Community Placements, Internship, & Specializations

Community Placements and Internship for academic credit

There are two placements and an internship available to Biology students at Trent University. These placements and internship give students hands-on experience in their chosen field of study. Students do their placement and internship with collaborating agencies such as the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Parks Canada, conservation authorities, local hospitals, pharmacies, and health units, to name a few.

Placements and internships are university courses that can add value in terms of employability skills of a student. They are setup to nurture and facilitate students' knowledge and development in a biology related field. Students are at host locations to learn about the profession as a whole and not just do a "job".  The placement can give students invaluable learning opportunities and experience including many transferrable skills relevant to professional practices, which can help to make them more competitive when applying for positions in the health, medical, and conservation fields.  Because of this, and the fact that the placement is for a fourth year university credit focused on learning about a profession, and not just a single job within a profession, the placements/internships are unpaid.

Please note that enrollment in placements and the internship is limited and competitive. Students must apply in the academic year before anticipated enrolment in the course. Application forms can be found on the Biology Forms & Processes page.

Placement in Conservation Biology (BIOL 4400Y)

An apprenticeship at a collaborating agency working in biological conservation. Students assist in a project pertaining to research and conservation of living things for the equivalent of approximately six hours per week. Evaluation is based on a written appraisal from the agency, as well as a written report and an oral presentation.

Open only to Honours students in Biology or Conservation Biology.

Prerequisite: 13.5 university credits, a minimum cumulative average of 75%, BIOL 3600H, and BIOL-ERSC 2260H; or permission of instructor. Co-requisite: BIOL-ERSC 4390H.

Enrolment is limited and competitive. Students in third year must apply by April 30 for the following academic year. Application forms can be found on the Biology Forms & Processes page. BIOL 4400Y may be taken jointly with BIOL 4010Y where the project warrants, but the student may not receive credit for a single-credit thesis in another department or program.

Placement in Health Sciences (BIOM 4450Y)

A placement in a medically-related setting for the equivalent of six hours a week for 24 weeks. Students are required to write a report on their placement. It is open only to students in the Biomedical Science Degree program.

Prerequisite: 13.5 university credits; a minimum cumulative average of 75%; and BIOL 2050H, BIOL 2070H, BIOL 3080H, CHEM 1000H, and CHEM 1010H. Co-requisite: BIOL 3830H or 3840H.

Students in third year must apply by April 30 for the following academic year. Application forms can be found on the Biology Forms & Processes page. Students may not apply retroactively. Students may take only one of BIOM 4450Y, 4451H, or 4460H for credit.

Internship in Medical Sciences (BIOM 4460H)

An internship in a hospital setting for the equivalent of three hours a week for 12 weeks. Students are also assigned practical readings and background theory every week from their preceptor(s). It is open only to students in the Biomedical Science Degree program.

Prerequisite: 13.5 university credits; a minimum cumulative average of 80%; and BIOL 3080H and one of BIOL 3830H or 3840H. Co-requisite: BIOL 4160H and 4320H.

Enrolment is limited and competitive. The minimum averages for acceptance may be higher than those required to apply for the internship, especially for an internship at a hospital. Students in third year must apply by April 30 for the following academic year. Application forms can be found on the Biology Forms & Processes page and must be submitted before April 15. Students may not apply retroactively. Students may take only one of BIOM 4460H, 4450Y, or 4451H for credit.

Specializations

The Trent University Biology Department is currently offering two different Specializations within the Biology Degree program: the Specialization in Conservation Biology, and the Specialization in Health Sciences. The Specialization in Conservation Biology currently includes the placement detailed above as a requirement, but after the 2019/20 academic year, there is no placement associated with the Specialization in Health Sciences.