Admission to a Second Degree Program

The Second Degree program allows the holder of an undergraduate degree from Queen’s or from another university to complete the online Bachelor of Health Sciences degree in the Faculty of Health Sciences, subject to the following regulations. These regulations are designed in conformity with Queen’s University Senate Policy on Second Degrees.

The Faculty has limited capacity to accommodate Second Degree students, and only accepts candidates into second degree combinations that are academically viable. To ensure the academic integrity of the Second Degree program the Faculty Office, in consultation with the Department(s) concerned, approves combinations to ensure that there is minimal overlap in course content.

Admission requirements are available from Undergraduate Admission. Enrolment limitations or lack of appropriate prerequisites may result in the denial of an application.

1.1 – Admission Requirements

Students are required to have completed all requirements for their first degree program before being admitted to the Second Degree program.

Faculty approval for the Second Degree combination is required. Enrolment is limited in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. The minimum GPA required for admission may vary from year to year, depending on the size and strength of the applicant pool.

1.2 – Program Requirements

Students must complete all course and degree requirements for the Second Degree program according to the Academic Regulations of the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program. (See Academic Regulation 16 for degree requirements.)

1.2.1 – First degree from Queen’s University

Second Degree applicants whose first degree is from Queen’s may use up to a maximum of 24.0 transferable units from their first degree program toward their Second Degree program. When there are 24.0 transferable units from the first degree, the BHSc.(Gen.) degree requires a minimum of 66.0 additional units and the BHSc.(Hons.) degree requires a minimum of 96.0 additional units. These applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 to be eligible for a second degree with the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. GPA will be calculated from the last 48.0 units that a student has taken. 

A maximum of 24.0 course units may be transfer credits (grade of TR) from outside the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at Queen’s University. All 24.0 units may be transferred as elective courses, or can be made up of a combination of core, option, and elective units, up to a maximum of 12.0 units for core courses and 6.0 units for option courses.

1.2.2 – First degree from Another Post-Secondary Institution

Second Degree applicants whose first degree is from another post-secondary institution may use up to a maximum of 24.0 transferable units from the first degree toward either the BHSc (Gen.) degree program or the BHSc.(Hons.) degree program. The additional courses for the second degree must all be completed at Queen’s. These applicants must have the equivalent of a Queen’s cumulative GPA of 2.7 to be eligible for a second degree with the Bachelor of Health Sciences program. GPA will be calculated from the last 48.0 units (or equivalent) that a student has taken.

A maximum of 24.0 course units may be transfer credits (grade of TR) from outside the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at Queen’s University. All 24.0 units may be transferred as elective courses, or can be made up of a combination of core, option, and elective units, up to a maximum of 12.0 units for core courses and 6.0 units for option courses.

1.3 – Degree Combinations

A Second Degree can only be completed in cases where the student’s first degree is in a program that is significantly different from the Bachelor of Health Sciences program, where a significantly different  program is defined as one in which fewer than half of the  program units are required (or may be used) in the first degree program. See Appendix A: Second Degree Specific Programs for further details on allowable internal and external programs.

1.3.1 – A three-year General Degree after a four-year Honours Degree

With the completion of a minimum of 66.0 additional units from Queen’s University in a significantly different Degree Plan from their BHSc Honours degree, students may obtain a BHSc General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a four- year Honours degree.

1.3.2 – Two three-year General Degrees

With the completion of a minimum of 66.0 additional units from Queen’s University in a significantly different Degree Plan from their first degree, students may obtain a BHSc General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a different three-year General degree.

1.3.3 – Two four-year Honours Degrees

Students admitted to the Second Degree Program must complete a minimum of 96.0 additional units from Queen’s University in a significantly different Degree Plan from their first degree to obtain a BHSc (Hons.) degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a first four-year Honours degree.

1.4 – Program Restrictions

In addition to restrictions based on the Faculty’s limited capacity to accommodate Second Degree students, the following academic restrictions apply.

1.4.1 – General Restrictions

Students are not eligible to obtain a second three-year General degree or four-year Honours degree of the same program type from another university. That is, a student will not be permitted to obtain two BHSc degrees.

Students may not obtain a three-year General degree together with, after receiving, or after qualifying for a four-year Honours degree of the same program type. For example, students may not obtain a BHSc (Gen.) degree after a BHSc (Hons.) degree.

In order to be academically viable, the BHSc degree may only be obtained after a Degree Plan in a substantially different discipline. Students may be refused access to the BHSc Second Degree program if it is determined that there is significant overlap between the BHSc and the first degree. If at least half of the required units in the BHSc Second Degree program may be used in the first degree program, the overlap is considered significant and the combination is not approved. Specifically, a BHSc (Gen.) degree program requires 90.0 units, of which 72.0 are Degree Plan units. If 36.0 or more of the 72.0 Degree Plan units are required (or may be used) in the first degree program, there is too much overlap for the Second Degree combination to be approved. Similarly, a BHSc (Hon.) degree program requires 120.0 units, of which 96.0 are Degree Plan units.  If 48.0 or more of the 96.0 Degree Plan units are required (or many be used) in the first degree program, there is too much overlap for the Second Degree combination to be approved.

1.4.2 – First Degree from Another Post-Secondary Institution

All of the units required for the Second Degree must be completed through Queen’s University.

1.5 – Application Process

Students who wish to complete a Second Degree Program from Queen’s must apply for admission through the BHSc online application. Units from the first degree will be assessed for credit towards the Second Degree by Undergraduate Admission.

Second Degree Specific Programs within Queen's University

Second Degree Programs (Within Queen's)

Primary Degree	Allowed to take BHSc Gen.?	Allowed to take BHSc. Hon?
Nursing	No	No
Chemical Engineering	Yes	Yes
Engineering Chemistry	Yes	Yes
BA Health Studies	No	Yes
BAH Health Studies	No	No
BSc Biochemistry	Case by case	Case by case
BScH Biochemistry	Case by case	Case by case
BSc Life Sciences	No	Case by case
BScH Life Sciences	No	No
BSc Biology	No	Case by case
BScH Biology	No	Case by case
BCMP Biomedical Computing	No	Case by case
BCMPH Biomedical Computing	No	Case by case

* all other programs on Queen’s campus are not exclusions 

Second Degree Specific Programs outside of Queen's University

Second Degree Programs (Outside Queen's)

Institution	Primary Degree	Allowed to take BHSc Gen.?	Allowed to take BHSc. Hon?
Athabasca University	Bachelor of Sciences (Online)	Case by case	Case by case
University of Alberta	BSc Biological Sciences BScH Biological Sciences	No No	Case by case No
University of British Columbia	BSc Biochemistry BSc Microbiology w or w/o Immunology BSc Cellular, Anatomical & Physiological Sciences BSc Pharmacology BSc Biotechnology BScH Biochemistry BScH Microbiology w or w/o Immunology BScH Cellular, Anatomical & Physiological Sciences BScH Pharmacology BScH Biotechnology	No No No No No No No No No No	Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case No No No No No
University of Calgary	BSc Biochemistry BSc Biological Sciences BSc Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology BSc Biomedical Sciences BSc Health and Society BScH Biochemistry BScH Biological Sciences BScH Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology BScH Biomedical Sciences BScH Health and Society	No No No No No No No No No No	Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case No No No No No
Dalhousie University	BSc Biochemistry and Molecular Biology BSc Medical Sciences BSc Microbiology and Immunology BSc Neuroscience BScH Biochemistry and Molecular Biology BScH Medical Sciences BScH Microbiology and Immunology BScH Neuroscience	No No No No No No No No	Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case No No No No
University of Manitoba	BSc Anatomy and Cell Biology BSc Biochemistry BSc Microbiology and Immunology BSc Physiology BScH Anatomy and Cell Biology BScH Biochemistry BScH Microbiology and Immunology BScH Physiology	No No No No No No No No	Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case No No No No
McMaster University	BHSc Health Sciences BSc Life Sciences BHScH Health Sciences BScH Life Sciences	No No No No	No Case by case No No
University of Ottawa	BSc Biochemistry BSc Biomedical Science BSc Biopharmaceutical Science BHSc Health Sciences BScH Biochemistry BScH Biomedical Science BScH Biopharmaceutical Science BHScH Health Sciences	No No No No No No No No	Case by case Case by case Case by case No No No No No
University of Saskatchewan	BSc Anatomy and Cell Biology BSc Biochemistry BSc Biochemistry and Biotechnology BSc Biotechnology, Microbiology and Immunology BSc Microbiology and Immunology BSc Physiology and Pharmacology BSc Toxicology BScH Anatomy and Cell Biology BScH Biochemistry BScH Biochemistry and Biotechnology BScH Biotechnology, Microbiology and Immunology BScH Microbiology and Immunology BScH Physiology and Pharmacology BScH Toxicology	No No No No No No No No No No No No No No	Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case Case by case No No No No No No No
University of Toronto	BSc Life Sciences BScH Life Sciences	No No	Case by case No
University of Waterloo	BSc Biochemistry BSc Biomedical Sciences BScH Biochemistry BScH Biomedical Sciences BSc Science (Online)	No No No No Yes	Case by case Case by case No No Yes
Western University	BHSc Health Sciences BMSc Medical Sciences BHScH Health Sciences BMScH Medical Sciences	No No No No	No No No No