Course Information and Regulations
The University reserves the right to make changes without prior notice to the information contained in this publication, including the revision or cancellation of particular courses or programs. Students preparing to register are advised to consult the Minerva Class Schedule for the most up-to-date information on courses to be offered.
Not all courses listed are offered every year.
Note for Graduate Studies: You are advised to also refer to Registration and Student Records.
Note for Health Sciences: For information, you should refer to your Faculty/School section in this publication.
Note for Summer Studies: Refer to Student Types and Registration Procedures and Student Records.
Course Numbering
Each McGill course is assigned a unique seven-character course code. For pre-2002 course numbers, please refer to the Student Records Transcript Key site.
The first four characters (subject code) refer to the unit offering the course or discipline of study covered by the course.
The three numbers following the subject code refer to the course number, with the first of these indicating the level of the course.
- Courses numbered at the 100, 200, 300, and 400 levels are intended for undergraduate students. In most programs, courses at the 300 and 400 levels are normally taken in your last two years.
- Courses at the 500 level are intended for qualified senior undergraduate students but are also open to graduate students.
- Courses at the 600 and 700 levels are intended for graduate students only.
Two additional characters (D1, D2, N1, N2, J1, J2, J3) at the end of the seven-character course number identify multi-term courses.
Multi-Term Courses
Most courses at McGill are single-term (Fall or Winter or Summer) courses with final grades issued and any credits earned recorded at the end of that term. Single-term courses are identified by a seven-character course number.
A unit may, however, decide that the material to be presented cannot be covered in a single term, or that it is preferable that the work to be done is carried out over two or three terms. Under such circumstances, courses are identified by a two-character suffix.
In some cases, the same course may be offered in various ways: as a single term and/or in one or more multi-term versions. The course content and credit weight are equivalent in all modes; the only difference is the scheduling. You cannot obtain credit for more than one version of the same course.
Courses with numbers ending in D1 and D2 are taught in two consecutive terms. You must register for the same section of both the D1 and D2 components. When registering for a Fall term D1 course on Minerva, you will automatically be registered in the same section of the Winter term D2 portion. No credit will be given unless the same section of both components (D1 and D2) are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
Courses with numbers ending in N1 and N2 are taught in two non-consecutive terms (ex.: Winter and Fall). You must register for the same section of both the N1 and N2 components. No credit will be given unless the same section of both components (N1 and N2) are successfully completed within a twelve (12) month period.
Courses with numbers ending in J1, J2, and J3 are taught over three consecutive terms. You must register for the same section of all three components (J1, J2, J3). No credit will be given unless the same section of all three components are successfully completed in consecutive terms.
Note for the Faculties of Arts and Science (including B.A. & Sc.): If you select a multi-term course, you are making a commitment to that course for its entirety. You must register in the same section in all terms of a multi-term course. Credit will be jeopardized if you deliberately register in different sections of a multi-term course. In the case of Fall/Winter D1/D2 courses, attempting to change section in Winter may result in an inadvertent withdrawal (W) from the D1 course, and reinstatement in the D1/D2 course will result in you being charged administrative fees.
Important Conditions for Multi-Term Courses
- You must be registered for each component of the multi-term course. You must ensure that you are registered in the same section number in each term of the multi-term course.
- You must successfully complete each component in sequence as set out in the multi-term course. Credit is granted only at the end of the multi-term course; no partial credit is given, i.e., for completing only one component of a D1/D2 or N1/N2 course, or one to two components of a J1/J2/J3 course.
Course Terminology
Prerequisite: Course A is prerequisite to course B if a satisfactory pass in course A is required for enrollment in course B.
Corequisite: Course A is corequisite to course B if course A must be taken concurrently with (or may have been taken prior to) course B.
Credits: The credit weight of each course is indicated in parentheses beside the course title. For further information, refer to the Credit System page.
Course Nomenclature in Program Descriptions
Required Courses: Mandatory courses that must be completed to fulfil the requirements of a program (major, minor, etc. at the undergraduate level or specific courses at the graduate level), unless the student receives exemptions. Students have no choices among required courses.
Complementary Courses: Courses selected from a restricted list, a particular subject area, or a discipline. In some programs, students must include a number of these to meet program requirements. Complementary courses are not electives.
Elective Courses: Courses, in some cases, taken outside of a student’s program of study that do not count toward the fulfilment of specific program requirements. Some restrictions may apply, but students have the most choice in selecting elective courses. Some faculties also permit students to take elective courses using the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option. Undergraduate students should consult their Faculty regulations concerning electives; graduate students require the approval of their Program Director and Enrolment Services.
Auditing of Courses
McGill does not permit auditing of courses.
Note for Continuing Studies: You can register for a Continuing Studies course and opt to have it "non-evaluated".
The Minerva class schedule for the upcoming Fall and Winter terms normally becomes available in May, two weeks prior to the opening of registration. The Summer term schedule is normally published in early February.
The class schedule includes the days and times when courses are offered, class locations, names of instructors, and related information. You should take note of any preregistration requirements for your desired courses such as prerequisite courses, placement tests, or departmental approval/permission requirements.
Class schedule information is subject to change and is updated as courses are added, cancelled, rescheduled, or relocated. It is your responsibility to consult the class schedule at the time of registration, and again before classes begin, to ensure that changes in the schedule have not caused conflicts in your schedule.
The last day of classes in a term varies according to a course's schedule pattern (ex., Mon-Wed-Fri, Tues-Thurs, etc.). You may verify this and other details on the Important Dates for Students website.
Note for Health Sciences: For information, you should refer to your Faculty/School section in this publication. This section is not applicable to M.D.,C.M. students; refer to the Undergraduate Medical Education site.
Visual Schedule Builder
Once you have selected some courses from the class schedule, try Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to view your possible class schedules in an easy-to-read weekly schedule format. You cannot currently use VSB to register but you can copy your choice of course reference numbers (CRNs) from VSB for registration in Minerva.