Accredited Post-Secondary Programs - RPBio
Accredited Post-Secondary Institution Programs – RPBio/BIT
New academic standard requirements for the Biologist in Training (BIT) and Registered Professional Biologist registrant categories came into effect January 1, 2020. In spring of 2021 accredited programs underwent a review to ensure they met to new requirements.
Current College Accredited Institutions and Programs
Institutions and their associated programs in table 1.0 have been accredited by the College. Applicants graduating from these programs:
- Meet the academic requirements for entry into the College under Stream 1 as a BIT or RPBio if you graduated from the program with a Bachelors degree during the program’s accredited time period; and
- Do not need to submit course descriptions.
Applicants that graduated from programs prior to the year of accreditation or after the program was no longer accredited (January 1, 2022) must apply through stream 2 and include course descriptions with their applications.
Note: Some programs are still undergoing a review and the institution and the College are working together on the accreditation process for the program and are marked [!] below. Applicants from these accredited programs need to apply under Stream 2. We expect to resolve this issue next week.
Table 1.0 Current College accredited institutions and programs for Stream 1 BIT and RPBio applications.
|
Institution |
Program Major |
Accreditation |
|
BC Institute of Technology (BCIT) |
Ecological Restoration (BSc) + Fish, Wildlife & Recreation |
Accredited (2019) (must complete FWR diploma pathway) |
|
Simon Fraser University (SFU) |
Applied Biology Concentration |
Accredited (2021) |
|
Simon Fraser University (SFU) |
Ecology, Evolution and Conservation stream in Biological Sciences |
Accredited (2021) |
|
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) |
Natural Resources Sciences |
Accredited (2014) [!] Under Review For applicants who have completed their degree through TRU from 2014 to 2021 please apply as a BIT or RPBio through Stream 1. TRU and the College are working on the accreditation process for the program. |
|
University of Northern BC (UNBC) |
Wildlife and Fisheries |
Accredited (2014) - Renewed March, 2021 |
|
University of Northern BC (UNBC) |
Biology |
Accredited (2014) - Renewed March, 2021 |
Past Accredited Institutions and Programs
The following programs below in table 2.0 are no longer accredited by the College. At this time applicants from these past accredited programs need to apply under Stream 2 for a Biologist in Training or Registered Professional Biologist.
Table 2.0 Past College accredited institution and programs for Stream 1 BIT and RPBio applications.
|
Institution |
Accredited RPBio/BIT Institution Programs |
Accredited Time Frame |
Conditional required course(s) the below course(s) must have been taken by an applicant in the program to apply under Stream 1 |
|
Lethbridge College |
Major Ecosystem Management (Faculty of Environmental Sciences/Ecosystem Management) |
2017 to 2021 |
|
|
University of Victoria (UVic) |
Major Biology (Faculty of Science, Department of Biology) |
2017 to 2021 |
|
|
Vancouver Island University |
Biology Program |
2017 to 2021 |
|
|
University of British Columbia, Okanagan (UBCO) |
Biology Program, Evolutionary Biology Major |
2013 to 2021 |
|
|
Biology Program, Microbiology Major |
2013 to 2021 |
|
|
|
Biology Program, Zoology Major |
2013 to 2021 |
|
|
|
Biology Program, Biology Major |
2013 to 2021 |
|
|
|
University of British Columbia, Vancouver (UBC) |
Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Natural Resources Conservation Program, Science and Management Major |
2013 to 2021 |
|
1A course in Organismal Biology will focus on the relationship between the structure and functioning of individual organisms relative to the environments they occupy. The majority of course content (i.e., >80%) should consider the physiology of the organism in the context of environmental responses and/or the interaction between anatomical structure and life history including adaptive behaviour. The course can include the study of a single taxonomic group or a broader perspective across a number of Kingdoms. Courses focused exclusively on animal behaviour, systematics, anatomy or ecosystem biology are considered in the context of other Education categories and do not meet the content requirements for Organismal Biology. Typically, a course in physiology meets the requirements for Organismal Biology. Definitions for this suite of courses includes: Cell physiology: Topics should include the cytoskeleton, the cell membrane, cell dynamics, and regulation of cellular activities. Animal physiology: The principles of homeostasis - the regulation of a constant internal state - and the systems involved in maintaining this constant internal environment: cardiovascular, respiratory, osmoregulatory, endocrine, and excitable membranes of nerve and muscle. Plant physiology: Mechanisms and regulation of functional processes contributing to the assimilation, transport and utilization of water, mineral nutrients and carbon by plants. Introduction to the processes involved in growth and development: cell division, tissue culture, meristems, differentiation, the action of major growth regulators, and photomorphogenesis."
2A Cellular course will include cellular chemistry, bioenergetics, enzyme production and function, membranes and cell signaling, membrane transport processes, signal transduction mechanisms, extracellular structures (adhesions, junctions, etc.), chemotrophic energy metabolism, intracellular compartments, phototrophic metabolism, structural basis of cellular information, sexual reproduction, gene expression – transcription and protein synthesis, regulation of gene expression, cytoskeletal systems, as well as motility and contractility. Courses which would meet this requirement include genetics, molecular biology, cell biology and, in some cases, biochemistry.
3A course in Applied Biology will focus on the application of biological, ecological or socioeconomic principles, including law and governance, to the management or conservation of biological resources, elements or systems. The course can focus on a specific group of organisms or consider broader ecosystem-level issues, however, the majority of the course content (i.e., >80%) must consider biological resources, elements or systems not topics related to the management or conservation of abiotic resources or the more general idea of environmental sustainability. Courses that typically meet the requirements for this subject category include Conservation Biology, Environmental Biology, Wildlife Management, Fisheries Management, Range Management, Natural Resource Policy, or Landscape Ecology.
4A course in Communications is focused on communication skills such as English composition, technical writing, journalism, public speaking or use of mass media.
5A course in Systematics or Classification will focus on the nomenclature, identification, and categorization of organisms from within one or more taxonomic groups. Course content often includes a description of the unique anatomy or other differentiating characteristics of the organisms under study. Courses in Systematics or Classification require students to develop a collection of specimens (e.g., herbarium) or develop the skills to identify individual species or genera from a broader set of related organisms. Courses that typically meet this subject category include Invertebrate Zoology, Vertebrate Zoology, Vascular Plants, Non-Vascular Plants, Ornithology, Herpetology, Mammalogy, Forest Classification and Silvics.
