Physiology Honours (B.Sc.) (75 credits)
Offered by: Physiology (Faculty of Science)
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Program credit weight: 75
Program Description
All admissions to the Honours program will be in U2, and the student must have a U1 GPA of 3.30, with no less than a B in PHGY 209 Mammalian Physiology 1. and PHGY 210 Mammalian Physiology 2.. Admission to U3 requires a U2 CGPA of 3.20 with no less than a B in U2 Physiology courses. Decisions for admission to U3 will be heavily influenced by student standing in U2 courses.
The Department reserves the right to restrict the number of entering students in the Honours program. Students who do not maintain Honours standing may transfer their registration to the Major program in Physiology.
The deadline to apply to the Honours program is August 23, 2019. Application forms are available online at physiology.med@mcgill.ca or a hard copy can be picked up at McIntyre 1021. Please contact Sonia Viselli, Student Affairs Officer (sonia.viselli@mcgill.ca; 514-398-3689) for more information. An email will be sent to acknowledge receipt of your application.
Graduation: To graduate from the Honours Physiology program, the student will have a CGPA of 3.20 with a mark no less than a B in all Physiology courses.
If not previously taken, CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. must be completed in addition to the 75 program credits.
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.
Required Courses (60 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT 261 | Introduction to Dynamic Histology. | 4 |
Introduction to Dynamic Histology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to light and electron microscopic anatomy in which cell and tissue dynamics will be explored in the principal tissues and organs of the body. | ||
| BIOC 311 | Metabolic Biochemistry. | 3 |
Metabolic Biochemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The generation of metabolic energy in higher organisms with an emphasis on its regulation at the molecular, cellular and organ level. Chemical concepts and mechanisms of enzymatic catalysis are also emphasized. Included: selected topics in carbohydrate, lipid and nitrogen metabolism; complex lipids and biological membranes; hormonal signal transduction. | ||
| 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 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 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. | ||
| CHEM 222 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 2. | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Modern spectroscopic techniques for structure determination. The chemistry of alcohols, ethers, carbonyl compounds, and amines, with special attention to mechanistic aspects. Special topics. | ||
| 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. | ||
| PHGY 212 | Introductory Physiology Laboratory 1. | 1 |
Introductory Physiology Laboratory 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exercises illustrating fundamental principles in physiology: Biological Signals Acquisitions, Blood, Immunology, Neurophysiology, Neuromuscular Physiology. | ||
| PHGY 213 | Introductory Physiology Laboratory 2. | 1 |
Introductory Physiology Laboratory 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exercises illustrating fundamental principles in physiology: Central Nervous System, Cardiovascular, Respiration, Exercise Physiology, Molecular Endocrinology. | ||
| PHGY 311 | Channels, Synapses and Hormones. | 3 |
Channels, Synapses and Hormones. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses on cellular communication in the nervous system and the endocrine system. | ||
| PHGY 312 | Respiratory, Renal, and Cardiovascular Physiology. | 3 |
Respiratory, Renal, and Cardiovascular Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of topics in renal, respiratory and cardiovascular functions explored beyond the introductory level. | ||
| PHGY 313 | Blood, Gastrointestinal, and Immune Systems Physiology. | 3 |
Blood, Gastrointestinal, and Immune Systems Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In-depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of topics in immunology, blood and fluids, and gastrointestinal physiology. | ||
| PHGY 314 | Integrative Neuroscience. | 3 |
Integrative Neuroscience. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. In depth presentation of experimental results and hypotheses underlying our current understanding of how single neurons and ensembles of neurons encode sensory information, generate movement, and control cognitive functions such as emotion, learning, and memory, during voluntary behaviours. | ||
| PHGY 351 | Research Techniques: Physiology. | 3 |
Research Techniques: Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Provides an overview of common research methods in Physiology, including critical analysis and practical experience with some of the methods. Topics include research ethics of animal experimentation, data analysis, membrane biophysics, radioimmunoassay, ion sensitive dyes, immunocytochemistry, localization techniques, protein transport, cell sorting and molecular biology. | ||
| PHGY 359D1 | Tutorial in Physiology. | 0.5 |
Tutorial in Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course consists of regularly scheduled meetings between each individual student and a chosen staff member, to consider current problems in biomedical research and to develop background for a research project to be carried out in U3. Brief written summaries of each meeting are required. | ||
| PHGY 359D2 | Tutorial in Physiology. | 0.5 |
Tutorial in Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See PHGY 359D1 for course description. | ||
| PHGY 459D1 | Physiology Seminar. | 3 |
Physiology Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discussion of topics in mammalian, cellular and molecular physiology. Students will be required to write one essay and make at least one oral presentation per term. A final course essay is required. | ||
| PHGY 459D2 | Physiology Seminar. | 3 |
Physiology Seminar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See PHGY 459D1 for course description. | ||
| PHGY 461D1 | Experimental Physiology. | 4.5 |
Experimental Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Individual project work under the supervision of Departmental Staff members. | ||
| PHGY 461D2 | Experimental Physiology. | 4.5 |
Experimental Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See PHGY 461D1 for course description. | ||
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
9 credits selected as follows:
3 credits, one of:
| 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 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, one of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 373 | Biometry. | 3 |
Biometry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Elementary statistical methods in biology. Introduction to the analysis of biological data with emphasis on the assumptions behind statistical tests and models. Use of statistical techniques typically available on computer packages. | ||
| COMP 204 | Computer Programming for Life Sciences. | 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 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. | ||
| PSYC 305 | Statistics for Experimental Design. | 3 |
Statistics for Experimental Design. Terms offered: Summer 2025 An introduction to the design and analysis of experiments, including analysis of variance, planned and post hoc tests and a comparison of anova to correlational analysis. | ||
3 credits, one of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOC 312 | Biochemistry of Macromolecules. | 3 |
Biochemistry of Macromolecules. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Gene expression from the start of transcription to the synthesis of proteins, their modifications and degradation. Topics covered: purine and pyrimidine metabolism; transcription and its regulation; mRNA processing; translation; targeting of proteins to specific cellular sites; protein glycosylation; protein phosphorylation; protein turn-over; programmed cell death (apoptosis). | ||
| CHEM 203 | Survey of Physical Chemistry. | 3 |
Survey of Physical Chemistry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The fundamentals of thermodynamics and chemical kinetics with applications to biomolecular systems. Thermodynamic and kinetic control of biological processes. | ||
| CHEM 204 | Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 1. | 3 |
Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Similar to CHEM 223/CHEM 243. Emphasis on the use of biological examples to illustrate the principles of physical chemistry. The relevance of physical chemistry to biology is stressed. | ||
6 credits selected from the Upper-Level Physiology (ULP) course list as follows:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | ||
| BMDE 519 | Biomedical Signals and Systems. | 3 |
Biomedical Signals and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the theoretical framework, experimental techniques and analysis procedures available for the quantitative analysis of physiological systems and signals. Lectures plus laboratory work using the Biomedical Engineering computer system. Topics include: amplitude and frequency structure of signals, filtering, sampling, correlation functions, time and frequency-domain descriptions of systems. | ||
| EXMD 502 | Advanced Endocrinology 1. | 3 |
Advanced Endocrinology 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course is designed for U3 students who are in a major or honours program in anatomy, biology, biochemistry or physiology and for graduate students. A multidisciplinary approach will be used to teach biosynthesis and processing of hormones, their regulation, function and mechanism of action. The material will cover hypothalamic, pituitary, thyroid, atrial and adrenal hormones as well as prostaglandins and related substances. | ||
| EXMD 503 | Advanced Endocrinology 02. | 3 |
Advanced Endocrinology 02. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Study of the parathyroids, gut and pancreatic hormones and growth factors. In addition, the role of hormones and growth factors in reproduction and fetal maturation will be discussed. | ||
| EXMD 506 | Advanced Applied Cardiovascular Physiology. | 3 |
Advanced Applied Cardiovascular Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Offered in conjunction with the Department of Physiology. Current topics, methods and techniques for studying the cardiovascular system. Basic and applied cardiac electrophysiology, mechanisms of pacemaker activity, arrhythmias, the effects of drugs on cardiac functions, fetal circulation, coronary circulation, mechanics of blood flow, cardiovascular diseases, renal and neural control of the circulation, and cardiac assist devices. | ||
| EXMD 507 | Advanced Applied Respiratory Physiology. | 3 |
Advanced Applied Respiratory Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Offered in conjunction with the Department of Physiology. In depth coverage of respiratory biology including: functional anatomy of the respiratory system, pulmonary statics and dynamics, chest wall and respiratory muscles, ventilation and perfusion, control of breathing, and defense mechanisms. This course is aimed at providing a solid grounding in pulmonary biology and its research applications. | ||
| EXMD 508 | Advanced Topics in Respiration. | 3 |
Advanced Topics in Respiration. Terms offered: Winter 2026 Offered in conjunction with the Department of Physiology. In depth coverage of developmental physiology, pulmonary vascular physiology, biology of airway smooth muscle, respiratory epithelium and molecular biology of respiratory muscles. Dyspnea, mechanical ventilation and respiratory failure will also be covered. This course emphasizes application of respiratory biology to basic and applied research and touches on pulmonary pathophysiology. | ||
| MIMM 414 | Advanced Immunology. | 3 |
Advanced Immunology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An advanced course serving as a logical extension of MIMM 314. The course will integrate molecular, cellular and biochemical events involved in the ontogeny of the lymphoid system and its activation in the immune response. The course will provide the student with an up-to-date understanding of a rapidly moving field. | ||
| MIMM 509 | Inflammatory Processes. | 3 |
Inflammatory Processes. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course concentrates on the non-specific aspects of the immune response, an area which is not adequately covered by the other immunology courses presented at the university. Interactions between guest researchers (from McGill and other universities) and students will be furthered. | ||
| PHGY 425 | Analyzing Physiological Systems. | 3 |
Analyzing Physiological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to quantitative analysis of physiological data, both to the mode of thinking and to a set of tools that allows accurate predictions of biological systems. Examples will range from oscillating genetic networks to understanding higher brain function. Modelling and data analysis through examples and exercises will be emphasized. | ||
| PHGY 451 | Advanced Neurophysiology. | 3 |
Advanced Neurophysiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics of current interest in neurophysiology including the development of neurons and synapses, physiology of ionic channels, presynaptic and postsynaptic events in synaptic transmission and neuronal interactions in CNS function. | ||
| PHGY 488 | Stem Cell Biology. | 3 |
Stem Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The main concepts in stem cell biology: embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, cancer stem cells, stem cells populations of many adult tissues, applications of stem cell biology and ethical issues surrounding stem cell use in research and medicine. The major experimental methods and laboratory techniques in stem cell biology. | ||
| PHGY 502 | Exercise Physiology. | 3 |
Exercise Physiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Behaviour of physiological processes in response to physical effort, in areas such as structural basis of muscle contraction, thermoregulation during exercise, mechanics and energetics of muscle contraction, fuel utilization, fatigue, physiological adjustments during exercise and influence of training. | ||
| PHGY 513 | Translational Immunology. | 3 |
Translational Immunology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced key concepts in immunology as they relate to health and disease, including infectious diseases, non-infectious diseases and autoimmunity, and cancer immunology. | ||
| PHGY 515 | Blood-Brain Barrier in Health and Disease. | 3 |
Blood-Brain Barrier in Health and Disease. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the organization and regulation of the blood-brain barrier, highlighting neurological diseases associated with the blood-brain barrier breakdown and give an overview of experimental approaches to study blood-brain barrier. | ||
| PHGY 516 | Physiology of Blood . | 3 |
Physiology of Blood . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Bone marrow hematopoiesis, with emphasis on regulation of stem cell proliferation and differentiation along hematopoietic pathways. Formation and differentiation of red and white blood cells and some of the diseases associated with hematopoiesis will be covered. Emphasis will be given to the molecular mechanisms involved in the normal and pathological conditions. | ||
| PHGY 518 | Artificial Cells. | 3 |
Artificial Cells. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Physiology, biotechnology, chemistry and biomedical application of artificial cells, blood substitutes, immobilized enzymes, microorganisms and cells, hemoperfusion, artificial kidneys, and drug delivery systems. PHGY 517 and PHGY 518 when taken together, will give a complete picture of this field. However, the student can select one of these. | ||
| PHGY 524 | Chronobiology. | 3 |
Chronobiology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the field of chronobiology. The aim is to provide basic instruction on different types of biological rhythms, with particular focus on circadian rhythms. | ||
| PHGY 525 | Cortical Plasticity. | 3 |
Cortical Plasticity. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of cortical plasticity following peripheral and central nervous damage from a systems/cognitive neuroscience perspective. Focus is on sensory systems and animal models, including the following topics: ocular dominance columns, retinal lesions, blindness, deafness, cochlear implants, barrel fields, amputation, stroke, and hemispherectomy. Experimental approaches to be considered include: electrophysiological recording, psychophysics, behaviour, and functional imaging. | ||
| PHGY 531 | Topics in Applied Immunology. | 3 |
Topics in Applied Immunology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminar format course in which experts in immunologic mechanisms of resistance against a variety of infectious diseases, including AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis oversee student moderators in their presentation of recent scientific literature in the field. | ||
| PHGY 550 | Molecular Physiology of Bone. | 3 |
Molecular Physiology of Bone. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will develop a working knowledge of cartilage and bone. Discussion topics will include: molecular and cellular environment of bone; heritable and acquired skeletal defects; research models used to study metabolic bone disease. | ||
| PHGY 556 | Topics in Systems Neuroscience. | 3 |
Topics in Systems Neuroscience. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics of current interest in systems neurophysiology and behavioural neuroscience including: the neural representation of sensory information and motor behaviours, models of sensory motor integration, and the computational analysis of problems in motor control and perception. Students will be expected to present and critically discuss journal articles in class. | ||
| PHGY 560 | Light Microscopy-Life Science. | 3 |
Light Microscopy-Life Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to optics, light microscopy imaging and data analysis for life scientists. | ||
| PSYC 470 | Memory and Brain. | 3 |
Memory and Brain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Memory systems are studied with an emphasis on the neural computations that occur at various stages of the processing stream, focusing on the hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, cerebellum and cortex. The data reviewed is obtained from human, non-human primates and rodents, with single unit recording, neuroimaging and brain damaged subjects. | ||
| PSYT 500 | Advances: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders. | 3 |
Advances: Neurobiology of Mental Disorders. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Current theories on the neurobiological basis of most well known mental disorders (e.g. schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, dementia). Methods and strategies in research on genetic, physiological and biochemical factors in mental illness will be discussed. Discussion will also focus on the rationale for present treatment approaches and on promising new approaches. | ||