Advising

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Degree Advising and SOUSA

The Science Office for Undergraduate Student Advising (SOUSA) is the office that houses the B.A. & Sc's degree advisor, Tania Raggo. Degree advisors are experts in University and Faculty regulations and the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts & Science degree.

The B.A. & Sc. advisor and the SOUSA team provide assistance with degree planning and are a valuable referral source if you are not sure where to address your question. They also offer help managing academic situations during periods of personal, financial, or medical problems, by working with students to identify various possibilities and strategies for making informed decisions. Students can contact their advisor directly or email SOUSA at advisor.science@mcgill.ca.

Speak with SOUSA or your degree advisor if you have questions about:

  • Foundation Program
  • Degree planning
  • Degree requirements
  • University and Faculty regulations
  • Study away/exchange
  • Final exam issues (e.g. implications of deferring an exam)
  • Inter-Faculty transfers
  • Readmission

Special requests can be made in writing to the Associate Dean, Student Affairs (Science), who is responsible for students pursuing a B.A. & Sc. degree.

The Committee on Student Standing (CSS) of the Faculty of Science will consider appeals of the Associate Dean (Student Affairs), Science's decisions. For information about CSS, see the assistant for Associate Dean (Student Affairs), Science.

Program Advising

Program advisors, located in their respective departments (e.g. Biology or Geography), are experts in the requirements of their department's courses and programs. Each major, minor, interfaculty, and honours program at McGill has a program advisor.

Program advisors are not assigned.

Speak with a program advisor if you have questions about:

  • Program requirements (majors, minors, etc.)
  • Courses offered in their department/unit
  • Course registration issues (e.g., requesting permission to register for a course that is full or has restrictions)
  • Careers in a specific field of study
  • Getting the most out of a program
  • Graduate school in their field
  • Research

Choosing a B.A. & Sc. Program

B.A. & Sc. students are required to select programs following one of the four available program streams.

To learn more about the available programs, students should consult the Overview of Programs Offered and the program information on the B.A. & Sc. website.

Preparation for Graduate School

Any choice of undergraduate degree and program constrains options for graduate school. The B.A. & Sc. degree provides good preparation for graduate degrees in integrated disciplines such as Cognitive or Environmental Science as well as in the Sustainability, Science and Society program. Depending on the Arts or Science specific program that students want to enter in graduate school, the B.A. & Sc. may or may not be adequate preparation. If students intend to pursue an arts or science-specific program at the graduate level, they should consult academic advisors in that discipline at McGill and at universities where they intend to apply in order to find out whether the B.A. & Sc. will prepare them adequately. If students are considering continuing on in a specific science graduate program, they should examine the difference between the preparation provided by the 36-credit major concentrations in the B.A. & Sc. program versus the significantly more specialized major and honours programs offered in the B.Sc. programs.

First Year Advising

The B.A. & Sc. is a 120-credit degree that includes a mandatory Foundation Program, which provides a common academic base. However, students may receive advanced standing and be exempt from some or all of the Foundation requirements depending on their pre-McGill studies (e.g. CEGEP Diploma of Collegial Studies in Science, IB, A-Levels, APs, French Baccalaureate). Students must ensure they meet the Foundation Program requirements, regardless of the number of Advanced Standing credits they have received.

Students entering U1 (who need 96 or fewer credits to complete their degree requirements), will choose (i.e., declare) their intended programs of study when registration opens. As such, they should consult a program advisor in their proposed department(s) of study to obtain guidance on their course selection (please see Departmental Programs). To facilitate degree planning and ensure they have fulfilled all Foundation Program requirements, they are also encouraged to contact their degree advisor before finalizing their first year course selection. 

Students entering U0 (who need 97–120 credits to complete their degree requirements), will normally be registered in the Foundation Program until they complete their first year. Students must consult their degree advisor for guidance on their course selection.

For a detailed description of advising and registration procedures, refer to:

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