Research courses for B.Sc. students

396 project approval form

396 projects require the approval of the supervisor and the relevant department. Download this form to get started.

What are 396 courses?

396 courses:

  • allow Bachelor of Science students to conduct an independent research project under the supervision of a McGill professor;
  • contain a significant research component that requires substantial independent work by students;
  • feature a final report worth at least 50% of the final grade;
  • are elective courses;
  • can be taken outside your own department (i.e., by students whose major is outside the offering unit);
  • count towards the requirements of the Dean's Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research List (DMURL);
  • can be taken after one term of undergraduate studies; and,
  • are not available under the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option.

Purpose

These courses are designed to increase undergraduate research opportunities by:

  • broadening the scope of research courses;
  • making them available to more students; and,
  • making the undergraduate research component more interdisciplinary.

General prerequisites

  • At least one term of undergraduate studies, a CGPA of at least 3.0, or permission of instructor to waive these requirements.
  • Open to students in any program offered by the Faculty of Science.
  • A project proposal form must be completed by the student and instructor and approved by the unit head or his/her delegate before the start of the term. Some units may also accept forms during the "add/drop" period. Refer to the unit administering your 396 course for more information on submitting project proposal forms.
  • A student may take more than one 396 course, but cannot be supervised by the same instructor for two 396 Science courses. Each 396 course must also be for a different project.

But wait… there's more!

Beyond 396 courses, there are many other ways to do research for credit towards your degree. You can browse McGill's eCalendar to find research courses in your program, but the best way to find out about the latest opportunities on offer is to speak with your academic adviser.

See also

› Finding undergraduate research opportunities

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