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Graduate Courses

All Graduate Students complete courses as part of their training. In addition to participation in our required Seminar Courses and Scientific Skills for Biochemists, students choose from a variety of elective courses, which are typically offered on a 3-4 year rotation. Please check course descriptions as some courses include specific instructions for requesting access to the course.

Course Registration is completed through ACORN unless otherwise indicated in the course description.

Non-Biochemistry Students may access courses online beginning in September and January for Fall and Winter modules respectively unless otherwise indicated in course description.

Biochemistry Students wishing to take elective courses offered in other departments may do so providing they have obtained approval of the Biochemistry Graduate Coordinator.
 

Coursework Requirements

Basic Coursework Requirements

Please note:
Additional coursework may be required as a condition of acceptance into specific programs
Courses are offered as 1.0, 0.5, or 0.25 full-course equivalents (FCEs)
Elective courses may be selected from other departments with permission of the Graduate Coordinator

MSc Students Students must successfully complete a total of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:
- BCH2020Y Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 1 (1.0 FCE)
- BCH2101H Scientific Skills for Biochemists (0.25 FCE)
- at least 0.25 elective FCE.

PhD Students (Direct Entry or Transfer) Students must successfully complete a total of 3.5 FCEs as follows:
- BCH2020Y Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 1 (1.0 FCE)
- BCH2022Y Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 2 (1.0 FCE)
- BCH2101H Scientific Skills for Biochemists (0.25 FCE)
- 1.25 elective FCEs
Coursework is expected to be completed by end of fourth year - see Maintaining Good Standing for details

PhD Students (Entering with a prior MSc degree) Students must successfully complete a total of 2.0 FCEs as follows:
- BCH2022Y Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 2 (1.0 FCE)
- BCH2101H Scientific Skills for Biochemists (0.25 FCE)
- 0.75 elective FCEs
Coursework is expected to be completed by end of third year - see Maintaining Good Standing for details

Courses Offered Fall 2025

Course Registration is completed through ACORN. Non-Biochemistry Students may access courses online beginning in September for Fall modules respectively.

For students that have one unpaired BCH2024 course, the 1/4 credit courses can be taken as a the second half of the BCH2024 course – Do not enrol through ACORN. You must contact Carrie Harber for details on how you can enrol for these courses in order to ensure your grades are properly recorded under BCH2024HY.

Enrollment in elective courses is generally between 5 and 20. If enrollment for a course is 5 or less, it is up to the discretion of the course coordinator as to whether the class will be held or cancelled.

Drop date: Students are not permitted to drop a 0.25 credit course if more than one class has been completed without approval of the course coordinator.

Course Code and Course Title Coordinator(s)
Instructor(s)
Dates and 
Times
Location Notes
BCH2101H - Scientific Skills for Biochemists Nana Lee & Lea Harrington September - November

Wednesdays
  Required for incoming BCH Grad students
BCH2102H Biomolecular Dynamics and Function Lewis Kay October 31- December 5     
BCH2103H Current Topics in Prion Biology Joel Watts October- December    
BCH2104H The Biochemistry of Translational Medicine Mathieu Lemaire & Aleixo Muise October 14- November 25 PGCRL Building, Room 8-9701  
MMG 1326H Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression Craig Smibert October 27- December 8   Crosslisted course with BCH
BCH2135H Mitochondria and Metabolism in Human Health and Disease Angus McQuibban October 16- December 11 MaRS West Tower, Room 1522  
BCH2201H Professional Development Nana Lee Sept 17 - Nov 27 MSB 5231 Available to PhD students only

Courses Offered Winter 2026

Course Registration is completed through ACORN. Non-Biochemistry Students may access courses online beginning in January for Winter modules.

For students that have one unpaired BCH2024 course, the 1/4 credit courses can be taken as a the second half of the BCH2024 course – Do not enrol through ACORN. You must contact Carrie Harber for details on how you can enrol for these courses in order to ensure your grades are properly recorded under BCH2024HY.

Enrollment in elective courses is generally between 5 and 20. If enrollment for a course is 5 or less, it is up to the discretion of the course coordinator as to whether the class will be held or cancelled.

Drop date: Students are not permitted to drop a 0.25 credit course if more than one class has been completed without approval of the course coordinator.
 

Course Code and Title Coordinator(s)
Instructor(s)
Dates and 
Times
Location Notes
BCH2109H Current Topics in Therapeutic Antibodies Jean-Philippe Julien March – April    
BCH2110H Eukaryotic Signaling Daniela Rotin & Frank Sicheri March – April MSB 5231  
BCH2127H Advances in Optical Microscopy: From Single Molecules to Four-Dimensional Imaging Spencer Freeman January 8, 2026 – February 19, 2026 PGCRL  
MMG 1327H Microbiomes in Health and Disease John Parkinson Dates TBC   Cross listed course with BCH
BCH 2139H Islet Biology I: From Gene to Cell to Organ to Disease Robert Screaton, Erin Mulvihill January - March   Online Only   
BCH 2140H Islet Biology II: Beyond Glucose Control: Molecular Targets, Diagnostics and Cutting-Edge Technologies Robert Screaton, Erin Mulvihill March - April  Online Only   
BCH2202H Intro Programming in R Trevor Moraes &  Feb 25, 2026 - April 1, 2026 MaRS Available to PhD students only
BCH2203H Introduction to Programming in Python Trevor Moraes &  Jan 7, 2026 - Feb 11, 2026 MaRS  Available to PhD students only
BCH2200H Design Thinking for Scientists Nana Lee Selected Thursdays between 12th March- 7th May 2026
10:00am- 12:00pm
MSB 5231 Available to PhD students only

All Courses

Courses are typically offered on a 3-4 year rotation.

1.0 and 0.5 FCE Courses

Course Code Course Title Last Offered/ Anticipated Next Offer Date* Enrolment Limit
BCH2020Y* Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 1 (1FCE)  Required; Offered Annually   
BCH2022Y* Seminar Course in Biochemistry Level 2 (1FCE)  Required; Offered Annually   
BCH2024H* Focused Topics in Biochemistry (0.5 FCE)  See Note**  
JBB2025H Protein Crystallography (0.5 FCE)  Winter 2024 25
JBB2026H Protein Structure, Folding, and Design  (0.5 FCE) Fall 2024 30
JBL1507H  Biochemistry of Inherited Disease  (0.5 FCE)    
JNP1017H+ Current Topics in Molecular and Biochemical Toxicology (0.5 FCE)     
JNP1018H+ Molecular and Biochemical Basis of Toxicology (0.5 FCE)     

* Course continues throughout program. Credit is given when the course is completed. 
+ Extended course. For academic reasons, coursework is extended into session following academic session in which course is offered. 
§ Arts and Science undergraduate course. 

0.25 FCE Modular Courses 

Course Code Course Title Last Offered/ Anticipated Next Offer Date Enrolment Limit
BCH2101H Scientific Skills for Biochemists  Required for New Entrants; Offered Annually BCH Only
BCH2102H Biomolecular Dynamics and Function  Winter 2024 10
BCH2103H Current Topics in Prion Biology  Fall 2022 15
BCH2104H The Biochemistry of Translational Medicine  Fall 2022 10
BCH2105H Cystic Fibrosis: The Cause, The Treatment  Winter 2025 12
BCH2106H / MMG1313H Membrane Proteomics in Biomedical Research  (note: Students to register using Molecular Genetics Course Code and Name - MMG1313H)  Fall 2024  
BCH2107H  Introduction to Biomolecular Simulations  Fall 2022 12
BCH2109H Current Topics in Therapeutic Antibodies  Winter 2023 18
BCH2110H Eukaryotic Signalling Winter 2023 30
BCH2111H / MMG1362H  Post-transcriptional Control of Gene Expression (note: Students to register using Molecular Genetics Course Code and Name - MMG1362H)  Fall 2021 18
BCH2112H From Chaperones to CRISPR-Cas: the Incredible Genius of Phages  Winter 2025 20
BCH2113H Advances in Precision Medicine     
BCH2114H Frontiers in Drug Discovery  Fall 2024 12
BCH2115H Applying Modern Evolutionary Thinking to Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Winter 2025  
BCH2116H Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Modern Life Sciences     
BCH2119H Advances in Epigenetics  Winter 2025 20
BCH2120H Studies of Tissue Barriers: Regulation of Phenotype and Transport Across the Epithelium and Endothelium  Winter 2025 10
BCH2121H Lipid Metabolism in Health and Disease: Mechanisms of Diabetic Dyslipidemia in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes    
BCH2122H The Use of High Content Screening in Biomolecular Medicine  Fall 2024  
BCH2123H Protein Structure Prediction and Homology Modelling Fall 2024 12
BCH2124H Molecular Chaperones and Cellular Protein Homeostasis  Winter 2024 12
BCH2125H Structure and Dynamics of Biomacromolecules Using Solid State NMR Spectroscopy Winter 2025 10
BCH2126H Subcellular Social Networks: Inter-Organelle Contact Sites  Fall 2024  
BCH2127H Advances in Optical Microscopy: From Single Molecules to Four-Dimensional Imaging Winter 2023 15
BCH2128H Scientific Thinking and Practice Winter 2024 12
BCH2129H Genome Instability: Basic Science to Human Disease     
BCH2130H Cancer Biology  Winter 2024 12
BCH2131H Genomics of Infectious Disease     
BCH2132H Modelling Human Diseases from Cells to Organoids  Winter 2027 8
BCH2133H Tyrosine Kinase Signalling    
BCH2134H / MMG1318H Cytoskeletal Dynamics 
(note: Students to register using Molecular Genetics Course Code and Name - MMG1318H)
Fall 2024  
BCH2135H Mitochondria and Metabolism in Human Health and Disease  Winter 2025 12
BCH2136H Biological Condensates  Winter 2024 8
BCH2137H Bug v. Host     
BCH2138H Advanced Electron Microscopy  Fall 2026 10
BCH2139H Islet Biology I: Gene to Cell to Organ to Disease  Winter 2025 15
BCH2140H Islet Biology II: Beyond Glucose Control: Molecular Targets, Diagnostics and Cutting-Edge Technologies  Winter 2025 15
BCH2141H Advanced Methods in Biomolecular Interactions    
BCH2200H Design Thinking for Scientists - PhD students only  Winter 2025 8
BCH2201H Graduate Professional Development -  PhD students only  Generally Offered Annually, Fall 2024 20
BCH2202H Intro Programming in R - PhD students only Winter 2023 15
BCH2203H Intro Programming in Python - PhD students only  Winter 2023 20