Disciplines

Faculty of Science

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Graduation from a university-preparatory program at a senior secondary school: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi). Certificates must be official. Photocopies are acceptable if certified by school principal, head, or counsellor. Notarized copies are not acceptable.

Career

Program graduates frequently enter graduate programs in biological or health sciences. The rigorous, cross-disciplinary nature of the specialization makes it an ideal pathway for entry into professional schools such as medicine, pharmacy, or dental.

Program graduates

Medical student, University of British Columbia
Graduate student in Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University
Medical student, Queen's University
Research assistant, UBC Biomedical Research Centre
Master of Physical Therapy candidate, University of British Columbia
Dentist, Emerald Park Dentistry

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  - Pharmacology
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Fee Information

Tuition Fee

CAD 46,296

Application Fee

CAD 125

How to Apply

As you complete the online application, keep the following tips in mind:

Start early and take your time. Once you begin the application, you will be able to save it and return to it later – but only up until the deadline. Once you have submitted your application to UBC, you will not be able to edit it. Since the online application can sometimes time out if left open for too long, we recommend working on your personal profile questions outside of the application (where you can run them through a spell-checker) then copy and paste them into your application.
Let the online application guide you. You’ll be asked to provide only the information we need based on your degree choice(s), your previous education, and other factors.
Tell us your full academic history. It’s important to include all of the high schools, colleges, and/or universities you have attended. Don’t leave anything out!
Be accurate. UBC has a number of methods in place to authenticate information provided in the application. These methods include, but are not limited to, contacting references, verifying academic records, and requesting additional documentation to verify your personal profile. If an application is found to contain untrue or incomplete information, UBC may, at its discretion: withdraw an offer of admission; require you to withdraw from UBC; subject you to academic discipline; or share the information provided with other post-secondary institutions, law enforcement agencies, or other third parties.
Use an email address you check frequently. Once you have submitted your application, UBC will communicate with you primarily by email.
Note your UBC student number. Write down your UBC student number somewhere safe. You’ll need it in future correspondence with UBC.