Master of Science (MSc) 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 
  • Master's
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
  • Part-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis
  • Master's Research Paper

• Minimum requirements 
  • Students should have a Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Earth Sciences, or equivalent (e.g. Geology, Geosciences), with no less than a 75% standing. Outstanding students in other fields will also be accepted, but will have to take extra courses to strengthen their background preparation.
  • 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.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
    • An official transcript showing the awarding of the previous degree.
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    at least 2 academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Students have the responsibility of choosing the option that they will follow. The Thesis option provides an opportunity for the student to acquire a greater degree of research experience, whereas the Master’s Research Paper option provides an opportunity for the student to acquire a broader formal background in their chosen area of specialization through training in a larger number of courses.

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete at least 4 one-term courses (0.50 unit weight), 1 of which is the EARTH 695 Earth MSc Seminar Proposal.
• The courses have to be EARTH 600 level courses, or equivalent, and only 1 400 level undergraduate course may count towards the course requirements.
• Students are required to take a minimum number of credit courses as partial fulfillment of their degree requirements. In addition to these courses, students may also be required to take additional courses at the undergraduate level as prerequisites for the credit courses.

Link(s) to courses

• Earth Science (EARTH) courses

Master’s Thesis

• Students must submit and successfully defend a Master’s thesis.

Master's Research Paper option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete 6 one-term (0.50 unit weight) graduate EARTH courses or equivalent (may include 1 400-level undergraduate course).
• Students are required to take a minimum number of credit courses as partial fulfillment of the MSc degree requirements. In addition to these courses, students may also be required to take additional courses at the undergraduate level as prerequisites for the credit courses.

Link(s) to courses

• Earth Science (EARTH) courses

Master’s Research Paper

• Students must complete a written report on a research project that is narrower in scope than a thesis and that entails a lesser time commitment than a thesis.