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Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSC)

Note: This is the 2016–2017 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.

Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSC)

Location

Location

  • Frank Dawson Adams Building, Room 238
  • 3450 University Street
  • Montreal QC H3A 0E8
  • Telephone: 514-398-6767
  • Fax: 514-398-4680
  • Email: kristy.thornton [at] mcgill.ca
  • Website: www.mcgill.ca/eps

About Earth and Planetary Sciences

About Earth and Planetary Sciences

Earth and Planetary Sciences is a multidisciplinary field that includes the solid Earth and its hydrosphere and extends to the neighbouring terrestrial planets. Principles of chemistry, physics, and mathematics are applied to elucidate the complex and diverse planetary processes at play as we seek to understand how planets like the Earth changed over time and continue to evolve.

Career opportunities are many and diverse in the Earth and Planetary Sciences. Graduates of the Major and Honours in Geology are often recruited by resource (fossil fuel and mineral) exploration companies, as well as the mining and environmental sectors. Industry or government agencies may hire undergraduate students during the summer months, providing them with both financial benefits and first-hand geoscientific experience. Career opportunities in planetary science can also be found in universities and research organizations.

The Department has a full-time staff of 17 professors and one faculty lecturer. There are approximately 50 graduate and 50 undergraduate students registered in the various programs offered. Classes are therefore small at all levels, resulting in an informal and friendly atmosphere throughout the Department in which most of the faculty and students interact on a first-name basis. Emphasis is placed equally on quality teaching and research, providing undergraduate students with a rich and exciting environment in which to explore and learn.

Undergraduate Studies

Undergraduate Studies in Earth and Planetary Sciences

The undergraduate curriculum is designed to provide both a strong foundation in the physical sciences and the flexibility to create an individualized program in preparation for careers in industry, teaching, or research. In addition to the Major and Honours undergraduate programs, the Department is one of the three departments that actively contribute to the Earth System Science Interdepartmental program, and also offers a Joint Major in Physics and Geophysics, which combines a rigorous mathematics and physics curriculum with exposure to the geosciences.

The Minor in Geology offers students from other departments the opportunity to discover the earth sciences in the classroom and in the field, while the Minor in Geochemistry is designed for Chemistry Major students who want to apply chemical principles to the study of planetary processes.

Students interested in any of the programs should inquire at:

or should consult the Undergraduate Director:

  • Professor Jeanne Paquette
  • Frank Dawson Adams Building, Room 214
  • Telephone: 514-398-4402
  • Email: jeanne.paquette [at] mcgill.ca
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated Aug. 16, 2016) (disclaimer)

Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSC) Faculty

Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSC) Faculty

Chair
TBA
Emeritus Professors
Don M. Francis; B.Sc.(McG), M.Sc.(Br. Col.), Ph.D.(MIT)
Jafar Arkani-Hamed; B.Eng.(Tehran), Ph.D.(MIT)
Andrew Hynes; B.Sc.(Tor.), Ph.D.(Cant.)
Wallace H. MacLean; B.Geol.Eng.(Colorado Sch. of Mines), M.Sc.(A.), Ph.D.(McG.)
Robert F. Martin; B.Sc.(Ott.), M.S.(Penn. St.), Ph.D.(Stan.)
Colin W. Stearn; B.Sc.(McM.), M.S., Ph.D.(Yale), F.R.S.C.
Professors
Don R. Baker; A.B.(Chic.), Ph.D.(Penn. St.)
Olivia G. Jensen; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(Br. Col.)
Alfonso Mucci; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Montr.), Ph.D.(Miami)
John Stix; A.B.(Dart.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(Tor.)
A.E. (Willy) Williams-Jones; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Natal), Ph.D.(Qu.)
Associate Professors
Galen Halverson; B.A.(Mont.), M.A., Ph.D.(Harv.) (T.H. Clark Chair in Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology)
Jeffrey McKenzie; B.Sc.(McG.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(Syrac.)
Jeanne Paquette; B.Sc., M.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Stony Brook) (Undergraduate Director)
Boswell Wing; A.B.(Harv.), M.A., Ph.D.(Johns Hop.)
Assistant Professors
Kim Berlo; Propedeuse, Doctorandus(Utrecht), Ph.D.(Brist.)
Nicolas Cowan; B.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Wash.) (joint appt. with Physics)
Natalya Gomez; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Tor.), Ph.D.(Harv.)
Rebecca Harrington; B.Sc., M.S., Ph.D.( Calif.-LA)
James Kirkpatrick; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Leeds), Ph.D.(Glas.)
Yajing Liu; B.Sc.(Peking), Ph.D.(Harv.)
Christie Rowe; A.B.(Smith), Ph.D.(Calif.-Santa Cruz) (Robert Wares Faculty Scholar)
Vincent van Hinsberg; Propedeuse, Doctorandus(Utrecht), Ph.D.(Brist.) (Osisko Faculty Scholar)
Faculty Lecturer
W. Minarik; B.A.(St. Olaf), M.Sc.(Wash.), Ph.D.(Rensselaer Poly.)
Adjunct Professors
E. Galbraith
R. Léveillé
H. Short
B. Sundby
Retired Professor
R. Hesse
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated Mar. 1, 2016) (disclaimer)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Minor Geology (18 credits)

The Minor Geology offers students from other departments the opportunity to obtain exposure to the Earth Sciences.

For more information, see Minor Geology (18 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Minor Geochemistry (18 credits)

For more information, see Minor Geochemistry (18 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Liberal Program - Core Science Component Earth and Planetary Sciences (45 credits)

The B.Sc. (Liberal) program in Earth and Planetary Sciences provides the graduate with a solid core of knowledge of Geology, Geophysics, Earth Systems Science, and Planetary Science while allowing for a broadening of the student's educational experience with courses from the other sciences or the arts. The program is flexible, allowing students to assemble a truly...

For more information, see Liberal Program - Core Science Component Earth and Planetary Sciences (45 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Earth and Planetary Sciences (66 credits)

* Please note this program’s name is changing to B.Sc. in Geology. The program will also have some required and complementary course changes. These changes will appear in the eCalendar by the end of August. Until then, please consult the program adviser, Professor Jeanne Paquette (Jeanne.paquette [at] mcgill.ca) for any questions about the new program requirements.

The program curriculum is designed to provide a rigorous foundation in physical sciences and the flexibility to create an individualized program in preparation for careers in industry, teaching, and research. The program is accepted for professional qualification in most Canadian provinces.

U1 Required Courses (21 credits)

EPSC 203 (3) Structural Geology
EPSC 210 (3) Introductory Mineralogy
EPSC 212 (3) Introductory Petrology
EPSC 220 (3) Principles of Geochemistry
EPSC 231 (3) Field School 1
EPSC 312 () Ìý
MATH 222 (3) Calculus 3

U1 Complementary Course (3 credits)

3 credits, one of:

EPSC 201 (3) Understanding Planet Earth
EPSC 233 (3) Earth and Life History

U2 and/or U3 Required Courses (24 credits)

EPSC 320 (3) Elementary Earth Physics
EPSC 334 (3) Invertebrate Paleontology
EPSC 340 (3) Earth and Planetary Inference
EPSC 350 (3) Tectonics
EPSC 355 (3) Sedimentary Geology
EPSC 423 (3) Igneous Petrology
EPSC 445 (3) Metamorphic Petrology
EPSC 452 (3) Mineral Deposits

Complementary Courses (18 credits)

3 credits, one of:

EPSC 331 (3) Field School 2
EPSC 341 (3) Field School 3

plus 15 credits (five courses) chosen from the following:

Note: Other courses at the 300 level or higher in Earth and Planetary Sciences and in other departments in the Faculties of Science and Engineering may also be used as complementary credits with the permission of the Director of undergraduate studies.

EPSC 330 (3) Earthquakes and Earth Structure
EPSC 425 (3) Sediments to Sequences
EPSC 435 (3) Applied Geophysics
EPSC 470D1 (3) Undergraduate Thesis Research
EPSC 470D2 (3) Undergraduate Thesis Research
EPSC 501 (3) Crystal Chemistry
EPSC 519 (3) Isotope Geology
EPSC 530 (3) Volcanology
EPSC 542 (3) Chemical Oceanography
EPSC 547 (3) Modelling Geochemical Processes
EPSC 548 (3) Processes of Igneous Petrology
EPSC 549 (3) Hydrogeology
EPSC 550 (3) Selected Topics 1
EPSC 551 (3) Selected Topics 2
EPSC 552 (3) Selected Topics 3
EPSC 561 (3) Ore-forming Processes
EPSC 567 (3) Advanced Volcanology
EPSC 570 (3) Cosmochemistry
EPSC 580 (3) Aqueous Geochemistry
EPSC 590 (3) Applied Geochemistry Seminar
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated Aug. 12, 2016) (disclaimer)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Geology (66 credits)

** NEW PROGRAM ** ...

For more information, see Major Geology (66 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Earth Sciences (75 credits)

* Please note this program’s name is changing to B.Sc. in Geology. The program will also have some required and complementary course changes. These changes will appear in the eCalendar by the end of August. Until then, please consult the program adviser, Professor Jeanne Paquette (Jeanne.paquette [at] mcgill.ca) for any questions about the new program requirements.

The program curriculum is designed to provide a rigorous foundation in physical sciences and the flexibility to create an individualized program in preparation for careers in industry, teaching, and research. It is intended to provide an excellent preparation for graduate work in the earth sciences. The program is accepted for professional qualification in most Canadian provinces.

Note: Honours students must maintain a CGPA equal to or greater than 3.20.

U1 Required Courses (24 credits)

EPSC 203 (3) Structural Geology
EPSC 210 (3) Introductory Mineralogy
EPSC 212 (3) Introductory Petrology
EPSC 220 (3) Principles of Geochemistry
EPSC 231 (3) Field School 1
EPSC 233 (3) Earth and Life History
EPSC 312 () Ìý
MATH 222 (3) Calculus 3

U2 and/or U3 Required Courses (33 credits)

EPSC 320 (3) Elementary Earth Physics
EPSC 340 (3) Earth and Planetary Inference
EPSC 350 (3) Tectonics
EPSC 355 (3) Sedimentary Geology
EPSC 423 (3) Igneous Petrology
EPSC 445 (3) Metamorphic Petrology
EPSC 452 (3) Mineral Deposits
EPSC 480D1 (3) Honours Research Thesis
EPSC 480D2 (3) Honours Research Thesis
MATH 314 (3) Advanced Calculus
MATH 315 (3) Ordinary Differential Equations

Complementary Courses (18 credits)

3 credits, one of:

EPSC 331 (3) Field School 2
EPSC 341 (3) Field School 3

plus 15 credits (five courses) chosen from the following:

Note: Courses at the 300 level or higher in other departments in the Faculties of Science and Engineering may also be used as complementary credits, with the permission of the Director of undergraduate studies.

EPSC 330 (3) Earthquakes and Earth Structure
EPSC 334 (3) Invertebrate Paleontology
EPSC 425 (3) Sediments to Sequences
EPSC 435 (3) Applied Geophysics
EPSC 501 (3) Crystal Chemistry
EPSC 510 (3) Geodynamics and Geomagnetism
EPSC 519 (3) Isotope Geology
EPSC 530 (3) Volcanology
EPSC 542 (3) Chemical Oceanography
EPSC 547 (3) Modelling Geochemical Processes
EPSC 548 (3) Processes of Igneous Petrology
EPSC 549 (3) Hydrogeology
EPSC 550 (3) Selected Topics 1
EPSC 551 (3) Selected Topics 2
EPSC 552 (3) Selected Topics 3
EPSC 561 (3) Ore-forming Processes
EPSC 567 (3) Advanced Volcanology
EPSC 570 (3) Cosmochemistry
EPSC 580 (3) Aqueous Geochemistry
EPSC 590 (3) Applied Geochemistry Seminar
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated Aug. 12, 2016) (disclaimer)

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Geology (75 credits)

** NEW PROGRAM ** ...

For more information, see Honours Geology (75 credits).

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Honours Planetary Sciences (78 credits)

The program curriculum is designed to provide a rigorous foundation in physical sciences and the flexibility to create an individualized program in preparation for careers in industry, teaching, and research. It is intended to provide an excellent preparation for graduate work in the earth and planetary sciences. ...

For more information, see Honours Planetary Sciences (78 credits).

Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSC) Related Programs

Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPSC) Related Programs

Joint Major in Physics and Geophysics

Joint Major in Physics and Geophysics

For more information, see Physics (PHYS).

Earth System Science Interdepartmental Major

Earth System Science Interdepartmental Major

This program is offered by the Departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Earth and Planetary Sciences; and Geography. Students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences who are interested in this program should contact Professor William Minarik (william.minarik [at] mcgill.ca).

For more information, see Earth System Science (ESYS).

Earth System Science Interdepartmental Honours

Earth System Science Interdepartmental Honours

This program is offered by the Departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; Earth and Planetary Sciences; and Geography. Students in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences who are interested in this program should contact Professor William Minarik (william.minarik [at] mcgill.ca).

For more information, see Earth System Science (ESYS).

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated Mar. 1, 2016) (disclaimer)
Faculty of Science—2016-2017 (last updated Aug. 16, 2016) (disclaimer)
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