IX. Graduate Programs

Environmental Sciences

MSc Program

The objective of the MSc program is to develop and train graduate students that possess a high level of knowledge about the field of environmental science, expertise in specific aspects of environmental science (their thesis research focus), training in laboratory and field techniques, and excellence in writing and oral communication. With these skills, MSc students will possess a strong foundation on which they can be highly successful in science-related positions in government, industry, and consulting, or carry out high quality research at the PhD level.

Admission Requirements

The School’s admission standard for the MSc program is the same as the University and requires a four-year, honours science degree with a minimum B- (70-72%) average during the final two years (4 semesters) of full time undergraduate study. Meeting the minimum requirement (B-) does not guarantee entrance; depending on other criteria (e.g., letters of reference, standardized test scores, academic background relevant to the area to which the applicant has applied) students may be considered for admission with provisional status. Students on provisional status must obtain a “B” average (70%) in at least two graduate courses during their first two semesters of study to continue in the program. Provisional students will be funded at the same level as regular students.

Degree Requirements

The MSc thesis program requires:

  • At least 1.5 graduate course credits, including one mandatory 0.25 credit course (Graduate Seminar).

  • Completion and defense of a thesis on research carried out under the direct supervision of a core faculty member.

The thesis and the oral defense of the thesis are evaluated on a pass/fail basis. An acceptable MSc thesis consists of a defensible account of the student’s research. The project is expected to represent a well-defined research problem, or hypothesis, and should be planned such that the clarity of the underlying rationale, the appropriateness of the technical approach, the research, and the critical evaluation of the results could normally be completed and the thesis defended within six semesters.

University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Canada
519-824-4120