Admission is limited and competitive. To be considered for admission, applicants shall normally hold a Bachelor’s (Honours) degree in Science, Geography, or Environmental Science with at least second class (upper division) standing, or equivalent, or a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an institution recognized by the Senate, or shall have qualifications and/or experience in environmental science acceptable to the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Board of Studies. The Board of Studies make recommendations on admission to the Dean of Graduate Studies

Applicants must identify a supervisor before submitting their application. The supervisor must confirm that they are willing to supervise the applicant. No applicants are offered formal admission until a faculty supervisor has been confirmed. This applies to applicants for all three programs. Visit the School of Graduate Studies page for suggestions on how to identify and contact a supervisor

Information on the faculty members involved in the Environmental Science program can be found on the Faculty Members page. Email addresses and webpage links are provided on that page as well.

Students taking the course-based option Master of Environmental Science normally start the program in the Fall Semester. Although it is possible to start this program in the Winter semester, doing so may create scheduling problems that will delay the completion of the program.

Students taking the research thesis-based option M.Sc. (Environmental Science) may start the program in any of the three semesters. Although no courses are likely to be offered in the Spring Semester, it is possible to begin thesis research at that time.

The School of Graduate Studies receives all applications for admission to either program. Admission is limited and competitive. The following deadlines apply in order to ensure adequate time for processing applications:

• February 1 for a program starting in the Fall Semester
• April 1 for a program starting in the Winter Semester

International students may require a visa to study in Canada, depending on their country of origin. You should allow at least 6 months for processing of your visa application by the Canadian government. (More information about who needs a visa, and how to obtain one, is available from the Government of Canada website.) As well, if a student is accepted for admission and is required to demonstrate English proficiency by submission of a minimum score in TOEFL, IELTS, or another acceptable language test, that applicant is required to take the English Placement Test (EPT) upon arrival. Details on this requirement can be found in the University Calendar (General Regulation 4.1.7). The ESL Programs Office has created a webpage on which the date, time, and location of upcoming EPTs will be listed.

Fellowship deadline

If you wish to be considered for fellowship support you should ensure that your application is received as early as possible, especially in the case of international applicants. The Environmental Science Program allocates most of the available financial support at a meeting held in March. Fellowships are available only to students pursuing the thesis-based MSc (Environmental Science) option, and are awarded on a competitive basis. If you wish to be considered for fellowship support, your complete application package should be received by us no later than February 15 for a September start.

You can submit your application online by applying below.