IX. Graduate Programs

Environmental Sciences

MES Program

The MES (coursework Master’s) degree enables students to study the most recent theoretical and technical advances in the environmental sciences through multidisciplinary teaching and research. There are two options to the MES in Environmental Sciences: by coursework + research project and by coursework-only. The MES will promote critical thinking and enhance oral and written communication skills so that graduates can excel in industry, government and other sectors of civil society (e.g., environmental risk assessors/managers, political advisors on policy/law issues in government, senior positions in national and international agencies, etc.).

Admission Requirements

The School’s admission standard for the MES 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, degree of work experience in related fields of study) 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 semester of study to continue in the program. Provisional students will be funded at the same level as regular students

MES Degree Requirements

Course Work and Major Research Project (MRP)

Candidates must complete a minimum of 4.0 credits

ENVS*6500 [1.0] The Environmental Science Research Project
ENVS*6501 F [0.5] Advanced Topics in Environmental Science
ENVS*6502 W [0.5] Seminar in Environmental Science
Two additional credits from Environmental Sciences courses

The research project may be completed at the University or as part of a placement with an approved non-academic agency. The project may include analysis of a data set (derived from lab, field, or computer simulation) related to the specialization chosen by the student including analyses and interpretations of relevant data (the student may or may not be involved in collecting the data), or major, critical literature review. The outcome of the research project will be a written report and a seminar presented to the department.

Course Work