Program Overview

Honours Biology and Psychology is designed for students with broad interests in biological, neurosciences and psychological sciences and who want the freedom to choose the best courses from the Departments of Biology and Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour (PNB). The program is uniquely interdisciplinary. Students can merge leading-edge knowledge from both fields, combining molecular biology, development or ecology with the latest ideas in cognition, learning or neurophysiology to gain a truly ‘big picture’ perspective of the living world.

A fourth-year research thesis may be taken under the supervision of either a Biology or PNB faculty member. Students can gain exciting hands-on experience in topics as diverse as clinical studies of child development, fieldwork in behavioural ecology, cellular neuroscience, or the molecular biology of social learning and memory. Because the program provides students with an elite double-major honours degree in Biology and PNB, it facilitates access to graduate schools in either discipline and to an array of clinical or professional programs, such as law, medicine, dental or clinical psychology. It can also open doors to careers in university or industrial research (e.g., pharmaceutics), genetic counselling or education.

Path From High School

At McMaster University, students normally complete a gateway Level I (first year) program and then select a specific discipline program as they enter Level II (second year). Students interested in the Honours B.Sc. in Biology and Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour program usually apply to Life Sciences I as their first year gateway program. Applications are made through the Ontario University Application Centre (OUAC).

For detailed admission requirements for Level I programs, please refer to the admission requirements page.