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Course Information and Regulations
Students are advised to also refer to University Regulations and Resources > Graduate > Regulations > Registration and Student Records.
The University reserves the right to make changes without prior notice to the information contained in this publication, including the revision or cancellation of particular courses or programs.
At the time this publication was finalized, new courses and modifications to some existing courses were under consideration. Students preparing to register are advised to consult Class Schedule on the web at www.mcgill.ca/students/courses for the most up-to-date information on courses to be offered.
Not all courses listed are offered every year.
Class Schedule
Course Information and Regulations: Class Schedule
for the upcoming Fall and Winter terms normally becomes available in March prior to the opening of advising. The Summer term schedule is normally published in early February. Class Schedule includes the days and times when courses are offered, class locations, names of instructors, and related information. You can also access the details of scheduled courses by clicking the course reference number (CRN) that appears with each course section shown in Class Schedule.
You should make a note of any preregistration requirements for a course, such as placement tests or departmental approval/permission required.
Class Schedule information is subject to change and is updated as courses are added, cancelled, rescheduled, or relocated. It is your responsibility to consult Class Schedule at the time of registration, and again before classes begin, to ensure that changes in the schedule have not caused conflicts in your schedule.
Once you have selected some courses from the Class Schedule, try (VSB) to view your possible class schedules in an easy-to-read weekly schedule format. Please note that you cannot use Visual Schedule Builder to register but you can copy your choice of course reference numbers (CRNs) from VSB to have handy for registration in Minerva.
Please note that the last day of classes in a term varies according to a course's schedule pattern (e.g. Mon-Wed-Fri, Tues-Thurs, Monday only, etc.). You may verify these details at www.mcgill.ca/importantdates/key-dates.
Course Numbering
Course Numbering
Each McGill course is assigned a unique seven-character course 鈥渘umber.鈥�
The first four characters (Subject Code) refer to the unit offering the course.
These codes were implemented in September 2002, replacing the three-number Teaching Unit Codes previously used. A complete list of Teaching Unit Codes and their Subject Code equivalents can be found at www.mcgill.ca/students/records/transcripts/key in the section Grading and pre-2002 course numbering.
The three numbers following the Subject Code refer to the course itself, with the first of these indicating the level of the course.
- Courses numbered at the 100, 200, 300, and 400 levels are intended for undergraduate students. In most programs, courses at the 300 and 400 levels are normally taken in the student鈥檚 last two years.
- Courses at the 500 level are intended for qualified senior undergraduate students but are also open to graduate students.
- Courses at the 600 and 700 levels are intended for graduate students only.
Two additional characters (D1, D2, N1, N2, J1, J2, J3) at the end of the seven-character course number identifies multi-term courses.
Multi-term Courses
Multi-term Courses
Most courses at McGill are single term (Fall or Winter or Summer) courses with final grades issued and any credits earned recorded at the end of that term. Single term courses are identified by a seven-character course number.
A unit may, however, decide that the material to be presented cannot be divided into single term courses, or that it is preferable that the work to be done is carried out over two or three terms. Under such circumstances, courses are identified by a two-character extension of the course number.
In some cases, the same course may be offered in various ways: as a single term and/or in one or more multi-term versions. The course content and credit weight are equivalent in all modes; the only difference is the scheduling. Students cannot obtain credit for more than one version of the same course.
Courses with numbers ending in D1 and D2 are taught in two consecutive terms (most commonly Fall and Winter). Students must register for the same section of both the D1 and D2 components. When registering for a Fall term D1 course on Minerva, the student will automatically be registered in the same section of the Winter term D2 portion. No credit will be given unless the same section of both components (D1 and D2) are successfully completed in consecutive terms, e.g., Fall 2015 and Winter 2016.
Courses with numbers ending in N1 and N2 are taught in two non-consecutive terms (Winter and Fall). Students must register for the same section of both the N1 and N2 components. No credit will be given unless the same section of both components (N1 and N2) are successfully completed within a twelve (12) month period.
Courses with numbers ending in J1, J2 and J3 are taught over three consecutive terms. Students must register for the same section of all three components (J1, J2, J3). No credit will be given unless the same section of all three components are successfully completed.
In exceptional cases, when circumstances are beyond the student's control, the Faculty Student Affairs Office may grant permission to change sections midway through a multi-term course. You must make your request in writing citing your reason for the request. The request must also have the written support of the instructors of the sections involved and of the coordinator of the course (if applicable). Your request must be submitted to:
- Students must be registered for each component of the multi-term course. Students must ensure that they are registered in the same section in each term of the multi-term course.
- Students must successfully complete each component in sequence as set out in the multi-term course. Credit is granted only at the end of the multi-term course; no partial credit is given, i.e., for completing only one component of a D1/D2 or N1/N2 course, or one to two components of a J1/J2/J3 course.
Course Terminology
Course Terminology
Prerequisite: Course A is prerequisite to course B if a satisfactory pass in course A is required for admission to course B.
Corequisite: Course A is corequisite to course B if course A must be taken concurrently with (or may have been taken prior to) course B.
Credits: The credit weight of each course is indicated in parentheses beside the course title. For D1 and D2 courses, the credit weight is indicated after the course number. For further information, refer to University Regulations and Resources > Undergraduate > Student Records > Credit System.
Course Nomenclature in Program Descriptions
Course Nomenclature in Program Descriptions
Required Courses: Mandatory courses that must be completed to fulfil the requirements of a program (e.g., major, minor, etc. at the undergraduate level or specific courses at the graduate), unless the student receives exemptions. Students have no choices among required courses.
Complementary Courses: Courses selected from a restricted list, a particular subject area, or a discipline. In some programs, students must include a number of these to meet program requirements. Complementary courses are not electives.
Elective Courses: Courses, in some cases, taken outside of a student鈥檚 program of study that do not count toward the fulfilment of the specific program requirements. Some restrictions may apply, but students have the most choice in selecting elective courses. Some faculties also permit students to take elective courses using the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option. Undergraduate students should consult their faculty regulations concerning electives; graduate students require the approval of their Program Director and Enrolment Services.
First-Year Seminars
First-Year Seminars
First-Year Seminars (FYS) are limited-enrolment credit courses offered by the Faculties of Arts and Science to students in their first year of undergraduate study at McGill; i.e., newly admitted students in U0 or U1. Students in any faculty can enrol in an FYS, subject to the conditions and/or restrictions of the program in which they are registered. Students may take only one FYS.
FYS classes are limited to a maximum of 25 students and are designed to provide closer interaction with the professor, and better working relations with peers than are available in large introductory courses. The seminars endeavour to teach the latest academic developments and expose participants to advanced research methods. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
For a listing of First-Year Seminars, see Faculty of Arts > Undergraduate > Academic Programs > First-Year Seminars and Faculty of Science > Undergraduate > Faculty Degree Requirements > Course Requirements > Registration for First-Year Seminars.
Faculty/School Specific Information
Faculty/School Specific Information
All students must comply with the regulations and requirements contained in their Faculty section of this publication.
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Students should note that there are no supplemental examinations for Agricultural and Environmental Sciences courses.
Arts
Arts
For Faculty of Arts specific program and course information, refer to:
Term(s) offered (Fall, Winter, Summer) may appear after the course credit weight to indicate when a course would normally be taught.
All courses have limited enrolment. You may register for and take any course for credit, unless otherwise indicated, in the sections of this publication applicable to the Faculties of Arts and of Science, subject to the course restrictions listed in this section.
Since the registration system is unable to verify whether or not Faculty regulations are respected, it is technically possible to register for courses that may not be credited toward your program. When your record is manually verified, however, any courses taken that break the Faculty or degree regulations will be flagged after the end of course change period as 鈥渘ot for credit.鈥� As a result, your expected date of graduation may be delayed.
Some courses may require special permission. You should consult this publication and/or the well in advance of the course change period to determine if permission is required of the instructor, the department, or the Faculty for any course you want to take.
If you believe that you have valid reasons for taking a course that may not be credited toward your program, you must obtain the permission of the Associate Dean or Director.
Education
Education
Some courses will be available in the evenings only, or will be offered during the Summer term.
Students should give particular notice to prerequisite and corequisite courses and registration for Field Experience courses.
Engineering
Engineering
Most courses offered by the Faculty of Engineering, including the School of Architecture, are restricted to Engineering students. Non-Engineering students should obtain permission from a Faculty adviser in the Student Affairs Office, Engineering Student Centre (Frank Dawson Adams Building, Room 22), to register for Engineering courses.
A limited number of School of Architecture (ARCH) courses are open to students not registered in the School. Please refer to individual course descriptions.
The average division of time for a course is indicated in hours in the course listing after the course credit. For example, (3-1-5) indicates a course consisting of three lecture hours per week, one hour of tutorial or labs, and five hours of personal study per week.
Extra Courses
Extra Courses
Courses that you choose to take outside your program may be classified as extra, provided that you choose this option at the time of registration. The course will be designated as extra ("RX" at the time of registration, and "E" once the course is graded) on your transcript, and the grade earned in that course will not be included in your grade point average (GPA) calculation. This option will not be added to your record after the Course Change (add/drop) deadline. Courses that are taken to satisfy your engineering program requirements or minor requirements cannot be designated as extra.
Prerequisites and Corequisites
Prerequisites and Corequisites
You must ensure that you have completed any course prerequisite(s) and/or corequisite(s) before course registration. If you have registered for a course and did not satisfy the prerequisite(s) and/or corequisite(s), the course may be dropped from your record automatically by Minerva.
If you received advanced credit(s)/exemption(s) or passed a placement exam for a course and are blocked from registration because of a prerequisite or corequisite error, you must go to your department/school in order to receive the appropriate permit override.
Management
Management
Management students should give particular notice to the following sections under Desautels Faculty of Management > Undergraduate:
- Grading and Credit
- Overview of Programs Offered by the Desautels Faculty of Management > BCom Program Credit Structure: General Management Program (Concentrations)
- Overview of Programs Offered by the Desautels Faculty of Management > BCom Program Credit Structure: Major or Honours Programs
- Overview of Programs Offered by the Desautels Faculty of Management > Management Core
Science
Science
For Faculty of Science specific program and course information, refer to:
Term(s) offered (Fall, Winter, Summer) may appear after the course credit weight to indicate when a course would normally be taught.
All courses have limited enrolment. You may register for and take for credit any course, unless otherwise indicated, in the sections of this publication applicable to the Faculties of Arts and of Science, subject to the course restrictions listed in this section.
Since the registration system is unable to verify whether or not Faculty regulations are respected, it is technically possible to register for courses that may not be credited toward your program. When your record is manually verified, however, any courses taken that break the Faculty or degree regulations will be flagged after the end of the course change period as 鈥渘ot for credit.鈥� As a result, your expected date of graduation may be delayed.
Some courses may require special permission. You should consult this publication and/or the well in advance of the course change period to determine if permission is required of the instructor, the department, or the Faculty for any course you want to take.
If you believe that you have valid reasons for taking a course that may not be credited toward your program, you must obtain the permission of the Associate Dean or Director.