Minimum Credit Requirement
Students must complete the minimum credit requirement for their undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree as specified in their letter of admission. Students transferring from another university must complete a minimum of 60 McGill credits in order to receive a McGill degree, per the Residency Requirement policy.
Students readmitted to McGill after a period of absence will be subject to the program and degree requirements in effect at the time of readmission. If readmitted after an absence of five consecutive years or more, students may be required to complete a minimum of 60 credits and satisfy the requirements of their program. In this case, a new GPA will be calculated. The Associate Dean (Student Affairs), in consultation with the appropriate department, may approve exemptions from any new requirements or a lower minimum for students who had completed 60 credits or more before interrupting their studies.
Advanced Standing
Students are normally admitted to a four-year degree requiring the completion of 120 credits. At the time of admission to Science, advanced standing of up to a 30 credits may be granted based on pre-McGill academic studies and satisfactory results in any of the following: the CEGEP Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC); International Baccalaureate; French Baccalaureate; GCE Advanced Levels; or Advanced Placement exams.
Advanced Placement examination results with a score of four or five must be declared at the time of initial registration at the University.
Quebec students with a DCS in Science will have normally completed the equivalent of the basic science courses in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. They are, therefore, exempt from these courses.
Students with satisfactory results in International Baccalaureate, French Baccalaureate, Advanced Levels, and Advanced Placement tests may also be exempt from some or all of the basic science courses.
Students cannot earn additional credit toward their degree for any McGill course that substantially overlaps with another course they have already received credit for. This also pertains to any advanced standing credit or course exemption accorded based on their previous academic studies.
Students who wish to complete a four-year undergraduate program at McGill will be permitted to do so (with the appropriate limitations on the repetition of courses for which they have received exemptions). This gives students with advanced standing the option of completing 120 McGill credits.
For detailed information on advanced standing and processing, consult McGill's Advanced Standing and Transfer Credit website.
Equivalencies for Non-Basic Science Courses
Equivalencies for some non-basic science courses, such as CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. and CHEM 222 Introductory Organic Chemistry 2. and PSYC 204 Introduction to Psychological Statistics., are granted on a per-CEGEP basis. In some cases, a grade greater than the minimum passing grade may be required. For more information about equivalences for non-basic Science courses, consult the Transfer Credit website - CEGEP courses page.
If the CEGEP or course is not listed on this website, refer to your SOUSA advisor.