Course Requirements

Faculty of Arts Course Requirements

All required and complementary courses used to fulfil program requirements must be completed with a grade of C or better. If you fail to obtain a satisfactory grade in a required course, you must either pass the supplemental examination in the course if this option is available, or repeat the course. Course substitution will be allowed only in special cases; you should consult your departmental academic adviser.

Normally, you are permitted to repeat a failed course only once. Failure is considered to be a grade of less than C or the administrative failures of J or KF. Before attempting a required course for the third time, you are strongly urged to meet with your Arts OASIS Faculty Academic Advisor to determine if you should continue in your academic program. If the failed course is a complementary course for your program, you may choose to replace it with another appropriate complementary course. If you choose to substitute another complementary course for a complementary course in which a D was received, credit for the first course will still be given, but as an elective. If you repeat a required course in which a D was received, credit will be given only once.

For more information on course requirements, please contact a departmental adviser at mcgill.ca/oasis/advising/departmental-advising-information.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

Course Prerequisites

Faculty of Arts Course Prerequisites

The Faculty of Arts does not prevent you from registering for courses if you do not have the required prerequisites. However, if you lack the prerequisite course, you must consult with the instructor of the course you want to take to ensure that you have the necessary background. Please note that other faculties may not allow registration without the required prerequisite courses.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

Course Overlap

important

Errata: Stipulations regarding statistics courses have been appended as follows:

  • Credit will be given for only one of the following introductory statistics courses: AEMA 310, BIOL 373, ECON 227D1/D2, ECON 257D1/D2, EDPE 375, GEOG 202, MATH 203, MGCR 271, MGCR 273, POTH 204, SOCI 350.
  • Students who have already received credit for PSYC 204 will not receive credit for any of the following: AEMA 310, BIOL 373, ECON 227D1/D2, ECON 257D1/D2, EDPE 375, GEOG 202, MATH 203, MGCR 271, MGCR 273, POTH 204, SOCI 350.
  • Credit will be given for only one of the following intermediate statistics courses: AEMA 411, ECON 227D1/D2, ECON 257D1/D2, GEOG 351, MATH 204, PSYC 305, SOCI 461, with the exception that you may receive credit for both PSYC 305 and ECON 227D1/D2 or ECON 257D1/D2.
  • Students who have already received credit for MATH 324 or MATH 357 will not receive credit for any of the following: AEMA 310, AEMA 411, BIOL 373, ECON 227D1/D2, ECON 257D1/D2, GEOG 202, GEOG 351, MATH 203, MATH 204, MGCR 271, MGCR 273, PSYC 204, PSYC 305, SOCI 350.
  • For 500-level statistics courses not listed above, students must consult a program/department adviser to ensure that no significant overlap exists. Where such overlap exists with a course for which the student has already received credit, credit for the 500-level course will not be allowed.
  • Course Overlap Policy

    You will not receive additional credit towards your degree for any course that overlaps in content with a course for which you have already received credit at McGill, CEGEP, at another university, or Advanced Placement exams, Advanced Level results, International Baccalaureate Diploma, or French Baccalaureate. It is your responsibility to consult with a faculty adviser in Arts Academic Advising OASIS, the Science Office for Undergraduate Student Advising (SOUSA), or the department offering the course as to whether or not credit can be obtained and to be aware of exclusion clauses specified in the course description in this publication. Please refer to the following website for specific information about Advanced Standing credits and McGill course exemptions: mcgill.ca/transfercredit.

    Sometimes, the same course is offered by two different departments. Such courses are called "double-prefix" courses. When such courses are offered simultaneously, you should take the course offered by the department in which you are obtaining your degree. For example, in the case of double-prefix courses CHEM XYZ and PHYS XYZ, Chemistry students take CHEM XYZ and the Physics students take PHYS XYZ. If a double-prefix course is offered by different departments in alternate years, you may take whichever course best fits your schedule.

    Note for Arts students: Credit for computer courses offered by the School of Computer Science is governed by rules specified in each individual course description.
    Note for Science, and Bachelor of Arts and Science students: Credit for statistics courses offered by faculties other than Arts and Science requires the permission of the Associate Dean (Student Affairs), Science, except for students in the B.Sc. Major in Environment, who may take required statistics courses in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences necessary to satisfy their program requirements. Credit for computer courses offered by faculties other than Science requires the permission of the Associate Dean (Student Affairs) Science, and will be granted only under exceptional circumstances.

    Credit for statistics courses for Arts, Science, and Bachelor of Arts and Science students will be given with the following stipulations:

    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    Programs Outside the Faculties of Arts or Science – For Arts Students

    Programs Outside the Faculties of Arts or Science – For Arts Students

    The following regulations apply to you if you are an Arts student:

    1. Regardless of the minimum credit requirement towards your B.A. degree, you are allowed a maximum of 12 university level credits for the entirety of the degree in elective and/or complementary courses taken in faculties other than the Faculties of Arts or Science.
    2. In certain designated programs that include a number of required and complementary courses in other faculties, you are permitted a maximum of 30 university level required, complementary, and elective credits outside the Faculties of Arts or Science for the entirety of the degree. These programs are as follows:
      • Minor concentrations:
      • Education for Arts Students
      • Educational Psychology
      • Field Studies *
      • Geography Urban Studies *
      • Management for Non-Management Students
      • Music*
      • Musical Applications of Technology
      • Musical Science and Technology
      • Social Entrepreneurship *
      • Major concentrations:
      • Honours:
      • Environment
      • Geography Urban Studies *
      • Joint Honours:
      • Faculty programs:
      • Environment
      • *located within the Faculties of Arts or Science
    3. If you combine any two or more of the programs listed above, you may not exceed 40 credits outside the Faculties of Arts or Science.
    4. Any courses taught at McGill University may be used towards the maximum allowed with the following exceptions:
      • School of Continuing Studies: School of Continuing Studies courses with a teaching unit that starts with C are not for credit (except for CHEM).
      • Distance Education (Online Courses): Refer to Policy on Online Courses in this publication.
    5. For the purpose of this policy, courses taught in other faculties and specifically listed in the Arts or Science sections of the eCalendar are considered courses taught in the Faculties of Arts or Science.
    6. For the purpose of this policy, all courses taken to fulfil the requirements for an approved field semester will be considered as courses in Arts or Science.
    7. The maximum number of credits allowed will be strictly enforced. If you use Minerva to register for a course, and it exceeds the specified limitations, the course will be flagged for no credit after the course change period.

    Minor offered by another faculty: If you wish to complete a minor that does NOT appear on the list of minors offered by other faculties available to Faculty of Arts students, you must first request Faculty Permission. Details on the process can be found on mcgill.ca/oasis/. Submission of a request for permission does not guarantee approval.

    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    Inter-University Transfer Credit Policy for Courses Taken Outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science

    Faculty of Arts Inter-University Transfer Credit Policy for Courses Taken Outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science

    If you transfer from a faculty outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science at another institution, you may transfer up to a maximum of 30 credits under the following conditions:

    • Only courses passed with a grade of C or better will be transferred. Grades of C-, P, or S are not acceptable. The letter grades applied by your former home institution take precedence over the numerical grades, if provided.
    • Decisions on whether a course is outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science will be based on the original faculty in which your course was taken.
    • Refer to Policy on Online Courses.
    • Transfer credits for Continuing Education courses will be granted only if the courses can be used towards a degree program in a faculty other than Continuing Education at your former home university.
    • You will be allowed to take courses outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science at McGill only if you have transferred fewer than 12 university credits, and then only up to a maximum of 12 credits.
    • If you register for a Faculty of Arts program that requires additional credits outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science, you will be allowed to take only the number of credits outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science required to complete your program, as long as the total number of credits outside the Faculties of Arts and Science, including transfer credits, does not exceed 40 credits.
    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    Interfaculty Transfer Credit Policy for Courses Taken Outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science

    Bachelor of Arts Interfaculty Transfer Credit Policy for Courses Taken Outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science

    Upon a successful interfaculty transfer to the B.A. degree, you will normally receive credit for all the Arts and Science courses you have completed and up to a maximum of 30 credits for courses outside of Arts and Science you completed with grades of D or better. The grades for these courses will remain included in the GPA (regardless of the grade).

    • Upon transfer, you will be allowed to take courses outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science at McGill only if you have transferred fewer than 12 credits, and then only up to a maximum of 12 credits.
    • If you register for a Faculty of Arts program that requires additional credits outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science, you will be allowed to take only the number of credits outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science required to complete your program, as long as the total number of credits outside the Faculties of Arts and Science, including transfer credits, does not exceed 40 credits.
    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    Policy on Online Courses

    Policy on Online Courses for the Faculty of Arts

    A maximum of 6 credits of elective courses taught through online education may be used towards your degree at McGill. Courses taught through online education from institutions other than McGill will be approved as transfer credits under the following conditions:

    • the course is given by a government-accredited degree-granting institution acceptable to McGill;
    • the course counts for credit towards degrees granted at the institution giving the course (i.e., not courses taken towards a certificate/diploma, nor offered through Continuing Studies);
    • students have carefully read and completed the steps specified on the following Arts OASIS web page: mcgill.ca/oasis/away/application-process;
    • prior approval for the course is obtained from Arts OASIS (please refer to the above link for details).

    The combined total of regular course credits and online education course credits may not exceed the permitted maximum number of credits per term according to Faculty regulations. Courses taught through online education may not be used to complete program requirements, except on an individual basis when serious, documented circumstances warrant it. In such cases, prior approval must be obtained from your departmental academic adviser and the Associate Dean of Arts (Student Affairs).

    In virtue of agreement between McGill and University of the People (UoPeople), this policy does not apply to students coming to McGill from UoPeople.

    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    Internship Courses

    Internship Courses (Faculty of Arts)

    The Faculty of Arts offers internship courses for credit. For more information, refer to Faculty of Arts Internship Program.

    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    Courses in Academic English for English as a Second Language Students – Bachelor of Arts Degree

    Courses in Academic English for English as a Second Language Students – Bachelor of Arts Degree

    A maximum of 12 credits of WCOM courses, with an emphasis on academic writing, are open to you if your primary language is not English and you have studied for fewer than five years in an English-language secondary institution. For more information, please check mcgill.ca/mwc/courses/undergraduate-courses. You are also strongly encouraged to speak to an Arts Faculty Adviser, OASIS.

    Placement tests are required for most WCOM ESL courses. For more information on placement tests, see mcgill.ca/mwc/courses/placement-tests. Once you receive your test result, the MWC will issue you a permit for course registration.

    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    First-Year Seminar Courses

    Faculty of Arts First-Year Seminar Courses

    Registration for First-Year Seminars is limited to students in their first year of study at McGill, i.e., newly admitted students in U0 or U1. These courses are designed to provide a closer interaction with professors and better working relations with peers than are available in large introductory courses. These seminars endeavour to teach the latest scholarly developments and expose participants to advanced research methods. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum number of students in any seminar is 25, although some are limited to even fewer than that.

    You may take only one First-Year Seminar. If you register for more than one, you will be obliged to withdraw from all but one of them.

    For a complete listing, see First-Year Seminars.

    The First-Year Seminars offered by the Faculty of Science are also open to Arts students. For a complete listing, see Faculty of Science > Undergraduate > Faculty Degree Requirements > Course Requirements > First-Year Seminars: Registration.

    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)

    Graduate-Level Courses

    Faculty of Arts Graduate-Level Courses

    For enrolment of undergraduate students in 600-level courses, some conditions must be met.

    An undergraduate student will be permitted to take 600-level courses subject to the following conditions:

    • The student has a minimum CGPA of 3.3;
    • The student is in U3 or higher; Note: Visiting, Special or Exchange students are ineligible;
    • The professor of the course and the program adviser or the director of the undergraduate program provide written approval supporting the request;
    • A maximum of 6 credits of 600-level courses are allowed toward the degree;
    • The actual course number appears on the transcript;
    • The course evaluation methods and grading standards are the same for all students, whether graduate or undergraduate; and
    • The regulations and practices of the Faculty of Arts are also applied to such a course.

    A copy of the application form is available on the Arts OASIS website.

    Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)
    Faculty of Arts—2023-2024 (last updated Aug. 30, 2023) (disclaimer)
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