Students enrolled in the M.Sc. program must complete four courses and a thesis. Four courses are required and programs are tailored to suit the needs of individual students, in consultation with their supervisors. The three required courses are:

• BIOL 7220 (Quantitative Methods in Biology) or PSYC 6000 (Statistical Design/Analysis)
• CABE/BIOL/PSYC 6351 (Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology)
• CABE 7000 (Field and Lab Methods in Behavioural Ecology)

Those students interested in applying to this program are encouraged to contact potential supervisors at the time of (or before) application. It is also important that the area of interest be specified on the application, and if the applicant has been communicating with a particular faculty member, that faculty member's name should be included in the statement of interest. Early in the program the student and supervisor select a committee to assist in the planning and execution of the research. This committee must accept the student's proposal before research is begun. This committee also must certify that the completed thesis is ready for examination. Students are funded in the M.Sc. programme for 24 months.

Just before submission of the thesis, the student is required to give a public talk on the thesis project. Theses are examined by one external and one internal examiner via correspondence.