McGill.CA / Science Office for Undergraduate Student Advising (SOUSA) / Current Students

Course requirements

Course requirements are University and Faculty rules (i.e. policies) that govern which courses can and can't be used for credit towards your degree and program requirements.

Official policies are published in the Course Catalogue (formerly eCalendar), but this page provides an overview to help you avoid potential issues. Speak with your degree advisor if you have questions about any of these requirements.

Requirement Overview Link to Course Catalogue policy
Grade requirement

All required and complementary courses used to fulfill program requirements, including the basic Science requirements, must be completed with a grade of C or better.

If you do not obtain a C or better in a required course, you must either pass the supplemental examination in the course or do additional work for a supplemental grade (if these options are available) or repeat the course.

In the case of a failed course: you may only repeat a failed course once. If a required course is failed a second time, you must obtain permission to take it a third time (see links to Course Catalogue for details).

B.Sc. Policy

B.A. & Sc. Policy
Course overlap You will not receive additional credit towards your degree for any course that overlaps in content with a course for which you have already received credit at McGill or at another institution (this includes through advanced standing).

B.Sc. Policy

B.A. & Sc. Policy
Courses outside the Faculties of Arts and Science

There are restrictions on the number of courses B.Sc. and B.A. & Sc. students may take from outside the Faculties of Arts and Science.

  • B.Sc. students may take only 6 credits per year, up to 18 credits in all AND must respect the list of approved and restricted courses (students may take courses on the approved list and may not, under any circumstances, take courses on the restricted list for credit).
  • B.A. & Sc. students are allowed a maximum of 12 credits in ELECTIVE and/or COMPLEMENTARY courses taken in faculties other than the Faculties of Arts and of Science.
  • For both degrees, some exceptions apply.

B.Sc. Policy

B.A. & Sc. Policy

Correspondence, Distance Education, or Web-Based Courses (Online Education)

There are restrictions on the number of distance/online courses B.Sc. and B.A. & Sc. student may count towards their degree.

  • A maximum of 6 credits of courses may be used as electives.
  • To receive transfer credit, courses must be pre-approved. Consult Online Education for application instructions.

B.Sc. Policy

B.A. & Sc. Policy
Courses in English as a Second Language

There are restrictions on the use of ESL courses towards the B.Sc. and B.A. & Sc. degrees.

  • ESL courses are only open to students whose primary language is not English and who have studied for fewer than five years in English-language secondary institutions.
  • Limit of 12 credits (including academic writing courses for non-anglophones).

B.Sc. Policy

B.A. & Sc. Policy
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