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Biology is the study of living things at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and ecosystem levels. It deals with fundamental questions such as:
The study of biology also has vast practical applications. The knowledge, methods, and concepts developed through research in the various fields of biology are applied extensively in agriculture, medicine, pharmaceutical development, biotechnology, genetic engineering, environmental protection, and wildlife management.
The Department of Biology offers:
The programs in Biology provide you with an introduction to the broad spectrum of Biological Sciences in contrast to more specialized programs in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pharmacology, Physiology, and Anatomy and Cell Biology. The B.Sc. degree in Biology prepares you for a wide range of employment opportunities as well as entry to professional schools in medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, agriculture, nursing, education, and library science. It also provides a solid background for those interested in careers related to environmental protection, wildlife management, biotechnology, and genetic engineering. The B.Sc. degree in Biology can also lead to post-graduate studies and research careers in universities, research institutes, hospitals, and industrial or governmental laboratories.
The Department of Biology's well-equipped research laboratories are located in the Stewart Biology Building, 1205 Docteur Penfield Avenue and in the adjacent Bellini Life Sciences Building. Due to massive renovations that began in the Fall of 2017, only the North Wing of the Stewart Building is currently in use and freshman biology labs have temporarily moved into the Duff Medical Building. The Department includes many biologists who are international leaders in their research fields, but who nevertheless remain deeply committed to undergraduate education. We have outstanding infrastructure for cell, developmental, and neurobiology research, and extensive links to biomedical scientists throughout McGill and all over the world. Our ecology and evolutionary biology group is also internationally prominent and dedicated to studying aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Our core undergraduate program will expose you to the broad areas of biology at all of these levels of complexity. At the same time you will be able to focus on topics related to your specific interests through complementary and elective courses. Beyond the large introductory classes, our class sizes are relatively small and you will have lots of opportunities for contact with your instructors; this is one of our strengths! Biology's teaching and research resources are extended by affiliation with the Redpath Museum, the hospitals and research institutes of the McGill University Health Centre, the Montreal Neurological Institute, the Sheldon Biotechnology Institute, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. Field courses enable you to study biology in a natural setting, in local ecosystems (e.g., at McGill's Gault Nature Reserve), and in distant ones such as Barbados, Panama, and East Africa. The Biology Department is also deeply committed to providing individual research experiences to its undergraduates. U2- and U3-level students, not just Honours program students, can carry out semester- or year-long independent study projects for course credit in Biology department research labs. Numerous summer opportunities are also available.
Undergraduate students are represented by the MBSU (McGill Biology Students Union) in the Departmental Assembly and in Standing Committees.
Requirements for the Major and Honours programs in Biology are:
Students entering the B.A. & Sc., the Liberal program, and the Biology Science Minor have the same biology, chemistry, and mathematics requirements. The physics requirements will vary according to their future direction. Note that satisfying the minimum Freshman science requirements does not necessarily qualify students for medical or dental school admissions requirements.
Students planning to take one of the joint majors or the Quantitative Biology Major or Honours options should consult:
to ensure they are taking the appropriate prerequisites.
If you are interested in advanced studies in any biological discipline, you are strongly advised to develop your skills in computing as appropriate. As an aid to students wishing to specialize, key and suggested courses are listed by discipline.
BIOL 304, BIOL 305, BIOL 308, BIOL 309, BIOL 310, BIOL 311, BIOL 320, BIOL 324, BIOL 331, BIOL 334D1,D2, BIOL 335, BIOL 352, BIOL 363, BIOL 377, BIOL 396, BIOL 413, BIOL 418, BIOL 427, BIOL 428, BIOL429, BIOL 432, BIOL 436, BIOL 441, BIOL 451, BIOL 465, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/D2, BIOL 469D1/D2, BIOL 507, BIOL 510, BIOL 515, BIOL 517, BIOL 540, BIOL 553, BIOL 569, BIOL 573, BIOL 592, BIOL 594, GEOG 302, GEOG 305, GEOG 308, GEOG 322, GEOG 470, REDM 400; MAC CAMPUS: PARA 424, PLNT 358, PLNT 460, WILD 307, WILD 350, WILD 415, WILD 420, WILD 421
BIOL 300, BIOL 301, BIOL 302, BIOL 303, BIOL 306, BIOL 309, BIOL 313, BIOL 314, BIOL 316, BIOL 324, BIOL 370, BIOL 377, BIOL 396, BIOL 413, BIOL 416, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/D2, BIOL 469D1/D2, BIOL 518, BIOL 520, BIOL 524, BIOL 544, BIOL 546, BIOL 551, BIOL 565, BIOL 568, BIOL 569, BIOL 575, BIOL 588, BIOL 592, BIOC 311, HGEN 400, MIMM 314
BIOL 300, BIOL 303, BIOL 304, BIOL 305, BIOL 306, BIOL 307, BIOL 309, BIOL 320, BIOL 377, BIOL 389, BIOL 413, BIOL 414, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/D2, BIOL 469D1/D2, BIOL 506, BIOL 507, BIOL 517, BIOL 530, BIOL 532, BIOL 580, BIOL 588, BIOL 592, ANAT 321, ANAT 322, NEUR 310, PHAR 562, PHGY 311, PHGY 314, PHGY 425, PHGY 451, PHGY 556, PSYC 311, PSYC 318, PSYC 342, PSYC 410, PSYC 470, PSYC 455, PSYT 500
The Minor Biology may be taken in conjunction with any primary program in the Faculty of Science (other than programs offered by the Department of Biology). Students are advised to consult the undergraduate adviser in Biology as early as possible (preferably during their first year), in order to plan their course selection.
For more information, see Minor Biology (25 credits).
The Liberal Program - Core Science Component Biology is a flexible program focusing on the fundamentals of biology. Topics include a range of biological concepts spanning molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems, including development, behaviour and evolution. This program is well suited to students with varied interests who do not want to focus solely on...
For more information, see Liberal Program - Core Science Component Biology (47 credits).
The Biology Major covers a range of fundamental biological concepts spanning molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems, including development, behaviour and evolution. The areas of focus include: (1) molecular, cellular and developmental biology, (2) conservation, ecology and evolution, and (3) neurobiology and behaviour.
For more information, see Major Biology (59 credits).
Interdisciplinary research that draws from the natural and physical sciences is an important aspect of modern biology. The Quantitative Biology option is designed for students with a deep interest in biology who wish to gain a strong grounding in physical sciences and their application to biological questions. The program has two options: an ecology and...
For more information, see Major Biology - Quantitative Biology (73 credits).
This program is built on a selection of mathematics and biology courses that recognize mathematical biology as a field of research, with two quantitative streams: Applied Mathematics and Statistics; and three streams within biology: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Evolution, and Neurosciences
For more information, see Major Biology and Mathematics (76 credits).
The Honours program in Biology is intended for students who are interested in gaining a concentrated research experience. A broad range of fundamental biological concepts spanning molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems, including development, behaviour and evolution is supplemented with research in a chosen area. Potential areas of focus include: (1)...
For more information, see Honours Biology (72 credits).
79 credits ...
For more information, see Honours Biology - Quantitative Biology (79 credits).
For more information, see Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Computer Science and Biology (74 credits).
For more information, see Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Computer Science and Biology (77 credits).
The program is a joint venture between McGill University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama. For more information, see Study Abroad & Field Studies > Undergraduate > Field Study Semesters and Off-Campus Courses > Field Study Minor > Panama Field Study Semester. You can also visit the following website for details: mcgill.ca/science/undergraduate/internships-field/field.
The Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, coordinates the 15-credit interdisciplinary Africa Field Study Semester; see Study Abroad & Field Studies > Undergraduate > Field Study Semesters and Off-Campus Courses > Field Study Minor > Africa Field Study Semester. You can also visit the following website for details: mcgill.ca/science/undergraduate/internships-field/field.
