Secondary Science and Technology (B.Ed.) (120 credits)
Offered by: Integrated Studies in Ed (Faculty of Education)
Degree: Bachelor of Education
Program credit weight: 120 credits
Program Description
The Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) - Secondary Science and Technology program requires 120 credits and leads to teacher certification. Students who have not completed Quebec CEGEP, French Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate, or at least one year of university studies prior to commencing the B.Ed. must also complete a minimum of 30 credits of Freshman courses (in addition to the 120 credits for the program) for a total of 150 credits.
The aim of the B.Ed. Secondary Education program is to prepare strong beginning teachers for the secondary school level. This integrated program consists of courses in Education (including field experiences) and courses in the subject area of the teaching specialization. Students also take 6 credits of free electives. For all teacher education programs, course sequencing is highly structured. For this reason, the advising information in this Course Catalogue section must be used in conjunction with the summary companion document (Program Overview) found at http://www.mcgill.ca/dise/progs/secscitech.
The Secondary Science and Technology program provides students with the subject matter expertise in the Living World, Earth and Space, the Material World, and the Technological World needed to teach the secondary science curriculum in Quebec schools.
Please note that graduates of teacher education programs are recommended by the University to the Quebec Ministry of Education for Quebec teacher certification. For more information about teacher certification in Quebec, please refer to the Faculty of Education section under "Overview of Faculty Programs," "Undergraduate Education Programs," and "Quebec Teacher Certification."
Note: Students entering this program from CEGEP or with Advanced Standing should have completed two biology courses, two chemistry courses, two math courses and two physics courses at the CEGEP level. Students entering from CEGEP without having completed these prerequisites (or their equivalents) will be required to make up any deficiencies in these courses over and above the degree requirements.
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.
Freshman Program - Basic Sciences
Freshmen in the Science and Technology program must complete the 29 to 30 credits of Basic Science courses listed below in their first year of studies.
Fall Term
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| or MATH 140 | Calculus 1. | |
Calculus 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications. | ||
| or MATH 150 | Calculus A. | |
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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| or PHYS 131 | Mechanics and Waves. | |
Mechanics and Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations, waves, and wave optics. | ||
Winter term
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 120 | General Chemistry 2. | 4 |
General Chemistry 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry. | ||
| MATH 141 | Calculus 2. | 4 |
Calculus 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series. | ||
| or MATH 151 | Calculus B. | |
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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| or PHYS 142 | Electromagnetism and Optics. | |
Electromagnetism and Optics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws of electricity and magnetism; geometrical optics. | ||
Students should consult a program adviser for guidance on which Fall and Winter term Math and Physics courses should be taken. Course choices depend on a student's background in science and plans for upper-level Physics courses.
| 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. | 4 |
General Chemistry 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry. | ||
| 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 141 | Calculus 2. | 4 |
Calculus 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 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 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 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
Freshman Program - Complementary
For Freshman students with Advanced Standing in one or more of the basic sciences, the Faculty also recommends some of the courses listed below. French Second Language (FRSL) courses require a placement test to determine the course level.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEM 220 | Contemporary Issues in Education. | 3 |
Contemporary Issues in Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to contemporary issues in education in local, national and international contexts, including a critical perspective on educational issues by drawing on a variety of analytical frameworks. | ||
| FRSL 101 | Beginners French 1. | 3 |
Beginners French 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A comprehensive introduction to basic vocabulary, grammatical structures and speech patterns of written and oral French for students in any degree program having no previous knowledge of French. Learning to communicate at a functional level in a French-speaking environment. Short essays, cultural readings, mandatory lab practice. | ||
| FRSL 102 | Beginners French 2. | 3 |
Beginners French 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A comprehensive introduction to basic vocabulary, grammatical structures and speech patterns of written and oral French for students in any degree program having no previous knowledge of French. Learning to communicate at a functional level in a French-speaking environment. Short essays, cultural readings, mandatory lab practice. | ||
| FRSL 207D1 | Elementary French 01. | 3 |
Elementary French 01. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This two-term course uses a task-based approach to provide students with authentic materials related to Canadian culture and prepares them for real life communication. Therefore, class time will be mostly dedicated to the completion of communicative tasks which often rely on the use of technology (mobile apps, blogs and other online tools). This course tackles different topics that students can relate to in their personal, social and academic life, and provides a review and further training in elementary language structures to develop their communication skills and digital literacy in French. | ||
| FRSL 207D2 | Elementary French 01. | 3 |
Elementary French 01. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See FRSL 207D1 for course description. | ||
| FRSL 211D1 | Oral and Written French 1. | 3 |
Oral and Written French 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Language lab attendance required. Grammar review, comprehension, vocabulary development, selected readings and group discussions. | ||
| FRSL 211D2 | Oral and Written French 1. | 3 |
Oral and Written French 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See FRSL 211D1 for course description. | ||
| WCOM 250 | Research Essay and Rhetoric. | 3 |
Research Essay and Rhetoric. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Academic research-based writing across the disciplines. Article summary, critical analysis, rhetorical strategies, citation and paraphrase of academic sources, and editing for cohesion and clarity. | ||
Required Courses (60 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 201 | First Year Professional Seminar. | 1 |
First Year Professional Seminar. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Orientation to the culture and community of school and to teaching as a profession. Focus on the general functioning of schools and complexity of the teacher role. Competencies and working professional portfolios will be addressed. | ||
| EDEC 215 | English Exam for Teacher Certification. | 0 |
English Exam for Teacher Certification. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The English Exam for Teacher Certification (EETC) is a Quebec Ministry of Education-required component of the B.Ed. degree. The exam is coordinated by an independent organization, the Centre for the English Exam for Teacher Certification (CEETC). Consists of a 2-hour exam designed to assess teacher candidates' competency in the language of instruction. Must be completed before the 3rd Field Experience. Students must register for EDEC 215 and register for the EETC on the CEETC website. Students who do not pass after four attempts require permission from the Internships Student Affairs Office to re-take the exam. | ||
| EDEC 233 | Indigenous Education. | 3 |
Indigenous Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An exploration of Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy, primarily in Canada but also world-wide. Consideration of the diverse social, cultural, linguistic, political, and pedagogical histories of Indigenous communities. Examines how a teacher's professional identity and practice can be influenced by an understanding of Indigenous knowledge and worldviews. | ||
| EDEC 247 | Policy Issues in Quebec and Indigenous Education. | 3 |
Policy Issues in Quebec and Indigenous Education. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The organization of Quebec education, including Indigenous education, from historical, political, social, cultural and legal perspectives. The implications and contributions of policy decisions to schools, students, and families. | ||
| EDEC 254 | Second Professional Seminar (Secondary). | 1 |
Second Professional Seminar (Secondary). Terms offered: Summer 2025 Preparation for the second field experience through development of basic practices in planning and teaching in secondary school classrooms. Competencies and professional portfolio will be addressed. | ||
| EDEC 260 | Philosophical Foundations. | 3 |
Philosophical Foundations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ideas essential for the development of a coherent educational theory and sound professional practice. Reflections on: the nature of the person, of reality, of knowledge, and of value; the aims of education, the nature of the school and the curriculum, the roles and responsibilities of professional educators. | ||
| EDEC 262 | Media, Technology and Education. | 3 |
Media, Technology and Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Orientation to the equipment and systems of educational technology. Examination of theories of educational technology, media education and technology education and the exploration and development of possible applications in school settings. | ||
| EDEC 351 | Third Professional Seminar (Secondary). | 2 |
Third Professional Seminar (Secondary). Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Professional portfolios and competencies will be addressed. Preparation for the third field experience through engaging in the full spectrum of unit/lesson planning, critical analysis and self-reflection. Professional portfolios and competencies will be addressed. | ||
| EDEC 404 | Fourth Year Professional Seminar (Sec). | 3 |
Fourth Year Professional Seminar (Sec). Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Preparation for the final field experience and entry into the teaching profession. Emphasis will be placed on developing the ability to demonstrate ethical and responsible professional behaviour in the performance of duties across all professional competencies. Final transition to showcase working professional portfolios will be addressed. | ||
| EDES 335 | Teaching Secondary Science 1. | 3 |
Teaching Secondary Science 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the philosophy and curriculum principles behind modern high school courses in the physical and life sciences, especially related to the Quebec context. An examination of teaching methods for junior and senior high school science. | ||
| EDES 350 | Classroom Practices. | 3 |
Classroom Practices. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Competency-based discipline skills and methods of classroom management, emphasizing the relationship between theory and practice; the rationale for various approaches to classroom management; strategies for developing instruction that focus attention and reduce off-task behaviour. | ||
| EDES 435 | Teaching Secondary Science 2. | 3 |
Teaching Secondary Science 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles and procedures for implementation of the general science curriculum in the secondary schools of Québec. A survey of teaching methods and laboratory management appropriate to the junior and senior high school level. | ||
| EDFE 200 | First Field Experience (K/Elem and Secondary). | 2 |
First Field Experience (K/Elem and Secondary). Terms offered: Summer 2025 Students are assigned to a school for a "participant observer" field experience. Students are expected to apprise themselves of Field Experience dates, duration and responsibilities as outlined on the Internships Student Affairs website at http://www.mcgill.ca/isa. | ||
| EDFE 254 | Second Field Experience (Secondary). | 3 |
Second Field Experience (Secondary). Terms offered: Summer 2025 Supervised student teaching. Students are expected to apprise themselves of Field Experience dates, duration and responsibilities as outlined on the Internships and Student Affairs website at www.mcgill.ca/isa. | ||
| EDFE 351 | Third Field Experience (Secondary). | 8 |
Third Field Experience (Secondary). Terms offered: Fall 2025 Supervised student teaching in a school. Students are expected to apprise themselves of Field Experience, dates, duration and responsibilities as outlined on the Internships Student Affairs Office website http://www.mcgill.ca/isa. | ||
| EDFE 451 | Fourth Field Experience (Secondary). | 7 |
Fourth Field Experience (Secondary). Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Supervised student teaching in a school. Students will be expected to assume a much increased responsibility for student learning, classroom management, and evaluation. Students are expected to apprise themselves of Field Experience dates, duration and responsibilities as outlined on the Internships and Student Affairs website at www.mcgill.ca/isa. | ||
| EDPE 300 | Educational Psychology. | 3 |
Educational Psychology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected theories, models, and concepts relevant to planning and reflecting upon educational practice and improvement. Overview of development, learning, thinking, motivation, individual difference, etc. In relation to applications in classroom teaching and learning, the complementary role of counsellors and psychologists, educational computing and technology. The Youth Protection Act. | ||
| EDPE 304 | Measurement and Evaluation. | 3 |
Measurement and Evaluation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The purposes of examinations. Causes of complaints about examinations. Equalizing means and dispersions in distribution of marks. Standardized scores. The percentile system. Essay and objective-type examinations. Taxonomies of educational objectives. Validity and reliability: item analysis. | ||
| EDPI 309 | Diverse Learners. | 3 |
Diverse Learners. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Inclusion debates; review of the evolution of the history of inclusive education; models of development ( eco-systemic models); characteristics, teaching practices; teachers' roles in inclusive classrooms. Overview of characteristics, causes, needs, and teaching strategies for diverse and exceptional students, teaching and learning for differences in intellectual, emotional, behavioural, sensory, physical and learning domains found in effective inclusive classrooms. Working with families. | ||
| EDPI 341 | Instruction in Inclusive Schools. | 3 |
Instruction in Inclusive Schools. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Developing, planning, implementing and evaluating effective learning programs for diverse learners, and consideration of their more general applicability. Adapting curriculum and instruction for learners with varying abilities, learning styles, and needs. Collaboration with students, families, and other educators (or stakeholders) in the instructional process. Application of adaptations at the classroom and school level for all students in inclusive schools. | ||
Complementary Courses (3 credits)
3 credits selected as described below:
Equity Education
3 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 248 | Equity and Education. | 3 |
Equity and Education. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to and exploration of contemporary issues and theories about equity in education and society in Quebec/Canada from a range of perspectives, including the historical, political, social, and economic. Provides learning opportunities for future educators to critically reflect upon and engage with equity issues and concerns in relation to schooling, including the exploration of classroom resources and activities that foster anti-racism, anti-oppression and intercultural approaches. | ||
| EDEC 249 | Global Education and Social Justice. | 3 |
Global Education and Social Justice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A cross-curricular, interdisciplinary approach to teaching/creating learning experiences for students. It will foster critical thinking and nurture lifelong global understanding, active engagement and participation in relation to questions of social, economic, and environmental justice, by infusing these issues in the classroom. | ||
Secondary Science and Technology (51 credits)
51 credits in designated science courses selected to provide subject matter expertise in the four areas of:
the Material World
- Earth and Space
- the Living World
- the Technological World
All students need to plan their course selections with attention to the prerequisites.
Required Courses (15 credits)
3 credits of Statistics:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 203 | Principles of Statistics 1. | 3 |
Principles of Statistics 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Examples of statistical data and the use of graphical means to summarize the data. Basic distributions arising in the natural and behavioural sciences. The logical meaning of a test of significance and a confidence interval. Tests of significance and confidence intervals in the one and two sample setting (means, variances and proportions). | ||
3 credits of History of Science:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDTL 520 | Perspectives on Knowledge in Mathematics and Science. | 3 |
Perspectives on Knowledge in Mathematics and Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A variety of perspectives on construction of knowledge in mathematics and science and how the products of scientific and mathematical practices are shaped by broader social, cultural, and political forces. | ||
3 credits of the Material World:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 281 | Inorganic Chemistry 1. | 3 |
Inorganic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic concepts of electronic structure and molecular bonding will be developed and applied to the understanding of common materials. Acid-base chemistry. Survey of the chemistry of the main group elements. Introduction to coordination and organometallic chemistry. | ||
3 credits of the Living World:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 206 | Methods in Biology. | 3 |
Methods in Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to modern methods used in organismal biology, including ecological sampling, experimental methods and statistics. Particular emphasis is on ways of thinking about the design of sampling programs and the analyses of data to test hypotheses using observational or experimental data. | ||
3 credits of the Technological World:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDTL 525 | Teaching Science and Technology. | 3 |
Teaching Science and Technology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will build prospective teachersâ•Ž pedagogical knowledge and practices to teach principles of engineering and technical design, analysis of technical objects, and problem-based learning approaches to solve developmentally appropriate problems. Application of scientific concepts to technological solutions will also be emphasized to effectively integrate science and technology education. | ||
Core Complementary Courses (10 credits)
The Living World
3 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 200 | Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The physical and chemical properties of the cell and its components in relation to their structure and function. Topics include: protein structure, enzymes and enzyme kinetics; nucleic acid replication, transcription and translation; the genetic code, mutation, recombination, and regulation of gene expression. | ||
| LSCI 202 | Molecular Cell Biology. | 3 |
Molecular Cell Biology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Organization and function of intracellular organelles in eukaryotic cells. Mechanisms of membrane transport. Protein sorting and vesicular transport. Cytoskeleton. DNA and chromosome structure. DNA replication. Mechanisms of RNA and protein synthesis. Control of gene expression. Cell cycle and the control of cell division. Mechanisms of cell communication and signal transduction. Apoptosis. Neuronal signaling. | ||
The Material World
3 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 203 | Survey of Physical Chemistry. | 3 |
Survey of Physical Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The fundamentals of thermodynamics and chemical kinetics with applications to biomolecular systems. Thermodynamic and kinetic control of biological processes. | ||
| CHEM 213 | Introductory Physical Chemistry 1: Thermodynamics. | 3 |
Introductory Physical Chemistry 1: Thermodynamics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Thermodynamics. Topics include gas laws, kinetic theory of collisions, heat capacity, enthalpy, thermochemistry, bond energies, the entropy and free energy functions, absolute entropies, Maxwell relations and chemical and thermodynamic equilibrium states, phase rule and phase diagrams, ideal solutions, colligative properties, solubility, electrochemistry, Debye-Hückel Theory. | ||
4 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 212 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A fundamental study of aliphatic compounds and saturated functional groups including modern concepts of bonding, reaction mechanisms, conformational analysis, spectroscopy, and stereochemistry. | ||
| CHEM 232 | Organic Chemistry Principles. | 4 |
Organic Chemistry Principles. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A consideration of basic principals of the atom including body imaging techniques followed by a general summary of organic chemistry, its application to biological processes and everyday life, including principles of bonding, structure and stereochemistry. Some physical chemistry will be given as it relates to the properties of air and breathing. | ||
Complementary Courses (26 credits)
At least 9 of the 26 credits must be taken at the 300 level or above, distributed as follows:
- 3 to 15 credits from the Living World complementary list;
- 3 to 18 credits from Earth and Space complementary list;
- 3 to 18 credits from Earth and Space - Environment complementary list;
- 0 to 15 credits from the Material World complementary list;
- 3 to 12 credits from the Technological World complementary list.
Living World
Students select a minimum of 3 credits to a maximum of 15 credits from the following lists:
Cell and Molecular Biology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 201 | Cell Biology and Metabolism. | 3 |
Cell Biology and Metabolism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course introduces the student to our modern understanding of cells and how they work. Major topics to be covered include: photosynthesis, energy metabolism and metabolic integration; plasma membrane including secretion, endocytosis and contact mediated interactions between cells; cytoskeleton including cell and organelle movement; the nervous system; hormone signaling; the cell cycle. | ||
| BIOL 202 | Basic Genetics. | 3 |
Basic Genetics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to basic principles, and to modern advances, problems and applications in the genetics of higher and lower organisms with examples representative of the biological sciences. | ||
| BIOL 300 | Molecular Biology of the Gene. | 3 |
Molecular Biology of the Gene. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of current knowledge and approaches in the area of regulation of gene expression, post-transcriptional control of gene expression, and signal transduction. | ||
| BIOL 301 | Cell and Molecular Laboratory. | 4 |
Cell and Molecular Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to biology research and communication with a focus on cell and molecular biology. Through conducting a series of project-based experiments and writing a final report, molecular and synthetic biology techniques such as gene cloning, manipulation, protein isolation and characterization and how research is conducted, analyzed and communicated will be addressed. In addition, an introduction to bioinformatics methods and their role in analysis will be provided. | ||
| BIOL 313 | Eukaryotic Cell Biology. | 3 |
Eukaryotic Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth examination of the structure and function of eukaryotic cells, with an emphasis on experimental design and interpretation. Examination of the molecular mechanisms of various cellular processes, including protein homeostasis, intracellular transport, cytoskeletal dynamics, multicellular organization and cell proliferation. | ||
Human and Organismal Biology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 205 | Functional Biology of Plants and Animals. | 3 |
Functional Biology of Plants and Animals. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Unified view of form and function in animals and plants. Focus on how the laws of chemistry and physics illuminate biological processes relating to the acquisition of energy and materials and their use in movement, growth, development, reproduction and responses to environmental stress. | ||
| EDKP 292 | Nutrition and Wellness. | 3 |
Nutrition and Wellness. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will examine the role of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water in a balanced diet. Students will be introduced to the affects of nutrition on exercise, sport performance and wellness. The validity of claims concerning nutrient supplements will be studied. | ||
| EDKP 395 | Exercise Physiology. | 3 |
Exercise Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of the physiological responses of the neuromuscular, metabolic, endocrine, and circulatory and respiratory systems to acute and chronic exercise. | ||
| NUTR 207 | Nutrition and Health. | 3 |
Nutrition and Health. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Provides students who have a basic biology/chemistry background with the fundamental information on how macronutrients, vitamins and minerals are metabolized in the body, followed by application to evaluate current issues of maximizing health and disease prevention at different stages of the lifecycle. | ||
| NUTR 307 | Metabolism and Human Nutrition. | 3 |
Metabolism and Human Nutrition. Terms offered: Fall 2025 This course looks at the importance of nutrition from the molecular to the organismal levels in human health and disease. The focus will be on the significance of nutrients in regulating metabolism, and impact of genotype in the metabolism of nutrients. | ||
| PHGY 209 | Mammalian Physiology 1. | 3 |
Mammalian Physiology 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology of body fluids, blood, body defense mechanisms, muscle, peripheral, central, and autonomic nervous systems. | ||
| PHGY 210 | Mammalian Physiology 2. | 3 |
Mammalian Physiology 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology of cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, endocrine and renal systems. | ||
Populations, Ecosystems, and Evolution
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 215 | Introduction to Ecology and Evolution. | 3 |
Introduction to Ecology and Evolution. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the fundamental processes of ecology and evolution that bear on the nature and diversity of organisms and the processes that govern their assembly into ecological communities and their roles in ecosystem function. | ||
| BIOL 240 | Monteregian Flora. | 3 |
Monteregian Flora. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Field studies of ferns, fern allies, conifers and flowering plants; the use of keys for plant identification. | ||
| BIOL 304 | Evolution. | 3 |
Evolution. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A comprehensive introduction to evolutionary biology. It covers both short-term and long-term evolutionary processes. Topics include the history of life, the origin of species, adaptation, natural selection and sexual selection. | ||
| BIOL 305 | Animal Diversity. | 3 |
Animal Diversity. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The characteristics of the major groups of animals, their ancestry, history and relationship to one another. The processes of speciation, adaptive radiation and extinction responsible for diversity. Methods for constructing of phylogenies, for comparing phenotypes, and for estimating and analyzing diversity. | ||
| BIOL 308 | Ecological Dynamics. | 3 |
Ecological Dynamics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles of population, community, and ecosystem dynamics: population growth and regulation, species interactions, dynamics of competitive interactions and of predator/prey systems; evolutionary dynamics. | ||
| BIOL 310 | Biodiversity and Ecosystems. | 3 |
Biodiversity and Ecosystems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ecological bases of the natural causes and consequences of current global environmental changes, including how biodiversity and ecosystem processes are defined and measured, how they vary in space and time, how they are affected by physical and biological factors, and how they affect each other and human societies. | ||
| BIOL 331 | Ecology/Behaviour Field Course. | 3 |
Ecology/Behaviour Field Course. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Methods of sampling natural populations. Testing hypotheses in nature. | ||
| BIOL 352 | Dinosaur Biology. | 3 |
Dinosaur Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Using dinosaurs as exemplars, this course teaches aspects of comparative, functional, and developmental morphology, macroevolution, macroecology, and phylogenetic systematics. Lab dissections will explore vertebrate anatomy. | ||
| ENVB 305 | Population and Community Ecology. | 3 |
Population and Community Ecology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Interactions between organisms and their environment; historical and current perspectives in applied and theoretical population and community ecology. Principles of population dynamics, feedback loops, and population regulation. Development and structure of communities; competition, predation and food web dynamics. Biodiversity science in theory and practice. | ||
| EPSC 334 | Invertebrate Paleontology. | 3 |
Invertebrate Paleontology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Preservation of fossils; the fossil record of invertebrates; use of fossils in stratigraphy and paleoecology; fossils in evolutionary studies. Fossils of invertebrates are studied in the laboratory. | ||
Earth and Space
Students select a minimum of 3 credits to a maximum of 18 credits from the following list:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATOC 214 | Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere. | 3 |
Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to key physical processes operating in the atmosphere, designed for students in science and engineering. Topics typically include: composition of the atmosphere; vertical structure; heat transfer; solar and terrestrial radiation and Earth's energy balance; seasonal and daily temperature changes; humidity and the formation of clouds and precipitation; stability of tropospheric air layers; applications of adiabatic charts. | ||
| ATOC 215 | Oceans, Weather and Climate. | 3 |
Oceans, Weather and Climate. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to key physical and dynamical processes in the oceans and atmosphere. Topics typically include air-sea-ice interactions, laws of motion, the geostrophic and thermal wind relations, general circulation of the atmosphere and oceans, weather, radiative balance, climate sensitivity and variability, role of the atmosphere and oceans in climate. | ||
| ATOC 219 | Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. | 3 |
Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the basic topics in atmospheric chemistry. The fundamentals of the chemical composition of the atmosphere and its chemical reactions. Selected topics such as smog chamber, acid rain, and ozone hole will be examined. | ||
| ATOC 309 | Weather Radars and Satellites. | 3 |
Weather Radars and Satellites. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic notions of radiative transfer and applications of satellite and radar data to mesoscale and synoptic-scale systems are discussed. Emphasis will be put on the contribution of remote sensing to atmospheric and oceanic sciences. | ||
| ATOC 315 | Thermodynamics and Convection. | 3 |
Thermodynamics and Convection. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Buoyancy, stability, and vertical oscillations. Dry and moist adiabatic processes. Resulting dry and precipitating convective circulations from the small scale to the global scale. Mesoscale precipitation systems from the cell to convective complexes. Severe convection, downbursts, mesocyclones. | ||
| ENVR 202 | The Evolving Earth. | 3 |
The Evolving Earth. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Formation of the Earth and the evolution of life. How geological and biological change are the consequence of history, chance, and necessity acting over different scales of space and time. General principles governing the formation of modern landscapes and biotas. Effects of human activities on natural systems. | ||
| EPSC 201 | Understanding Planet Earth. | 3 |
Understanding Planet Earth. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Learn about Earth's origin, its place in the solar system, its internal structure, rocks and minerals, the formation of metal and fossil fuel deposits, and the extinction of dinosaurs. Discover the impact of the volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and mountain chains on Earth's past, present and future. Explore 125 million-year-old Mount Royal. | ||
| EPSC 210 | Introductory Mineralogy. | 3 |
Introductory Mineralogy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Elementary crystallography, chemistry and identification of the principal rock-forming and ore minerals, in hand specimens and using optical microscopy. Demonstrations of other techniques applied to the identification of minerals and to the analysis of their composition and structure. Optional 2-day field trip. | ||
| EPSC 212 | Introductory Petrology. | 3 |
Introductory Petrology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks and the processes responsible for their formation. The laboratory will emphasize the recognition of rocks in both hand-specimen and thin section using optical microscopes. | ||
| EPSC 220 | Principles of Geochemistry. | 3 |
Principles of Geochemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic concepts in geochemistry and the application of geochemical principles of chemistry to geological subdisciplines. Particular emphasis on origin of elements, controls on their distribution in Earth and cosmos, isotopes, organic geochemistry and water chemistry. Application of phase diagrams to geology. | ||
| EPSC 221 | General Geology. | 3 |
General Geology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course in physical geology designed for majors in civil and mining engineering. Properties of rocks and minerals, major geological processes, together with natural hazards and their effects on engineered structures are emphasized. The laboratory is an integral part of the course which includes rock and mineral identification, basic techniques of airphoto and geological map interpretation, and structural geology. | ||
| EPSC 225 | Properties of Minerals. | 1 |
Properties of Minerals. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Survey of the physical and chemical properties of the main mineral groups. Discussion of their relationships to the chemical composition and structure of minerals. The practical exercises emphasize the physical and chemical properties that relate to industrial uses and environmental issues, and the identification of hand specimens. | ||
| EPSC 233 | Earth and Life Through Time | 3 |
Earth and Life Through Time Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Interpretation of stratified rocks; history of Earth with special emphasis on the regions of North America; outline of the history of life recorded in fossils. | ||
| EPSC 303 | Structural Geology. | 3 |
Structural Geology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Primary igneous and sedimentary structures, attitudes of planes and lines, stress and strain, fracturing of rocks, faulting, homogeneous strain, description and classification of folds, foliation and lineation, orthographic and stereographic projections. | ||
| EPSC 320 | Elementary Earth Physics. | 3 |
Elementary Earth Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physical properties of Earth and the processes associated with its existence as inferred from astronomy, geodesy, seismology, geology, terrestrial magnetism and thermal evolution. | ||
| EPSC 350 | Tectonics. | 3 |
Tectonics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Rheology of the Earth, mechanics of the crust and mantle and core, convection in the mantle, evolution and kinematics and deformations of the oceanic and continental plates, thermal evolution of the Earth, the unifying theory of plate tectonics. | ||
| ESYS 200 | Earth-System Interactions. | 3 |
Earth-System Interactions. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics related to climate change, biogeochemical cycles and natural resources are evaluated from an Earth System perspective. Exploration of the scientific literature in targeted areas of Earth system science with a focus on human-Earth interactions. Emphasis is on complex global issues that cross traditional disciplines, and interpreting and communicating academic knowledge derived from Earth system research. | ||
| ESYS 300 | Earth Data Analysis. | 3 |
Earth Data Analysis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An applied introduction to programming and statistical image processing tools used in Earth system science, typically covering linear regression, statistical significance, Fourier analysis, empirical orthogonal function analysis. Use of global remote-sensing and in-situ observations. | ||
| ESYS 301 | Earth System Modelling. | 3 |
Earth System Modelling. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction o principle concepts of systems modelling related to Earth system science and environmental science, including simple numerical models, conservation laws of mass, energy, and momentum, discretization of governing differential equations, the stability of numerical schemes, and exploration of the ideas of equilibria, feedbacks, and complexity. | ||
| GEOG 272 | Earth's Changing Surface. | 3 |
Earth's Changing Surface. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the study of landforms as products of geomorphic and geologic systems acting at and near the Earth's surface. The process geomorphology approach will be used to demonstrate how landforms of different geomorphic settings represent a dynamic balance between forces acting in the environment and the physical properties of materials present. | ||
| GEOG 321 | Climatic Environments. | 3 |
Climatic Environments. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The earth-atmosphere system, radiation and energy balances. Surface-atmosphere exchange of energy, mass and momentum and related atmospheric processes on a local and regional scale. Introduction to measurement theory and practice in micrometeorology. | ||
| PHYS 320 | Introductory Astrophysics. | 3 |
Introductory Astrophysics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of astrophysics ranging from stars and planets, to compact objects, galaxies, and the large-scale evolution of the Universe. A calculusbased course, with a focus on simple mathematical derivations that capture the essential physics. | ||
Earth and Space - Environment
Students select a minimum of 3 credits to a maximum of 18 credits from the following list:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVR 200 | The Global Environment. | 3 |
The Global Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A systems approach to study the different components of the environment involved in global climate change: the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. The interactions among these components. Their role in global climate change. The human dimension to global change. | ||
| ENVR 201 | Society, Environment and Sustainability. | 3 |
Society, Environment and Sustainability. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course deals with how scientific-technological, socio-economic, political-institutional and behavioural factors mediate society-environment interactions. Issues discussed include population and resources; consumption, impacts and institutions; integrating environmental values in societal decision-making; and the challenges associated with, and strategies for, promoting sustainability. Case studies in various sectors and contexts are used. | ||
| ENVR 203 | Knowledge, Ethics and Environment. | 3 |
Knowledge, Ethics and Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to cultural perspectives on the environment: the influence of culture and cognition on perceptions of the natural world; conflicts in orders of knowledge (models, taxonomies, paradigms, theories, cosmologies), ethics (moral values, frameworks, dilemmas), and law (formal and customary, rights and obligations) regarding political dimensions of critical environments, resource use, and technologies. | ||
| ENVR 301 | Environmental Research Design. | 3 |
Environmental Research Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Techniques used in design and completion of environmental research projects. Problem definition, data sources and use of appropriate strategies and methodologies. Principles underlying research design are emphasized, including critical thinking, recognizing causal relationships, ideologies and bias in research, and when and where to seek expertise. | ||
| GEOG 200 | Geographical Perspectives: World Environmental Problems. | 3 |
Geographical Perspectives: World Environmental Problems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to geography as the study of nature and human beings in a spatial context. An integrated approach to environmental systems and the human organization of them from the viewpoint of spatial relationships and processes. Special attention to environmental problems as a constraint upon Third World development. | ||
| GEOG 203 | Environmental Systems. | 3 |
Environmental Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to system-level interactions among climate, hydrology, soils and vegetation at the scale of drainage basins, including the study of the global geographical variability in these land-surface systems. The knowledge acquired is used to study the impact on the environment of various human activities such as deforestation and urbanisation. | ||
| GEOG 205 | Global Change: Past, Present and Future. | 3 |
Global Change: Past, Present and Future. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of global change, from the Quaternary Period to the present day involving changes in the physical geography of specific areas. Issues such as climatic change and land degradation will be discussed, with speculations on future environments. | ||
| GEOG 221 | Environment and Health. | 3 |
Environment and Health. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course introduced physical and social environments as factors in human health, with emphasis on the physical properties of the atmospheric environment as they interact with diverse human populations in urban settings. | ||
The Material World
Students select a maximum of 15 credits from the following list:
Note: Students who plan to teach Grade 11 Chemistry or Physics should select the maximum 15 credits from this list:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 222 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 2. | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Modern spectroscopic techniques for structure determination. The chemistry of alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, and amines, with special attention to mechanistic aspects. Special topics. | ||
| CHEM 267 | Introductory Chemical Analysis. | 3 |
Introductory Chemical Analysis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Qualitative and quantitative analysis. A survey of methods of analysis including theory and practice of semimicro qualitative analysis and representative gravimetric, volumetric and instrumental methods. The laboratory component includes introductory experiments in analytical chemistry emphasizing classical and instrumental methods of quantitative analysis. | ||
| CHEM 273 | Introductory Physical Chemistry 2: Kinetics and Methods. | 3 |
Introductory Physical Chemistry 2: Kinetics and Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Kinetics: Transition State Theory, complex reactions, free-radical reactions, chain reactions, catalysis, reactions at surfaces, ionic effects of reactions in solution, photochemistry. Methods: physical chemistry laboratory, differential equations and linear algebra applied to physical chemistry, computation methods for data analysis and modeling | ||
| CHEM 302 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 3. | 3 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics covered may include the following: Aromatic compounds, heterocyclic chemistry, sulfur and phosphorus chemistry, organosulfur and organophosphorus compounds, and biomolecules such as lipids, carbohydrates, amino acids, polypeptides, DNA and RNA. | ||
| CHEM 381 | Inorganic Chemistry 2. | 3 |
Inorganic Chemistry 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to transition metal chemistry, coordination numbers and geometry, and nomenclature will be followed by a discussion of crystal field theory and its applications to problems in spectroscopy, magnetochemistry, thermodynamics and kinetics. Several aspects related to applications of organometallic compounds in catalysis and bioinorganic systems will be discussed. | ||
| CHEM 392 | Experimental Chemistry 1. | 3 |
Experimental Chemistry 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Experiments related to the theoretical principles, synthetic techniques and instrumental methods used in modern experimental chemistry, including aspects of green chemistry and nanochemistry. | ||
| CHEM 429 | Chemistry of Energy, Storage and Utilization. | 3 |
Chemistry of Energy, Storage and Utilization. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Energy consumption and human development; green house gases; primary and secondary sources of energy, fuels vs. electricity; energy transport and storage; fossil fuels; nuclear energy; fusion and fission; bioenergetics, natural and artificial photosynthesis; novel materials; nanocomposites; photochemistry; electrochemistry; photovoltaics and batteries; fuel cells; catalysis and biomass. | ||
| MATH 222 | Calculus 3. | 3 |
Calculus 3. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Taylor series, Taylor's theorem in one and several variables. Review of vector geometry. Partial differentiation, directional derivative. Extreme of functions of 2 or 3 variables. Parametric curves and arc length. Polar and spherical coordinates. Multiple integrals. | ||
| PHYS 224 | Physics of Music. | 3 |
Physics of Music. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the physics of music. Properties of sound and their perception as pitch, loudness, and timbre. Dissonance, consonance, and musical intervals and tuning. Physics of sound propagation and reflection. Resonance. Acoustic properties of pipes, strings, bars, and membranes, and sound production in wind, string, and percussion instruments. The human voice. Room reverberation and acoustics. Directional characteristics of sound sources. | ||
| PHYS 230 | Dynamics of Simple Systems. | 3 |
Dynamics of Simple Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Translational motion under Newton's laws; forces, momentum, work/energy theorem. Special relativity; Lorentz transforms, relativistic mechanics, mass/energy equivalence. Topics in rotational dynamics. Noninertial frames. | ||
| PHYS 232 | Heat and Waves. | 3 |
Heat and Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The laws of thermodynamics and their consequences. Thermodynamics of P-V-T systems and simple heat engines. Free, driven, and damped harmonic oscillators. Coupled systems and normal modes. Fourier methods. Wave motion and dispersion. The wave equation. | ||
| PHYS 241 | Signal Processing. | 3 |
Signal Processing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Linear circuit elements, resonance, network theorems, diodes, transistors, amplifiers, feedback, integrated circuits. | ||
| PHYS 242 | Electricity and Magnetism. | 2 |
Electricity and Magnetism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Properties of electromagnetic fields, dipole and quadropole fields and their interactions, chemical binding of molecules, electromagnetic properties of materials, Maxwell's equations and properties of electromagnetic waves, propagation of waves in media. | ||
| PHYS 257 | Experimental Methods 1. | 3 |
Experimental Methods 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introductory laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Introduction to computers as they are employed for laboratory work, for data analysis and for numerical computation. Previous experience with computers is an asset, but is not required. | ||
| PHYS 258 | Experimental Methods 2. | 3 |
Experimental Methods 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced laboratory work and data analysis as related to mechanics, optics and thermodynamics. Computers will be employed routinely for data analysis and for numerical computation, and, particularly, to facilitate the use of Fourier methods. | ||
| PHYS 271 | Introduction to Quantum Physics. | 3 |
Introduction to Quantum Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The observed properties of atoms and radiation from atoms. Electron waves. The Schroedinger Equation in one dimension. Quantum mechanics of the hydrogen atom. Angular momentum and spin. Quantum mechanics of many electron systems. Basic ideas of electrons in solids and solid state physics. | ||
| PHYS 328 | Electronics. | 3 |
Electronics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Semiconductor devices, basic transistor circuits, operational amplifiers, combinatorial and sequential logic, integrated circuits, analogue to digital converters. The laboratory component covers design, construction and testing of basic electronic circuits. | ||
| PHYS 331 | Topics in Classical Mechanics. | 3 |
Topics in Classical Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Forced and damped oscillators, Newtonian mechanics in three dimensions, rotational motion, Lagrangian and Hamiltonian mechanics, small vibrations, normal modes. Nonlinear dynamics and chaos. | ||
| PHYS 333 | Thermal and Statistical Physics. | 3 |
Thermal and Statistical Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introductory equilibrium statistical mechanics. Quantum states, probabilities, ensemble averages. Entropy, temperature, Boltzmann factor, chemical potential. Photons and phonons. Fermi-Dirac and Bose-Einstein distributions; applications. | ||
| PHYS 339 | Measurements Laboratory in General Physics. | 3 |
Measurements Laboratory in General Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to modern techniques of measurement. The use of computers in performing and analysing experiments. Data reduction, statistical methods, report writing. Extensive use of computers is made in this laboratory; therefore some familiarity with computers and computing is an advantage. | ||
| PHYS 340 | Majors Electricity and Magnetism. | 3 |
Majors Electricity and Magnetism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The electrostatic field and scalar potential. Dielectric properties of matter. Energy in the electrostatic field. Methods for solving problems in electrostatics. The magnetic field. Induction and inductance. Energy in the magnetic field. Magnetic properties of matter. Maxwell's equations. The dipole approximation. | ||
| PHYS 342 | Majors Electromagnetic Waves. | 3 |
Majors Electromagnetic Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Maxwell's equations. The wave equation. The electromagnetic wave, reflection, refraction, polarization. Guided waves. Transmission lines and wave guides. Vector potential. Radiation. The elemental dipole; the half-wave dipole; vertical dipole; folded dipoles; Yagi antennas. Accelerating charged particles. | ||
| PHYS 346 | Majors Quantum Physics. | 3 |
Majors Quantum Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. De Broglie waves, Bohr atom. Schroedinger equation, wave functions, observables. One dimensional potentials. Schroedinger equation in three dimensions. Angular momentum, hydrogen atom. Spin, experimental consequences. | ||
| PHYS 432 | Physics of Fluids. | 3 |
Physics of Fluids. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The physical properties of fluids. The kinematics and dynamics of flow. The effects of viscosity and turbulence. Applications of fluid mechanics in biophysics, geophysics and engineering. | ||
| PHYS 434 | Optics. | 3 |
Optics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental concepts of optics, including applications and modern developments. Light propagation in media; geometric optics and optical instruments; polarization and coherence properties of light; interference and interferometry; diffraction theory and applications in spectrometry and imaging; Gaussian beams, Fourier optics and photonic band structure. A laboratory component provides hands-on experience in optical setup design, construction and testing of concepts introduced in lectures. | ||
| PHYS 447 | Applications of Quantum Mechanics. | 3 |
Applications of Quantum Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. One electron atoms, radiation, multielectron atoms, molecular bonds. Selected topics from condensed matter, nuclear and elementary particle physics. | ||
The Technological World
Students select a minimum of 3 credits to a maximum of 12 credits from the following list:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMP 102 | Computers and Computing. 1 | 3 |
Computers and Computing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A course for students with no previous knowledge of computer science. The impact of computers on society. Web design and dynamic content. The inner workings of computers (hardware). Networking principles. Algorithm design and programming. A look at how computers store data (image, sound, and video). Software distribution policies and mechanisms. | ||
| COMP 202 | Foundations of Programming. 2 | 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. | ||
| COMP 206 | Introduction to Software Systems. | 3 |
Introduction to Software Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Comprehensive overview of programming in C, use of system calls and libraries, debugging and testing of code; use of developmental tools like make, version control systems. | ||
| COMP 280 | History and Philosophy of Computing. 1 | 3 |
History and Philosophy of Computing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A history of early mathematical computation. Symbolic logic and computation. Modern computer systems and networks. The rise of the internet. | ||
| COMP 364 | Computer Tools for Life Sciences. | 3 |
Computer Tools for Life Sciences. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Concepts and tools for programmatic storage, retrieval, searching, numerical analysis, and visualization of large biological data sets. | ||
| MATH 204 | Principles of Statistics 2. | 3 |
Principles of Statistics 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The concept of degrees of freedom and the analysis of variability. Planning of experiments. Experimental designs. Polynomial and multiple regressions. Statistical computer packages (no previous computing experience is needed). General statistical procedures requiring few assumptions about the probability model. | ||
- 1
Note: Students may take either COMP 102 Computers and Computing. or COMP 280 History and Philosophy of Computing., but not both.
- 2
Note: Credit will not be given for COMP 102 Computers and Computing. if it is taken concurrently with or after COMP 202 Foundations of Programming..