Specializations:
Microbiology & Molecular Biotechnology - Plant Biology - Wildlife Biology
The Life Sciences (Biological and Agricultural)
Major (download a flyer)
is a cross-disciplinary biology program offered exclusively
at McGill's Macdonald Campus by the Faculty of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES). Students in the Life Sciences Major take Core and Specialization courses at the
Mac campus but also have access to courses at McGill's downtown campus
via the free shuttle bus service (see schedule).
For
general information about our programs and studying
at Macdonald, see the information for future students,
which includes information for prospective Life
Sciences students.
Two publications that have great deal of
information for students, the Student Viewbook and the Macdonald
Essential Guide for New Students (2013), can
be downloaded at Macdonald
Publications, and McGill offers resources for students for whom English is not
their first language. Questions?
Contact our Academic
Advisor
Dr. Julie Major or the Student
Affairs Office
Life Sciences Specializations:
Animal Biology - Program description - Course requirements Animal Health & Disease - Program description - Course requirements
Life Sciences (Multidisciplinary) - Program description - Course requirements Microbiology & Molecular Biotechnology - Program description - Course requirements
Plant Biology - Program description - Course requirements Wildlife Biology - Program description - Course requirements
Life Sciences Core Courses:
| Required courses: see eCalendar 2013-14) for course descriptions | |
| U1 Fall | U1 Winter |
| AEBI 210 Organisms 1 | AEBI 211 Organisms 2 |
| AEHM 205 Science Literacy | AEBI 212 Evolution and Phylogeny |
| AEMA 310 Statistical Methods 1 | LSCI 202 Molecular Cell Biology |
| LSCI 211 Biochemistry 1 | LSCI 204 Genetics |
|
|
LSCI 230 Introductory Microbiology |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Complementary courses: see eCalendar 2013-14) for
course descriptions
|
|
| AEHM 330 Academic & Scientific Writing | ANSC 234 Biochemistry 2 |
| ANSC 250 Principles of Animal Science | ANSC 312 Animal Health &
Disease |
| ANSC 324 Developmental Biology & Reproduction | ANSC 326 Fundamentals of Population Genetics |
| ANSC 323 Mammalian Physiology | ANSC 330 Fundamentals of Nutrition |
| ANSC 400 Eukaryotic Cells & Viruses | ANSC 420 Animal Biotechnology |
| BINF 301 An Introduction to Bioinformatics |
BINF
511 Bioinformatics for Genomics |
| BTEC 306 Experiments in Biotechnology | ENVB 210 The Biophysical Environment |
| ENVB 222 St. Lawrence Ecosystems | LSCI 451 Research Project 1 |
| LSCI 452 Research Project 2 | MICR 331 Microbial Ecology |
|
MICR
338 Bacterial Molecular Genetics |
MICR
341 Mechanisms of Pathogenicity |
| MICR 450 Environmental Microbiology | NRSC 333 Pollution & Bioremediation |
| PARA 410 Infection &
Immunity |
PLNT 304 Biology of Fungi |
| PLNT 353 Plant Structure and Function | PLNT 426 Plant Ecophysiology |
| PLNT 435 Plant Breeding | WILD 375 Issues: Environmental Science |
| WILD 424 Parasitology |
|
Registering for courses on Minerva:
See this link for information on how to register for courses. The "tutorial video" link on that page is recommended as it will take you through the important and sometimes confusing process.
Search Course Listings 2013-2014 Dynamic Schedule
Life
Sciences Careers:
Careers in the life sciences
require strong grounding in biology, genetics, biochemistry
and molecular biology. A partial list of fields in
which you can pursue a career can be found below, but
individuals with imagination and ambition are not limited to
these examples, the sky is the limit! Students are
encouraged to make full use of McGill's Career Planning
Service (CaPS), which has offices on both campuses.
Health
sciences and medicine Veterinary
science and veterinary medicine
Molecular and
agricultural biotechnology
and
food industries
Research in microbiology, genetics, parasitology and biochemistry
Plant, cellular, and molecular biology research
Biological and environmental sciences teaching
Research in microbiology, genetics, parasitology and biochemistry
Plant, cellular, and molecular biology research
Biological and environmental sciences teaching
Videos:
Arctic microbiology: Life on Mars? (Prof Lyle Whyte) Biotechnology: Neglected tropical parasitic diseases (Prof Tim Geary) Plant biology: Climate change and food crises (Prof Don Smith) Health and nutrition: Obesity (Prof Katherine Gray-Donald) Environmental biology: Learning in the field (ENVB 222) (Prof Chris Buddle) The Freshman Program: What's it like studying at Mac?
Students entering
the Life Sciences Major from high school
(Canadian provinces other than Quebec, US high
schools) will complete the Faculty's Freshman
program
prior to entering U1. Check
out
this
video
about
the
Freshman
Program
at Mac! See the list of courses
in the Freshman program: these are the
courses that all students must complete, at a Quebec
CEGEP
before
entering
our
program,
or
as
part
of
their
program
at
McGill.
Depending
upon
your
academic
background,
you
may
be
accepted
into
the
Life
Sciences
Major
with
additional
requirements
for
one
or
more
of these courses. You may have already taken
courses equivalent to some of these courses, and
while most equivalent courses are recognized
automatically, you may need to apply for some
course equivalencies. To do this, complete
the Course
Equivalency Application form.
The language of instruction at McGill is English. It is possible to hand-in assignments and write exams in French for most courses, but students coming to McGill will be immersed in English in the classroom. While this immersion may be a big reason why you have chosen McGill, if English is not your first language you should take every opportunity to work on your English language skills before coming to McGill, and during your time here. To that end, McGill offers various courses (with initial placement) such as CESL 299 via the McGill Writing Center. There are also an English Immersion Summer Program for Asian Students and other language programs and courses offered by Continuing Studies. Students whose first language is not English are encouraged to take a course such as CESL 299 prior to starting their program. If you feel concerned about your English language skills, you should still register for AEHM 205 but you should, in consultation with your Advisor and the course instructor, make a decision within the first couple of weeks of classes as to whether or not you should remain in that course or take it later (after more ESL). For most Life Sciences students, regardless of language background, it is advantageous to take AEHM 205 in the first term because it is a course intended to help you start off your university studies strongly.
Got a question or need an advising appointment? Contact our Academic Advisor Dr. Julie Major
Life Sciences Academic Advisor: Dr. Julie Major Phone: (514) 398-8380
Office: Macdonald-Stewart Building, MS2-082
To send an e-mail, click on Dr. J. Major's name (secure e-mail link) on the Academic Advisors web page
Life Sciences Program Director: Dr. B.T. Driscoll Phone: (514) 398-7887
Advising links and forms:
Student Affairs Office Important dates Basic Math-Science Equivalence Tables (CEGEP-McGill) Undergraduate Programs and Courses
Course Equivalency Application Form
Specialization Form