Welcome to 海角社区!听 And welcome to the Department of Chemistry!
University wide information for you听is available on the 海角社区 website for Newly admitted undergraduate students.
It is also recommended for all B.Sc. students to familiarize themselves with content on this handbook developed by the Faculty of Science.听听
On this site, we hope to provide assistance for those that听have already made the excellent choice to pursue a program in Chemistry at McGIll, and are entering directly into your U1 year from U0, CEGEP or another type of pre-University degree that exempts you from most first year courses.听听听Another great way to get information is to schedule an advising appointment with the advisor.chemistry [at] mcgill.ca (subject: advising%20appointment%20request) (Director of Undergraduate Studies), who will happy to elaborate information here.听
Here are some of the most common questions students entering U1 have.
What are the different types of programs I can choose as a Chemistry major?
Students who major in Chemistry can choose from a bewildering number types of different programs (Honours, Major, Liberal) and with those programs different听options (regular, Bio-Organic, Bio-Physical).听 听
A听majority of our students choose to pursue Honours or Major programs.听The main difference between the Majors and Honours degree is that Honours requires a research project and additional advanced coursework when compared with the Major.听 Most students are in either the regular option, or the听 Bio-organic option. For each of those options, the Major and Honours are very similar in terms of required coursework and offer basically听the same level of credentials when the B.Sc. is completed.听听
A relatively smaller number of students choose to pursue a more听specialized program听via in our Department, via听 the Major or Honours degree with a Bio-physical option.听 These are very good programs for students who know they would like to pursue graduate studies in Chemistry or related fields, but as the听required coursework for these options differs more significantly from the regular chemistry degree听they may not always be acceptable for professional practice as a Chemist for those who only hold a B.Sc. degree.
The liberal programs have much less required coursework than either a Honours or Majors programs, and offers students the chance to get a strong foundation in chemistry that they must combine with a Minor or second liberal program in another discipline. Once again, this will not always be acceptable for professional practice as a Chemist for those who only hold a B.Sc. degree but this is a great option for students who want flexibility in pursuing听a rigorous听blend of different fields during their degree.听
While this seems like a lot of choices, I really don't recommend overthinking this before starting听U1.听 Generally, aside from the Bio-physical option students do not need to make a final choice about their option or program until sometime in U2, or sometimes听even U3.
What classes should I take in my first year?
The good news is that we recommend basically the same coursework for all students in U1, except those in the Bio-physical option.
听
Typical U1 Schedule
| FALL SEMESTER |
WINTER SEMESTER |
CHEM 242
Orgnc Chem 1 for Chem&Biochem
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: A fundamental study of aliphatic compounds and saturated functional groups including modern concepts of bonding, reaction mechanisms, conformational analysis, spectroscopy, and stereochemistry.
Offered by: Chemistry
- Prerequisite: CHEM 110 and CHEM 120 or equivalent
- Restrictions: Open to students in Chemistry or Biochemistry or by permission of the department. Not open to students who are taking or have taken CHEM 211, CHEM 212, or equivalent.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Danielle K Vlaho, Mitchell J Huot, Pallavi Sirjoosingh, Youla S Tsantrizos, Laura Pavelka, Nathan Luedtke
|
CHEM 252
Orgn Chem 2 for Chem&Biochem
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: A fundamental study of aromatic and polar unsaturated functional groups including reaction mechanisms, multi-step synthesis, regioselectivity, and modern spectroscopic techniques for structure determination.
Offered by: Chemistry
- Prerequisite(s): CHEM 212 or CHEM 242 or equivalent
- Restriction(s): Restriction: Open to students in Chemistry and Biochemistry or by permission of the department. Not open to students who have taken or are taking CHEM 234 or CHEM 222.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Danielle K Vlaho, Mitchell J Huot, Pallavi Sirjoosingh, Nicolas Moitessier, Nathan Luedtke
|
CHEM 213
Intrdctry Physcl Chem1:
Thermo
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: Thermodynamics. Topics include gas laws, kinetic theory of collisions, heat capacity, enthalpy, thermochemistry, bond energies, the entropy and free energy functions, absolute entropies, Maxwell relations and chemical and thermodynamic equilibrium states, phase rule and phase diagrams, ideal solutions, colligative properties, solubility, electrochemistry, Debye-H眉ckel Theory.
Offered by: Chemistry
|
CHEM 273
IntroPhysclChem2:Kinetics&Meth
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: Kinetics: Transition State Theory, complex reactions, free-radical reactions, chain reactions, catalysis, reactions at surfaces, ionic effects of reactions in solution, photochemistry. Methods: physical chemistry laboratory, differential equations and linear algebra applied to physical chemistry, computation methods for data analysis and modeling
Offered by: Chemistry
- Prerequisites: CHEM 213 and MATH 222 or equivalent
- Restrictions: Not open to students who have taken or are taking CHEM 253.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Samuel Lewis Sewall, Jean-Marc Gauthier
|
CHEM 267
Introductory Chemical Analysis
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: Qualitative and quantitative analysis. A survey of methods of analysis including theory and practice of semimicro qualitative analysis and representative gravimetric, volumetric and instrumental methods. The laboratory component includes introductory experiments in analytical chemistry emphasizing classical and instrumental methods of quantitative analysis.
Offered by: Chemistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Janine Mauzeroll, Samuel Lewis Sewall, Jean-Marc Gauthier, Pallavi Sirjoosingh
|
CHEM 281
Inorganic Chemistry 1
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: Basic concepts of electronic structure and molecular bonding will be developed and applied to the understanding of common materials. Acid-base chemistry. Survey of the chemistry of the main group elements. Introduction to coordination and organometallic chemistry.
Offered by: Chemistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Audrey H Moores, Samuel Lewis Sewall
|
MATH 222
Calculus 3
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci): Taylor series, Taylor's theorem in one and several variables. Review of vector geometry. Partial differentiation, directional derivative. Extreme of functions of 2 or 3 variables. Parametric curves and arc length. Polar and spherical coordinates. Multiple integrals.
Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics
- Terms
- Fall 2024
- Winter 2025
- Summer 2025
- Instructors
- Brent Pym, Damien Tageddine
- Hovsep Mazakian
|
听 |
Students in the Bio-organic option can potentially take听BIOL 200听in the Fall and听BIOL 201听in the winter- but could instead be done in U2听depending on how many courses you want to take.听
It's not impossible to put off one or more of these courses in the table above until your second year, but I recommend discussing with advisor.chemistry [at] mcgill.ca (the chemistry advisor)听ahead of time.听听
Will I get any credits for my CEGEP courses that might exclude me from taking听CHEM 212, CHEM 222 or MATH 222?
The answer to this is actually specific to each CEGEP.听 Information can be found here.
I am not from CEGEP and I don't have all my 100 level courses complete- how should I proceed?
Many students who have credits from AP exams or other types of programs which听give you advanced standing have not completed all the pre-program requirements听that we expect- completion of the top 3 rows of the following table听would be the courses considered equivalent to our听recommended听U0 courses.
Pre-program requirements
CHEM 110
General Chemistry 1
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: A study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, radiation and nuclear chemistry, valence theory, coordination chemistry, and the periodic table.
Offered by: Chemistry
- Fall
- Prerequisites/corequisites: College level mathematics and physics or permission of instructor; CHEM 120 is not a prerequisite
- Each lab section is limited enrolment
- Terms
- Instructors
- Pallavi Sirjoosingh, Ashok K Kakkar, Maureen H McKeague, Irina Denisova
|
CHEM 120
General Chemistry 2
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Chemistry: A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry.
Offered by: Chemistry
- Winter
- Prerequisites/corequisites: College level mathematics and physics, or permission of instructor: CHEM 110 is not a prerequisite
- Each lab section is limited enrolment
- Terms
- Instructors
- Pallavi Sirjoosingh, Samuel Lewis Sewall, Paul W Wiseman, Irina Denisova
|
MATH 140
Calculus 1
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci): Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications.
Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics
- 3 hours lecture, 1 hour tutorial
- Prerequisite: High School Calculus
- Restriction(s): 1) Not open to students who have taken MATH139 or MATH 150 or CEGEP objective 00UN or equivalent. 2) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
- Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited
- Terms
- Fall 2024
- Winter 2025
- Summer 2025
- Instructors
- Sidney Trudeau, Marcin Sabok, Artem Kalmykov
- Peiyuan Huang, Sidney Trudeau
|
MATH 141
Calculus 2
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci): The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series.
Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics
- Prerequisites: MATH 139 or MATH 140 or MATH 150.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UP or equivalent.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 122,except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
- Each Tutorial section is enrolment limited
- Terms
- Fall 2024
- Winter 2025
- Summer 2025
- Instructors
- Andrei Zlotchevski, Sidney Trudeau, Hazem A Hassan
- Sidney Trudeau, Bartosz Syroka, Antoine Poulin
|
PHYS 131
Mechanics and Waves
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Physics: The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations, waves, and wave optics.
Offered by: Physics
- Fall
- 3 hours lectures; 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours laboratory in alternate weeks; tutorial sessions
- Corequisite: MATH 139 or higher level calculus course.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking PHYS 101, or who have taken CEGEP objective 00UR or equivalent.
- Laboratory sections have limited enrolment
or听
PHYS 101
Intro Physics - Mechanics
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Physics: An introductory course in physics without calculus, covering mechanics (kinematics, dynamics, energy, and rotational motion), oscillations and waves, sound, light, and wave optics.
Offered by: Physics
- Fall
- 3 hours lectures; 2 hours laboratory; tutorial sessions
- Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 131, CEGEP objective 00UR or equivalent
- Laboratory sections have limited enrolment
|
PHYS 142
Electromagnetism & Optics
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Physics: The basic laws of electricity and magnetism; geometrical optics.
Offered by: Physics
- Winter
- 3 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory in alternate weeks; tutorial sessions
- Prerequisite: PHYS 131.
- Corequisite: MATH 141 or higher level calculus course.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking PHYS 102, or who have taken CEGEP objective 00US or equivalent.
- Laboratory sections have limited enrolment
or
PHYS 102
Intro Physics-Electromagnetism
4 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Physics: Electric field and potential. D.C. circuits and measurements. Capacitance. Magnetic field and induction. Electromagnetic waves and geometrical optics.
Offered by: Physics
- Winter
- 3 hours lectures; 2 hours laboratory; tutorial sessions
- Prerequisite: PHYS 101.
- Corequisite: MATH 139 or higher level calculus course.
- Restriction: Not open to students taking or having taken PHYS 142, CEGEP objective 00UR or equivalent
- Laboratory sections have limited enrolment
|
MATH 133
Linear Algebra and Geometry
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci): Systems of linear equations, matrices, inverses, determinants; geometric vectors in three dimensions, dot product, cross product, lines and planes; introduction to vector spaces, linear dependence and independence, bases. Linear transformations. Eigenvalues and diagonalization.
Offered by: Mathematics and Statistics
- 3 hours lecture, 1 hour tutorial
- Prerequisite: a course in functions
- Restriction(s): 1) Not open to students who have taken CEGEP objective 00UQ or equivalent. 2) Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 123, except by permission of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
- Terms
- Fall 2024
- Winter 2025
- Summer 2025
- Instructors
- Jeremy Macdonald, Antoine Giard, Miguel Ayala, Romain Branchereau
- Th茅o Pinet
|
BIOL 112
Cell and Molecular Biology
3 Credits
Offered in the: - Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Biology (Sci): The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology.
Offered by: Biology
- Winter
- 2 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory
- Labs are held weekly, starting from the second week of term. Attendance at the first lab is mandatory to confirm registration in the course.
- This course serves as an alternative to CEGEP objective code 00XU
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking CEGEP objective 00XU or equivalent;or BIOL 115; or AEBI 122
- Terms
- Instructors
- Joseph Alan Dent, Anne-Marie L'Heureux, Frieder B Sch枚ck
|
While many students take听MATH 133 and/or BIOL 112 during their U0 year, for a variety of reasons it's also common to take them听as a U1.听 听 If you don't have all these听courses, it's best to discuss with the advisor.chemistry [at] mcgill.ca (Director of Undergraduate Studies) the best route to proceed, each case is usually a bit unique.听听
Can I pursue a Minor? Do I HAVE to pursue a minor?
Sure!听 A student in Chemistry can pursue a minor in any other Science or Arts department, along with a few other minors from other Faculties.听听
Minors could be useful professionally if the minor allows you to take courses outside of your chemistry program which are of use in the career you are aspiring too-听 for example students that may want to be involved in start-up companies maybe interested in听a minor in entrepeneurship for science students?听听
Other students take a minor simply to take coursework in a field that they are interested in, for example to learn a foreign language or develop their writing skills via an English Minor.听听听听
Unless you are in a Liberal Program, you would not be required to take a minor.听 You can also fill up your required credit load via electives. These can be additional Chemistry courses, something to improve your scientific skill set such as听a computer science course or an additional听mathematics course, or a pure elective in the Faculty of Arts or Science (there are a number of 100/200 level Science courses that are popular electives).听听听
