Medicinal and Biological Chemistry at the University of Toronto Scarborough

This program is designed for students who want to not only specialize in chemistry, but gain a particular skillset in applying chemistry to medicine, and beyond to the broader areas of human health. Our courses get hands-on with laboratory work, research opportunities and engaging lectures as you explore the ways chemistry fundamentally impacts key aspects of modern medicine, including in diagnosis, prevention, treatment and understanding of diseases. Your customizable courseload lets you tailor your studies around the areas that interest you most, including analytic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, calculus, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physics.  

In our co-op option, you’ll augment your studies with paid work terms in the public, private or non-profit sector, and choose how long you want each of your terms to be. We offer a rigorous combination of coursework and research experience, making our program an excellent choice if you want to pursue graduate studies in medicinal, pharmaceutical and biological chemistry or a related discipline, or work in health-related industries. And choose our Health Sciences stream to boost your path to the health professions by developing skills critical in health care, while gaining relevant experience. 

In your first year, you’ll cover the fundamentals across various disciplines, including biology, chemistry, physics and math. You’ll then draw connections between chemistry and human health and explore advanced topics in medicinal and biological applications, such as drug development and chemical technologies in diagnosis. You’ll also have the chance to create real scientific knowledge in medicinal and biological chemistry by participating in a directed research project in your final year.