Honours Global Food Security

Students can use their electives to complete the Honours program. The courses credited to the Honours program must be in addition to any required or complementary courses taken to satisfy the requirements of the student's Major and Specialization.

In addition to satisfying the Honours requirements, students must apply for the Honours program in March or April of their U2 year. It is the responsibility of the student to find a professor who is willing to support and supervise the research project. No student will be accepted into the program until a supervisor has agreed to supervise the student. Applicants must have a minimum CGPA of 3.3 to enter the Honours program and they must earn a B grade (3.0) or higher in the courses making up the Honours program. Students are required to achieve a minimum overall CGPA of 3.3 at graduation to obtain honours. Students can use their electives to complete the Honours program. The courses credited to the Honours program must be in addition to any required or complementary courses taken to satisfy the requirements of the student's major and specialization.

The Honours program consists of 12 credits of courses that follow one of two plans listed below.

Students who meet all the requirements will have the name of their program changed to include the word "Honours."
A brief description of the Honours project activities involved will be documented and signed by the Program Director of the student's Major, the supervisor of the Honours project, and the student.

The program provides a global perspective on agriculture and food security, and addresses issues related to rural development, malnutrition, poverty and food safety with special emphasis on the developing world. Using a multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach, the program provides students with a comprehensive set of courses at McGill in combination with hands-on experience through structured internships and study abroad opportunities. The field experience (short courses, internships, or full semester) includes project development in local communities, observing subsistence agriculture in situ, and participating in various activities which sensitize students to the challenges that countries face to feed their people. Students will have the opportunity to develop the knowledge base needed for successful careers in government, non-government, and international institutions in the areas of international and sustainable development, international research and project management, agri-business, and food and agriculture policy analysis.

• Canadian citizenship or Canadian permanent residency
• 23 years of age or older by the start of classes (21 years of age for the Faculties of Management and Music)
• No high school, college or university level studies within the last five years that would constitute a basis for admission
• Two letters of reference
• Mature Student Statements:
  • Letter of Intent, including description of all educational experiences
  • Complete resume of employment and other activities, highlighting points relevant to the application
• In some cases, an interview may be required
• Demonstrate academic potential by successfully completing a minimum number of specific courses (see 'Minimum grades & prerequisites' below) within the three-year period prior to admission and no later than May 15th of the year of application for the intended program (May 1 for some programs). These courses, which may be completed at CEGEP or university, will also fulfill prerequisites for the intended program. 

1. Know your deadlines.

   Mark your calendar with these important dates regarding your application. 

2. Decide what to study.

   Use the program finder tool to explore over 300 undergraduate programs and find your best match. 

3. Make sure you're eligible.

   Admission to most programs is based on grades only. In this step, you'll find:
   • How your academic record is reviewed
   • The grades that gained entrance to your program in previous years
   • The prerequisites for your program

4. Get ready to apply.

   As of October 1, you can apply. Complete each step of the pre-application to-do list, including:

   • Understand the deadlines that apply to you
   • Prepare your academic documents
   • Identify supporting documents you'll need to provide

5. Submit your application.

   Review our tips on how to apply and see what the application fees will be. Remember that you can apply to two programs.

6. Apply for an entrance scholarship.

   Look into entrance scholarships early! The deadline is usually a week after your application deadline. This page provides information about entrance scholarships, bursaries, and other funding opportunities.

7. Submit documents and keep in touch.

   We'll connect with you by email to let you know when to upload supporting documents, if required. In this step, you'll see:
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   • Supporting documents you may need to prepare
   • How to submit supporting documents, including self-reporting your grades