Master of Science with Specialization in Ecology (Biological Sciences)

Canada

90

6

What will I learn?

Students are required to complete research leading to a thesis, a minimum of ?6 in graded coursework, a seminar component, one term of graduate teaching, 8 hours of ethics activities, and 8 hours of professional development activities.

Thesis:

Registration in 900-level THES. Students must present their thesis research to the Department in the form of a public seminar within two weeks prior to the date of the thesis defence. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to present annual progress reports to their supervisory committee.

Coursework and Seminar Component:

Individual programs will be developed by agreement between the student and the supervisor/supervisory committee.

Two ?3 graded courses.

At least one ?3 course must be a graded seminar or discussion-oriented course.

Enrolment in BIOL 603 is recommended.

Students are encouraged to register in BIOL 631 in their first year. Registration/participation in BIOL 631 in subsequent years is encouraged.

Project courses or individual study courses may not be included in the minimum requirements, but may be taken for credit in addition to the minimal graded requirement on the recommendation of the supervisory committee with approval of the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies).

Generally, coursework should be completed in the first year of the program.

Teaching:

Hold a 0.5 (6 hour per week) graduate teaching assistantship for one semester.

Ethics:

Complete 8 hours of approved ethics activities.

Ethics hours are approved by the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies).

Professional Development:

Complete 8 hours of approved professional development (PD) activities.

PD hours are approved by the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) but cannot include any activity for which the student has previously received credit, cannot be required for the student's thesis research, cannot be required training, and cannot reasonably be an expected part of the students graduate program.

Residence Requirement:

Candidates for the master's degree must complete a minimum of two (four-month) terms in full-time residence at the University of Alberta.

Length of Program:

The time required to complete the MSc degree will vary according to the previous training of the applicant and the nature of the research undertaken; however, a minimum of two years is normally required.

The maximum time to complete the thesis-based MSc program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is four years.

Which department am I in?

Faculty of Science

Study options

Full Time (2 Years)

Tuition fees
CAD$8,874.00 (US$ 6,378) per year
Thesis-Based yearly fee: CAN $8,874; Course-Based fee: CAN $1,901.52 per 3 credit course

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

January 2025

Venue

Faculty of Science

1-001 CCIS,

University of Alberta,

EDMONTON,

Alberta (AB),

T6G 2E9, Canada

Entry requirements

For international students

The Department's minimum admission requirements are a 4-year undergraduate degree with an admission GPA of at least 3.3 on the 4-point scale from the University of Alberta, or an equivalent qualification and standing from a recognized institution.

English language requirement:

  • A minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 100 overall with a score of at least 22 on each of the individual skill areas (internet-based)
  • Academic IELTS: 6.5, with at least 6.0 on each test band;
  • CAEL: overall 70 with at least 60 on each subtest;
  • PTE Academic: 61 with a minimum band score of 60.

The Department application deadline for January 2023 is September 1.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

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About University of Alberta

One of Canada’s top teaching and research universities, the University of Alberta has an international reputation for academic excellence.

  • Top 100 university globally (QS, 2025)
  • 18 faculties, offering more than 200 undergraduate programs
  • Students from over 157 countries
  • 6th in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings