Ecological Agriculture Minor (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) (24 credits)
Offered by: Agricultural Economics (Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Program credit weight: 24
Program Description
The Minor Ecological Agriculture is designed to focus on the principles underlying the practice of ecological agriculture and is suitable for students wishing to farm and do extension and government work, and those intending to pursue postgraduate studies in this field.
This Minor can be associated with existing major programs in the Faculty, but in some instances it may require more than 90 credits to meet the requirements of both the Major and the Minor.
Students are advised, during the U1 year, to consult their Major program adviser and the Academic Adviser of the Minor. At the time of registration for the U2 year, students must declare their intent to obtain the Minor. With the agreement of their Major program adviser they must submit their program of courses already taken, and to be taken, to the Academic Adviser of the Minor. The Academic Adviser of the Minor will then certify which courses the student will apply toward the Minor and confirm that the student's program conforms with its requirements.
For information on academic advising, see: https://www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/studentinfo/advising
General Regulations
To obtain a Minor in Ecological Agriculture, students must:
- Ensure that their academic record at the University includes a C grade or higher in the courses as specified in the course requirements given below.
- Offer a minimum total of 24 credits from the courses as given below, of which not more than 6 credits may be counted for both the Major and the Minor programs. This restriction does not apply to elective courses in the Major program.
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 (12 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGEC 430 | Agriculture, Food and Resource Policy. | 3 |
Agriculture, Food and Resource Policy. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Examination of North American and international agriculture, food and resource policies, policy instruments, programs and their implications. Economic analysis applied to the principles, procedures and objectives of various policy actions affecting agriculture, and the environment. | ||
| AGRI 215 | Agro-Ecosystems Field Course. | 3 |
Agro-Ecosystems Field Course. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Through case studies and field trips, students will examine the problems and constraints within the Canadian agro-ecosystem, including the interrelationships among food production, the environment, agricultural policy and social issues. Research in this field of study will also be introduced. | ||
| AGRI 340 | Principles of Ecological Agriculture. | 3 |
Principles of Ecological Agriculture. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Focus on low-input, sustainable, and organic agriculture: the farm as an ecosystem; complex system theory; practical examples of soil management, pest control, integrated crop and livestock production, and marketing systems. | ||
| SOIL 535 | Soil Ecology. | 3 |
Soil Ecology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Exploration of the unique soil habitat for organisms with a focus on the variables that affect the abundance, diversity and interactions of soil biota and, in turn, their influence on soil physicochemical properties, biogeochemical cycles and other factors impacting ecosystem sustainability. Topics include survey of soil fauna, soil food webs, microbial ecology, biological carbon and nitrogen cycling, plant-soil interactions, and the effects of human activities and management on soil ecology, including synthesizing concepts and a critical analysis and interpretation of primary scientific literature in soil ecology. | ||
Complementary Courses (12 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AGRI 310 | Internship in Agriculture/Environment. | 3 |
Internship in Agriculture/Environment. Terms offered: Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Internship on working farms or in other appropriate businesses of the agri-food/environment industries. | ||
| AGRI 411 | Global Issues on Development, Food and Agriculture. | 3 |
Global Issues on Development, Food and Agriculture. Terms offered: Winter 2026 International development and world food security and challenges in developing countries. Soil and water management, climate change, demographic issues, plant and animal resources conservation, bio-products and biofuels, economic and environmental issues specially in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Globalization, sustainable development, technology transfer and human resources needs for rural development. | ||
| 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. | ||
| BREE 327 | Bio-Environmental Engineering. | 3 |
Bio-Environmental Engineering. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An introduction to how humans affect the earth's ecosystem and projections for the needs of food, water, air and energy to support the human population. Ecologically-reasonable coping strategies including biofuels, bioprocessing, waste management, and remediation methods. | ||
| ENTO 352 | Biocontrol of Pest Insects. | 3 |
Biocontrol of Pest Insects. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Modern concepts of integrated control techniques and principles of insect pest management, with emphasis on biological control (use of predators, parasites and pathogens against pest insects), population monitoring, and manipulation of environmental, behavioral and physiological factors in the pest's way of life. Physical, cultural, and genetic controls and an introduction to the use of non-toxic biochemical controls (attractants, repellents, pheromones, antimetabolites). | ||
| 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. | ||
| NUTR 341 | Global Food Security. | 3 |
Global Food Security. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Food insecurity is one of the most critical issues humanity has faced in history. The magnitude of this phenomenon, reflected in its worldwide presence and in the number of individuals affected, makes it an imperative component of all nations' and of all internaltional agencies' agendas. Its complexity of determinants and its numerous consequences require the involvement of multipe disciplines and sectors. McGill undergraduate students as future professionals tackling global issues require an integrated and multidisciplinary training on food security. | ||
| PLNT 302 | Forage Crops and Pastures. | 3 |
Forage Crops and Pastures. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Ecology, management, and physiology of forage crops with emphasis on establishment, growth, maintenance, harvesting, and preservation; value as livestock feed in terms of nutritional composition and role in environmental conservation. | ||
| PLNT 307 | Agroecology of Vegetables and Fruits. | 3 |
Agroecology of Vegetables and Fruits. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Application of ecological concepts and principles to the design and management of selected vegetable and fruit agroecosystems. Includes selection of varieties and management from seedling to harvest to storage. | ||
| PLNT 312 | Urban Horticulture. | 3 |
Urban Horticulture. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Selection, use and care of plants in urban environments for the benefit of urban populations: landscape design, turf and green space management, urban trees, green roofs and walls, design and management of community gardens, urban agriculture. | ||
| PLNT 434 | Weed Biology and Control. | 3 |
Weed Biology and Control. Terms offered: Winter 2026 A study of the biology of undesirable vegetation as related to the principles of prevention and physical, biological, managerial and chemical control. Emphasis on the environmental impact of the different methods of weed control. | ||
| PLNT 460 | Plant Ecology. | 3 |
Plant Ecology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Theory and practice of plant ecology with an emphasis on the interaction between patterns and ecological processes and the dynamics, conservation and management of plant populations and communities over a range of temporal and spatial scales. | ||
| WOOD 441 | Integrated Forest Management. | 3 |
Integrated Forest Management. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The study of silviculture and silvics and their application to forest management to sustain the production of wood and other ecological goods and services such as wildlife, water and landscape in natural forests and rural environments (agroforestry). Acquisition of practical skills in forest surveying and computer simulation of forest growth. | ||