Picking Grade 9 to 11 Courses for a Health Science or Pre-Nursing Path in Ontario

The Core Science Sequence

Ontario health science, pre-nursing, and kinesiology programs build their prerequisites on the academic science stream. That starts with SNC1D in Grade 9 and SNC2D in Grade 10, both academic-stream courses rather than the applied SNC1P and SNC2P versions.

From there, Grade 11 splits into subject-specific sciences: SBI3U (Biology), SCH3U (Chemistry), and SPH3U (Physics). Biology and Chemistry matter most for health-related programs. Grade 12 versions, SBI4U and SCH4U, are the courses most Ontario health science and nursing programs list as prerequisites.

The Math Requirement Health Programs Still Want

Most Ontario health science and nursing programs ask for one Grade 12 U math course alongside the sciences, usually Advanced Functions (MHF4U) or Mathematics of Data Management (MDM4U). Both require MPM2D in Grade 10 and a Grade 11 university-stream math course, MCR3U, to reach.

Dropping to the applied math stream in Grade 10 closes both Grade 12 options. Keep MPM2D and MCR3U on the timetable even if a student expects to lean harder on biology and chemistry than on math once at university.

Not Every Health Program Wants the Same Course Load

Requirements are not identical across schools. McMaster's Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences program, for example, asks applicants to include a Grade 12 U course that is not math, science, or technology based, alongside the expected science and math prerequisites. A student who fills every elective slot with extra sciences can end up short of that requirement without realizing it.

Check the exact prerequisite list for each target program directly rather than assuming every health science admission looks the same. A course list built for one university's program is not guaranteed to satisfy another's.

Chemistry Is the Course Students Underrate

Biology gets most of the attention in a health science conversation, but Chemistry (SCH4U) is just as often a hard requirement. University-level anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology courses build directly on Grade 12 chemistry, and admission offices treat a missing SCH4U as a gap rather than an optional extra.

A student aiming at nursing specifically should not assume Biology alone covers the science requirement. Confirm whether the target nursing program lists both Biology and Chemistry, or Biology alone, since this varies by school.

If Your School Doesn't Offer Every Course

Not every Ontario high school runs every Grade 11 and 12 U science and math course every semester, especially in smaller schools. E-learning options and dual enrollment agreements with a neighbouring school can fill a gap like a missing SCH4U section. Ask a guidance counselor about these options as soon as a required course is missing from the school's own timetable, rather than after Grade 12 selections close.

Kinesiology's Slightly Different Ask

Kinesiology programs generally want Biology (SBI4U) and a Grade 12 math course, with Chemistry often recommended rather than required. A student aiming at kinesiology has a little more flexibility on the science side than one aiming at health science or nursing, but Biology and math stay non-negotiable at most schools.

Physics: Required for Some Programs, Not Others

Physics (SPH4U) is not a universal requirement for health science and nursing admission the way Biology and Chemistry are, but several programs, especially ones with a stronger clinical or biomedical component, list it as required or recommended. A student unsure whether their target programs need Physics should keep SPH3U as an option in Grade 11 rather than dropping science down to two courses too early.

English and the Non-Science Elective

Grade 12 English (ENG4U) is a near-universal requirement across Ontario university programs, health science included. Beyond English, leave room in the Grade 11 and 12 timetable for at least one elective outside math and science, since some programs, McMaster's Health Sciences among them, specifically ask for this kind of course rather than a full slate of sciences.

Building the Grade 9 and 10 Timetable Around This

A Grade 9 student aiming at health science should prioritize SNC1D and the destreamed math course, MTH1W, and treat the remaining elective slots as flexible. By Grade 10, MPM2D and SNC2D should be locked in alongside a Grade 11 plan that reserves space for SBI3U and SCH3U the following year. Building the timetable two years ahead avoids the scramble that happens when a required Grade 11 science course fills up or conflicts with another class.

Confirm Before Grade 12 Locks In

Course selection for Grade 12 usually closes months before September, well before some university requirement pages update for the new admission cycle. Pull the current prerequisite list for every target program during Grade 11, not Grade 10, so the Grade 12 selections reflect the latest version rather than an older one a student saw two years earlier.

A Grade 9 to 11 Checklist

• 🎓 Grade 9: SNC1D (academic science), not SNC1P.

• Grade 10: MPM2D and SNC2D, both academic stream.

• Grade 11: SBI3U and SCH3U at minimum. Add SPH3U if a program's requirements are not confirmed yet.

• Grade 11: MCR3U to keep MHF4U and MDM4U open in Grade 12.

• Before finalizing Grade 12 electives, pull the exact prerequisite list for each target program rather than relying on a general health science checklist.