McGill.CA / Department of Biology / Graduate

Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Applicants to the M.Sc. program must hold a B.Sc. degree or its equivalent.

International applicants should verify International credentials and grade equivalencies.

The residence requirement for the M.Sc. degree is 3 terms of full-time study. This is the minimum duration required to complete the M.Sc. degree. The expected duration for completing the M.Sc. degree is 2 years. In some cases, 3 years may be required; students are however cautioned to avoid research projects that cannot be completed in 2 years.

Course Requirements

The following Thesis Courses are required for all M.Sc. students:

  • BIOL 697 Master's Thesis Research 1 13 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

  • BIOL 698 Master's Thesis Research 2 13 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

  • BIOL 699 Master's Thesis Research 3 13 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

M.Sc. students are required to earn an additional 6 course credits during their degree.

Students joining the program in Fall 2021 or later earn 3 credits from the newly offered introductory graduate research/skills courses BIOL601 & BIOL602 or BIOL601 & BIOL603, which they are encouraged to take during their first year. The remaining 3 credits will be from complementary courses (see below).

  • BIOL 601 Intro to Grad Studies: Biology 1.5 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

  • BIOL 602 Molecular Biol Res&Prof Skills 1.5 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

  • BIOL 603 Orgnsml Biol Res & Prof Skills 1.5 Credits
      Offered in the:
    • Fall
    • Winter
    • Summer

MSc students who joined the program prior to Fall 2021 earn all 6 credits from complementary courses.

Complementary courses
  • Must be at the 500-level or above.
  • Course selections must be approved by the Thesis Supervisor.
  • Courses may be selected from the Biology Department, other departments or other universities in Quebec (taken through CREPUQ).
  • Students must attain a passing grade of B- in all required courses. Requests to take supplemental exams should be directed to the Graduate Training Committee.
  • Students may take additional courses not required for their degree (e.g. writing, language and teaching courses), as long as a minimum average of B- is maintained.
  • Graduate-level courses offered by the Department of Biology are listed here.

Seminars & Presentations

Students in the M.Sc. program are expected to regularly attend at least one of the department's weekly seminar series. A list of these is available on the Seminars & Events page. In addition, M.Sc. students are are expected to give at least one research seminar a year to a scientific audience outside of their lab. Presentations should be at least 15 minutes long. First year students are exempt from this requirement.

M.Sc. Thesis

A thesis demonstrating independent and original research in a specialized field, written in accordance with McGill's Policies on Research Ethics and Intellectual Property, is the major requirement for the M.Sc. degree. Our Thesis Guidelines contain the resources relevant to the preparation and submission of a thesis.

NOTE: The program requirements for the Specialized Options in Biology differ from the requirements of the regular Biology Graduate Programs. More...

 

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