Earth Sciences - PhD at Waterloo

Program information

Department/School	Earth and Environmental Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science
Admit term(s)	Fall (September – December) Winter (January – April) Spring (May – August)
Application and document submission deadline(s)	February 1 (for admission in September) June 1 (for admission in January of the following year) October 1 (for admission in May of the following year)
Delivery mode	On-campus
Program type	Doctoral, Research
Length of program	48 months (full-time)
Registration option(s)	Full-time, Part-time
Study option(s)	Thesis
Research fields - Graduate research fields are used to better define a student's research concentration	Aqueous and Organic Hydrogeochemistry Ecohydrology Foundational Earth Sciences Hydrogeology and Geophysics Isotope Hydrology and Geochemistry

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What does it take to get in?

Minimum admission requirements

The program is open to students who have completed a Master of Science (MSc) degree with a 75% average and who have outstanding academic credentials and a demonstrated ability to do original scholarly work.
A normal requirement is a background in geology or geological engineering, but other experience relevant to a candidate's research interests will be considered. Candidates will be evaluated on an individual basis.
Before applying to the program, students are strongly advised to establish contact with potential supervisors. It is a good strategy to identify whether the potential supervisors that students would like to undertake research with have available positions and funding.
Admission from the BSc degree to the Doctoral program: in exceptional cases where a student demonstrates academic excellence including: research potential, scientific maturity and good writing skills, they may be allowed, at the discretion of the Graduate Committee, to proceed directly to the PhD degree from the BSc, without the completion of the MSc.

Supervisors

Review the finding a supervisor resources
Before applying to the program, students are strongly advised to establish contact with potential supervisors. It is a good strategy to identify whether the potential supervisors that students would like to undertake research with have available positions and funding.

Application materials

Resume
Supplementary information form (SIF)
- The SIF contains questions specific to your program, typically about why you want to enrol and your experience in that field. Review the application documents web page for more information about this requirement
- If a statement or letter is required by your program, review the writing your personal statement resources for helpful tips and tricks on completion
Transcript(s)
References
- Three academic references are required
Proof of English language proficiency, if applicable
- TOEFL 90 (writing 25, speaking 25), IELTS 7.0 (writing 6.5, speaking 6.5)

How much will it cost?

Use the student budget calculator to estimate your cost and resources
Visit the graduate program tuition page on the Finance website to determine the tuition and incidental fees per term for your program
Review the study and living costs
Review the funding graduate school resources for graduate students

What can you expect at Waterloo?

Review the degree requirements in the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar, including the courses that you can anticipate taking as part of completing the degree
Check out profiles of current graduate students to learn about their experience at Waterloo
Check out Waterloo's institutional thesis repository - UWspace to see recent submissions from the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences graduate students
Check out the Waterloo campus and city tours
Review the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences website to see information about supervisors, research areas, news, and events

This program page is effective September 2023; it will be updated annually. Any changes to the program page following this date will be indicated with a notation.

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