Pharmacology Minor (B.Sc.) (24 credits)
Offered by: Pharmacology and Therapeutics (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Program credit weight: 24
Program Description
The Minor Pharmacology is intended for students registered in a complementary B.Sc. program who are interested in a focused introduction to specialized topics in pharmacology to prepare them for professional schools, graduate education, or entry into jobs in industry or research institutes.
Students should declare their intent to enter the Minor in Pharmacology at the beginning of their U2 year. They must consult with, and obtain the approval of, the Coordinator for the Minor Program in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Please contact the Student Affairs Coordinator: Chantal Grignon (undergradstudies.pharmacology@mcgill.ca; 514-398-3622).
All courses in the Minor program must be passed with a minimum grade C or better. Generally, no more than 6 credits of overlap are permitted between the Minor and the primary program.
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.
Required Courses (6 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHAR 300 | Drug Action. | 3 |
Drug Action. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Principles of pharmacology and toxicology. Frequently encountered drugs will be used as a focus to illustrate sites and mechanisms of action, distribution, metabolism, elimination and adverse side effects. | ||
| PHAR 301 | Drugs and Disease. | 3 |
Drugs and Disease. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course further explores the basic principles of pharmacology as illustrated by drugs used in the treatment of disease. Emphasis is placed on drugs used for diseases prevalent in North America. | ||
Complementary Courses (18 credits)
3 credits selected from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOC 212 | Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. | 3 |
Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introductory course describing the biochemistry and molecular biology of selected key functions of animal cells, including: gene expression; mitochondrial production of metabolic energy; cellular communication with the extra-cellular environment; and regulation of cell division. | ||
| 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. | ||
| 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. | ||
3 credits selected from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
12 credits selected from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| PHAR 503 | Drug Discovery and Development 1. 1 | 3 |
Drug Discovery and Development 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Chemistry, mechanisms of action, and steps in drug discovery and development. | ||
| PHAR 504 | Drug Discovery and Development 2. | 3 |
Drug Discovery and Development 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Nobel Prize-winning discoveries as a basis for drug development. | ||
| PHAR 505 | Structural Pharmacology. 1 | 3 |
Structural Pharmacology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course will cover approaches widely used in the pharmaceuticals industry, such as drug target selection, structure determination and medicinal chemistry. The basics of structural biology will be taught in a very visual and interactive manner, with an emphasis on drug:target interactions and chemical principles relevant to drug design. By the end of the course, the students will become familiar with the structure-based drug discovery process and principles of molecular pharmacology. | ||
| PHAR 508 | Drug Discovery and Development 3. | 3 |
Drug Discovery and Development 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The design of biologically-relevant drug screens for molecular targets in a cell, tissue, and in vivo setting. Explore the use of stem cells and tissue-based disease models for the understanding of disease and for drug discovery. Situate modern pharmacology into broader medical and societal issues such as personalized medicine and the ethics associated with research. | ||
| PHAR 510 | New Advances in Antimicrobial. | 3 |
New Advances in Antimicrobial. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview on bacteria, insights into bacterial pathogenesis, an understanding of antibiotics, and new developments in antibacterial to beat antibiotic resistance. | ||
| PHAR 540 | Advances in Industrial Biotechnology . | 3 |
Advances in Industrial Biotechnology . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to emerging technologies and research advances in biotechnologies. Topics include semisynthetic production of drugs and drug candidates through large-scale fermentation, next generation synthesis of DNA and whole genes, green toxicology, single-molecule diagnostics, orphan-drug re-purposing, and next- generation genomic analyses in drug development. Translational research, issues of entrepreneurship, sustainability, and ethics are also covered. | ||
| PHAR 562 | Neuropharmacology. | 3 |
Neuropharmacology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics in pharmacology with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms of drug-action and cellular targets in the nervous system. | ||
| PHAR 563 | Endocrine Pharmacology. | 3 |
Endocrine Pharmacology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This advanced course covers selected topics in pharmacology of reproductive, endocrine, and metabolic disorders. | ||
| PHAR 565 | Epigenetic Drugs and Targets. | 3 |
Epigenetic Drugs and Targets. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course covers therapeutics targeting epigenetic mechanisms. Although only a handful of epigenetic drugs are in widespread use, further development of such agents is a very active area of research as it has the potential to directly target aberrant gene expression. This course will examine both the current use and potential of epigenetic drugs in treatment of cancer, neurological diseases, immune disorders, and cardiovascular disease. The concept of epigenetics as mediating gene-environment interaction will also be discussed. | ||
| PHAR 599D1 | Pharmacology Research Project. 2 | 3 |
Pharmacology Research Project. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mechanisms involved in different pathologies and drug actions. | ||
| PHAR 599D2 | Pharmacology Research Project. 2 | 3 |
Pharmacology Research Project. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See PHAR 599D1 for course description. | ||
- 1
Students may take either PHAR 503 Drug Discovery and Development 1. or PHAR 505 Structural Pharmacology..
- 2
PHAR 599D1 Pharmacology Research Project. and PHAR 599D2 Pharmacology Research Project. are taken together.