Bachelor of Science in Honours Science

at Wilfrid Laurier University - Waterloo Campus Canada

Biochemistry is a fundamental multidisciplinary science that explores the molecular aspects of life and is the basis for many other disciplines in life sciences, including cell and molecular biology, microbiology, genetics, and molecular medicine.

Biotechnology is the application of biochemistry to develop technologies, materials and products that help improve, replenish and sustain the health of our planet.

ABOUT BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY AT LAURIER
In our program, we emphasize the health and pharmaceutical sciences, which constitute more than 50% of the total activity in biochemical research and biotechnology in Canada.

You’ll take several courses in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and biochemistry, along with courses in applied biochemistry, and gain the practical skills and the academic knowledge you’ll need to succeed in a career in research, service, industry or academia.

You’ll benefit from a research-intensive environment. In your fourth year, you'll have an option to complete a senior thesis research project. The thesis option will provide you with hands-on experience using state-of-the-art equipment in a new and challenging area of biochemical research.

The combination of Laurier's internationally accredited Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and the University of Waterloo's world-renowned Faculty of Mathematics lets you harness the strengths of two top-tier institutions in one program. This is a unique opportunity to learn about business and the applications of math while simultaneously earning two degrees from two universities in five years: a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Laurier Bachelor of Math (BMath) from Waterloo.

If you are an excellent student with superior abilities in chemistry, physics and mathematics then Laurier’s Chemistry and Physics program is a match for you. This program combines some of the best of our Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs in Chemistry and Physics. You'll graduate with a solid theoretical foundation in chemistry and physics through both classroom lectures and laboratory experiments.

The focus of Laurier’s Chemistry and Physics program is on the chemical and physical properties of materials at the bulk scale (where dimensions are effectively infinite) and at the nanoscale (where dimensions are 1 to 100 nanometers).

At the bulk scale, classical mechanics can generally be used to describe the material. However, at the nanoscale, quantum effects can be very important and the properties of the material can be very different. For example, whereas bulk gold is inert, gold nanoparticles have been shown to catalyse a variety of chemical reactions.

Your materials science and quantum mechanics courses (and nanoscience courses) in both chemistry and physics will provide you with a unique skill set which will enable you to understand the properties of existing materials and which will give you the ability to design new materials with unique mechanical, optical, electronic or magnetic properties, which could have applications not only in chemistry and physics but also in disciplines as varied as computing and medicine.

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Computer Science will help you develop strong algorithm analysis and design skills in procedural, object-oriented and low-level languages, with an optional introduction to functional, parallel, and logical paradigms. 

In senior years, you will select courses in application areas ranging from internet computing to writing apps for mobile computing, from applied cryptography to quantum computing.

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AT LAURIER
In our Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Environmental Science program, you will learn and understand how concepts from biology, chemistry and geography can be integrated to explain the processes that affect the physical environment and how these processes influence the biotic performance, from individual organisms to whole ecosystems.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Environmental Science will give you the skills needed to understand how to use analytical tools, including lab and field methods, to quantify and assess the physical and chemical properties of soil, water and air for assessing and monitoring populations of organisms.

You will develop a broad range of techniques that will allow you to identify and devise solutions to environmental problems caused by human activities. You will be able to communicate these issues to diverse audiences for a number of purposes, such as helping to restore ecosystems or advocating for environmental issues.

Students in Environmental Science take one mandatory field course, and have opportunities to take others through the Ontario Universities’ Program in Field Biology.

Faculty members hire students as research assistants to work help with studies in the lab and field.

HONOURS THESIS OPTION
Students completing an honours thesis will conduct a yearlong research project that includes data collection, analysis and write-up.

Examples of honours thesis topics include:

• "Relating intensity of forest fires to caribou herd depletion in the Northwest Territories"
• "Effects of climate change on frozen landscapes in the north"
• "Effects of atmospheric processes on the movement and fate of pollutants"
• "Identification and conservation of rare and threatened plant species"

Laurier's Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Financial Mathematics program is structured to teach you mathematics and its financial applications with a focus on how mathematics is connected with natural, physical and computer sciences.

Laurier’s Financial Mathematics program is structured to teach you mathematics and its financial applications at the same time. Our core courses cover many topics that are fundamental to financial mathematics, including:

• calculus
• analysis
• linear algebra
• differential equations
• numerical analysis
• optimization
• probability theory and statistics
• stochastic processes
• stochastic calculus

You will obtain extensive experience solving real-world problems in financial mathematics and risk management in our math labs, where you will use appropriate mathematical and statistical software.

ABOUT THE BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN FINANCIAL MATHEMATICS

• Our Bachelor of Science (BSc) program is focused on how mathematics is connected with natural, physical and computer sciences. You’ll have the opportunity to complete one or two minors in science subjects.
• For example, the concentration in Computational Finance (see below), enhanced with additional courses in Computer Science, will teach you advanced numerical techniques pertinent to financial and risk management problems and will help prepare you for a future career as a quantitative analyst.
• We also offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Financial Mathematics, which focuses on how mathematics is connected with social science and business.

CONCENTRATE YOUR STUDIES:-
You can select elective courses in mathematics and statistics within six optional concentrations:

• Analysis and Geometry
• Discrete Mathematics and Algebra
• Mathematical Modelling
• Statistics and Data Analytics
• Financial Risk Management
• Computational Finance
• You also have the opportunity to complete an option in Management

As a student in the Water Science and Environmental Health program, you'll learn the underlying scientific principles, processes and theories concerning the physical, chemical and biological properties of water and the factors that play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem and human health.

Through a combination of training and practical work experience, including co-op, you'll identify and solve ongoing threats to our water resources including those caused by human activities and climate change. You'll be able to recognize that the availability of safe, clean water and its resources is a fundamental question of social justice.

This program will help you develop the skills needed to apply quantitative and computer analysis to assess, monitor and sustainably manage land and water resources. You'll understand the critical need of government responsibility for managing and protecting water and Earth's resources.

Throughout your studies, you will feel empowered to contribute to the quest to improve the availability, security and reliability of human water supplies, while ensuring the whole ecosystem and human health.

The Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Laurier and the Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo (UW) have teamed up to give you 2 highly respected degrees from our two outstanding institutions. In this double-degree program, you’ll earn both a Bachelor of Computer Science (BCS) from UW and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Laurier in only 5 years.

If you are an excellent student with superior abilities in chemistry, physics and mathematics then Laurier’s Chemistry and Physics program is a match for you. This program combines some of the best of our Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs in Chemistry and Physics. You'll graduate with a solid theoretical foundation in chemistry and physics through both classroom lectures and laboratory experiments.

The focus of Laurier’s Chemistry and Physics program is on the chemical and physical properties of materials at the bulk scale (where dimensions are effectively infinite) and at the nanoscale (where dimensions are 1 to 100 nanometers).

At the bulk scale, classical mechanics can generally be used to describe the material. However, at the nanoscale, quantum effects can be very important and the properties of the material can be very different. For example, whereas bulk gold is inert, gold nanoparticles have been shown to catalyse a variety of chemical reactions.

Your materials science and quantum mechanics courses (and nanoscience courses) in both chemistry and physics will provide you with a unique skill set which will enable you to understand the properties of existing materials and which will give you the ability to design new materials with unique mechanical, optical, electronic or magnetic properties, which could have applications not only in chemistry and physics but also in disciplines as varied as computing and medicine.

The Christian Studies and Global Citizenship program is offered through Martin Luther University College (formerly Waterloo Lutheran Seminary), which is federated with Wilfrid Laurier University. As a student in this program you’ll learn to think critically about your faith, the world and your place within it.

Our courses will provide you with essential skills, including the ability to communicate effectively. This program promotes a greater sense of social responsibility and spiritual awareness; an appreciation of diversity; and experience in serving the community. This program equips you to pursue careers where you can integrate your spirituality, and/or worldview, into your life’s work.