Environment Major - Ecological Determinants of Health - Population (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or (B.Sc.) (63 credits)
Offered by: Bieler School of Environment
Degree: Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences)
Program credit weight: 63
Program Description
The Population concentration in this domain is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major Environment or B.Sc. Major Environment program.
This domain considers the interface between the environment and human well-being, with particular focus on the triad that ties human health to the environment through the elements of food and infectious agents. Each of these elements is influenced by planned and unplanned environmental disturbances. For example, agricultural practices shift the balance between beneficial and harmful ingredients of food. Use of insecticides presents dilemmas with regard to the environment, economics, and human health. The distribution of infectious diseases is influenced by the climatic conditions that permit vectors to coexist with humans, by deforestation, by urbanization, and by human interventions ranging from the building of dams to provision of potable water.
In designing interventions that aim to prevent or reduce infectious contaminants in the environment, or to improve food production and nutritional quality, not only is it important to understand methods of intervention, but also to understand social forces that influence how humans respond to such interventions.
Students in the Population concentration will gain a depth of understanding at an ecosystem level that looks at society, land, and population health. Students in the Cellular concentration will explore these interactions in more depth, at a physiological level.
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.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet@mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: You are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning your schedule and registering for courses, you should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core required courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Macdonald campus.
| 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 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
| ENVR 400 | Environmental Thought. | 3 |
Environmental Thought. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students work in interdisciplinary seminar groups on challenging philosophical, ethical, scientific and practical issues. They will explore cutting-edge ideas and grapple with the reconciliation of environmental imperatives and social, political and economic pragmatics. Activities include meeting practitioners, attending guest lectures, following directed readings, and organizing, leading and participating in seminars. | ||
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEBI 427 | Barbados Interdisciplinary Project. | 6 |
Barbados Interdisciplinary Project. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The planning of projects and research activities related to tropical food, nutrition, or energy at the local, regional, or national scale in Barbados. Projects and activities designed in consultation with university instructors, government, NGO, or private partners, and prepared by teams of 2-3 students working cooperatively with these mentors. | ||
| ENVR 401 | Environmental Research. | 3 |
Environmental Research. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students work in an interdisciplinary team on a real-world research project involving problem definition, methodology development, social, ethical and environmental impact assessment, execution of the study, and dissemination of results to the research community and to the people affected. Teams begin defining their projects during the preceding summer. | ||
| ENVR 451 | Research in Panama. | 6 |
Research in Panama. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Research projects will be developed by instructors in consultation with Panamanian universities, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Project groups will consist of four to six students working with a Panamanian institution. Topics will be relevant to Panama: e.g., protection of the Canal watershed, economical alternatives to deforestation, etc. | ||
| FSCI 444 | Barbados Research Project. | 6 |
Barbados Research Project. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A research project that is supervised by McGill academic staff and is conducted in collaboration with local partners. The project topic must relate to the field of sustainability relating to the Caribbean or Barbados specifically. | ||
Domain: Required Course (3 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PARA 410 | Environment and Infection. | 3 |
Environment and Infection. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Infectious pathogens of humans and animals and their impact on the global environment are considered. The central tenet is that infectious pathogens are environmental risk factors. The course considers their impact on the human condition and juxtaposes the impact of control and treatment measures and environmental change. | ||
Domain: Complementary Courses (39 credits)
39 credits of complementary courses are selected as follows:
24 credits - Fundamentals, maximum of 3 credits from each category
6 credits - List A categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category
9 credits - List B categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category
Fundamentals
24 credits of fundamentals, 3 credits from each category:
Health and Environment
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| GEOG 303 | Health Geography. | 3 |
Health Geography. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion of the research questions and methods of health geography. Particular emphasis on health inequalities at multiple geographic scales and the theoretical links between characteristics of places and the health of people. | ||
| NRSC 221 | Environment and Health. | 3 |
Environment and Health. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Introduction to physical and social environments as factors contributing to the production of human health, with emphasis on the physical properties of the atmospheric environment as they interact with diverse human populations in urban settings. | ||
Health and Society
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 403 | Global Health and Environmental Change. | 3 |
Global Health and Environmental Change. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Major themes and contemporary case studies in global health and environmental change. Focus on understanding global trends in emerging infectious disease from social, biophysical, and geographical perspectives, and critically assessing the health implications of environmental change in different international contexts. | ||
| GEOG 503 | Advanced Topics in Health Geography. | 3 |
Advanced Topics in Health Geography. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A critical review of current themes and trends in health geography, with emphasis on geographical perspectives in public health research. Topics include the social and environmental determinants of chronic and infectious disease, health and health-related behaviours. Seminars focus on critical appraisal of conceptual and methodological approaches in health geography research. | ||
| PPHS 529 | Global Environmental Health and Burden of Disease. | 3 |
Global Environmental Health and Burden of Disease. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course presents the grand challenges in global health from environmental and occupational risks along with the multi-disciplinary methods used to identify, control, and prevent them. It will introduce students to knowledge and skills in core disciplines of environmental health and approaches to environmental risk recognition, control and prevention in a global context. | ||
| SOCI 234 | Population and Society. | 3 |
Population and Society. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the reciprocal linkages in the social world between population size, structure and dynamics on the one hand, social structure, action and change on the other. An examination of population processes and their relation to the social world. | ||
| SOCI 309 | Health and Illness. | 3 |
Health and Illness. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Health and illness as social rather than purely bio-medical phenomena. Topics include: studies of ill persons, health care occupations and organizations; poverty and health; inequalities in access to and use of health services; recent policies, ideologies, and problems in reform of health services organization. | ||
| SOCI 331 | Population and Environment. | 3 |
Population and Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Main topics and controversies linking population processes and the environment. Topics include how population processes influence the environment, population responses to changing environments, policies related to these effects, variation across and within developed and developing countries. | ||
Toxicology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| ENVB 500 | Advanced Topics in Ecotoxicology. | 3 |
Advanced Topics in Ecotoxicology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Exploring the impact of environmental chemicals on biological organisms in an ecological context. Basic topics in ecotoxicology, such as source and fate, routes of exposure, bioavailability, dose-response, biomarkers, and risk assessment will be covered from both theoretical and applied perspectives. The processes by which pollutants are tested, regulated, and monitored will be critically examined. | ||
| NUTR 512 | Herbs, Foods and Phytochemicals. | 3 |
Herbs, Foods and Phytochemicals. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of the use of herbal medicines and food phytochemicals and the benefits and risks of their consumption. The physiological basis for activity and the assessment of toxicity will be presented. Current practices relating to the regulation, commercialization and promotion of herbs and phytochemicals will be considered. | ||
| PHAR 303 | Principles of Toxicology. | 3 |
Principles of Toxicology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental mechanisms by which toxic compounds damage a biological system (organelle, cell, organ, organism, ecosystem). Detection and quantification of toxicity and risk/benefit analysis are considered. Selected agents of current risk to human health or the environment are evaluated in depth. | ||
Cellular Biology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 234 | Biochemistry 2. | 3 |
Biochemistry 2. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Metabolism in humans and domestic animals. The chemistry of alimentary digestion, absorption, transport, intermediary metabolism and excretion. | ||
| BIOL 201 | Cell Biology and Metabolism. 1 | 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. | ||
| LSCI 202 | Molecular Cell Biology. 1 | 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. | ||
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Note: You will not receive credit for either LSCI 211 Biochemistry 1. or LSCI 202 Molecular Cell Biology., if you have already received credit for both BIOL 200 Molecular Biology. and BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism.; you will not receive credit for either BIOL 200 Molecular Biology. or BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism. if you have already received credit for LSCI 202 Molecular Cell Biology. and LSCI 211 Biochemistry 1..
Molecular Biology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 200 | Molecular Biology. 1 | 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 211 | Biochemistry 1. 1 | 3 |
Biochemistry 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Biochemistry of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, nucleic acids; enzymes and coenzymes. Introduction to intermediary metabolism. | ||
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Note: You will not receive credit for either LSCI 211 Biochemistry 1. or LSCI 202 Molecular Cell Biology. if you have already received credit for both BIOL 200 Molecular Biology. and BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism.; you will not receive credit for either BIOL 200 Molecular Biology. or BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism. if you have already received credit for both LSCI 202 Molecular Cell Biology. and LSCI 211 Biochemistry 1..
Statistics
One of the following Statistics courses or equivalent:
Note: Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEMA 310 | Statistical Methods 1. | 3 |
Statistical Methods 1. Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026 Measures of central tendency and dispersion; binomial and Poisson distributions; normal, chi-square, Student's t and Fisher-Snedecor F distributions; estimation and hypothesis testing; simple linear regression and correlation; analysis of variance for simple experimental designs. | ||
| 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). | ||
Nutrition
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 433 | Animal Nutrition and Metabolism. | 3 |
Animal Nutrition and Metabolism. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Introduction to fundamental aspects of animal nutrition, including gastrointestinal anatomy and physiology; nutrient digestion, absorption, and metabolism; nutrient functions and requirements of livestock species; evaluation of feedstuffs and their use in ration formulation; and feeding strategies. Laboratory classes will include hands-on experience on feed analyses, gastrointestinal tract dissections, nutritional experiments and demonstrations in livestock species as well as computer-based ration balancing exercises. | ||
| 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. | ||
Advanced Ecology
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEBI 421 | Tropical Horticultural Ecology. | 3 |
Tropical Horticultural Ecology. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A comprehensive survey of the major fruit, vegetable, turf, and ornamental crops grown in Barbados. Effect of cultural practices, environment, pests and pathogens, social and touristic activities, and importation of horticultural produce on local horticulture. | ||
| BIOL 451 | Research in Ecology and Development in Africa. 1 | 3 |
Research in Ecology and Development in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Development of observation and independent inquiry skills through: 1) participation in short-term project modules in collaboration with existing researchers; 2) participation in interdisciplinary team research on topics selected to allow comparative analysis of field sites; 3) active and systematic observation, documentation, and integration of field experience in ecology and development issues. | ||
| BIOL 465 | Conservation Biology. | 3 |
Conservation Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion of relevant theoretical and applied issues in conservation biology. Topics: biodiversity, population viability analysis, community dynamics, biology of rarity, extinction, habitat fragmentation, social issues. | ||
| BIOL 540 | Ecology of Species Invasions. 1 | 3 |
Ecology of Species Invasions. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Causes and consequences of biological invasion, as well as risk assessment methods and management strategies for dealing with invasive species. | ||
| BIOL 553 | Neotropical Environments. | 3 |
Neotropical Environments. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Ecology revisited in view of tropical conditions. Exploring species richness. Sampling and measuring biodiversity. Conservation status of ecosystems, communities and species. Indigenous knowledge. | ||
| ENVB 410 | Ecosystem Ecology. | 3 |
Ecosystem Ecology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Biotic and abiotic processes that control the flows of energy, nutrients and water through ecosystems; emergent system properties; approaches to analyzing complex systems. Labs include collection and multivariate analysis of field data. | ||
| ENVR 540 | Ecology of Species Invasions. 1 | 3 |
Ecology of Species Invasions. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Causes and consequences of biological invasion, as well as risk assessment methods and management strategies for dealing with invasive species. | ||
| 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. | ||
| NRSC 451 | Research in Ecology and Development in Africa. 1 | 3 |
Research in Ecology and Development in Africa. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Development of observation and independent inquiry skills through: 1) participation in short-term project modules in collaboration with existing researchers; 2) participation in interdisciplinary team research on topics selected to allow comparative analysis of field sites; 3) active and systematic observation, documentation, and integration of field experience in ecology and development issues. | ||
| 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. | ||
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Note: You may take ENVR 540 Ecology of Species Invasions. or BIOL 540 Ecology of Species Invasions., but not both; you make take BIOL 451 Research in Ecology and Development in Africa. or NRSC 451 Research in Ecology and Development in Africa., but not both.
List A
6 credits from the following List A categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category:
Hydrology, Climate, and Agriculture
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| AGRI 550 | Sustained Tropical Agriculture. | 3 |
Sustained Tropical Agriculture. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Contrast theory and practice in defining agricultural environmental "challenges" in the Neotropics. Indigenous and appropriate technological means of mitigation. Soil management and erosion, water scarcity, water over-abundance, and water quality. Explore agro-ecosystem protection via field trips and project designs. Institutional context of conservation strategies, NGO links, and public participation. | ||
| ATOC 341 | Caribbean Climate and Weather. | 3 |
Caribbean Climate and Weather. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The climate system and ongoing global change, ocean and atmosphere circulation and future trends in the tropics; local climate variability and dynamics, extreme weather events in the Caribbean | ||
| BREE 217 | Hydrology and Water Resources. 1 | 3 |
Hydrology and Water Resources. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Introduction to water resources and hydrologic cycle. Precipitation and hydrologic frequency analysis. Soil water processes, infiltration theory and modeling. Evapotranspiration estimation methods and crop water requirements. Surface runoff estimation as a function of land use modifications. Estimation of peak runoff rates. Unit hydrograph. Design of open channels and vegetated waterways. | ||
| 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. | ||
| GEOG 322 | Environmental Hydrology. 1 | 3 |
Environmental Hydrology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Quantitative, experimental study of the principles governing the movement of water at or near the Earth's surface and how the research relates to the chemistry and biology of ecosystems. | ||
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Note: You may take BREE 217 Hydrology and Water Resources. or GEOG 322 Environmental Hydrology., but not both.
Decision Making, Techniques and Management
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AEBI 423 | Sustainable Land Use. | 3 |
Sustainable Land Use. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Management, preservation, and utilization of forage crops in sustainable tropical environments; examination of their value as livestock feed in terms of nutritional composition and impact on animal performance; land use issues as it pertains to forage and animal production in insular environments. | ||
| AGEC 200 | Principles of Microeconomics. 1 | 3 |
Principles of Microeconomics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The field of economics as it relates to the activities of individual consumers, firms and organizations. Emphasis is on the application of economic principles and concepts to everyday decision making and to the analysis of current economic issues. | ||
| AGEC 333 | Resource Economics. | 3 |
Resource Economics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The role of resources in the environment, use of resources, and management of economic resources within the firm or organization. Problem-solving, case studies involving private and public decision-making in organizations are utilized. | ||
| ENVB 437 | Assessing Environmental Impact. | 3 |
Assessing Environmental Impact. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Principles and practice of Environmental Assessment (EA) in Canada and internationally. Exploration of issues surrounding impact assessment for sustainable development in different sectors, including their limitations. | ||
| ENVB 529 | GIS for Natural Resource Management. 1 | 3 |
GIS for Natural Resource Management. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis techniques to the presentation and analysis of ecological information, including sources and capture of spatial data; characterizing, transforming, displaying spatial data; and spatial analysis to solve resource management problems. | ||
| ECON 208 | Microeconomic Analysis and Applications. 1 | 3 |
Microeconomic Analysis and Applications. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A university-level introduction to demand and supply, consumer behaviour, production theory, market structures and income distribution theory. | ||
| ENVR 422 | Montreal Urban Sustainability Analysis. | 3 |
Montreal Urban Sustainability Analysis. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Applied and experience-based learning opportunities are employed to critically assess Montreal as a sustainable city through research, discussion, and field trips. The urban environment is considered through various specific dimensions, ranging from: waste, energy, urban agriculture, green spaces and design, or transportation. | ||
| GEOG 201 | Introductory Geo-Information Science. 1 | 3 |
Introductory Geo-Information Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to Geographic Information Systems. The systematic management of spatial data. The use and construction of maps. The use of microcomputers and software for mapping and statistical work. Air photo and topographic map analyses. | ||
| GEOG 302 | Environmental Management 1. | 3 |
Environmental Management 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An ecological analysis of the physical and biotic components of natural resource systems. Emphasis on scientific, technological and institutional aspects of environmental management. Study of the use of biological resources and of the impact of individual processes. | ||
| GEOG 340 | Sustainability in the Caribbean. | 3 |
Sustainability in the Caribbean. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The local environmental, social, historical, political and economic context of Barbados and the Caribbean. The small island developing States (SIDS), and why those nations are more vulnerable to global environmental challenges. The 17 Sustainability Development Goals of the United Nations, with a focus on the leadership role played by Barbados for the entire Caribbean region. | ||
| GEOG 404 | Environmental Management 2. | 3 |
Environmental Management 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical application of environmental planning, analysis and management techniques with reference to the needs and problems of developing areas. Special challenges posed by cultural differences and traditional resource systems are discussed. This course involves practical field work in a developing area (Kenya or Panama). | ||
| PHIL 343 | Biomedical Ethics. | 3 |
Biomedical Ethics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An investigation of ethical issues as they arise in the practice of medicine (informed consent, e.g.) or in the application of medical technology (in vitro fertilization, euthanasia, e.g.) | ||
or, advanced quantitative methods course (with approval of Adviser).
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Note: You may take AGEC 200 Principles of Microeconomics. or ECON 208 Microeconomic Analysis and Applications., but not both; you may take ENVB 529 GIS for Natural Resource Management. or GEOG 201 Introductory Geo-Information Science., but not both.
Development and History
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 212 | Anthropology of Development. | 3 |
Anthropology of Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Processes of developmental change, as they affect small communities in the Third World and in unindustrialized parts of developed countries. Problems of technological change, political integration, population growth, industrialization, urban growth, social services, infrastructure and economic dependency. | ||
| EDER 461 | Society and Change. | 3 |
Society and Change. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Factors influencing patterns of stability and change in major social institutions and the implications for formal and non-formal education. | ||
| HIST 292 | History and the Environment. | 3 |
History and the Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Sketch of the history of the material aspects of human interaction with the rest of nature. Included will be a historian's view of the social, technical, and ecological implications of the great variety of activities devised by our species. Though global in outlook, this course will emphasize the relevant historiography of France, England and North America. | ||
| NUTR 501 | Nutrition in the Majority World. | 3 |
Nutrition in the Majority World. Terms offered: Fall 2025 Current nutrition-related issues in the Majority World, emphasizing young children and other vulnerable groups. The integration of a life science and social science perspective. The multiple causes, consequences, policies, and interventions related to current nutrition. | ||
| SOCI 254 | Development and Underdevelopment. | 3 |
Development and Underdevelopment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Competing theories about the causes of underdevelopment in the poor countries. Topics include the impact of geography, the population explosion, culture and national character, economic and sexual inequalities, democracy and dictatorship. Western imperialism and multi-national corporations, reliance on the market, and development through local participation, cooperation, and appropriate technology. | ||
List B
9 credits from the following List B categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category:
Immunology and Infectious Disease
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANSC 400 | Eukaryotic Cells and Viruses. | 3 |
Eukaryotic Cells and Viruses. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The basic principles of molecular biology and the underlying molecular basis for various methodologies in molecular biology are covered. The molecular genetic basis for viral infections and tumorigenesis will be covered as examples of the use of molecular genetic approaches to address biological problems. | ||
| MIMM 214 | Introductory Immunology: Elements of Immunity. | 3 |
Introductory Immunology: Elements of Immunity. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic immunology, organs and cells, elements of innate immunity, phagocytes, complement, elements of adaptive immunity, B-cells, T-cells, antigen presenting cells, MHC genes and molecules, antigen processing and presentation, cytokines and chemokines. Emphasis on anatomy and the molecular and cellular players working together as a physiological system to maintain human health. | ||
| MIMM 314 | Intermediate Immunology. | 3 |
Intermediate Immunology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An intermediate-level immunology course covering the cellular and molecular basis of lymphocyte development and activation in immune responses in health and disease. | ||
| MIMM 324 | Fundamental Virology. | 3 |
Fundamental Virology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental properties of viruses and their interactions with host cells. Bacteriophages, DNA- and RNA-containing animal viruses, and retroviruses are covered. Emphasis will be on phenomena occurring at the molecular level and on the regulated control of gene expression in virus-infected cells. | ||
| MIMM 413 | Parasitology. | 3 |
Parasitology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the biology, immunological aspects of host-parasite interactions, pathogenicity, epidemiology and molecular biological aspects of selected parasites of medical importance. Laboratory will consist of a lecture on techniques, demonstrations and practical work. | ||
| PARA 424 | Fundamental Parasitology. | 3 |
Fundamental Parasitology. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Systematics, morphology, biology and ecology of parasitic protozoa, flatworms, roundworms and arthropods with emphasis on economically and medically important species. | ||
| PARA 438 | Immunology. | 3 |
Immunology. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An in-depth analysis of the principles of cellular and molecular immunology. The emphasis of the course is on host defence against infection and on diseases caused by abnormal immune responses. | ||
| PPHS 501 | Population Health and Epidemiology. | 3 |
Population Health and Epidemiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course presents concepts and methods of epidemiology at the introductory level. The use of epidemiologic methods for population and public health research and practice will be illustrated. A review of selected population health questions such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the cardiovascular disease epidemic, cigarette smoking, or screening for disease will be presented. | ||
Populations and Place
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| ANTH 451 | Research in Society and Development in Africa. 1 | 3 |
Research in Society and Development in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Instruction focuses on three goals: 1) existing research in selected core thematic areas, 2) participating in interdisciplinary team research, 3) developing powers of observation and independent inquiry. Students will be expected to develop research activities and interdisciplinary perspectives, and to become conversant with advances in local research in their field. | ||
| ENVR 421 | Montreal: Environmental History and Sustainability. | 3 |
Montreal: Environmental History and Sustainability. Terms offered: Summer 2025 This course will focus on the role of place and history in the cities in which we live and in our understanding of sustainability. Each year, students will work to develop a historical reconstruction of the natural environment of Montreal and of its links to the cultural landscape, building on the work of previous cohorts of students. | ||
| GEOG 300 | Human Ecology in Geography. | 3 |
Human Ecology in Geography. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course will examine research approaches in human ecology since its inception early in this century. Emphasis will be placed on the theoretical shifts that have led to its emergence as an important social science perspective. The course will also involve case studies to evaluate the methodological utility of the approach. | ||
| GEOG 451 | Research in Society and Development in Africa. 1 | 3 |
Research in Society and Development in Africa. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Three intersecting components: 1) core development themes including culture change, environmental conservation, water, health, development (urban and rural), governance and conflict resolution, 2) research techniques for topics related to core themes, including ethics, risk, field methods and data analysis, 3) field documentation, scientific recording and communication. | ||
| GEOG 498 | Humans in Tropical Environments. | 3 |
Humans in Tropical Environments. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Focus on understanding of inter-relations between humans and neotropical environments represented in Panama. Study of contemporary rural landscapes, their origins, development and change. Impacts of economic growth and inequality, social organization, and politics on natural resource use and environmental degradation. Site visits and field exercises in peasant/colonist, Amerindian, and plantation communities. | ||
| 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. | ||
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Note: You may take ANTH 451 Research in Society and Development in Africa. or GEOG 451 Research in Society and Development in Africa., but not both.
Pollution Control and Pest Management
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 350 | Insect Biology and Control. | 3 |
Insect Biology and Control. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to insect structure, physiology, biochemistry, development, systematics, evolution, ecology and control. Stress on interrelationships and integrated pest control. | ||
| BREE 322 | Organic Waste Management. | 3 |
Organic Waste Management. Terms offered: Fall 2025 An introduction to engineering aspects of handling, storage and treatment of all biological and food industry wastes. Design criteria will be elaborated and related to characteristics of wastes. Physical, chemical and biological treatment systems. | ||
| 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). | ||
| NRSC 333 | Pollution and Bioremediation. | 3 |
Pollution and Bioremediation. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The environmental contaminants which cause pollution; sources, amounts and transport of pollutants in water, air and soil; waste management. | ||
| PARA 515 | Water, Health and Sanitation. | 3 |
Water, Health and Sanitation. Terms offered: Winter 2026 The origin and types of water contaminants including live organisms, infectious agents and chemicals of agricultural and industrial origins. Conventional and new technological developments to eliminate water pollutants. Comparisons of water, health and sanitation between industrialized and developing countries. | ||
Genetics
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| LSCI 204 | Genetics. | 3 |
Genetics. Terms offered: Fall 2025 The course integrates classical, molecular and population genetics of animals, plants, bacteria and viruses. The aim is to understand the flow of genetic information within a cell, within families and in populations. Emphasis will be placed on problem solving based learning. The laboratory exercises will emphasize the interpretation of genetic experimental data. | ||