U2 Courses

- BIOC 311. Metabolic Biochemistry
- PHAR 300. Drug Action
- BIOL 301. Cell and Molecular Laboratory **(can also be taken in Winter)

Fall required courses

Winter required courses

- PHAR 301. Drugs and Disease
- PHAR 303. Principles of Toxicology
- BIOL 301. Cell and Molecular Laboratory **(can also be taken in Winter)

Recommended U2 Complementary Courses

(Fall) CHEM 203. Survey of Physical Chemistry OR (Fall/Winter) CHEM 204. Physical Chemistry/Biological Sciences 1

(Fall) BIOL 373. Biometry OR (Summer/Fall/Winter) MATH 203. Principles of Statistics 1 OR (Fall/Winter) PSYC 204. Introduction to Psychological Statistics

Common Questions

Which statistics course should I take?

PSYC 204

Pros:

Easy multiple choice exam questions
Lots of practice questions
Extra credit opportunities outside of class
Formula sheet for exams

Cons:

Not really psychology-related
Weekly quizzes can be a hassle

Grading scheme:

Homework quizzes: 20% (2 lowest dropped)
Midterms (2): 30%
Final: 50%
NOTE: this is the scheme from Winter 2026

MATH203

Pros:

Online midterm
Assignments and quizzes are easy
Not a lot of content is covered

Cons:

Assignments take some time to do
Course gets a bit difficult at the end

Grading scheme:

Homework: 18%
Quizzes: 12%
Midterm: 20%
Final: 50%
NOTE: this is the scheme from Fall 2025

**BIOL373 is very rarely offered by McGill

**Note: all above statements are student feedback from polls and forms, none are official statements about the course from the university or PILS

Want to give feedback on courses you've taken and help guide future students? Fill out this form!

Should I take CHEM203 or CHEM204?

CHEM203

Pros:

Weekly quizzes keep you on track
Worst midterm can be transferred to the final
Lots of practice questions given
Generally recommended over CHEM204

Cons:

Weekly attendance required for reviews
Cumulative final

Grading scheme:

Quizzes + Review + Participation: 15%
Midterms (2): 40%
Final: 45%
NOTE: this is the scheme from Fall 2025

CHEM204

Pros:

Cons:

Grading scheme:

TBD
NOTE: this scheme is from ____

**Note: all above statements are student feedback from polls and forms, none are official statements about the course from the university or PILS

Want to give feedback on courses you've taken and help guide future students? Fill out this form!