The purpose of the Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Science is to train Bachelor of Science or Engineering graduates in the design, execution, and dissemination of research that is focused on the interfaces between traditional disciplines in dealing with fundamentally scientific, environment-focused issues. This is a full-time, 16-month program with a unique May start date that will help students to rigorously gather data towards the completion of an MSc thesis.
The MSc in Environmental Science will allow students to address major emerging research themes in the environment and pursue projects that make use of complementary research concepts, approaches, and tools. Faculty members are cross-appointed from several graduate units including: Cell and Systems Biology; Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; Chemistry; Earth Sciences; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Geography and Planning; Forestry; and Physics, which ensures the supervision of research projects across a broad range of expertise and research facilities. This program will engage these strengths in order to foster research that is critical for finding solutions to, or elucidating the root causes of, today's critical environmental challenges.
MSc Program
Minimum Admission Requirements
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Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences' additional admission requirements stated below.
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Applicants whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English must demonstrate proficiency in English. See General Regulations section 4.3 for requirements.
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A science or engineering undergraduate degree with a minimum mid-B grade average in the last two years of the undergraduate program.
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Applicants must submit a written, maximum 300-word statement describing their interests in Environmental Science. The statement should describe any research experience, the suitability of their academic background for an MSc in Environmental Science, and their environmental science-related research objectives in the MSc program. Applicants must make clear in their written statement the agreement of a proposed supervising professor with which they plan to conduct their thesis research and their interest in conducting research in their chosen area.
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Applicants must have completed one of the following:
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At least one supervised research experience during their undergraduate studies. This may include an honours thesis, a research-based work term (involving lab or field work, modelling), a summer research experience, or another course formally linked to a research project. One of the applicant’s reference letters must be from their research experience supervisor or co-supervisor.
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At least 10 one-term courses at the upper levels (Years 3 and 4 of full-time undergraduate studies) in a science discipline (for example, environmental science, earth science, physical geography, biology, chemistry, mathematics/statistics, physics, computer science, forestry) or in a branch of engineering (for example, civil, chemical, environmental).
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Completion Requirements
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Coursework. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 1.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) as follows:
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EES1200H Environmental Science Research Experience.
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EES1201H Environmental Science: Approaches and Methods in Research.
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A minimum of 0.5 elective FCE to provide background for the student's research. Courses selected must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair. In some cases, additional courses may be required if a student's preparedness is assessed as being insufficient. Students may apply to take a number of graduate-level courses taught by the core faculty, both within and outside the Graduate Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, as part of their 0.5 elective FCE for the degree. However, all courses for the MSc degree must be approved by the student's supervisor and the Graduate Chair.
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Thesis. The execution of an original piece of research in environmental science carried out under faculty supervision and presented in thesis form. The program requires the oral examination of the completed thesis to a committee of three faculty members, including the faculty supervisor(s).
Program Length: 4 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: S-FWS)
Time Limit: 3 years full-time