Geoscience
Source: https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/explore-programs/geoscience-phd Parent: https://grad.ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/discover-opportunities/explore-programs/geography-phd
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Thesis-based program
Program overview
Formed in 1963, the Department of Geoscience - Canada's largest - is a vibrant cornerstone of the University of Calgary. The program is a wellspring of Canada's geoscience research and industry professionals, with close ties to the resource industry that has established Alberta's reputation as a global energy leader. Many students participate in field schools during their program, and benefit from working on the doorstep of a fantastic geological laboratory: the Rocky Mountains. Our vision is an improved understanding of Earth systems through innovative and impactful geoscience research, interdisciplinary learning and discovery, empowered and inspired teaching, and effective communication that not only raises our profile as a geoscience centre of excellence, but also creates a brighter future for our world.
Completing this program
- Core Courses: Geology and Geophysics of Western Canada and either an Advanced Independent Study course or Readings in Geology or Geophysics.
- Thesis: Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.
- Candidacy: Students will complete both oral and written candidacy exams.
- Field Schools: Many students participate in field schools for 12-16 days in late summer or early spring. Activities include orienteering, mapping surficial deposts, measuring sections in sedimentary rocks, and mapping geologic structures in places like the Canadian Shield, Alberta prairies, Rocky Mountains and deserts of southwest USA.
Outcomes
Post-Secondary Teaching and Research, Oil and gas, Resource exploration, Resource Management, Environmental Consulting, Geo Hazards, Renewable Energy, Policy and Regulation.
A PhD in geoscience is usually considered a final degree.
Thesis-based program
Students are required to prepare a thesis and successfully defend in an open oral defense.
Courses
Four courses; some courses may be waived for students with MSc degrees
Learn more about program requirements in the Academic Calendar
Classroom delivery
Time commitment
Three years full-time; six years maximum
Supervisor
A supervisor is required; potential supervisors must be listed when applying to the program.
Fees and funding
See the Graduate Calendar for information on fees and fee regulations, and for information on awards and financial assistance.
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Supervisors
Learn about faculty available to supervise this degree.\ Please note: additional supervisors may be available. Contact the program for more information.
Accepting Inquiries
Ecotoxicology, One Health, Environmental contaminants, Stable isotope analyses, Food webs 2. Edwin Cey
Accepting Inquiries
Hydrogeology, Vadose Zone Hydrology and Preferential Flow, Groundwater-Surface Water Interaction, Numerical Simulation, Subsurface Microbial Transport, Expert Review and Regulatory Input 3. Jan Dettmer
Unavailable
Seismology 4. David Eaton
Unavailable
Seismology, Induced Seismicity, Passive Seismic Monitoring, Distributed Acoustic Sensing, Physics-Informed Machine Learning 5. Eva Enkelmann
Accepting Inquiries
Tectonics, Thermochronology, Geochronology, Basin Evolution 6. Chima Justin Ezekiel
Seeking Students
Geothermal (hydrothermal, closed-loop, etc.), CO2 capture- ultilization and storage (CCUS), CO2-based (plume) geothermal, Sustainable energy systems modeling (TEA, UQ, LCA, etc.), Energy storage 7. Rob Ferguson
Seeking Students
Geophysics 8. Adriana Guatame
Accepting Inquiries
Critical Mineral Resources, Geometallurgy, Mineral Resources Policy 9. Charles Henderson
Accepting Inquiries
Upper Paleozoic and Triassic Sequence Biostratigraphy and Conodont Paleontology 10. Stephen Hubbard
Accepting Inquiries
Sedimentary Systems, Clastic Sedimentology, Basin Analysis
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Admission requirements
GPA
A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point system, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree.
Minimum education
MSc or equivalent in geology or geophysics, or a related field such as physics or mathematics from a recognized institution.
Work samples
None
Documents
A concise statement outlining the applicant’s research interests and reasons for wishing to attend the University of Calgary
Reference letters
Two
Test scores
None
English language proficiency (ELP)
An applicant whose primary language is not English may fulfill the English language proficiency requirement in different ways. For accepted criteria, please refer to the “Faculty of Science English Language Proficiency (ELP) Requirements” page in the Academic Calendar.
*Please contact your program of interest if you have any questions about ELP requirements.
Deadlines
For admission on September 1:
- Canadians and permanent residents: Jan. 15 application deadline
- International students: Jan. 15 application deadline
If you're not a Canadian or permanent resident, or if you have international credentials, make sure to learn about international requirements
Are you ready to apply?
Learn more about this program
Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment
Earth Sciences Building Room 118\ 2500 University Drive NW\ Calgary, ABT2N 1N4
Contact the Graduate Program Administrator
Visit the departmental website
Faculty of Science
University of Calgary\ 2500 University Drive NW\ Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4
Learn more about UCalgary by taking a virtual tour
Related programs
If you're interested in this program, you might want to explore other UCalgary programs.
Geoscience
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Course-based MEng (Petroleum only)
Civil Engineering
Physics and Astronomy
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