Overview of Programs Offered

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Degrees Offered

The Faculty of Arts offers programs leading to B.A., B.S.W, and B.Th. degrees. Admission is competitive; fulfilment of the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Admission criteria are described in the Undergraduate Admissions Guide.

The Faculty of Arts also offers a Diploma in Environment from the Bieler School of Environment; a 30-credit program is available to holders of a B.Sc. or B.A. or equivalent. All credits for the Diploma must be completed at McGill.

The Faculties of Arts and of Science jointly offer programs leading to the degree of the Bachelor of Arts and Science (B.A. & Sc.), which is described in Bachelor of Arts and Science.

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree integrates the Humanities, Social Sciences, Languages and Literatures, and a wide range of Interdisciplinary Studies into a coherent academic program. It is as broad and comprehensive in scope as is human behaviour and communication. Students interested in gaining insight into how society worked and how people expressed themselves in the past, how society works and how people express themselves today, and what we may look for in the future, pursue a B.A. degree.

Students interested in the traditional and the avant-garde studies are equally at home in the Faculty of Arts. The B.A. degree allows students to appreciate the interdisciplinary connections with the past in order to understand the present and to prepare for a promising future. A McGill B.A. leads to a wide range of opportunities in many fields, especially those that emphasize critical thinking.

The Faculty of Arts at McGill is especially proud of its major and minor concentration programs known as the multi-track system. The multi-track system encourages flexibility, independence, and knowledge in a diversity of disciplines. It provides students with an unprecedented opportunity to tailor a unique academic profile suited to their specific interests and career ambitions. Students also have the option of doing minor concentrations in other faculties. 
For new students as of Fall 2025: you must complete at least one Faculty of Arts program — as part of your Multi-Track, Honours or Joint-Honours requirements — to graduate with a B.A. degree. 

The Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), an undergraduate program of professional studies, is offered through the School of Social Work. In addition to the standard three-year B.S.W. program, the School offers a two-year program for students who already have an undergraduate degree in another discipline.

The B.S.W. program is designed to provide an academic environment in which students will develop: integrated social work knowledge pertaining to its history, theoretical foundations, and research base; practice modalities and policies that influence the delivery of health and social services; professional skills in the well-established methods of practice; an understanding of social policy in Canada; an awareness of the various dimensions of diversity and how they intersect in an increasingly heterogeneous society; and a sense of identity with the profession of social work.

The Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) degree is offered through the School of Religious Studies. The B.Th. program is designed primarily for those who intend to qualify for the ordained ministry in a Christian denomination, although some students pursue the degree out of an interest in the academic study of theology for its own sake, or with a view to combining these studies with proficiency gained in other disciplines.

The Bachelor of Arts & Science (B.A. & Sc.) is an interdisciplinary degree intended for students who want to pursue simultaneously a program offered by the Faculty of Arts and one offered by the Faculty of Science, or a program offered jointly by both faculties.

The central objective of the B.A. & Sc. is to provide students with a broad education that includes in-depth study of disciplines in both faculties. The degree gives students a unique opportunity to achieve a diverse knowledge base, to gain competence in different methods of scholarship, to hone intellectual flexibility, and to integrate material across disciplines.

By choosing their programs appropriately, students who obtain a B.A. & Sc. are well prepared to pursue employment or postgraduate studies, in a wide variety of fields. The varied intellectual skills they have developed render them extremely attractive candidates for potential employers, for professional programs in fields such as business, law, and medicine, and for graduate programs in traditional and interdisciplinary departments. Please refer to the Bachelor of Arts and Science section for further information.

Programs Offered

Please note that some programs listed below are administered by academic units outside the Faculty of Arts. While it is generally sufficient to consult academic advisors from the OASIS, there are cases where consultation with the outside unit's advisors is required.

Students who decide to enroll in these programs must consult advisors from both the Faculty of Arts and the administering faculty to ensure they meet all requirements. Additionally, students must adhere to the registration procedures and fulfill any additional requirements set by the faculty administering the program.
Please note that the following programs flagged with two asterisks (**) are located in other faculties.

Honours Programs

Joint Honours Programs

There are two types of joint honours programs available in the Faculty of Arts:

  1. fully-integrated programs, such as Mathematics and Computer Science;
  2. programs that are created by combining the joint honours program components from two Arts disciplines. Students must register for both joint honours program components. Joint honours students should consult an advisor in each department to discuss their course selection and their interdisciplinary research project (if applicable).

Students can choose one fully-integrated program, or combine joint honours components from any two of the following disciplines:

Major Concentrations

Minor Concentrations

Faculty Programs

B.A. Faculty Program in Environment: This interdisciplinary program is offered in collaboration with the Bieler School of Environment. It integrates courses from multiple faculties, including Arts, Science, and Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. For detailed information on program structure, available concentrations, and course descriptions, visit Bieler School of Environment > Browse Academic Programs > B.A. Faculty Program in Environment in this publication.

Other Degree Programs

The following programs are offered by schools within the Faculty of Arts. These programs involve their own admission requirements and application procedures; interested candidates should contact the respective school for further information:

Certificate Programs

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