STEM Foundations (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) (Cert.) (30 credits)
Offered by: Career & Professional Develop
Program credit weight: 30
Program Description
The Certificate in STEM Foundations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is a 30-credit undergraduate program that focuses on specific STEM topics (i.e., mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics) at the Grade 12 level.
NOTE: There is no guarantee admission to a McGill degree program upon completion of the Certificate in STEM Foundations (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (24 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMSC 000 | Foundations of Mathematics | 3 |
Foundations of Mathematics Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. First-degree equations and applied word problems, polynomials, factoring, fractions, exponents, roots and radicals, inequalities, quadratic equations and functions, composite and inverse functions, arithmetic and geometric sequences and series. | ||
| CMSC 003 | Foundations of Logarithms,Trigonometry & Intro to Calculus. | 3 |
Foundations of Logarithms,Trigonometry Intro to Calculus. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to logarithms and trigonometry. Topics include logs and exponents, using linear equations, limits and differentiation, continuity, derivatives, and introduction to integral calculus. | ||
| CSCI 010 | Foundations in General Biology 1. | 3 |
Foundations in General Biology 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mechanisms of cell biology: important biomolecules, cell metabolism and cellular structure. How cells divide and reproduce. Molecular basis of inheritance. Cell communication in multicellular organisms. Applying the concept of homeostasis to the study of systems in animals and plants. | ||
| CSCI 020 | Foundations in General Chemistry 1. | 3 |
Foundations in General Chemistry 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The study of matter and energy and how they interact. A strong emphasis is placed on moles (and using them) and unit analysis (with unit conversion); how to read a periodic table; charge; the difference between ionic and covalent in bonding; chemical reactions. | ||
| CSCI 021 | Foundations in General Chemistry 2 . | 3 |
Foundations in General Chemistry 2 . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles of physics underlying all chemical interactions (ex. gas laws, enthalpy/entropy); chemical equilibrium, especially the aqueous solutions; thermochemistry; strong emphasis on laboratory techniques. | ||
| CSCI 030 | Fundamentals of Physics - Mechanics. | 3 |
Fundamentals of Physics - Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of mechanics – kinematics, dynamics. Vectors, rectilinear motion. Newton's laws, gravitation, motion in a plane, work and energy theorem. Principles of conservation of energy and linear momentum. | ||
| CSCI 031 | Fundamentals of Physics - Waves and Optics . | 3 |
Fundamentals of Physics - Waves and Optics . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Oscillations, mechanical waves, optics; simple harmonic motion; waves in material media, including sound waves; beats and the Doppler effect; ray and wave optics. | ||
| CSCI 041 | Essential Communication Skills for STEM. | 3 |
Essential Communication Skills for STEM. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Essential content-based written and oral communication skills for mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. | ||
Complementary Courses (6 credits)
- 3 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMSC 004 | Foundations:Statistics, Probability&Intro to Linear Algebra. 1 | 3 |
Foundations:Statistics, ProbabilityIntro to Linear Algebra. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Statistics and probability, with an introduction to linear algebra, Gaussian elimination for solving linear systems, and an introduction to vectors and matrices in the context of linear systems. | ||
| CSCI 011 | Foundations of General Biology 2 . 2 | 3 |
Foundations of General Biology 2 . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology, evolution and organization of living things and their biological structures and function; reproduction and basic genetic principles; mechanisms of evolution and the origins of diversity; ecosystems and the flow of chemicals through the environment. | ||
- 1
For Engineering programs.
- 2
For Health and Science programs.
- 3 credits from the following (up to 3 credits may be chosen from 100-level courses approved by the program adviser):
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CSCI 022 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry. | 3 |
Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Nature of organic compounds, functional groups, nomenclature, tereochemistry, bonding, reactivity and reaction mechanisms of alkanes, alkyl halides, alkenes, alkynes and benzene | ||
| CSCI 040 | Basic Concepts in Mathematics & Science. | 3 |
Basic Concepts in Mathematics Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic content-based vocabulary for mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. | ||
| WCOM 150 | Critical Analysis and Composition. | 3 |
Critical Analysis and Composition. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles of effective written communication: audience, purpose, organization, and style. Emphasis on short writing assignments leading to the composition of longer essays. Critical analysis of academic and popular genres. Application of rhetorical strategies. Pre-writing and re-writing processes. Multiple drafts and peer review. | ||
| WCOM 295 | ESL: Academic Skills. | 3 |
ESL: Academic Skills. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The university classroom: note-taking and summary of lectures; paraphrase and summary of written and multimedia materials; oral and seminar presentations. Critical thinking, reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills and strategies. Exigences des cours universitaires: prendre des notes, faire des exposés oraux, résumer (cours magistraux, documents oraux, écrits et multimédias). Raisonnement critique, lectures, écoutes, rédactions, habiletés et stratégies de communication. | ||