Natural Resource Sciences

About Natural Resource Sciences

The Department of Natural Resource Sciences offers programs leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in:

• Agricultural Economics (M.Sc. only)
• Entomology (Neotropical Environment option available)
• Microbiology (Bioinformatics option available)
•  Renewable Resources (this includes Forest Science, Micrometeorology, Soil Science, and Wildlife Biology; Neotropical Environment options available)

An interdisciplinary option in Bioinformatics for doctoral students will not be offered in the 2024/2025 academic year. The Department possesses, or has access to, excellent facilities for laboratory and field research. Affiliated with the Department are the Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory, the Molson Nature Reserve, the Morgan Arboretum, and the Ecomuseum of the St. Lawrence Valley Natural History Society; details are available on the Natural Resource Sciences website.

Natural Resource Science Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Admission Requirements

M.Sc. Thesis (Agricultural Economics)

Direct admission to the M.Sc. requires the completion of a B.Sc. in Agricultural Economics or a closely related area, with the minimum equivalent cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0/4.0 (second class–upper division) or minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.2/4.0 during the last two years of full-time university study. High grades are expected in courses considered by the academic unit to be preparatory to the graduate program.

The ideal preparation includes courses in agricultural economics, economic theory (intermediate micro and macro), calculus, linear algebra, and statistics. Students with deficiencies in these areas will be required to take additional courses as part of their degree program.

M.Sc. Thesis (Entomology, Microbiology, Renewable Resources)

Candidates are required to have a bachelor's degree with a minimum equivalent CGPA of 3.0/4.0 (second class–upper division) or a minimum GPA of 3.2/4.0 during the last two years of full-time university study. High grades are expected in courses considered by the academic unit to be preparatory to the graduate program.

M.Sc. in Renewable Resources (Non-Thesis) – Environmental Assessment Option

Applications are not being accepted for the current academic year; the program is currently under review.

Ph.D. Thesis (Entomology, Microbiology, Renewable Resources)

Candidates are normally required to hold an M.Sc. degree and will be judged primarily on their ability to conduct an original and independent research study.

Qualifying Program

Some applicants whose academic degrees and standing entitle them to serious consideration for admission to graduate studies, but who are considered inadequately prepared in the subject selected, may be admitted to a Qualifying program if they have met the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies minimum CGPA of 3.0/4.0. The course(s) to be taken in a Qualifying program will be prescribed by the academic unit concerned. Qualifying students are registered in graduate studies, but not as candidates for a degree. Only one Qualifying year is permitted. Successful completion of a Qualifying program does not guarantee admission to a degree program.

Financial Aid

Graduate students pursuing thesis-based programs within the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (AES) benefit from diverse funding sources throughout their studies at McGill University. Financial support may come from a combination of guaranteed funding, prospective funding, and employment salary.

Upon admission to a thesis-based program in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences, a student will be offered a funding package which will include a certain amount of guaranteed funding and may include additional prospective funding. The proposed funding arrangement will be outlined in a departmental funding letter addressed to the student, in supplement to the offer of admission from the University.

Students admitted to non-thesis graduate programs in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences are responsible for procuring funding (e.g., scholarship or personal funds) to cover their tuition, fees, and living expenses for the duration of their program. Students should give serious consideration to financial planning before submitting an application. You can find tuition and fee information on McGill’s Student Accounts Graduate Fee Calculator or you may contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for your program of interest. Applicants may wish to consult the Fund your Studies web page for financial aid or external scholarship possibilities.

English Language Proficiency

For graduate applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized Canadian or American (English or French) institution or from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction, documented proof of English proficiency is required prior to admission. For a list of acceptable test scores and minimum requirements, visit mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/international/proficiency.

Application Procedures

McGill’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply.

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

Additional Requirements

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:

• Acceptance to all programs normally depends on a staff member agreeing to serve as the student’s supervisor and the student obtaining financial support.
• The GRE – not required, but highly recommended.

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Department of Natural Resource Sciences and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate McGill departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.

Available Programs

Program Overview

Master of Science Degrees

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Entomology (Thesis)

Graduate students in the entomology program work within, and often across, multiple disciplines of basic and applied environmental sciences. Specialties within the program include terrestrial arthropod ecology, physiology, zoogeography, diversity, and systematics. Our students typically have exceptionally strong backgrounds in one or more of these specialties and an interest in research that advances both theory and applied management of ecosystems. After completing their degrees they go on to careers in academia, environmental policy, government agencies, industry, and other fields.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Renewable Resources (Thesis)

Graduate students in the renewable resources program work within, and often across, multiple disciplines of basic and applied environmental sciences. Specialties within the program include environmental and ecological economics, environmental health and toxicology, forest ecology, fish and fisheries biology, landscape ecology, limnology, micrometeorology, soil science, and wildlife biology. They typically have exceptionally strong backgrounds in one or more of these specialties and an interest in research that advances both theory and applied management of natural resources. After completing their degrees they go on to careers in academia, environmental policy, government agencies, industry, and other fields.

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