This major prepares you to become a forward-thinking agricultural leader with expertise in ecological stewardship, innovative farming, and global food security. You'll gain the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience to drive positive change in agriculture—supporting healthy communities and a thriving planet.
Through academic coursework, field experiences, and collaborative learning, you'll develop practical tools to protect natural resources and build a more equitable, resilient food system. You'll also benefit from access to crop fields, orchards, greenhouses, and dairy facilities at McGill’s Macdonald Campus.
This major gives students the opportunity to select courses that qualify them to apply to the Ordre des agronomes du Québec (OAQ) [Order of Agrologists of Quebec].
Your courses
In the Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) - Major in Sustainable Agricultural Systems, you’ll explore fundamental sciences, data coding, agricultural sustainability, and precision agriculture through 42 credits of core courses and at least one 24-credit specialization of your choice.
Suggested specializations
In the Sustainable Agricultural Systems major, you’ll need to choose at least one specialization. We recommend:
Field Crops and Horticulture
Biology and physiology, breeding, propagation, and management of domesticated crops and vegetables, in the context of the growing need for plant sources of food in urban settings and livestock feed in rural settings.
Global Food Security
Applied understanding of how agriculture can further sustainable development, alleviate poverty, increase nutrition, and achieve food security.
Livestock
Livestock production to provide food and other resources to consumers. Management practices (physiology, breeding, genomics, nutrition, and welfare), incorporating precision animal agriculture and highlighting regional industries in a global context.
Internships & research
As you progress in your program, you’ll have the opportunity to learn off campus by completing a field project or internship. Participate in hands-on experiences such as:
- Interning at local dairy and vegetable farms
- Analyzing insect populations abroad
- Optimizing the performance of autonomous weed removal robots
- Documenting the welfare of dairy calves
- Working with locals in developing countries to develop community projects
Career paths
This program will prepare you for a wide choice of careers or further study in agriculture-related sectors, including agrology if certain courses are completed. You could work in:
- Horticulture or crop production
- Animal agriculture
- Farm business management
- International development
- Government services
- Consulting
- Research
A Bachelor's degree is an undergraduate degree that normally takes 3 to 4 full-time years of study to complete, depending on the student’s previous education system.
If you are applying from high school (outside of Quebec's CEGEP system), you cannot apply directly to this major. You must apply to the associated Foundation Year program.