Foundation Program (30 credits)
Offered by: Science
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Program credit weight: 30
Program Description
Students who need 97-120 credits to complete their degree requirements will normally be registered in the Science Foundation Program until they complete their first year. They must consult an adviser in the Science Office for Undergraduate Student Advising (SOUSA) to obtain advice and approval of their course selection.
Full details are available on the SOUSA website at http://www.mcgill.ca/science/student/newstudents/u0. Academic advising is also available by email. The address is newstudentadvising.science@mcgill.ca.
Students normally complete 30 credits which must include at least seven courses from the list of Approved Freshman/Foundation Year Science Courses, selected as follows:
General Math and Science Breadth
Six of the Freshman/Foundation Year courses to satisfy one of the following:
Option 1) 2 courses from MATH and 4 courses from BIOL, CHEM or PHYS;
or
Option 2) 3 courses from MATH and 3 courses from BIOL, CHEM or PHYS.
Science Complementary
The seventh course is chosen from the list of Approved Freshman/Foundation Year Science Courses.
Notes:
- Students who have not studied all of Biology, Chemistry, and Physics at the grade 12 level or equivalent are strongly advised to include at least one course in the missing discipline in their Freshman/Foundation Year.
- Many students will complete more than seven courses from the Approved Freshman/Foundation Year Science Courses list, particularly those who wish to leave several options open for their choice of major.
- Students entering the Freshman/Foundation Year should be aware of the department specific requirements when selecting their courses. Detailed advising information is available at http://www.mcgill.ca/science/student/newstudents/u0/bscfreshman/specific.
- The maximum number of courses per term, required, complementary, and elective, is five.
- Some medical and dental schools have specific freshman course requirements. Check the admission requirements of the school(s) to which you intend to apply.
Degree Requirements — B.Sc.
This program is offered as part of a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree.
To graduate, students must satisfy both their program requirements and their degree requirements.
- The program requirements (i.e., the specific courses that make up this program) are listed under the Course Tab (above).
- The degree requirements—including the mandatory Foundation program, appropriate degree structure, and any additional components—are outlined on the Degree Requirements page.
Students are responsible for ensuring that this program fits within the overall structure of their degree and that all degree requirements are met. Consult the Degree Planning Guide on the SOUSA website for additional guidance.
List of Approved Freshman/Foundation Year Science Courses
Select the approved courses according to the instructions above.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATOC 100 | Extreme-Weather and Climate-Change Physics. | 0-3 |
Extreme-Weather and Climate-Change Physics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will provide an overview of extreme weather and climate phenomena, using calculus-based mathematical and physical principles. It will examine the physics and dynamics associated with extreme weather and climate phenomena, including blizzards, heat waves, cold waves, ice storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes. The atmospheric and oceanic observing system will be used to quantify the structure and mechanisms of extreme weather and climate events. The physics of climate change will be interpreted through the natural and anthropogenic changes to Earth's radiation and energy balances. An introduction to climate models (both simple and complex) will illustrate the concepts of forcing, feedbacks, and climate sensitivity, and provide the foundation for understanding future changes in extreme weather. | ||
| BIOL 111 | Principles: Organismal Biology. | 3 |
Principles: Organismal Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the phylogeny, structure, function and adaptation of unicellular organisms, plants and animals in the biosphere. | ||
| BIOL 112 | Cell and Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Cell and Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology. | ||
| CHEM 110 | General Chemistry 1. | 4 |
General Chemistry 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, radiation and nuclear chemistry, valence theory, coordination chemistry, and the periodic table. | ||
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry 2. 1 | 4 |
General Chemistry 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry. | ||
| COMP 202 | Foundations of Programming. | 3 |
Foundations of Programming. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Introduction to computer programming in a high level language: variables, expressions, primitive types, methods, conditionals, loops. Introduction to algorithms, data structures (arrays, strings), modular software design, libraries, file input/output, debugging, exception handling. Selected topics. | ||
| ESYS 104 | The Earth System. | 3 |
The Earth System. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Earth system science examines the complex interactions among the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. It focuses on physical, chemical, and biological processes that extend over spatial scales ranging from microns to the size of planetary orbits, and spans time scales from fractions of a second to billions of years. | ||
| 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. | ||
| MATH 133 | Linear Algebra and Geometry. | 3 |
Linear Algebra and Geometry. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Systems of linear equations, matrices, inverses, determinants; geometric vectors in three dimensions, dot product, cross product, lines and planes; introduction to vector spaces, linear dependence and independence, bases. Linear transformations. Eigenvalues and diagonalization. | ||
| PSYC 100 | Introduction to Psychology. | 3 |
Introduction to Psychology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the scientific study of mind and behavior, including basic concepts and methods in psychology while also highlighting the relevance of psychology to everyday life; attachment, aggression, depression, parenting and personality change. | ||
- 1
CHEM 120 General Chemistry 2. is not open to students who have taken CHEM 115 .
First calculus course, one of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 139 | Calculus 1 with Precalculus. | 4 |
Calculus 1 with Precalculus. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Review of trigonometry and other Precalculus topics. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications. | ||
| MATH 140 | Calculus 1. | 3 |
Calculus 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications. | ||
| MATH 150 | Calculus A. | 4 |
Calculus A. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Functions, limits and continuity, differentiation, L'Hospital's rule, applications, Taylor polynomials, parametric curves, functions of several variables. | ||
Second calculus course, one of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 141 | Calculus 2. | 4 |
Calculus 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series. | ||
| MATH 151 | Calculus B. | 4 |
Calculus B. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Integration, methods and applications, infinite sequences and series, power series, arc length and curvature, multiple integration. | ||
First physics course, one of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 101 | Introductory Physics - Mechanics. | 4 |
Introductory Physics - Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course in physics without calculus, covering mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, energy, and rotational motion), oscillations and waves, sound, light, and wave optics. | ||
| PHYS 131 | Mechanics and Waves. | 4 |
Mechanics and Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations, waves, and wave optics. | ||
Second physics course, one of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHYS 102 | Introductory Physics - Electromagnetism. | 4 |
Introductory Physics - Electromagnetism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Electric field and potential. D.C. circuits and measurements. Capacitance. Magnetic field and induction. Electromagnetic waves and geometrical optics. | ||
| PHYS 142 | Electromagnetism and Optics. | 4 |
Electromagnetism and Optics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws of electricity and magnetism; geometrical optics. | ||
Electives
Students wishing to take elective courses may choose them from introductory courses offered by departments in the Faculties of Science or of Arts. A list of recommended courses is found at http://www.mcgill.ca/science/student/newstudents/u0/bscfreshman/suggeste... Certain courses offered by other faculties may also be taken, but some restrictions apply. Consult the SOUSA website at http://www.mcgill.ca/science/student/continuingstudents/bsc/outside/ for more information about taking courses from other faculties.