Note: This is the 2020–2021 eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or .
Program Requirements
Students may complete this program with a minimum of 71 credits or a maximum of 72 credits depending on their choice of complementary courses.
The Honours program in Biology is designed expressly as a preparation for graduate studies and research, and provides students with an enriched training in biology and some research experience in a chosen area. Acceptance into the Honours program at the end of U2 requires a CGPA of 3.50 and approval of a 9- or 12-credit Independent Studies proposal (see listing of BIOL 479 and BIOL 480 for details). Students also complete a 4-credit Honours Seminar course, BIOL 499. For an Honours degree, a minimum CGPA of 3.50 in the U3 year and adherence to the program as outlined below are the additional requirements.
First Class Honours will be awarded to students graduating with a GPA of 3.75 or better, and having successfully completed the Honours program.
U1 Required Courses (33 credits)
32-33 credits:
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BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : The physical and chemical properties of the cell and its components in relation to their structure and function. Topics include: protein structure, enzymes and enzyme kinetics; nucleic acid replication, transcription and translation; the genetic code, mutation, recombination, and regulation of gene expression.
Terms: Fall 2020, Winter 2021
Instructors: Roy, Richard D W; Bureau, Thomas E; Hastings, Kenneth E M; Champetier, Serge (Fall)
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BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : This course introduces the student to our modern understanding of cells and how they work. Major topics to be covered include: photosynthesis, energy metabolism and metabolic integration; plasma membrane including secretion, endocytosis and contact mediated interactions between cells; cytoskeleton including cell and organelle movement; the nervous system; hormone signaling; the cell cycle.
Terms: Winter 2021
Instructors: Brouhard, Gary; Champetier, Serge (Winter)
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BIOL 202 Basic Genetics (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Introduction to basic principles, and to modern advances, problems and applications in the genetics of higher and lower organisms with examples representative of the biological sciences.
Terms: Winter 2021
Instructors: Western, Tamara; Nilson, Laura; Schoen, Daniel J; Hipfner, David; Dankort, David; Champetier, Serge (Winter)
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BIOL 205 Functional Biology of Plants and Animals (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Unified view of form and function in animals and plants. Focus on how the laws of chemistry and physics illuminate biological processes relating to the acquisition of energy and materials and their use in movement, growth, development, reproduction and responses to environmental stress.
Terms: Winter 2021
Instructors: Sakata, Jon; Barrett, Rowan; Soper, Fiona (Winter)
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BIOL 206 Methods in Biology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Introduction to modern methods used in organismal biology, including ecological sampling, experimental methods and statistics. Particular emphasis is on ways of thinking about the design of sampling programs and the analyses of data to test hypotheses using observational or experimental data.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Pollock, Laura; Larsson, Hans Carl; Leung, Brian (Fall)
Fall
1. 2 hours lecture, 2. 3 hours laboratory
Prerequisite: BIOL 111 or equivalent
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BIOL 215 Introduction to Ecology and Evolution (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : An introduction to the fundamental processes of ecology and evolution that bear on the nature and diversity of organisms and the processes that govern their assembly into ecological communities and their roles in ecosystem function.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Price, Neil; Abouheif, Ehab; Sunday, Jennifer (Fall)
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BIOL 301 Cell and Molecular Laboratory (4 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : An introduction to biology research and communication with a focus on cell and molecular biology. Through conducting a series of project-based experiments and writing a final report, molecular and synthetic biology techniques such as gene cloning, manipulation, protein isolation and characterization and how research is conducted, analyzed and communicated will be addressed. In addition, an introduction to bioinformatics methods and their role in analysis will be provided.
Terms: Fall 2020, Winter 2021
Instructors: Zheng, Huanquan; Western, Tamara; Harrison, Paul; Reyes Lamothe, Rodrigo (Fall) Zheng, Huanquan; Western, Tamara; Harrison, Paul; Reyes Lamothe, Rodrigo (Winter)
Fall or Winter
1 hour lecture and one 6-hour laboratory
Prerequisites: BIOL 200, BIOL 201 (or ANAT 212/BIOC 212); or BIOL 219
Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking BIOC 300, or BIOC 220 and BIOC 320. Requires departmental approval.
For approval email anne-marie.sdicu [at] mcgill.ca. Specify your ID number as well as the term and two lab day preferences.
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BIOL 373 Biometry (3 credits) *
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Elementary statistical methods in biology. Introduction to the analysis of biological data with emphasis on the assumptions behind statistical tests and models. Use of statistical techniques typically available on computer packages.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Fall
2 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory
Prerequisite: MATH 112 or equivalent
You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
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BIOL 499D1 Honours Seminar in Biology (2 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Selected series of guest speaker seminars of general interest, round table discussions with speakers, preparation of reports, 'scientific writing' module, and presentation of student's research.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Brouhard, Gary (Fall)
Fall, Winter
Students must register for both BIOL 499D1 and BIOL 499D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both BIOL 499D1 and BIOL 499D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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BIOL 499D2 Honours Seminar in Biology (2 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : See BIOL 499D1 for course description.
Terms: Winter 2021
Instructors: Brouhard, Gary (Winter)
Winter
Prerequisite: BIOL 499D1
No credit will be given for this course unless both BIOL 499D1 and BIOL 499D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) **
Overview
Chemistry : A survey of reactions of aliphatic and aromatic compounds including modern concepts of bonding, mechanisms, conformational analysis, and stereochemistry.
Terms: Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Summer 2021
Instructors: Vlaho, Danielle; Pavelka, Laura; Sirjoosingh, Pallavi (Fall) Vlaho, Danielle; Luedtke, Nathan; Sirjoosingh, Pallavi (Winter) Vlaho, Danielle; Sirjoosingh, Pallavi (Summer)
Fall, Winter, Summer
Prerequisite: CHEM 110 or equivalent.
Corequisite: CHEM 120 or equivalent.
Restriction: Not open to students who are taking or have taken CHEM 211 or equivalent
Each lab section is limited enrolment
Note: Some CEGEP programs provide equivalency for this course. For more information, please see the Department of Chemistry's Web page ().
**Although this course follows a Tuesday/Thursday class schedule, the last class will be held on Friday, June 25 due to the statutory holiday on Thursday, June 24.
* If a student has already taken an equivalent statistics course, the credits can be made up with a 3-credit Biology complementary course.
** If a student has already taken CHEM 212 or its equivalent, the credits can be made up with a 3- or 4-credit course to be approved by the Biology Adviser.
Complementary Courses (39 credits)
Honours (9-12 courses)
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BIOL 479D1 Honours Research Project 1 (4.5 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Introduces students to original research, and to its design, execution and reporting.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Brouhard, Gary (Fall)
Fall, Winter
8-12 hours per week research project and related seminars
Restriction: Biology Honours students. Projects must be arranged individually with, and accepted by a staff member of the Biology Department
Students must register for both BIOL 479D1 and BIOL 479D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both BIOL 479D1 and BIOL 479D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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BIOL 479D2 Honours Research Project 1 (4.5 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : See BIOL 479D1 for course description.
Terms: Winter 2021
Instructors: Brouhard, Gary (Winter)
Winter
Prerequisite: BIOL 479D1
No credit will be given for this course unless both BIOL 479D1 and BIOL 479D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
OR
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BIOL 480D1 Honours Research Project 2 (6 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Introduces students to original research, and to its design, execution and reporting.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Fall and Winter
10-15 hours per week research project and related seminars
Restriction and course description: as for BIOL 479
Students must register for both BIOL 480D1 and BIOL 480D2.
No credit will be given for this course unless both BIOL 480D1 and BIOL 480D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
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BIOL 480D2 Honours Research Project 2 (6 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : See BIOL 480D1 for course description.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Winter
Prerequisite: BIOL 480D1
No credit will be given for this course unless both BIOL 480D1 and BIOL 480D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
Core
12 credits selected from:
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BIOL 300 Molecular Biology of the Gene (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : A survey of current knowledge and approaches in the area of regulation of gene expression, post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and signal transduction.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Schöck, Frieder; Nilson, Laura; Lasko, Paul (Fall)
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BIOL 303 Developmental Biology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : A consideration of the fundamental processes and principles operating during embryogenesis. Experimental analyses at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels will be presented and discussed to provide an overall appreciation of developmental phenomena.
Terms: Winter 2021
Instructors: Gerhold, Abigail; Rao, Yong; Dufort, Daniel (Winter)
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BIOL 304 Evolution (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : A comprehensive introduction to evolutionary biology. It covers both short-term and long-term evolutionary processes. Topics include the history of life, the origin of species, adaptation, natural selection and sexual selection.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Bell, Graham (Fall)
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BIOL 306 Neural Basis of Behaviour (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Neural mechanisms of animal behaviour; neuroethology; cellular neurophysiology, integrative networks within nervous systems; neural control of movement; processing of sensory information.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Sakata, Jon; Dent, Joseph Alan; Watt, Alanna (Fall)
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BIOL 308 Ecological Dynamics (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Principles of population, community, and ecosystem dynamics: population growth and regulation, species interactions, dynamics of competitive interactions and of predator/prey systems; evolutionary dynamics.
Terms: Fall 2020
Instructors: Guichard, Frederic (Fall)
Other (15-18 credits)
18 credits of Biology courses at the 300+ level if taking BIOL 479, and 15 credits if taking BIOL 480. With permission of the Biology Adviser, up to 6 credits may be taken from other science department courses (300+ level). Up to 6 credits of previous independent research courses may be included.
