Sciences

About the program:

The two-year pre-university Science Program prepares you for university admission to various Science Programs. At Champlain, we have found that the best way for students to succeed is by making them part of the courses they take and giving them the opportunity to study scientific problems the way professional scientists do. In Biology, this means that you spend less time listening to lectures and more time participating in group activities and studying relevant cases. In Chemistry, you have the opportunity to put into practice what you learn thanks to a major lab component in each course. In Physics, option courses that are relevant to trends in science and engineering are added to the curriculum.

Science options – Health Science or Pure & Applied Science:

Champlain offers two distinct streams of scientific study: Health Science and Pure & Applied Science. Each stream gives students a solid foundation in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics. The Health Science option includes additional instruction in biology and chemistry to better prepare graduates for university study in programs such as medicine and health science research. Those enrolled in Pure & Applied have more flexibility in their studies and are able to choose from amongst a selection of additional science credits to better suit their academic ambitions.

Facilities:

The Chemistry Department has four fully equipped labs. The labs are furnished with laptop computers and the latest data acquisition tools. Students can see the relationship between the equipment and the results in real time. Other equipment includes an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, Ultra Violet/Visible Spectrophotometer, a Gas Chromatograph, two Infrared Spectrophotometers and three Rotary Evaporators used in organic chemistry to gently remove solvents from samples through evaporation. Students will be exposed to a “hands-on” approach in the lab.

The Physics Department has four fully equipped labs, three of which are used by students to perform standard experiments and one which is used for special projects. The labs are equipped with the latest in computerized tools for data collection and analysis that will enhance your experimental skills. Each lab workstation is equipped with a computer as well as sophisticated sensors and data-acquisition devices that allow you to immediately see the outcome of your work.

Students in the Biology Department have hands-on experience with new equipment such as compound and stereo-microscopes, gel electrophoresis units and thermocyclers for gene amplification techniques. Labs provide the learners with the opportunity to handle live specimens such as fruit flies in genetic studies, pond microbes in ecological assessments, mammalian dissections to explore and compare other forms of life to the human body, and delicate manipulations using aseptic technique of plant tissue while exploring tissue culture methods.

Off-campus activities:

Studying and understanding the various ecological systems in our environment is an important aspect of our Biology labs. Environmental studies at Champlain College Saint-Lambert provide students with the benefits of experiencing light field work during their studies which focuses on the analysis of water from the St. Lawrence River. It allows our students to become aware of, and understand, problems dealing with pollution and sustainability. Students are also given other opportunities to observe life outside of the lab during structured activities and data collection at the Botanical Gardens and the Biodôme opening their eyes to the similarities and differences observed in the diverse living world.