CAPS Major/Honours Program Overview and Course Map

Program Mission

Educating students to design, conduct, and communicate life science research spanning from the molecular to organismal levels, aiming to advance human health and treat diseases.

(i) Provide a comprehensive overview of systems biology, from sub-cellular events to whole body physiology, with a strong focus on the human condition.

(ii) Explore how complex biological systems function, in humans and relevant model systems.

(iii) Examine the molecular and cellular mechanisms of human diseases.

(iv) Emphasize experiential learning, scientific reasoning, and experimental design.

Program Learning Outcomes

At the successful completion of this program students will be able to:

1. Select and defend the use of different model systems and technical approaches to investigate the mechanistic basis of human health and disease.

2. Distill salient information from the literature and identify gaps in our knowledge regarding human health and disease.

3. Formulate research questions and hypotheses, and design experiments to address current knowledge gaps.

4. Collect, analyze and interpret data using quantitative, computational, and qualitative techniques.

5. Effectively communicate scientific ideas, procedures, and discoveries relevant to human health and disease to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

6. Incorporate factors, such as biological sex, into all levels of inquiry where appropriate.

This is a 3-year program that commences in year 2, offering an overview of human physiological systems. In year 3, students will build upon this foundation by deeper analysis of human anatomy, cell biological and integrated physiological processes relevant to human health and disease, including a human physiology lab. Additionally, students will learn modern research methods used to make progress in understanding mechanisms of human health and disease. In year 4, students will have the opportunity to customize their education to align with their specific interests within CAPS, while also having ample elective space. Fourth-year CAPS courses comprise interactive, research and literature-based lecture courses covering anatomy, cell biology and physiology relevant to human health and disease, as well as practical courses in the physiology lab or in Departmental research labs.