Program Overview

Environmental Science

M.Sc

Program Description

Our two-year MSc program offers research opportunities that help develop advanced laboratory and field skills using the institute’s multi-disciplinary approach. Students register in courses and seminars designed to guide them in their research efforts. Additionally, our program leads to the completion of a thesis defense and work submitted for publication at its conclusion.

Ph.D. Program

Our PhD program is intended for those who want to further their research in a specialized and independent way. Our PhD students look for solutions to the major issues that are stressing the environment. Similarly to the MSc program, students complete courses and seminars, collaborate with other scientists, and present, publish, and defend their dissertation.

About GLIER (Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research)

The Environmental Science program is offered through GLIER and is the only graduate program in North America that focuses explicitly on stressors in large aquatic systems and their watersheds, such as the Great Lakes. Our program is focused, well funded, high-impact, and has a growing international reputation for excellence in our chosen field of research. With the cumulative impacts of human-induced change steadily increasing, research in the environmental field is becoming even more important. With plentiful funding in recent years, researchers at GLIER study the effects of environmental stressors on large watersheds, using the institute’s 19 fully equipped laboratories, many meeting rooms, and its private launch along the Detroit River for its research boats. At GLIER, our ultimate goal is training the environmental stewards of the future. In our tri-level facility, we house lab and equipment for aquatic research, advanced microscopy and materials characterization and environmental genomics. More information on our core facilities can be found at

Research at GLIER

Under the directorship of Dr. Michael McKay, GLIER's eleven faculty, two emeriti and six hybrid members:

• Have been awarded more than $40 million in funding since 2013
• Hold 4 active Canada Research Chairs
• Are recipients of three Early Researcher Awards
• Include a Fellow in the Royal Society of Canada.

GLIER researchers have been featured in the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Maclean’s, Globe and Mail, National Post, and on CNN, Discovery Channel, and CBC television and radio.

Program Specific Admission Requirements

• Deadline for Fall: July 1
• Deadline for Winter: November 1
• Deadline for May: March 1
• Minimum TOEFL: IBT-83
• Minimum IELTS: 6.5
• Minimum Pearson: 65

Additional Requirements

• Statement of Research Interest (500 words)
• GRE is strongly recommended for students graduating from Universities outside of North America.
• Two references are required for the M.Sc.
• Three references are required for the Ph.D.

General Admission Requirements

• Scholarships and Funding

Program and Course Descriptions

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• Apply to this Program