About the Program
Established in 1982, the Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre, a joint initiative of Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, offers programs leading to the degrees of M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Earth Sciences. The Centre houses modern instrumental facilities open to students at both campuses, and research activity includes most areas of the Earth Sciences. The campuses are fifteen minutes apart by complimentary inter-university transport and within a short distance of most federal facilities.
The size of the Centre’s research faculty and its location in the nation’s capital offer unique opportunities for collaborative research over a broad range of disciplines. Of particular note is the Centre’s close collaboration with the Geological Survey of Canada and the Canadian Museum of Nature. Graduate students are enrolled in the university where their faculty supervisor holds an appointment but can take courses or use research facilities at both universities. Students draw from a program of courses in English or French and may pursue their research in either language.
Academic Regulations
- See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
Admission Requirements
- The requirement for admission to the Ph.D. Program is an M.Sc. degree in Earth Sciences or a related discipline.
Program Requirements
- A research thesis (9.0 credits), defended at an oral examination before an examination board that includes an external examiner
- A public lecture, preceding the oral examination, which is based on the thesis research
- A minimum of 1.0 credit of course work at the graduate level. Additional courses may be prescribed by the thesis advisory committee
- A comprehensive examination conducted by the thesis advisory committee. The comprehensive examination includes the presentation of a thesis proposal and involves three areas of geoscience specialization chosen by the student’s advisory committee and approved by the Director of the Ottawa-Carleton Geoscience Centre
- Participation in the OCGC Seminar Series (0.0 credit). Participation comprises one lecture (open to all Members of the OCGC) describing an aspect of the candidate’s research study and must be completed within 12 months of their registration in the Ph.D. program.
- Residence Requirement - The residence requirement for the Ph.D. degree is at least four terms of full-time study.
