Biology is the study of living things at the molecular, cellular and organismal levels. It deals with fundamental questions such as the origin and evolution of plants and animals, interactions between living organisms and their environment, mechanisms of embryonic development, structure and function of the living cell and its organelles, molecular basis of inheritance, biochemical and genetic basis of human diseases, and the operation of the brain and the nervous system. 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, biotechnology, genetic engineering, environmental protection and wildlife management.
The Department of Biology offers a Liberal Program, a Major Program, an Honours Program, a Minor Program and a Minor Concentration in Science for Arts students. The details of these programs are given below.
The prerequisites for Biology programs include, in addition to the minimum requirements for admission to the Faculty of Science, an additional Biology, two courses in Physics, and one course in Organic Chemistry. Students who have a DEC in Science but lack these courses must take them as extra requirements. It is advisable to take the additional CEGEP Biology and the two physics courses in advance, if possible, to properly prepare for the Biology program at McGill.
The programs in Biology offer students an opportunity to specialize in more than one area of biology and provide them with a broad training in biology as compared to the more specialized programs in Biochemistry, Microbiology, Physiology and Anatomy. A B.Sc. degree in Biology, therefore, prepares students for a wide range of employment opportunities, including entry to professional schools in medicine, veterinary science, dentistry, agriculture, nursing, education and library science. It also provides solid background for those interested in careers related to environmental protection, wildlife management, biotechnology and genetic engineering. A B.Sc. degree in Biology can also lead to postgraduate studies and research careers in universities, research institutes, hospitals, and industrial or governmental laboratories.
The Department of Biology has well-equipped teaching and research laboratories and its academic staff members, research associates, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students carry out research in areas of molecular biology, human genetics, ecology, animal behaviour, developmental biology, bioinformatics, neurobiology, marine biology, plant biology, and evolution. Its teaching and research resources are extended by the Redpath Museum; the Montreal Children's, Jewish General, Montreal General, Royal Victoria and Shriners Hospitals; Macdonald Campus; Montreal Neurological Institute; and the Sheldon Biotechnology Centre. For courses taught in the field, the stations at the Gault Nature Reserve, the Morgan Arboretum, the Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados, the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in New Brunswick, and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama are used. In addition, field stations near Lake Memphremagog and at Schefferville in northern Quebec are available for research projects.
The Department of Biology Undergraduate Programs 2008-2009 booklet (“Blue Book”) describes in detail the content of each course and the level at which it is given, the aims and methods used, lectures, references, grading procedures, etc. The “Blue Book” also contains more information on registration, counselling, committee structure and the research interests and facilities which are represented in the Department. It is available on the web at
http://biology.mcgill.ca/undergrad/bluebook.html.
Inquiries about undergraduate programs should be directed to the Student Affairs Office, in Room W4/8, Stewart Biological Sciences Building, telephone 514-398-7045.
Two Major Concentrations in Biology as well as two Minor Concentrations in Biology (Organismal and Cell/Molecular Options) are available to students pursuing the B.A. & Sc. degree. These Major Concentrations are described in the Bachelor of Arts and Science section of the Calendar; see
section “Biology (BIOL)” for details.
Requirements for the Major and Honours programs in Biology are 2 courses in elementary Biology, 2 courses in general Chemistry, 2 courses in Calculus and 2 courses in Physics (Mechanics and Electromagnetism). Students entering into 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.
The Minor in 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.
Six credits of overlap are allowed between the Minor and the primary program.
The Major requires 58 or 59 credits comprising 38 as specified below and 21 additional credits that are to be chosen by students in consultation with their adviser.
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To be selected in consultation with the student's adviser. All courses must be at the 300 level or higher; they are to include any seven Biology courses of which at most three may be substituted, given the adviser's consent, with science courses offered by other departments. Unless required by the Major Program, prerequisites for these courses must be taken as electives.
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Note: The concentrations set out below are only guidelines for specialized training.
They do not constitute sets of requirements.
Students interested in advanced studies in any biological discipline are strongly advised to develop their skills in computing as appropriate. As an aid to students wishing to specialize, the concentrations list key and other suggested courses by discipline.
Understanding the diverse ways in which animals feed, mate, care for their offspring, avoid predators, select their habitats, communicate, and process information constitute the subject matter of behaviour. Several approaches are used to study these questions. Some focus on ecological consequences and determinants, some on physiological, genetic and developmental mechanisms, others on evolutionary origins.
Key courses:BIOL 304, BIOL 305, BIOL 306, BIOL 307, BIOL 331 or BIOL 334D1/BIOL 334D2 or another field course with a significant behavioural component, BIOL 373, BIOL 507.
Other suggested courses: BIOL 377, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2
Since animal behaviour builds upon the fields of behaviour, ecology, and evolutionary biology, most courses from these fields will be relevant. Some courses that focus on a particular taxonomic group such as birds (Natural Resource Sciences WILD 420), amphibians and reptiles (BIOL 427) and marine mammals (BIOL 335) include a significant amount of behaviour.
The study of biological diversity deals with the maintenance, emergence, and history of the inexhaustible variety of different kinds of organisms. It is deeply concerned with the particular characteristics of different organisms and therefore emphasizes the detailed study of particular groups and forms the basis of comparative biology. Our knowledge of diversity is organized through the study of systematics, which seeks to understand the history of life and the phylogenetic and genetic relationships of living things. Appreciation and knowledge of diversity and systematics are essential in ecology and evolutionary biology and underlie all work in resource utilization and conservation biology.
Key course:BIOL 304, BIOL 305, BIOL 373
Other suggested courses:BIOL 240, BIOL 310, BIOL 324, BIOL 331 or BIOL 334D1/BIOL 334D2, BIOL 335, BIOL 350/ENTO 350, BIOL 352, BIOL 355, BIOL 377, BIOL 427, BIOL 428, BIOL 429, BIOL 465, BIOL 466 or BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2, BIOL 540, BIOL 555D1/BIOL 555D2, BIOL 569, BIOL 571, BIOL 573, BIOL 594, REDM 400
Macdonald Campus:AEBI 212, ENTO 440, ENVB 313, PLNT 358, WILD 307, WILD 350, WILD 420, WILD 424
Conservation Biology is the study and protection of biological diversity. It is a scientific discipline closely connecting ecology and evolutionary biology with applications in public policy and management. Conservation biology focuses on keeping normal evolutionary processes working within a functional ecological context and deals with issues of how the wide variety of organisms and ecosystems can be maintained and prevented from declining. It considers population and habitat viability and complexity in the face of threats and perturbations. Cognizance of biological diversity, knowledge and expertise in both ecology and evolutionary biology, and appreciation for the political, social and economic contexts of the biodiversity crisis underlie all work in conservation biology.
Key courses:BIOL 308, BIOL 310, BIOL 373, BIOL 465 plus at least one of the following field courses: BIOL 331 or, BIOL 334D1/BIOL 334D2 or BIOL 428 or BIOL 429 or, BIOL 553
Other suggested courses:BIOL 304, BIOL 305, BIOL 307, BIOL 324, BIOL 335, BIOL 350/ENTO 350, BIOL 355, BIOL 377, BIOL 413, BIOL 427, BIOL 434, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2, BIOL 510, BIOL 540, BIOL 590, BIOL 594; ECON 225, ECON 326; GEOG 350, GEOG 370, GEOG 380, REDM 400
Macdonald Campus: NRSC 437; PLNT 358; WILD 350, WILD 415, WILD 420, WILD 421
Evolutionary Biology is the study of processes that change organisms and their characteristics through time. Evolutionary biologists are concerned with adaptations of organisms and the process of natural selection.
Key courses:BIOL 304, BIOL 305, BIOL 307, BIOL 324, BIOL 331, BIOL 352, BIOL 373, BIOL 377, BIOL 435, BIOL 463, BIOL 466 or BIOL 467 BIOL 468D1/BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2, BIOL 555 D1/BIOL 555 D2, BIOL 569, BIOL 570, BIOL 571, BIOL 572, BIOL 573, BIOL 594
Other suggested courses in Organismal Biology:BIOL 240, BIOL 335, BIOL 350/ENTO 350, BIOL 355, BIOL 427, BIOL 428,
Ecology and Behaviour: BIOL 309, BIOL 429, BIOL 434, BIOL 507, BIOL 590
The courses recommended for students interested in Human Genetics are designed to offer a broad perspective in this rapidly advancing area of biology. Genetics is covered at all levels of organization (the gene, the chromosome, the cell, the organism and the population), using pertinent examples from all species, but with special emphasis on humans.
Key courses:BIOL 301, BIOL 370, BIOL 373, BIOL 416, BIOL 520, BIOL 568, BIOL 575
Other suggested courses:BIOC 311; BIOL 314, BIOL 466, BIOL 467 BIOL 468D1/BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2; CHEM 203 or CHEM 204 and CHEM 214, MIMM 314
The discoveries that have fuelled the ongoing biomedical and biotechnology revolution have been derived from the fusion of a number of fields of biological investigation, including molecular biology, genetics, cellular and developmental biology and biochemistry. A substantial amount of this research has been conducted upon model eukaryotic organisms, such as yeast, the fruit fly (Drosophila), the nematode (C. Elegans), and the mustard weed (Arabidopsis). In the molecular genetics and development concentration students will obtain a comprehensive understanding of how these "model eukaryotes" have advanced our knowledge of the mechanisms responsible for cellular function and organismal development. Graduates from this concentration will be well prepared to pursue higher degrees in the fields of basic biology, biotechnology, and biomedicine or to assume a wide variety of positions in government, universities, and medical and industrial institutions.
Key courses:BIOL 300, BIOL 301, BIOL 303, BIOL 373, BIOL 569; CHEM 203 or CHEM 204 combined with CHEM 214, CHEM 212, CHEM 222
Other suggested courses:BIOL 313, BIOL 314, BIOL 416, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2, BIOL 518, BIOL 520, BIOL 524, BIOL 544
Nervous systems are perhaps the most complex entities in the natural world, being composed of up to trillions of interconnected cells that must operate in a coordinated manner to produce behaviour which can range from the mundane (e.g., regulation of heart rate) to the magnificent (e.g., musical composition). The neurobiology discipline, one of the fastest growing areas of modern biology, seeks to understand the evolution, development, and operation of nervous systems. The neurobiology concentration addresses these issues by examining neural structure, function and development at levels of organization that range from the molecular to the organismal. As a result of exposure to a wide range of experimental and intellectual approaches, students receive a sound, broadly based education in biology.
Key courses:BIOL 306, BIOL 373, BIOL 389, BIOL 507, BIOL 514, BIOL 530, BIOL 532, BIOL 588
Other suggested courses:ANAT 321, ANAT 322; BIOC 455; BIOL 300, BIOL 303, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2, NEUR 310, NSCI 200, NSCI 201, PHAR 562, PHGY 451, PHGY 556, PSYC 311, PSYC 318, PSYC 342, PSYC 410, PSYC 470, PSYT 500
Ecology is the study of the interactions between organisms and environment that affect distribution, abundance, and other characteristics of the organisms. A strong analytical and quantitative orientation is common to all areas of ecology, and thus students wishing to specialize in these areas are strongly encouraged to develop their background in statistical analysis, computing, and mathematical modelling. Many of the ecology courses feature a strong analytical component, and students will find that background preparation in this area is very useful, if not essential. Ecology depends heavily on field research, and thus BIOL 331 and/or other field courses should be considered as vital to all concentrations in this area.
This concentration is designed to introduce the principles of ecology as they pertain to aquatic ecosystems and aquatic biota. Since it is essential to know how knowledge is obtained, as well as what has been learned, one of the courses (Limnology) involves field work, and one of the courses (Biological Oceanography) a laboratory component, that stress the techniques used to study aquatic ecology. In addition, the concentration includes a field course in ecology. There is also a variety of courses in aquatic disciplines offered in other departments that complement the aquatic ecology courses offered in Biology.
Key courses:BIOL 305, BIOL 308, BIOL 331 or another field course, BIOL 342, BIOL 373, BIOL 432 (or ENVB 315), BIOL 441, BIOL 465; COMP 202, COMP 273
Other suggested courses:BIOL 307, BIOL 429, BIOL 434, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/D2, BIOL 469D1/D2, BIOL 540, BIOL 590, GEOG 305, GEOG 306, GEOG 308, GEOG 322
The concentration in general and applied ecology is designed to introduce the breadth of contemporary ecology, at the levels of the ecosystem, communities and populations, and at the level of the individual organism, with an accent on the application of this science to practical problems in environmental management, and the management of resources and pests. In addition to general courses dealing with general principles, there is a selection of courses dealing with particular groups of organisms. Since it is essential to know how knowledge is obtained, the concentration includes a field course in ecology.
Key courses:BIOL 305, BIOL 308, BIOL 331 or BIOL 334, BIOL 350/ENTO 350, BIOL 373; COMP 202, COMP 273
Other suggested courses:BIOL 307, BIOL 324, BIOL 342, BIOL 377, BIOL 427, BIOL 428, BIOL 429, BIOL 432, BIOL 434, BIOL 441, BIOL 465, BIOL 466, BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/D2, BIOL 469D1/D2, BIOL 510, BIOL 540, BIOL 571, BIOL 590, BIOL 594; GEOG 302
This concentration is designed to offer students a broad introduction to marine biology and marine ecology, which will form the basis for graduate studies in the fields, or for employment in aquatic biology and oceanography.
Key courses:BIOL 305, BIOL 308, BIOL 335, BIOL 342, BIOL 373, BIOL 441
Other suggested courses:ATOC 512, ATOC 550; BIOL 331, BIOL 334D1/BIOL 334D2, BIOL 429, BIOL 432, BIOL 434, BIOL 465, BIOL 540, BIOL 590; EPSC 542
For students intending to proceed to graduate work, one independent studies course (BIOL 466 or BIOL 467, BIOL 468D1/
BIOL 468D2, BIOL 469D1/BIOL 469D2) is recommended. Because of the importance of numerical analyses in all fields of ecology, courses in Biometry (e.g. BIOL 373) and Computer Science (COMP 202 or COMP 273) are recommended.
The program is built on a selection of mathematics and biology courses that recognizes mathematical biology as a field of research, with 3 concentrations within biology: Ecology and Evolutionary Ecology, Molecular Evolution, and Neurosciences.
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For the remaining BINF, BIOL, NEUR, PHGY, PSYC complementary course credits, if any, students top up their credits to the necessary 21 with any course listed in the above streams in Biology or any other course in Biology subject to the approval of the program coordinator.
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The Honours Program in Biology is designed expressly as a preparation for graduate studies and research, and provides students with an enriched training in biology and some research experience in a chosen area. Acceptance into the Honours Program at the end of U2 requires a CGPA of 3.50 and approval of a 9- or 12-credit Independent Studies proposal (see listing of BIOL 479 and BIOL 480 for details). For an Honours degree, a minimum CGPA of 3.50 in the U3 year and adherence to the program as outlined below are the additional requirements. The new 3.50 requirement applies only beginning with students entering McGill in the Fall of 2005.
The program is a joint venture between McGill University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama. For more information,
see section “Panama Field Study Semester”. You can also visit the following website for details:
www.mcgill.ca/science/internships-field/field.
The Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, coordinates the 15-credit interdisciplinary African Field Study Semester,
see section “African Field Study Semester”.
