Foundation Year Program (B.A. & Sc.) (30 credits)
Offered by: Arts & Science Admin (Shared)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 30
Program Description
Students who need to complete 97-120 credits to fulfil their degree requirements are admitted to the Freshman/Foundation Year. Students with specific career goals should consult an academic adviser about their choice of program within the B.A. & Sc. However, students intending to pursue further studies following the B.A. & Sc. should refer to the admissions requirements of particular programs for the appropriate prerequisite courses.
Degree Requirements — B.A. & Sc. students
This program is offered as part of a Bachelor of Arts & Science (B.A. & Sc.) degree.
To graduate, students must satisfy both their program requirements and their degree requirements.
- The program requirements (i.e., the specific courses that make up this program) are listed under the Course Tab (above).
- The degree requirements—including the mandatory Foundation program, appropriate degree structure, and any additional components—are outlined on the Degree Requirements page.
Students are responsible for ensuring that this program fits within the overall structure of their degree and that all degree requirements are met. Consult the Degree Planning Guide on the SOUSA website for additional guidance.
Foundational Courses
The Freshman/Foundation Year requirements include foundational courses in both Science and Arts which must be selected as follows:
Math
At least two mathematics courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 139 | Calculus 1 with Precalculus. | 4 |
Calculus 1 with Precalculus. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Review of trigonometry and other Precalculus topics. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications. | ||
| MATH 140 | Calculus 1. | 3 |
Calculus 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications. | ||
| MATH 150 | Calculus A. | 4 |
Calculus A. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Functions, limits and continuity, differentiation, L'Hospital's rule, applications, Taylor polynomials, parametric curves, functions of several variables. | ||
At most one of a Second Calculus:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 141 | Calculus 2. | 4 |
Calculus 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series. | ||
| MATH 151 | Calculus B. | 4 |
Calculus B. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Integration, methods and applications, infinite sequences and series, power series, arc length and curvature, multiple integration. | ||
At most one of a Linear Algebra course:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 133 | Linear Algebra and Geometry. | 3 |
Linear Algebra and Geometry. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Systems of linear equations, matrices, inverses, determinants; geometric vectors in three dimensions, dot product, cross product, lines and planes; introduction to vector spaces, linear dependence and independence, bases. Linear transformations. Eigenvalues and diagonalization. | ||
Science
At least three foundational science courses:
Any number of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 111 | Principles: Organismal Biology. | 3 |
Principles: Organismal Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the phylogeny, structure, function and adaptation of unicellular organisms, plants and animals in the biosphere. | ||
| BIOL 112 | Cell and Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Cell and Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology. | ||
| CHEM 110 | General Chemistry 1. | 4 |
General Chemistry 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, radiation and nuclear chemistry, valence theory, coordination chemistry, and the periodic table. | ||
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry 2. 1 | 4 |
General Chemistry 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry. | ||
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Note: CHEM 120 General Chemistry 2. is not open to students who have taken CHEM 115 .
At most one of a First Physics:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 101 | Introductory Physics - Mechanics. | 4 |
Introductory Physics - Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course in physics without calculus, covering mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, energy, and rotational motion), oscillations and waves, sound, light, and wave optics. | ||
| PHYS 131 | Mechanics and Waves. | 4 |
Mechanics and Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations, waves, and wave optics. | ||
At most one of a Second Physics:
Note: PHYS 101 Introductory Physics - Mechanics. is a prerequisite for PHYS 102 Introductory Physics - Electromagnetism.; and PHYS 131 Mechanics and Waves. is a prerequisite for PHYS 142 Electromagnetism and Optics..
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 102 | Introductory Physics - Electromagnetism. | 4 |
Introductory Physics - Electromagnetism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Electric field and potential. D.C. circuits and measurements. Capacitance. Magnetic field and induction. Electromagnetic waves and geometrical optics. | ||
| PHYS 142 | Electromagnetism and Optics. | 4 |
Electromagnetism and Optics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws of electricity and magnetism; geometrical optics. | ||
At most two of another Foundational Science:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMP 202 | Foundations of Programming. 1 | 3 |
Foundations of Programming. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Introduction to computer programming in a high level language: variables, expressions, primitive types, methods, conditionals, loops. Introduction to algorithms, data structures (arrays, strings), modular software design, libraries, file input/output, debugging, exception handling. Selected topics. | ||
| ESYS 104 | The Earth System. | 3 |
The Earth System. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Earth system science examines the complex interactions among the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. It focuses on physical, chemical, and biological processes that extend over spatial scales ranging from microns to the size of planetary orbits, and spans time scales from fractions of a second to billions of years. | ||
| PSYC 100 | Introduction to Psychology. 1 | 3 |
Introduction to Psychology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the scientific study of mind and behavior, including basic concepts and methods in psychology while also highlighting the relevance of psychology to everyday life; attachment, aggression, depression, parenting and personality change. | ||
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Note: Students in a minor or major concentration where COMP 202 Foundations of Programming. or PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology. is a required course will need to take an alternative COMP or PSYC course if using COMP 202 Foundations of Programming. or PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology. to satisfy the Freshman/Foundation Year requirement.
Arts
At least three Arts courses (or 9 credits) to be chosen in two of the following three categories: Humanities, Languages, and Social Sciences.
A maximum of two courses (or 6 credits) may be chosen from one category, and no more than two courses (or 6 credits) can be taken in any one department.
Note: No course may fulfil the requirements for more than one program, including the B.A. & Sc. Freshman/Foundation Year.
Humanities (Literature and Civilization)
Courses selected from the following subjects:
- Art History and Communications Studies (ARTH and COMS)
- Classics (CLAS)
- East Asian Studies (EAST)
- English (ENGL)
- French Language and Literature (FREN)
- German Studies (GERM)
- Hispanic Studies (HISP)
- Islamic Studies (ISLA)
- Italian studies (ITAL)
- Jewish Studies (JWST)
- Music for Arts (MUAR only)
- Philosophy (PHIL)
- Religious Studies (RELG)
- Russian Studies (RUSS)
Languages
Courses may be taken in this category to improve language skills.
Languages include:
- Classics (Latin, Ancient Greek, Modern Greek) (CLAS)
- East Asian Studies (Chinese, Japanese, Korean) (EAST)
- English as a Second Language (CEAP, CESL)
- French as a Second Language (FRSL)
- French Language and Literature (FREN)
- German Studies (GERM)
- Hispanic Studies (Spanish) (HISP)
- Islamic Studies (Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu) (ISLA)
- Italian (ITAL)
- Jewish Studies (Hebrew, Yiddish) (JWST)
- Russian and Slavic Studies (Polish, Russian, Armenian, Czech) (RUSS)
Social Sciences
Courses selected from the following subjects:
- Anthropology (ANTH)
- Economics (ECON)
- History (HIST)
- Linguistics (LING)
- Political Science (POLI)
- Sociology (SOCI)
Advanced Standing/Transfer Credits
Students who have completed the Diploma of Collegial Studies, Advanced Placement exams, Advanced Levels, the International Baccalaureate, the French Baccalaureate, or McGill placement examinations may receive exemption and/or credit for all or part of the Mathematics and foundational science courses as well as exemption from all or part of the Arts courses requirement of the Freshman/Foundation Year. Similarly, students who have completed courses at other universities or colleges may receive exemptions and/or credits.
Advanced Placement Examination results with a score of 4 or 5 must be declared by the student at the time of initial registration at the University.
For more information about advanced standing, please consult: http://www.mcgill.ca/students/transfercredit/. Students must carefully select their mathematics and science Freshman/Foundation Year courses so that they have all the required prerequisites for their intended departmental programs.