Science for Arts Students Minor Concentration (B.A.)

18 credits · Faculty of Arts · 2026-2027 catalogue

Science for Arts Students Minor Concentration (B.A.) as a checklist, with when each course runs in 2026–27. On a computer, check off the courses you have taken or plan to take to add up your credits.

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Required Course (3 credits)

  • BIOL 210 How Science Works (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

Complementary Courses (15 credits)

15 credits taken in one of the disciplinary areas given below. Where suggested courses have prerequisites at the 200 or 300 level associated with them, credit for the associated prerequisites may also be counted as part of the 15 credits. Prerequisites at the 100 level cannot be counted toward the Minor concentration. With the prior written approval of the Program Adviser, an appropriate alternative set of courses may be substituted.

Disciplinary Areas

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Prerequisites which cannot be counted toward the Minor concentration: MATH 140 and MATH 141 or equivalents; PHYS 101 or PHYS 131 and PHYS 102 or PHYS 142 or equivalents recommended.

  • ATOC 214 Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • ATOC 215 Oceans, Weather and Climate (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • ATOC 219 Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • ATOC 309 Weather Radars and Satellites (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • ATOC 315 Thermodynamics and Convection (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • ATOC 357 Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Laboratory (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MATH 222 Calculus 3 (3 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall, Winter

Biochemistry

Biology

Chemistry

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

Earth and Planetary Sciences

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

A combination of EPSC 201 or EPSC 233, together with EPSC 210 and EPSC 212 provides a grounding in Earth and Planetary Sciences and preparation for more specialized courses. Students should meet with an EPSC departmental adviser prior to selecting their courses, as some 200-level courses have specific prerequisites. Prerequisites which cannot be counted toward the Minor concentration: CHEM 110 and CHEM 120, and MATH 140 or equivalents. Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

  • EPSC 201 Understanding Planet Earth (3 credits) · Offered: Summer, Winter
  • EPSC 210 Introductory Mineralogy (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • EPSC 212 Introductory Petrology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • EPSC 220 Principles of Geochemistry (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • EPSC 231 Field School 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Summer
  • EPSC 233 Earth and Life Through Time (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • EPSC 240 Geology in the Field (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • EPSC 303 Structural Geology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • EPSC 320 Elementary Earth Physics (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • EPSC 334 Invertebrate Paleontology (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • EPSC 355 Sedimentary Geology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • EPSC 549 Hydrogeology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

Geography

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

(Students in any Minor or Major concentration or Honours program in Geography cannot choose this disciplinary area.) Geography advisers recommend including some preparation in chemistry, statistics, and calculus for study in this area even if formal prerequisites are not in place. Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

  • GEOG 203 Environmental Systems (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • GEOG 205 Global Change: Past, Present and Future (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • GEOG 272 Earth's Changing Surface (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • GEOG 305 Soils and Environment (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • GEOG 321 Climatic Environments (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • GEOG 322 Environmental Hydrology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • GEOG 372 Running Water Environments (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • GEOG 470 Wetlands (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027

Mathematics and Statistics (0–15 credits)

Suggested courses:

(Students in any Minor or Major concentration or Honours program in Mathematics and Statistics cannot choose this disciplinary area.) Prerequisites which cannot be counted toward the Minor: MATH 133 , MATH 140, and MATH 141 or equivalents. Suggested courses:

  • MATH 203 Principles of Statistics 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall, Winter
  • MATH 204 Principles of Statistics 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MATH 222 Calculus 3 (3 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall, Winter
  • MATH 223 Linear Algebra (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter
  • MATH 338 History and Philosophy of Mathematics (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

Microbiology and Immunology

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

Prerequisites which cannot be counted toward the Minor concentration: BIOL 111 and BIOL 112, CHEM 110 and CHEM 120 or their equivalents. Note: CHEM 212 or its equivalent is prerequisite, or corequisite, to these courses. Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

  • BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall
  • MIMM 211 Introductory Microbiology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MIMM 314 Intermediate Immunology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • MIMM 323 Microbial Physiology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • MIMM 324 Fundamental Virology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

Pathology

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

Prerequisites which cannot be counted toward the Minor concentration: BIOL 111 and BIOL 112, plus CHEM 110 and CHEM 120, MATH 140, and PHYS 101 or PHYS 131 and PHYS 102 or PHYS 142, or their equivalents. PATH 300, together with its associate prerequisites, is well suited to students with an interest in medicine. Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

  • BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall
  • PATH 300 Human Disease (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • PHGY 209 Mammalian Physiology 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • PHGY 210 Mammalian Physiology 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

Physics

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

Prerequisites which cannot be counted toward the Minor concentration: PHYS 131, PHYS 142, MATH 140, MATH 141, MATH 222 or their equivalents. Honours courses may be substituted for their Major equivalents only with the permission of the Department. Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites:

  • PHYS 224 Physics of Music (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • PHYS 230 Dynamics of Simple Systems (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • PHYS 232 Heat and Waves (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • PHYS 241 Signal Processing (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • PHYS 242 Electricity and Magnetism (2 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • PHYS 257 Experimental Methods 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • PHYS 258 Experimental Methods 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • PHYS 320 Introductory Astrophysics (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

Physiology

Psychology

BIOL 111 and BIOL 112, CHEM 110 and CHEM 120, or their equivalents.

BIOL 111 and BIOL 112, CHEM 110 and CHEM 120, or their equivalents.

  • ANAT 262 Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOC 212 Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Function (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall

Students who have completed CHEM 212 and CHEM 222 or their equivalents may take one or both of the following:

Students who have completed CHEM 212 and CHEM 222 or their equivalents may take one or both of the following:

  • BIOC 311 Metabolic Biochemistry (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOC 312 Biochemistry of Macromolecules (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

Biology - Cell and Molecular Stream

Biology - Cell and Molecular Stream

  • BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 202 Basic Genetics (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall

Plus a selected subset of these or related upper-level courses:

Plus a selected subset of these or related upper-level courses:

  • BIOL 300 Molecular Biology of the Gene (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 303 Developmental Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 313 Eukaryotic Cell Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 314 Molecular Biology of Cancer (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

Biology - Organismal Stream

Biology - Organismal Stream

  • BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 205 Functional Biology of Plants and Animals (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 215 Introduction to Ecology and Evolution (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall

Plus one or more of these or related upper-level courses:

Plus one or more of these or related upper-level courses:

  • BIOL 304 Evolution (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 305 Animal Diversity (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 306 Neural Basis of Behaviour (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 307 Behavioural Ecology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 308 Ecological Dynamics (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 310 Biodiversity and Ecosystems (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • BIOL 465 Conservation Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites: Note: CHEM 212 or its equivalent is prerequisite to all 200-level or h

Students select 15 credits from the following courses and their associated prerequisites: Note: CHEM 212 or its equivalent is prerequisite to all 200-level or higher courses.

  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall
  • CHEM 222 Introductory Organic Chemistry 2 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Winter
  • CHEM 267 Introductory Chemical Analysis (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • CHEM 281 Inorganic Chemistry 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • CHEM 302 Introductory Organic Chemistry 3 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • CHEM 334 Advanced Materials (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • CHEM 381 Inorganic Chemistry 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

One of: (3 credits)

One of:

  • CHEM 203 Survey of Physical Chemistry (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • CHEM 204 Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter

Students should select:

Students should select:

  • BIOL 200 Molecular Biology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • BIOL 201 Cell Biology and Metabolism (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1 (4 credits) · Offered: Summer, Fall

Both:

Both:

  • PHGY 209 Mammalian Physiology 1 (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • PHGY 210 Mammalian Physiology 2 (3 credits) · Offered: Winter

And, if credits permit, one or more of these intermediate-level Physiology courses:

And, if credits permit, one or more of these intermediate-level Physiology courses:

  • PHGY 311 Channels, Synapses and Hormones (3 credits) · Offered: Fall
  • PHGY 312 Respiratory, Renal, and Cardiovascular Physiology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • PHGY 313 Blood, Gastrointestinal, and Immune Systems Physiology (3 credits) · Offered: Winter
  • PHGY 314 Integrative Neuroscience (3 credits) · Offered: Fall

15 credits of Psychology selected as follows: (15 credits)

15 credits of Psychology selected as follows:

  • PSYC 204 Introduction to Psychological Statistics (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter

6 credits from the following core courses: (6 credits)

6 credits from the following core courses:

  • PSYC 211 Introductory Behavioural Neuroscience (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter
  • PSYC 212 Perception (3 credits) · Not scheduled for 2026–2027
  • PSYC 213 Cognition (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter
  • PSYC 215 Social Psychology (3 credits) · Offered: Fall, Winter

Remaining credits

Plus 6 credits Psychology courses at the 300 level or higher (excluding PSYC 305).

Source: McGill Course Catalogue. myDegree is an independent student project, not affiliated with McGill University.