Yes. You should contact members of our faculty whose area of research interests you. That is the best way to know if you are suited for our program.
The Master of Environmental Studies is offered as either a research-based (4 courses and a thesis plus oral defense) or course-based (6 courses and a report) interdisciplinary degree, i.e., we require each student to work in two or more fields. We accept students with research interests and backgrounds in virtually all disciplines with the limitation that research degree students must find a supervisor who agrees to take them on as a student in their lab, supported by their research grant. For the course-based students, the project report must be supported by an advisor with an expertise in the subject area of the report. Both research- and course-based students must secure a commitment from a professor to support their stipend and research costs in advance of an offer being made.
The MES program has two required courses (ENSC 801*, 802*). Optional School of Environmental Studies courses are offered. Check offerings yearly. As for electives from other departments, please review the course list. It is not exhaustive, but lists a very large number of courses of potential interest to students. However, courses offered vary from year to year based on the interests of students within other departments, the numbers available to take a course, and the availability of professors (some may be on sabbatical). Hence, there is uncertainty about what is available until about August and September of each year - this is a much more casual system than you would encounter at the undergrad level, and is typical of most universities.
An interdisciplinary program is one that requires students to work in more than one traditional discipline (e.g., someone interested in conservation policy might focus on ecology and policy). The purpose is to ensure that students will be able to work on environmental issues where it is necessary to interact with experts from other fields. The School’s courses examine issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives to expose students to the concerns, research tools, and language used by different disciplines.
The program's commitment is to foster a cross-disciplinary exchange, i.e. an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and investigating environmental issues. One of the objectives is to teach students to be comfortable with the "language" of other disciplines, and to be familiar with their specific concerns. The concept of interdisciplinarity is reflected in the courses the School of Environmental Studies offers as well as in the course choices, projects, and theses of our past and present graduate students.
Yes. In fact, we encourage students to do just that. Graduate courses in all departments include both intro and in-depth courses. Your access to specific courses will depend on your particular background, the type of course you are interested in, whether there are prerequisites, and ultimately the approval of a course instructor.
The program was conceptualized to fulfill this very goal, and we strongly believe that it does. Past and present projects and theses are testimony to the fact that we are achieving this teaching objective. To see the range of graduate students and research interests, visit our Graduate Student Profiles page.
Yes, and we encourage that. However, you will have to have on your committee a faculty member from the School of Environmental Studies as a co-supervisor.
All MES students are guaranteed a minimum stipend of $14,000 CDN per year, pro-rated to the number of months in residence at Queen’s. PhD students are guaranteed a minimum stipend of $20,000 per year for 4 years. Funding is combination of a Queen’s Graduate Award, salary for teaching assistantships (TAs), graduate research assistantships (GRA), and other internal and external funding sources. Typically all students are expected to take on a TA-ship each semester. Please check this website for information on funding opportunities.
Upon acceptance to the program, the University makes available bursaries to help offset the difference between domestic and international student fees. Please check the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ School of Graduate Studies website for additional information. Funding opportunities.
The minimum requirement is a cumulative average 75% (B+), with the last two years given the most importance. Our minimum is 75/100 or B+ standing. This would correspond to a GPA of 3.3 our of 4.3. For English as a foreign language tests, our minimum TOEFL score is 600 paper or 250 computer based. The minimum IELTS accepted by Queen’s is Band 7.0. Canada will introduce the new TOEFL iBT in 2006. Minimum scores will be Writing (24/30), Speaking (22/30), Reading (22/30), Listening (20/30) for a total of 88/120. We do not use GRE scores. In practice, we start acceptances with the top students and work down. This means that with each year the cut-off average varies.
The backgrounds of our students vary greatly. Students have come to us with backgrounds in environmental studies, history, biology, life sciences, engineering, law, and philosophy, for example. Ours is truly an interdisciplinary program. Please check our Student Profiles to see what interesting work has been completed and is being done by our students.
That is the question for you to answer as much as for us. ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ has a very strong reputation for teaching and research. The range of departments, expertise, and opportunities is typical of a mid-size university, and it is really up to the individual student to identify what opportunities they wish to pursue. The MES is as much an 'enabling mechanism' as it is a structured program. We enable students to explore environmental issues from an interdisciplinary perspective and to develop the associated knowledge and skills to function in the environmental field's demanding job market, or in preparation for further education.
Sort through the departmental and individual web sites to see what interests you. If you wish to pursue a research-based degree, make personal contact with the appropriate professors and see what they have to offer. If you can visit ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ School of Environmental Studies between now and the deadline for applications you can meet faculty members and existing students, and learn more about the facilities and options. There are some limited travel funds available.
We encourage applicants to submit their applications for the following academic year by the preceding fall to early spring. All applications are reviewed, and decisions about offers are made beginning in early March. Some early offers may be sent out to highly qualified applicants. To be considered for internal fellowships and bursaries, the application deadline is February 1 (for the academic term starting in September). Only your email address can be seen by the Graduate Assistant until you have completed and paid for your application. It is in your best interest to complete your application and contact faculty members about your interest in the graduate program of your choice. The Graduate Assistant may contact you be email to find our your interests and assist in finding a suitable faculty member for you.
The School of Graduate Studies has no mechanism for deferral, however you may request that your documents be held and reapply in the next academic year. You will be required to pay the application fee and complete a new application. You will not have to contact referees or send in new transcripts or other documents required for admission. Your place will be held in the program as long as your supervisor or advisor is willing to accept you in the next session.
Take a look at our graduate alumni page.