Life Sciences (Biological and Agricultural) Major (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) (42 credits)
Offered by: Natural Resource Sciences (Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Program credit weight: 42
Program Description
The Life Sciences (Biological and Agricultural) Major provides a strong foundation in the basic biological sciences. It will prepare graduates for careers in the agricultural, environmental, health, and biotechnological fields. Graduates with high academic achievement may go on to postgraduate studies in research, or professional programs in the biological, veterinary, medical, and health sciences fields.
For information on academic advising, see: http://www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/studentinfo/advising
Program Prerequisites
Please refer to "Faculty Information and Regulations" > "Minimum Credit Requirements", in this Course Catalogue for prerequisites and minimum credit requirements.
Default Specialization: Students who do not select a Specialization will automatically be assigned to the Life Sciences (Multidisciplinary) Specialization upon entering U2.
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 (33 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEBI 210 | Organisms 1. | 3 |
Organisms 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The biology of plants and plant-based systems in managed and natural terrestrial environments. The interactions between autotrophs and soil organisms and selected groups of animals with close ecological and evolutionary connections with plants (e.g., herbivores and pollinators) will be explored in lecture and laboratory. | ||
| AEBI 211 | Organisms 2. | 3 |
Organisms 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Introduction to the biology of heterotrophs, focusing on animal diversity from the perspectives of phylogenetics, physiology, and ecology. Introduction to major animal taxa, comparing and contrasting these taxa, and exploration of the relationships among them. | ||
| AEBI 212 | Evolution and Phylogeny. | 3 |
Evolution and Phylogeny. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Overview of the tree of life and exploration of the central role evolution plays in the field of biology. Difficulties inherent to classifying life and critically assessing evolutionary theory among scientific and popular audiences. The importance of phylogenetics and the relationships among major groups of organisms. | ||
| AEHM 205 | Science Literacy. | 3 |
Science Literacy. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Development of English language and information literacy. Problem-based approach using science topics from specializations offered by the Faculty will be central to skill development. The course includes how to research and compose work in scientific format and will encourage a reader-oriented style. | ||
| AEMA 310 | Statistical Methods 1. 1 | 3 |
Statistical Methods 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Measures of central tendency and dispersion; binomial and Poisson distributions; normal, chi-square, Student's t and Fisher-Snedecor F distributions; estimation and hypothesis testing; simple linear regression and correlation; analysis of variance for simple experimental designs. | ||
| ANSC 400 | Eukaryotic Cells and Viruses. | 3 |
Eukaryotic Cells and Viruses. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The basic principles of molecular biology and the underlying molecular basis for various methodologies in molecular biology are covered. The molecular genetic basis for viral infections and tumorigenesis will be covered as examples of the use of molecular genetic approaches to address biological problems. | ||
| LSCI 202 | Molecular Cell Biology. | 3 |
Molecular Cell Biology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Organization and function of intracellular organelles in eukaryotic cells. Mechanisms of membrane transport. Protein sorting and vesicular transport. Cytoskeleton. DNA and chromosome structure. DNA replication. Mechanisms of RNA and protein synthesis. Control of gene expression. Cell cycle and the control of cell division. Mechanisms of cell communication and signal transduction. Apoptosis. Neuronal signaling. | ||
| LSCI 204 | Genetics. | 3 |
Genetics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The course integrates classical, molecular and population genetics of animals, plants, bacteria and viruses. The aim is to understand the flow of genetic information within a cell, within families and in populations. Emphasis will be placed on problem solving based learning. The laboratory exercises will emphasize the interpretation of genetic experimental data. | ||
| LSCI 211 | Biochemistry 1. | 3 |
Biochemistry 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Biochemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids; enzymes and coenzymes. Introduction to intermediary metabolism. | ||
| LSCI 230 | Introductory Microbiology. | 3 |
Introductory Microbiology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The occurrence and importance of microorganisms in the biosphere. Principles governing growth, death and metabolic activities of microorganisms. An introduction to the microbiology of soil, water, plants, food, humans and animals. | ||
| PARA 438 | Immunology. | 3 |
Immunology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An in-depth analysis of the principles of cellular and molecular immunology. The emphasis of the course is on host defence against infection and on diseases caused by abnormal immune responses. | ||
- 1
Other appropriate Statistics courses may be approved as substitutes by the Program Director.
Complementary Courses (9 credits)
9 credits of the complementary courses selected from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 234 | Biochemistry 2. | 3 |
Biochemistry 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Metabolism in humans and domestic animals. The chemistry of alimentary digestion, absorption, transport, intermediary metabolism and excretion. | ||
| ANSC 250 | Introduction to Livestock Management | 3 |
Introduction to Livestock Management Terms offered: Fall 2025 Introduction to the scientific principles underlying animal livestock production as it relates to the consumer food chain. The world- wide demand for animal products, various areas of management (reproduction, nutrition, breeding, health, and welfare) that are used to provide those products by examining both conventional means as well as new and evolving technologies. How these techniques relate to some of the major production systems (dairy, beef, pig, and broiler and egg production) – primarily in a Provincial/Canadian context. | ||
| ANSC 312 | Animal Health and Disease. | 3 |
Animal Health and Disease. Terms offered: Winter 2026 An introduction to the pathogenesis and control of diseases in farm animals. Immune response and other protective mechanisms. Implications of animal diseases and drug therapy for product safety and public health. | ||
| ANSC 323 | Mammalian Physiology. | 3 |
Mammalian Physiology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 A study of the organization, functions and regulation of various organ systems in mammals. The nervous, endocrine, muscular, cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary, digestive and reproductive systems are discussed. | ||
| ANSC 324 | Developmental Biology and Reproduction. | 3 |
Developmental Biology and Reproduction. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Focus on the hormonal, cellular and molecular aspects of reproduction and development (gametogenesis, folliculogenesis, fertilization, embryonic and foetal development, parturition, lactation period, periods before and after puberty). Emphasis on underlying cellular mechanisms and their regulation by hormones and the environment. | ||
| ANSC 326 | Fundamentals of Population Genetics. | 3 |
Fundamentals of Population Genetics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Population genetics mechanisms in mammals, birds and plant. Factors influencing gene, genotype, and phenotypic frequencies. Effects of different types of selection, Hardy-Weinberg, linkage and recombination, polymorphisms and heterozygosity, population size, random drift and inbreeding on gene and genotype frequencies. Relationship between quantitative genetic parameters and gene frequencies. | ||
| ANSC 420 | Animal Biotechnology. | 3 |
Animal Biotechnology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Applications of animal biotechnology in agriculture, biomedicine and environmental preservation, including culture, manipulation and transformation of somatic cells, isolation of stem cells, reproductive biotechnologies, animal cloning by nuclear transplantation, production of genetically modified and gene-edited animals, and cell and gene therapies. | ||
| BINF 511 | Bioinformatics for Genomics. | 3 |
Bioinformatics for Genomics. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Bioinformatics methods and reasoning in relation to genomics, proteomics and metabolomics strategies with an emphasis on functional genomics data. The course will cover introduction to UNIX, Perl programming, data processing and integration, file parsing, relational database design and implementation, angled towards solutions relevant for genomics. | ||
| BTEC 306 | Experiments in Biotechnology. | 3 |
Experiments in Biotechnology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Practical laboratory-based research experience. Techniques in cellular and molecular biology, designing experiments and developing skills in interpretation and communication of experimental results. | ||
| ENVB 210 | The Biophysical Environment. | 3 |
The Biophysical Environment. Terms offered: Fall 2025 With reference to the ecosystems in the St Lawrence lowlands, the principles and processes governing climate-landform-water-soil-vegetation systems and their interactions will be examined in lecture and laboratory. Emphasis on the natural environment as an integrated system. | ||
| ENVB 222 | St. Lawrence Ecosystems. | 3 |
St. Lawrence Ecosystems. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Integrative field biology course about the biodiversity and ecology of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems within the St. Lawrence Lowlands. Research projects about the natural history of the regional flora and fauna. Fundamentals of community, ecosystem and landscape ecology. | ||
| FAES 300 | Internship 2. | 3 |
Internship 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025 Full-time work-term intended to complement the student's undergraduate studies. Course work will be graded by a Faculty member with expertise relevant to the student's area of study. Finding a work placement is the responsibility of the student and facilitated by the Faculty's Internship Office. | ||
| LSCI 451 | Research Project 1. | 3 |
Research Project 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 A research project on a topic relevant to the life sciences. This course is intended for senior (U3) undergraduates. | ||
| LSCI 452 | Research Project 2. | 3 |
Research Project 2. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Continuation of the project begun in LSCI 451 on a topic relevant to the life sciences. | ||
| MICR 331 | Microbial Ecology. | 3 |
Microbial Ecology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The ecology of microorganisms, primarily bacteria and archaea, and their roles in biogeochemical cycles. Microbial interactions with the environment, plants, animals and other microbes emphasizing the underlying genetics and physiology. Diversity, evolution (microbial phylogenetics) and the application of molecular biology in microbial ecology. | ||
| MICR 338 | Bacterial Molecular Genetics. | 3 |
Bacterial Molecular Genetics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Basic bacterial genetics, DNA damage and repair, mutagenesis, gene cloning, mapping and regulation, molecular biology. Laboratory sessions will provide the student with practical experience in the genetic manipulation of microbes and in molecular biology techniques. | ||
| MICR 341 | Mechanisms of Pathogenicity. | 3 |
Mechanisms of Pathogenicity. Terms offered: Fall 2025 A study of the means by which bacteria cause disease in animals and humans. Includes response of host to invading bacteria, bacterial attachment and penetration processes, and modes of actions of exotoxins and endotoxins. | ||
| MICR 450 | Environmental Microbiology. | 3 |
Environmental Microbiology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Focus on microbes in the environment. Topics include extreme environments, polar microbiology, biotechnology and bioremediation. Emphasis will be on population studies based upon molecular biological methods. | ||
| NRSC 333 | Pollution and Bioremediation. | 3 |
Pollution and Bioremediation. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The environmental contaminants which cause pollution; sources, amounts and transport of pollutants in water, air and soil; waste management. | ||
| PARA 410 | Environment and Infection. | 3 |
Environment and Infection. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Infectious pathogens of humans and animals and their impact on the global environment are considered. The central tenet is that infectious pathogens are environmental risk factors. The course considers their impact on the human condition and juxtaposes the impact of control and treatment measures and environmental change. | ||
| PARA 424 | Fundamental Parasitology. | 3 |
Fundamental Parasitology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Systematics, morphology, biology and ecology of parasitic protozoa, flatworms, roundworms and arthropods with emphasis on economically and medically important species. | ||
| PLNT 304 | Biology of Fungi. | 3 |
Biology of Fungi. Terms offered: Winter 2026 This course describes the various groups of fungi and explores in depth their biology and physiology, their ecological niches and the role in various ecosystems and their benefits and uses in industry and biotechnology. | ||
| PLNT 353 | Plant Structure and Function. | 3 |
Plant Structure and Function. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The general anatomy and physiology of vascular plants with emphasis on how physiological processes influence function. | ||
| PLNT 426 | Plant Ecophysiology. | 3 |
Plant Ecophysiology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 This course investigates the complex interactions between plants and their environment, focusing on the mechanisms underlying plant physiological processes. Plasticity of plants to their ecological environment; topics include phytoremediation, plant stress responses, plant-symbiosis and plant-insect interactions. | ||
| PLNT 435 | Plant Breeding. | 3 |
Plant Breeding. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Principles and practices of plant breeding, including reproduction of crop plants; plant hybridization; sources of genetic variation; selection methods used for self- and cross-pollinated crops and for clonally reproduced crops; breeding for diseases and pest resistance; applications of biotechnology in plant breeding. | ||
Specialization
At least one specialization of 18-24 credits from:
Specializations designed to be taken with the Life Sciences (Biological and Agricultural) Major:
- Animal Biology
- Animal Health and Disease
- Life Sciences (Multidisciplinary)
- Microbiology and Molecular Biotechnology
Note: For a complete list of specializations offered for students in the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, please refer to "Browse Academic Units & Programs" > "Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) - B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)" > "Specializations" in this eCalendar.
Electives
To meet the minimum credit requirement for the degree.