The Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) is a 120-credit degree designed to provide a strong foundation in scientific inquiry and exploration. When applying, students must select a Program Group on the application form - this will determine the range of programs they will be able to choose from as part of their degree. See below for the list of programs in each Program Group.
The B.Sc. degree includes a mandatory Foundation program (U0), which provides a common academic base regardless of the Program Group students have been admitted to. However, students may be exempt from some or all of the Foundation requirements depending on their pre-McGill studies (e.g. CEGEP, IB, A-Levels, APs, French Baccalaureate).
At the start of the U1 year, students will choose (i.e. declare) their intended program(s) of study from within their admitted program group.
Choosing your program means selecting:
- The type of program you wish to pursue (Liberal, Major, Honours, etc...).
- The specific discipline(s) you want to study (for example: Biology, Environment, Physics, etc...).
Consult the types of programs below to see how they are structured and how they will allow you to combine various disciplines in your Science degree.
Liberal programs
Liberal programs provide students with the opportunity to study the core of one science discipline along with a breadth component from another area of science or from many other disciplines. In a Liberal program, students must complete a Core Science Component (CSC) (45–50 credits), plus a Breadth Component (at least 18 credits).
For the Breadth Component, students must complete one of the following:
- Minor Program (18–24 credits) – one of the minor programs listed in the table below.
- Arts Minor or Major Concentration (18 or 36 credits) – one of the Arts programs for Science students (see list in eCalendar).
- A CSC in a second area (45–50 credits) – at least 24 credits must be distinct from the courses used to satisfy the primary CSC. Note that a second CSC can be selected from any of the Science groups.
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EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + CSC in Atmospheric Science (48 credits) + Minor in Field Studies (18 credits) + 8 elective courses (24 credits) = 120 credits completed
For the list of available Core Science Components, consult the table below.
Major programs
Major programs are more specialized than Liberal programs and are usually centered on a specific discipline. A Major is a versatile, comprehensive primary area of study. Most Major programs require about two-thirds the total credits in the B.Sc. degree. With the remaining credits, students can choose to add a Minor (option) or simply a variety of elective courses. Both the Minor and electives can be chosen from a wide variety of areas both within and outside Science.
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EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + Major in Earth Systems Science (57 credits) + Minor in Philosophy (18 credits) + 5 elective courses (15 credits) = 120 credits completed
For a list of available Major programs, consult the table below.
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Honours programs
Honours programs typically involve an even higher degree of specialization (as compared with Liberal and Major programs). They often include supervised research and require students to maintain a high academic standard. Although Honours programs are specially designed to prepare students for graduate studies, they are not normally required to be admissible to most graduate schools. Students who intend to pursue graduate studies in their discipline should consult a Program advisor regarding the appropriate selection of courses in their field.
Students interested in declaring an Honours program must consult the eCalendar information for their program of choice as some Honours programs require the completion of specific prerequisites during the U1 year.Ìý Students must obtain prior departmental approval before declaring an Honours program - consult appropriate Program advisors to request approval.
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EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + Honours in Anatomy and Cell Biology (73 credits) + 6 elective courses (18 credits) = 121 credits completed
For a list of available Honours programs, consult the table below.
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Joint programs (Joint Majors and Joint Honours)
Joint programs bring together related sciences. They are for students interested in working at the intersection of two major areas, rather than students with an interest in both areas (where a major and minor combination might be more appropriate).
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EXAMPLE: Foundation Program (30 credits) + Joint Major in Biology and Mathematics (76 credits) + 5 elective courses (15 credits) = 121 credits completed
Students interested in declaring a Joint Honours program must consult the eCalendar as the completion of specific prerequisite courses may be required during the U1 year. Students must obtain prior departmental approval before declaring a Joint Honours program (consult appropriate Program advisors to request approval). Note that students may only pursue the specific joint programs listed below; combining two separate majors or honours outside these pre-designed combinations is not permitted.
For a list of available Joint programs, consult the table below.
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Programs of study (by Program Group)
B. Sc. Physical,ÌýEarth,ÌýMath & Computer Science group |
Liberal Programs (Core Science Components) |
Major Programs |
Joint Major Programs | Honours Programs | Joint Honours Programs | Minor Programs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atmospheric Sciences | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Atmospheric Science and Physics | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Chemistry | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Computer Science (See also Software Engineering below) |
CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Earth & Planetary Sciences (See also Programs only available as Science Minors below) |
CSC | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Geology | Ìý | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Planetary Sciences | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Earth System Science (inter-departmental) | Ìý | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Environment | Ìý | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Geography (See also Programs only available as Science Minors below) |
CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Mathematics | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Mathematics and Computer Science | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Jt. Hon. | Ìý |
Mathematics and Physics | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Hon. | Ìý |
Applied Mathematics | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Statistics | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
StatisticsÌýand Computer Science | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Jt. Hon. | Ìý |
Physics | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Physics and Chemistry | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Hon. | Ìý |
Physics and Computer Science | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Jt. Hon. | Ìý |
Physics and Geophysics | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Software EngineeringÌý(see School of Computer Science) | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Bio-Physical-Computational Sciences group |
Liberal Programs (Core Science Components) |
Major Programs |
Joint Major Programs | Honours Programs | Joint Honours Programs | Minor Programs |
Biology and Mathematics | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Computer Science and Biology | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Jt. Hon. | Ìý |
Physiology and Mathematics | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
Physiology and Physics | Ìý | Ìý | Jt. Maj. | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý |
B. Sc. Biological, Biomedical & Life Sciences group |
Liberal Programs (Core Science Components) |
Major Programs |
Joint Major Programs | Honours Programs | Joint Honours Programs | Minor Programs |
Anatomy & Cell Biology | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Biochemistry | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Biology | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Immunology (Inter-departmental Honours) (open only to current McGill students by separate application.) | Ìý | Ìý | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Microbiology and Immunology | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Pharmacology & Therapeutics | Ìý | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
Physiology | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Ìý |
Psychology | CSC | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
B. Sc. Neuroscience group |
Liberal Programs (Core Science Components) |
Major Programs |
Joint Major Programs | Honours Programs | Joint Honours Programs | Minor Programs |
Neuroscience | Ìý | Maj. | Ìý | Hon. | Ìý | Min. |
B. Sc. Programs only available as Minors |
Min. | |||||
Biotechnology | Min. | |||||
Cognitive Science | Min. | |||||
Field Study | Min. | |||||
General ScienceÌý(note: only available to B.Sc. Liberal Students) | Min. | |||||
GeochemistryÌý(see Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences) | Min. | |||||
Geographical Information Systems & Remote Sensing | Min. | |||||
Interdisciplinary Life Sciences | Min. | |||||
Natural History (see Redpath Museum) | Min. | |||||
MINORS IN OTHER FACULTIES (that are approved for B.Sc. Students) |
Min. | |||||
Chemical EngineeringÌý(note: Open only to Chemistry students) | Min. | |||||
Education for Science Students | Min. | |||||
Electrical EngineeringÌý(note: Open only to Physics students) | Min. | |||||
Entrepreneurship for Science Students | Min. | |||||
Human Nutrition | Min. | |||||
Kinesiology for Science Students | Min. | |||||
Management for Non-Management students | Min. | |||||
Musical Applications of Technology | Min. | |||||
Musical Science and Technology | Min. | |||||
Arts Majors & Minors (that are approved for B.Sc. Students) | There are MANY programs offered by the Faculty of Arts which are approved for B.Sc. students, both major concentrations and minor concentrations. They are too numerous to list here; consult the Arts majors and minors for Science undergraduates page for a full list. NOTE: B.Sc. students may take an Arts major concentration or minor concentration as a second program only - this is in addition to their primary science program: a Science major program, honours program, or liberal program (i.e. core science component). |