Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Earth Sciences

The program information below was valid for the fall 2023 term (September 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Program type 
  • Doctoral
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • The program is open to students who have completed a Master of Science (MSc) degree with a 75% average and who have outstanding academic credentials and a demonstrated ability to do original scholarly work.
  • A normal requirement is a background in geology or geological engineering, but other experience relevant to a candidate's research interests will be considered. Candidates will be evaluated on an individual basis.
  • University regulations permit that under exceptional circumstances, outstanding students with a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, can be admitted directly into the PhD program.
  • Before applying to the program, students are strongly advised to establish contact with potential supervisors. It is a good strategy to identify whether the potential supervisors that students would like to undertake research with have available positions and funding.
  • Admission from the BSc degree to the Doctoral program: in exceptional cases where a student demonstrates academic excellence including: research potential, scientific maturity and good writing skills, they may be allowed, at the discretion of the Graduate Committee, to proceed directly to the PhD degree from the BSc, without the completion of the MSc.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete a minimum of 2 one-term 600 level courses (0.50 unit weight). 1 of these courses must be an EARTH course.
• A grade of a least 70% must be obtained in all graduate level courses. If a lower grade is obtained, the course(s) must be repeated or other requirements met as specified by the Supervisory Committee.
• In addition to completing the minimum of required courses, students are strongly encouraged to take additional courses outside of their specialty in order to broaden their perspective in science, mathematics, or engineering.
• Grades from any designated extra courses will not be included in the calculation of the 70% minimum-average requirement.
• If the student has taken additional courses during the MSc program, these might be credited to the PhD requirements upon recommendation by the Supervisory Committee. Requests should be made at the time the student is applying.

Link(s) to courses

• Earth Science (EARTH) courses

PhD Comprehensive Examination

• Students are required to meet the University-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements outlined in the “Minimum requirements for the PhD degree” section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar (GSAC).

• In addition to the University-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements, students in the PhD in Earth Sciences program are also required to:
  • Obtain a reading list, from the Examination Committee at least 8 weeks prior to the exam (questions will focus generally on this material).
  • Questions may cover the entire spectrum of scientific knowledge which the candidate is expected to be familiar with and will probe their in-depth expertise in their area of specialization. In particular, the candidate will be expected to demonstrate a thorough grasp of the fundamental principles underlying their branch of science.

PhD Thesis Proposal

• This is a 30 minute presentation by PhD students of an overview of their proposed research. The PhD Thesis Proposal Milestone is to be completed by the student sometime in between terms 4 to 6.

PhD Thesis

• Students must submit and successfully defend a PhD thesis.