Foundation Program (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) (45 credits)
Offered by: Agricultural & Env.Sc.-Dean (Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
(All majors except Agricultural Economics - see Advising Notes below1)
If you are entering university for the first time from a high school system, outside of the Quebec CEGEP system, you will be required to complete a Freshman/Foundation year of at least 30 credits as listed below.
Normally, students registered in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Freshman/Foundation Year program may take a maximum of 8 credits outside the Faculty offerings to meet the requirements of the program. Permission to exceed this limit must be received from the Associate Dean (Student Affairs) prior to registration.
Note: If you are not certain that you have adequate math and/or physics skills to commence the freshman/foundation year you may wish to take preparatory courses prior to the normal Fall semester. You are encouraged to discuss your potential need with your academic adviser. Mathematical skill level will be determined during the first week of classes. Your freshman/foundation year adviser may recommend that you register for an additional weekly Pre-Calculus Lab, of one credit, which may be applied towards the required credits of the degree program.
For information on academic advising, see: mcgill.ca/macdonald/studentinfo/advising
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 - Fall (14.5 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEBI 120 | General Biology. | 3 |
General Biology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An introduction to core themes in biological sciences, including cell structure and function, cell replication, gene expression, genetic inheritance, biodiversity, evolution, and ecological interactions. | ||
| AECH 110 | General Chemistry 1. | 4 |
General Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The course will be a study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, valence theory and the periodic table. | ||
| AEMA 101 | Calculus 1 with Precalculus. | 4 |
Calculus 1 with Precalculus. Terms offered: Fall 2025 A review of precalculus: functions, graphs,polynomials and rational functions, exponentialand logarithmic functions, and trigonometry.Limits, continuity, and derivatives. Differentiationof elementary functions. Anti-differentiation. Applications. | ||
| AEPH 112 | Introductory Physics 1. | 4 |
Introductory Physics 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Kinematics in one and two dimensions. Newton's laws of motion. Circular motion and orbits. Rotation of a rigid body. Momentum. Work and energy, power. Conservation principles. Simple harmonic motion. Waves and sound. | ||
| AGRI 195 | Freshman Seminar 1. | 0.5 |
Freshman Seminar 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Members of the Faculty and/or Student Services will present seminars on resources available to help students develop the requisite skills to facilitate their transition into university life. | ||
Required Courses - Winter (12.5 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AECH 111 | General Chemistry 2. | 4 |
General Chemistry 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Thermodynamics, kinetics, equilibrium, aqueous solution chemistry including applications to acids, bases and buffers and selected topics in organic chemistry. | ||
| AEMA 102 | Calculus 2. | 4 |
Calculus 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Integration, the indefinite and definite integral. Trapezoidal and Simpson's Rule approximations for the integral. Applications to areas between curves, distance, volume, length of a curve, work, area of a surface of revolution, average values, moments, etc. Improper integrals and infinite series. | ||
| AEPH 114 | Introductory Physics 2. | 4 |
Introductory Physics 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Electric and magnetic properties of matter: electrostatics, electric currents, the link between electric and magnetic phenomena, geometrical optics, interference diffraction. | ||
| AGRI 196 | Freshman Seminar 2. | 0.5 |
Freshman Seminar 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Members of the Faculty will present seminars on topical issues about their areas of research. | ||
Elective - Winter (3 credits)
B.Sc. (Ag. & Env. Sci.) - Agricultural Economics Major - Freshman/Foundation Year (30 cr.)
If you are entering university for the first time from a high school system, outside of the Quebec CEGEP system, you will be required to complete a Freshman/Foundation year of at least 30 credits as listed below.
Note: If you are not certain that you have adequate math and/or physics skills to commence the Freshman/Foundation year you may wish to take preparatory courses prior to the normal Fall semester. You are encouraged to discuss your potential need with your academic adviser. Mathematical skill level will be determined during the first week of classes. Your freshman/foundation year adviser may recommend that you register for an additional weekly Pre-calculus Lab, of one credit, which may be applied towards the required credits of the degree program.
For information on academic advising, see: http://www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/studentinfo/advising.
Required Courses - Fall (14 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AECH 110 | General Chemistry 1. | 4 |
General Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The course will be a study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, valence theory and the periodic table. | ||
| AEMA 101 | Calculus 1 with Precalculus. | 3 |
Calculus 1 with Precalculus. Terms offered: Fall 2025 A review of precalculus: functions, graphs,polynomials and rational functions, exponentialand logarithmic functions, and trigonometry.Limits, continuity, and derivatives. Differentiationof elementary functions. Anti-differentiation. Applications. | ||
| AEPH 112 | Introductory Physics 1. | 4 |
Introductory Physics 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Kinematics in one and two dimensions. Newton's laws of motion. Circular motion and orbits. Rotation of a rigid body. Momentum. Work and energy, power. Conservation principles. Simple harmonic motion. Waves and sound. | ||
| AGEC 200 | Principles of Microeconomics. 2 | 3 |
Principles of Microeconomics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The field of economics as it relates to the activities of individual consumers, firms and organizations. Emphasis is on the application of economic principles and concepts to everyday decision making and to the analysis of current economic issues. | ||
Required Courses - Winter (10 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEBI 122 | Cell Biology. | 3 |
Cell Biology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Introduction to key topics in cell biology, including chemical biology, cell membranes, enzymes in biological reactions, cellular energetics, cell signaling, DNA synthesis and repair, gene expression and regulatory mechanisms. Connections between cell biology and animal physiology. | ||
| 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 102 | Calculus 2. | 4 |
Calculus 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Integration, the indefinite and definite integral. Trapezoidal and Simpson's Rule approximations for the integral. Applications to areas between curves, distance, volume, length of a curve, work, area of a surface of revolution, average values, moments, etc. Improper integrals and infinite series. | ||
Complementary Courses - Winter (6 credits)
One of the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BREE 103 | Linear Algebra. | 3 |
Linear Algebra. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Systems of linear equations, matrices, inverses, determinants, geometric vectors in three dimensions, dot and cross product, lines and planes; introduction to vector spaces, linear (in)dependence, bases. lntroduction to computer-based mathematical tools. | ||
| NUTR 301 | Psychology. | 3 |
Psychology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the general characteristics of physical, social, emotional and intellectual development, the psychology of learning, and the growth and development of personality. | ||
One of the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGEC 201 | Principles of Macroeconomics. 2 | 3 |
Principles of Macroeconomics. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The overall economic system, how it works, and the instruments used to solve social problems. Emphasis will be on decision-making involving the entire economic system and segments of it. | ||
| AGEC 231 | Economic Systems of Agriculture. 2 | 3 |
Economic Systems of Agriculture. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The structure and organization of Canada's agriculture-food system, the operation, financing, linkages, and functions of its components. Focus to be on management of the various components and the entire system, types of problems confronted now and in the future. | ||
- 1
Freshman/Foundation Year students intending to major in Agricultural Economics in the B.Sc. (Ag. & Env. Sci.) degree program should note that the courses AEBI 120 General Biology., AECH 111 General Chemistry 2., and AEPH 114 Introductory Physics 2. are required for all other majors in the B.Sc. (Ag. & Env. Sci.) degree. Students who are uncertain about their choice of major should be completing the "regular" Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Freshman/ Foundation Year program; the AGEC 200 Principles of Microeconomics./AGEC 201 Principles of Macroeconomics. courses would then be taken as part of the "regular" U1 curriculum should they ultimately decide on the Agricultural Economics Major.
- 2
Freshman/Foundation Year students planning to choose the Agricultural Economics Major will still be required to complete 90 credits in the Major. Since AGEC 200 Principles of Microeconomics. and AGEC 201 Principles of Macroeconomics./AGEC 231 Economic Systems of Agriculture. are normally required in the U1 year of the program, students who take these courses in their freshman/foundation year will be required to substitute 6 other credits. Students should discuss suitable replacement courses with their adviser.