Updated: Sun, 10/06/2024 - 10:30

From Saturday, Oct. 5 through Monday, Oct. 7, the Downtown and Macdonald Campuses will be open only to McGill students, employees and essential visitors. Many classes will be held online. Remote work required where possible. See Campus Public Safety website for details.


Du samedi 5 octobre au lundi 7 octobre, le campus du centre-ville et le campus Macdonald ne seront accessibles qu’aux étudiants et aux membres du personnel de l’Université McGill, ainsi qu’aux visiteurs essentiels. De nombreux cours auront lieu en ligne. Le personnel devra travailler à distance, si possible. Voir le site Web de la Direction de la protection et de la prévention pour plus de détails.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the program?

This is a three-year program. It includes six teaching semesters and two summer internships. Students graduate with a Quebec Diploma of Collegial Studies, part of the Quebec CEGEP system. Graduates who go on to own part of an agricultural business within Quebec may be eligible to apply for a $50 000 establishment grant from La Financière agricole du Québec.

What can I do with this diploma?

Many of our graduates are from farms, and they return home after graduation to take over the family business. They can access grants and loans to make improvements to their farms such as increasing herd size, renovations, modernizations and new machinery. Others start their own agri-businesses. Our graduates also find work throughout the agricultural sector in feed sales, seed and fertilizer sales, pest management, genetics advisors, as farm managers, horticulturists, technicians for ag robotics companies, and much, much more. Some of our graduates begin undergraduate degree programs in agriculture.

How many internships are there? How long are they?

Altogether, there are four internships, or stages. The first one is in October of the first year and lasts one week. The second is in March of the first year, and also lasts one week. The third and fourth stages are during the summer (between first and second year, and between second and third year) and each lasts a minimum of 10 weeks.

Where can I work during my stage?

The FMT program has connections to many different farms and businesses, both locally in Quebec or Ontario and in Western Canada. It is the responsibility of the student to pick his/her desired stage location and make the arrangements. Students who come from a farm at home are not permitted to work at home for the first summer stage, but are encouraged to work at home for the second summer stage.

Is stage paid?

The two one-week internships might be paid, and might not, depending on what training is involved in the work you will be doing. The first summer stage is usually paid. If you work at your family's farm for the second summer stage, then payment depends on you and your parents!

Where is the school?

The Macdonald Campus is located in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, on the western tip of the island of Montreal. We're two hours from Ottawa, two hours from Sherbrooke, and 30 minutes from downtown Montreal.

Island map to Macdonald Campus

There are also some STM express buses: 405, 411, 419, as well as CITPI (off-island) buses: 7, 35, 44.

The shuttle bus between the two McGill campuses is free for students.

What is the deadline to apply?

The official deadline is March 1st. Quebec students can apply through SRAM (deadline March 1) or they can apply through the McGill online application.
Keep in mind that after you apply, we must receive all of your supporting documents before we can reach a decision on your application. After March 1 until program start in August we accept applications until the cohort is full.
In order to have enough time to obtain the necessary travel documents, International students must apply before January 15.

What do I need to be admitted?

Please review the admission requirements on the Program Information page.

Do I have to be from a farm?

No, you don't! We have students every year who come from suburbs, large cities or simply non-agricultural rural areas, who go on to establish their own farm, to manage an existing farm or to any number of positions in the agri-business industry. There are opportunities to gain agricultural experience right here on campus. That said, students are still required to have some agricultural experience to make sure this is the right program for them.

Where would I live?

Macdonald Campus has residences on campus, and Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue has many affordable apartments and houses for rent within walking distance.

How do I book a room in residence?

If you are interested in living on-campus, you should indicate this where it asks on the application form. Once you have been admitted, and you have confirmed the offer of admission, a residence application form will open for you in Minerva (McGill's online registration system). You must complete all the steps and pay your residence deposit before June 1 to be eligible.

How much does this program cost?

Student services and student society fees vary depending on whether you are a Quebec, out-of-province Canadian, or International student. International students also pay a mandatory health and dental insurance which is added to the student services total. International and Canadian students who are not residents of Quebec will also be assessed a tuition fee per semester. Review the current tuition and student administration fees. We recommend budgeting an additional $300 for books and supplies. Living expenses depend on where you live.

Is this an undergraduate program?

No, the Farm Management and Technology program is not an undergraduate (Bachelor's degree) program, it is a collegial diploma program that is part of the CEGEP system in Quebec. It does not lead to a degree, and students should not apply to the program as a means to get into undergraduate programs at McGill. FMT is the only collegial program offered by McGill University.

Can I study part-time or as part of a continuing education program?

No. The FMT program is designed for full-time students only - courses are only offered once per semester, and in one time slot. Because of the sequential nature of the program it is not possible to study part-time, or to complete the program in less than 3 years. It is also not possible to take individual courses from the FMT program for continuing education purposes. Inquiries about continuing education opportunities in agriculture should be made to the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

What are the advantages of being part of McGill University?

As an FMT student, you are a student of McGill University and have access to all McGill services, including athletic facilities and libraries. Student Services at Macdonald Campus offers Career Planning Service (CaPS), counseling, advising, Student Financial Aid, Student Health Services, distributes health insurance to international students and coordinates all the midterm examinations for students registered with Student Accessibility and Achievements. Other services available include dental and health insurance plans (through MCSS). There is also a farm at Macdonald Campus, which supports teaching with labs at the horticulture centre, greenhouses, dairy complex, poultry complex, swine complex, agronomic research centre (field crops), and technical shop.

Follow us on:

Back to top