Computer Science and Biology Major (B.Sc.) (74 credits)
Offered by: Computer Science (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Program credit weight: 74
Program Description
This program will focus on the fundamentals of biology and the computational and mathematical skills needed to manage, analyze, and model large biological datasets.
Students may complete this program with a minimum of 63 credits and maximum of 74.
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.
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.
Program Prerequisites
U0 (freshman) students should take:
| Course | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 111 & BIOL 112 | Principles: Organismal Biology. and Cell and Molecular Biology. | 6 | |
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. See course page for more information
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| CHEM 110 & CHEM 120 | General Chemistry 1. and General Chemistry 2. | 8 | |
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. See course page for more information
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| 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. | |||
| MATH 140 & MATH 141 | Calculus 1. and Calculus 2. | 7-8 | |
Calculus 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications. See course page for more information
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| or MATH 150 & MATH 151 | Calculus A. and Calculus B. | ||
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 & PHYS 102 | Introductory Physics - Mechanics. and Introductory Physics - Electromagnetism. | 8 | |
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. See course page for more information
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| or PHYS 131 & PHYS 142 | Mechanics and Waves. and Electromagnetism and Optics. | ||
Mechanics and Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations, waves, and wave optics. | |||
Note that MATH 150 Calculus A.-MATH 151 Calculus B. provides equivalence for required course MATH 222 Calculus 3..
Students who do not have a background in computer programming at the level of COMP 202 Foundations of Programming. or COMP 204 Computer Programming for Life Sciences. must take one of these courses. COMP 204 Computer Programming for Life Sciences. is considered equivalent to COMP 202 Foundations of Programming. as a prerequisite for COMP 206 Introduction to Software Systems. and COMP 250 Introduction to Computer Science..
Required Courses (46 credits)
36-46 credits:
Bio-Physical Sciences Core
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 219 | Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. | 4 |
Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to molecular and cell biology from a physical perspective. Techniques and methodologies, both experimental and computational, are included in the presentation of each thematic module. | ||
| 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 395 | Quantitative Biology Seminar. | 1 |
Quantitative Biology Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview of concepts and current research in quantitative biology; theoretical ecology and evolution, computational biology, and physical biology. | ||
| CHEM 212 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. 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. | ||
| MATH 222 | Calculus 3. 1 | 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. | ||
| MATH 223 | Linear Algebra. | 3 |
Linear Algebra. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Review of matrix algebra, determinants and systems of linear equations. Vector spaces, linear operators and their matrix representations, orthogonality. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalization of Hermitian matrices. Applications. | ||
| MATH 323 | Probability. | 3 |
Probability. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Sample space, events, conditional probability, independence of events, Bayes' Theorem. Basic combinatorial probability, random variables, discrete and continuous univariate and multivariate distributions. Independence of random variables. Inequalities, weak law of large numbers, central limit theorem. | ||
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Students with CEGEP-level credit for the equivalents of MATH 222 Calculus 3. and/or CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. (see http://www.mcgill.ca/students/courses/plan/transfer/ for accepted equivalents) may not take these courses at McGill and should replace them with elective courses to satisfy the total credit requirement for their degree.
Computer Science and Mathematics
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMP 202 | Foundations of Programming. 1 | 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 204 | Computer Programming for Life Sciences. 1 | 3 |
Computer Programming for Life Sciences. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Computer Science (Sci): Computer programming in a high level language: variables, expressions, types, functions, conditionals, loops, objects and classes. Introduction to algorithms, modular software design, libraries, file input/output, debugging. Emphasis on applications in the life sciences. | ||
| 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 250 | Introduction to Computer Science. | 3 |
Introduction to Computer Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mathematical tools (binary numbers, induction,recurrence relations, asymptotic complexity,establishing correctness of programs). Datastructures (arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists,trees, binary trees, binary search trees, heaps,hash tables). Recursive and non-recursivealgorithms (searching and sorting, tree andgraph traversal). Abstract data types. Objectoriented programming in Java (classes andobjects, interfaces, inheritance). Selected topics. | ||
| COMP 251 | Algorithms and Data Structures. | 3 |
Algorithms and Data Structures. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Data Structures: priority queues, balanced binary search trees, hash tables, graphs. Algorithms: topological sort, connected components, shortest paths, minimum spanning trees, bipartite matching, network flows. Algorithm design: greedy, divide and conquer, dynamic programming, randomization. Mathematicaltools: proofs of asymptotic complexity and program correctness, Master theorem. | ||
| MATH 240 | Discrete Structures. | 3 |
Discrete Structures. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to discrete mathematics and applications. Logical reasoning and methods of proof. Elementary number theory and cryptography: prime numbers, modular equations, RSA encryption. Combinatorics: basic enumeration, combinatorial methods, recurrence equations. Graph theory: trees, cycles, planar graphs. | ||
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Students may take either COMP 202 Foundations of Programming. or COMP 204 Computer Programming for Life Sciences., but not both. Students who have sufficient knowledge in a programming language are not required to take these courses.
Biology
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
Required Joint Courses
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMP 401 | Project in Biology and Computer Science. | 3 |
Project in Biology and Computer Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A research project applying computational approaches to a biological problem. | ||
Complementary Courses (27-28 credits)
3-4 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMP 462 | Computational Biology Methods. | 3 |
Computational Biology Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of computer science techniques to problems arising in biology and medicine, techniques for modeling evolution, aligning molecular sequences, predicting structure of a molecule and other problems from computational biology. | ||
| COMP 561 | Computational Biology Methods and Research. | 4 |
Computational Biology Methods and Research. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of computer science techniques to problems arising in biology and medicine, techniques for modeling evolution, aligning molecular sequences, predicting structure of a molecule and other problems from computational biology. An in-depth exploration of key research areas. | ||
3-6 from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 315 | Ordinary Differential Equations. | 3 |
Ordinary Differential Equations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. First order ordinary differential equations including elementary numerical methods. Linear differential equations. Laplace transforms. Series solutions. | ||
| MATH 324 | Statistics. | 3 |
Statistics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Sampling distributions, point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, contingency tables, nonparametric inference, regression, Bayesian inference. | ||
The remaining 18-21 credits is to be chosen from the following, with at least 9 credits at the 400 level or above.
Computer Science Block
9-12 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| COMP 273 | Introduction to Computer Systems. | 3 |
Introduction to Computer Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Number representations, combinational and sequential digital circuits, MIPS instructions and architecture datapath and control, caches, virtual memory, interrupts and exceptions, pipelining. | ||
and any other COMP courses at the 300 level or above, except COMP 400 Project in Computer Science, COMP 401 Project in Biology and Computer Science., COMP 402 Honours Project in Computer Science and Biology., COMP 462 Computational Biology Methods., and COMP 561 Computational Biology Methods and Research.). At least 3 of these 9-12 credits must be at the 400 level or above.
Biology Block
9-12 credits from the following, with 3-6 credits at the 400 level or above:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 303 | Developmental Biology. | 3 |
Developmental Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A consideration of the fundamental processes and principles operating during embryogenesis. Experimental analyses at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels will be presented and discussed to provide an overall appreciation of developmental phenomena. | ||
| 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 306 | Neural Basis of Behaviour. | 3 |
Neural Basis of Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Neural mechanisms of animal behaviour; neuroethology; cellular neurophysiology, integrative networks within nervous systems; neural control of movement; processing of sensory information. | ||
| 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 309 | Mathematical Models in Biology. | 3 |
Mathematical Models in Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of finite difference and differential equations to problems in cell and developmental biology, ecology and physiology. Qualitative, quantitative and graphical techniques are used to analyze mathematical models and to compare theoretical predictions with experimental data. | ||
| 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 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. | ||
| BIOL 314 | Molecular Biology of Cancer. | 3 |
Molecular Biology of Cancer. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The molecular basis of human cancers, including analyzing the events that promote the formation of oncogenes and inhibit tumour suppressor genes, the biochemical properties of the proteins encoded by these genes, and their functions. Current molecular targets for cancer therapy and the concepts and consequences of inheriting mutations in genes that predispose to cancer. | ||
| BIOL 316 | Biomembranes and Organelles. | 3 |
Biomembranes and Organelles. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course focuses on biomembranes and subcellular organelles and their implications for disease. The topics include: protein and lipid biochemistry, membrane structure and transport; intracellular compartmentalization, protein sorting and modification, intracellular membrane trafficking; energy transfer, organization and dynamics of chloroplasts and mitochondria; extracellular matrix and cell walls. | ||
| BIOL 319 | Introduction to Biophysics. | 3 |
Introduction to Biophysics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Emerging physical approaches and quantitative measurement techniques are providing new insights into longstanding biological questions. This course will present underlying physical theory, quantitative measurement techniques, and significant findings in molecular and cellular biophysics. Principles covered include Brownian motion, low Reynolds-number environments, forces relevant to cells and molecules, chemical potentials, and free energies. These principles are applied to enzymes as molecular machines, membranes, DNA, and RNA. | ||
| BIOL 320 | Evolution of Brain and Behaviour. | 3 |
Evolution of Brain and Behaviour. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Functional and comparative approach to neuroanatomy, examining how species changes in brain organization contribute to evolutionary changes in behaviour. | ||
| BIOL 389 | Laboratory in Neurobiology. | 3 |
Laboratory in Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Methods of neurobiological research, including extracellular and intracellular recordings, electrical stimulation, and the study of neuro-behavioural problems. | ||
| BIOL 395 | Quantitative Biology Seminar. | 1 |
Quantitative Biology Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview of concepts and current research in quantitative biology; theoretical ecology and evolution, computational biology, and physical biology. | ||
| BIOL 416 | Genetics of Mammalian Development. | 3 |
Genetics of Mammalian Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course aims to examine problems, theories, and experimental evidence on several concepts of mammalian developmental processes at molecular to organogenesis levels. Most topics are in the mouse model system, where various techniques for genetic manipulation are available. | ||
| BIOL 434 | Theoretical Ecology. | 3 |
Theoretical Ecology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of theoretical ecology and of mathematical tools available to explore the dynamical behaviour of model populations, communities and ecosystems. Models addressing major ecological theories including population stability, community dynamics and ecosystem functioning, epidemic and disturbance dynamics, spatial models, game theory. | ||
| BIOL 435 | Natural Selection. | 3 |
Natural Selection. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Explains how the selection of undirected variation accounts for some of the leading features of the natural world. Its main focus is evolutionary change and adaptation, but it will also include material from ecological, economic, biochemical and computer systems. It emphasizes experimental studies of evolution. | ||
| BIOL 509 | Methods in Molecular Ecology. | 3 |
Methods in Molecular Ecology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of the molecular genetic tools used to investigate ecological and evolutionary processes in natural populations. The use of molecular tools in studies of population structure, parentage, kinship, species boundaries, phylogenetics. Special topics include conservation genetics, population genetics, and ecological genomics. | ||
| BIOL 518 | Advanced Topics in Cell Biology. | 3 |
Advanced Topics in Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Concepts and mechanisms in advanced cell biology, based on genetic, cell biological, biophysical, and computational studies. Emphasis is placed on processes that are evolutionarily conserved, with examples from model organisms and cell-free (in vitro) approaches. | ||
| BIOL 520 | Gene Activity in Development. | 3 |
Gene Activity in Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An analysis of the role and regulation of gene expression in several models of eukaryotic development. The emphasis will be on critical evaluation of recent literature concerned with molecular or genetic approaches to the problems of cellular differentiation and determination. Recent research reports will be discussed in conferences and analyzed in written critiques. | ||
| BIOL 524 | Topics in Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Topics in Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Molecular genetics and molecular, cellular and developmental biology, including signal transduction, cell differentiation and function, genetic diseases in eukaryotes. | ||
| BIOL 530 | Advances in Neuroethology. | 3 |
Advances in Neuroethology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Neural mechanisms underlying behaviour in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms. | ||
| BIOL 532 | Developmental Neurobiology Seminar. | 3 |
Developmental Neurobiology Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussions of all aspects of nervous system development including pattern formation, cell lineage, pathfinding and targeting by growing axons, and neural regeneration. The basis for these discussions will be recent research papers and other assigned readings. | ||
| BIOL 546 | Genetics of Model Systems. | 3 |
Genetics of Model Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics in the genetics and molecular genetics of unicellular, plant, invertebrate and vertebrate models systems. | ||
| BIOL 551 | Principles of Cellular Control. | 3 |
Principles of Cellular Control. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental principles of cellular control, with cell cycle control as a major theme. Biological and physical concepts are brought to bear on control in healthy cells.. | ||
| BIOL 568 | Topics on the Human Genome. | 3 |
Topics on the Human Genome. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Cellular and molecular approaches to characterization of the human genome. | ||
| BIOL 569 | Developmental Evolution. | 3 |
Developmental Evolution. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The influence of developmental mechanisms on evolution. This course draws on recent examples from plants and invertebrate and vertebrate animals. Topics include homology, modularity, dissociation, co-option, evolutionary novelty, evolution of cis-regulation and gene regulatory networks, developmental constraint and evolvability, heterochrony, phenotypic plasticity, and canalization. | ||
| BIOL 580 | Genetic Approaches to Neural Systems. | 3 |
Genetic Approaches to Neural Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will focus on recent research employing genetic-based methods to examine the functional and structural properties of the nervous system. The focus will be on approaches for studying neural circuits and behavior in a range of model organisms. Topics will include recent technological advances, such as optogenetics for modifying and controlling neuronal activity, and animal models of neurological diseases. Students will critically analyze the application of these methods to current research through in-class discussion of primary literature, student presentations, and written assignments. | ||
| BIOL 588 | Advances in Molecular/Cellular Neurobiology. | 3 |
Advances in Molecular/Cellular Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion of fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying the general features of cellular neurobiology. An advanced course based on lectures and on a critical review of primary research papers. | ||
| HGEN 575 | Human Biochemical Genetics. | 3 |
Human Biochemical Genetics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected human diseases, from the molecular and cellular levels to tissue effects and emerging novel therapies. | ||
| NEUR 310 | Cellular Neurobiology. | 3 |
Cellular Neurobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the functional organization of nerve cells, signalling in the nervous system, and principles of neural development. Topics include cell polarity, neurotransmitters, neurotrophins, receptors and second messengers, cell lineage, guidance of axon outgrowth, and nerve regeneration. Emphasis will be placed on analysis of neurons at the molecular level. | ||