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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 2024

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 2022

12

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