1.1 Helpful Resources
Several websites and publications describing McGill University and its resources are available, including:
- Pre-Arrival Resources, offered by International Student Services, 3600 McTavish St., Room 3215, Montreal, QC, H3A 1Y2, tel: 514-398-3600.
- Information on off-campus housing, including FAQ, provided by Student Housing, Service Point, 3415 rue McTavish Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C8, tel: 398-6368.
- Campus Map, from Student Services, 3600 McTavish St., #4100, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G3, tel: 398-8238.
- A Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities.
- Fee Descriptions, provided by Student Accounts.
- McGill Student Handbook yearly edition available in the fall from the Students' Society of McGill University, 3600 McTavish St., #1200, Montreal, QC, H3A 1Y2, tel: 398-6800.
- Graduate Student Handbook available (only to first-year graduate students) from the Postgraduate Students' Society of McGill University, David Thomson House, 3650 McTavish St., Montreal, QC, H3A 1X9, tel: 398-3755.
- Prior to their arrival in Montreal, students from outside of Canada should visit the International Student Services website. The International Student Services office is located at 3600 McTavish St., suite 5100, Montreal QC H3A 0G3, tel: 398-4349.
- Application forms and guidelines relating to examinations, prospectuses, and all other requirements may be obtained from the Graduate Coordinator in Arts 155.
1.2 Student Services
McGill offers a wide variety of support services for students with mobility, visual, hearing and learning disabilities. If you have need of such services, contact the Disabled Student Coordinator's Office as soon as you are accepted, so that accommodations can be in place before the term begins.
Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD)
Brown Student Services Building
3459 McTavish, room RS56
Montreal, QC H3A 0C9
Tel: 398-6009
1.3 Library Resources
All duly registered graduate students have access to the McGill Library. This system comprises 12 library branches, with an overall collection of approximately 2,590,000 volumes, 2,000,000 e-books, 1,461,000 government documents, 14,500 live periodical titles and 1,800,000 microforms, films and videos. Liaison Librarians can assist with research, arrange training in the use of information resources, and much more. Hundreds of computers are available in all branch libraries and are used for accessing online courses, reading library materials and e-mail, word processing and data manipulation for assignments, and for accessing the internet. Special facilities are available for the vision and hearing impaired.
The main collection of the Humanities and Social Sciences area is housed in the McLennan-Redpath library complex, which also has a large government documents collection, the Reserves Unit and the Audio-Visual Unit. Other collections and branch libraries of potential interest to students of literature include: Rare Books and Special Collections, the Blackader-Lauterman Collection of Architecture and Art; the Education Library and Curriculum Resource Centre; the Islamic Studies Library; the Marvin Duchow Music Library; and the Osler Library of the History of Medicine.
The Library’s on-line catalogue contains most of the libraries' holdings. The principal remaining gaps are certain special collections in the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, older government documents, music scores, older materials in the Osler Library of the History of Medicine and the Islamic Studies Library. The stack collections in McLennan-Redpath are completely listed online and circulation status is shown on the screen. The MLA International Bibliography, Wilson, and other scholarly databases are available online.
It should be noted that the Humanities and Social Sciences Library has progressively built research-oriented collections in support of Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Victorian literature, Canadian literature, theatre history, film history, and contemporary American and British fiction and drama.
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections houses 170,000 physical volumes and manuscripts in diverse areas, such as:
The Lande Canadiana Collection: 12,000 items, including pamphlets, maps, prints (among them 50 early views of Montreal), periodicals, government documents, broadsides and books.
Redpath Tracts: the largest collection of its kind in Canada, contains some 20,000 tracts published from 1561-1900 dealing with theology, literature, science, and British social, political, marine and religious history.
Stearn Puppet Collection: 2700 books on puppet and marionette theatre, as well as puppets from around the world.
The William Blake Collection: primary and secondary material, including copies of books owned by Blake.
Other special collections in the Humanities and Social Sciences Library include:
Early and Central Middle Ages, c. 650 - c. 1200 AD. The Manuscript Record: a collection of medieval manuscripts from Cambridge University on microform.
English Books, 1475-1640 and Early English Books, 1641-1700: microfilm copies of all items recorded in the Short Title Catalogues of books published in Great Britain or in English anywhere in the world (including British America) between 1475-1700. Also available online.
Manuscripts of the Younger Romantics: major literary manuscripts, proof sheets and other primary textual sources for the poetry and prose of Byron, Keats and Shelley in addition to works by members of their circle.
Thomas Hardy: on microform, the manuscripts of the works and papers of Hardy including drafts of his music books, paintings, drawings, and typescripts of his dramatizations.
William Faulkner Manuscripts: facsimiles of manuscripts of Faulkner's novels and short stories, as well as typescripts of unpublished stories.
The Center for Research Libraries (Chicago)
As a participating member of the Center for Research Libraries, McGill has access to the wealth of microform collections, newspapers and periodical runs held by the Center.
1.4 The CREPUQ Card
Graduate students will want to consult or borrow material from libraries outside the McGill Library system. All graduate students are therefore urged to acquire the CREPUQ card (Council of Rectors and Principals of the Universities of Quebec). This card allows them to borrow on site material which may not be held in the McGill libraries. It may be used at all academic libraries in Quebec and at Ontario universities which are members of OCUL (Ontario Council of University Libraries).
The CREPUQ card is available from the Office of the Dean of Libraries in the McLennan Library Building.
1.5 Carrels and Study Space
The Social Sciences and Humanities Library (McLennan) has made provision for graduate students in its area to have access to carrels and shelves to which books can be signed out (effectively placed on a personal reserve) and study rooms. These are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply early in the year by making a request at the Library Service Desk of the Humanities and Social Sciences Library.
A PhD study room is located on the second floor of the Redpath Library Building. The main purpose of this room is to provide doctoral students enrolled in humanities and social science programs, especially those preparing their theses, with private, quiet, and secure working space.
1.6 International Students
International students and students who are not permanent residents must first obtain a student visa from a Canadian embassy or consulate. While it is not possible to obtain a student visa until both a letter of acceptance from the University and a certificate of acceptance from the Quebec government have been issued, students are advised to begin the procedures necessary to secure assurance of admission to Canada and to complete the necessary medical papers for the Canadian immigration authorities as soon as possible after submitting an application for admission to the University. If offered admission, students must submit a copy of the letter of acceptance from the University and the certificate of acceptance from the Quebec government to the immigration authorities to complete the processing of the visa application. Student visas can be renewed annually in Canada subsequent to the student's registration.
International students should be aware of federal government immigration policies. Before coming to Canada, international students must not only be accepted by a university or college in order to obtain a visa, but also prove that they have enough money to support themselves in Canada while studying. Furthermore, once in Canada, they may not change schools or programs without authorization. Students and their dependents may work, but only after obtaining employment authorization. If their studies continue beyond the expected period, they must apply for an extension. Any violation of these requirements could result in the students having to leave Canada. A pamphlet describing immigration regulations in detail and containing notes and guidance is available from Canadian immigration offices, Canadian embassies, and British consular offices, or from the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website. The handbook entitled University Study in Canada can be obtained from Canadian embassies, consulates, and the office of High Commissioners and Trade Commissioners. A leaflet entitled Notes for Foreign Students Who Wish to Attend a Canadian University may be obtained from the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, 151 Slater St., Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1P 5N1, tel: (613) 563-1236.
For information on financial aid for international students, please refer to the Scholarships and Student Aid website. Financial aid services include financial counseling, merit-based entrance scholarships, government aid administration and need-based McGill aid (such as bursaries, loans, Work Study, and fee deferrals).
1.7 Accommodation
Most graduate students live off campus. However, the university maintains a limited number of apartment units in several nearby locations. The demand for these apartments greatly exceeds the number of vacancies occurring each year. Available spaces are filled on a first come, first served basis, and you must be an admitted student to be considered for graduate housing. To apply, simply check off the "housing requested" box on your McGill online application and keep an eye on Minerva for changes in your housing status. For further information on graduate residence fees visit the McGill Student Housing website.
McGill maintains an Off-Campus Housing service which provides access to on-line listings of apartments for rent, apartments to share and rooms for rent in private homes in the vicinity of both the downtown and Macdonald campuses by bus and/or metro lines. The Housing Office is open year-round and offers courtesy phones and computers, as well as friendly advice to help students in their housing search. For further information, visit their website or their Service Point, 3473 University Street, Montreal, QC H3A 2A8.
Off-campus housing cannot be held or rented by anyone on the student's behalf. Also, it is not possible to rent by mail or telephone; students must inspect the accommodation in person. Rents vary depending on the age, condition and location of the apartment buildings.
Rents in Montreal vary greatly. It is possible to find accommodations comparable to those listed above for $50-$100 less in areas outside the immediate downtown area.