Ph.D. - Neotropical Environment Option

Requirements

1. 6 credits of required courses:
   ENVR 610 Foundations of Environ Policy 3 Credits

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Environment: Analysis of current environmental policies to reveal implicit and explicit assumptions regarding scientific methods, hypothesis testing, subject/object, causality, certainty, deities, health, development, North-South concerns for resources, commons, national sovereignty, equity. Discussion of implications of such assumptions for building future environmental policies.

   Offered by: Bieler School of Environment

   • Restriction: Enrolment in the Graduate Environment Option or enrolment in the Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) or permission of the instructor.
   • **Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the second lecture day and withdrawal is the fourth lecture day.

   • Terms
     • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
   • Instructors
     • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
   and
   BIOL 640 Tropical Biol and Conservation 3 Credits

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Biology (Sci): Long-term research at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute will be organized and synthesized to examine historical assembly and ecological maintenance of tropical communities. This synthesis will draw on phylogenetic concepts for historical insight and will examine the probable resilience of these communities to global change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

   Offered by: Biology

   • Restriction: students enrolled in Neotropical Environment Option (NEO) or permission of the instructor
   • Fees: Graduate students requesting registration in the Neotropical Environment Option pay a fee of $919.56. This fee is used to support the costs associated with transportation and housing while in Panama.

   • Terms
     • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
   • Instructors
     • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
2. 3 credits chosen from
   POLI 644 Course not available
   SOCI 565 Course not available
   ENVR 611 Course not available
   ENVR 612 Course not available
   ENVR 680 Topics in Environment 4 3 Credits

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Environment: Seminars and discussion of advanced, interdisciplinary aspects of current problems in environment led by staff and/or special guests.

   Offered by: Bieler School of Environment

   • Restriction: students taking the Neotropical Environment Option.
   • Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor

   • Terms
     • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
   • Instructors
     • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
   BIOL 553 Neotropical Environments 3 Credits

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Biology (Sci): Ecology revisited in view of tropical conditions. Exploring species richness. Sampling and measuring biodiversity. Conservation status of ecosystems, communities and species. Indigenous knowledge.

   Offered by: Biology

   • Winter
   • 24 hours lecture and 36 hours field work over a 4-week period
   • Prerequisites: HISP 218, MATH 203, and BIOL 215
   • Corequisites: ENVR 451; GEOG 404 and HIST 510 alternating with GEOG 498 and AGRI 550
   • Restriction: location in Panama. Students must register for a full semester of studies in Panama

   • Terms
     • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
   • Instructors
     • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
   BIOL 641 Course not available
   GEOG 498 Humans in Tropical Envirnmnts 3 Credits

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Geography: Focus on understanding of inter-relations between humans and neotropical environments represented in Panama. Study of contemporary rural landscapes, their origins, development and change. Impacts of economic growth and inequality, social organization, and politics on natural resource use and environmental degradation. Site visits and field exercises in peasant/colonist, Amerindian, and plantation communities.

   Offered by: Geography

   • Winter
   • 6 hours lecture for 4 weeks, 3 hours seminar, 2 hours laboratory, 8 hours conference
   • Restriction: Location in Panama. Student must register for a full semester of studies in Panama
   • Prerequisites: HISP 218, MATH 203 or equivalents

   • Terms
     • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
   • Instructors
     • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
   AGRI 550 Sustained Tropical Agriculture 3 Credits

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Agriculture: Contrast theory and practice in defining agricultural environmental "challenges" in the Neotropics. Indigenous and appropriate technological means of mitigation. Soil management and erosion, water scarcity, water over-abundance, and water quality. Explore agro-ecosystem protection via field trips and project designs. Institutional context of conservation strategies, NGO links, and public participation.

   Offered by: Plant Science

   • Prerequisites: HISP 218 or equivalent; MATH 203 or AEMA 310 or equivalent
   • Restriction: Restricted Enrolment. Location in Panama. Student must be registered for a full semester of studies in Panama

   • Terms
     • This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
   • Instructors
     • There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
3. BREE 701 Ph.D.Comprehensive Examination

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Bioresource Engineering: An examination that must be passed by all doctoral candidates in order to continue in the doctoral program.

   Offered by: Bioresource Engineering

   • Terms
     • Fall 2024
     • Winter 2025
   • Instructors
     • Zhiming Qi
     • Zhiming Qi
   a comprehensive examination, is to be completed within the first two years of registering in the program.
4. Participation in graduate seminar during four semesters:
   BREE 751 Departmental Seminar Ph.D. 1

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Bioresource Engineering: To give seminars and participate in discussions.

   Offered by: Bioresource Engineering

   • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 751.

   • Terms
     • Fall 2024
     • Winter 2025
   • Instructors
     • Idaresit Ekaette
     • Michael O Ngadi
   BREE 752 Departmental Seminar Ph.D. 2

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Bioresource Engineering: To give seminars and participate in discussions.

   Offered by: Bioresource Engineering

   • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 752.

   • Terms
     • Fall 2024
     • Winter 2025
   • Instructors
     • Idaresit Ekaette
     • Michael O Ngadi
   BREE 753 Departmental Seminar Ph.D. 3

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Bioresource Engineering: To give seminars and participate in discussion.

   Offered by: Bioresource Engineering

   • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 753.

   • Terms
     • Fall 2024
     • Winter 2025
   • Instructors
     • Idaresit Ekaette
     • Michael O Ngadi
   BREE 754 Departmental Seminar Ph.D. 4

   Offered in the:
   • Fall
   • Winter
   • Summer

   
   

   Bioresource Engineering: To give seminars and participate in discussions.

   Offered by: Bioresource Engineering

   • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 754

   • Terms
     • Fall 2024
     • Winter 2025
   • Instructors
     • Idaresit Ekaette
     • Michael O Ngadi
5. Participation in the MSE-Panama Symposium presentation in Montreal.

Characteristics of NEO

• Research-based degree with a team of co-advisors from McGill and Latin America.
• One year residency in Panama or tropical Latin America.
• Three interdisciplinary courses, at least two of them focusing on North-South issues.
• Proficiency in Spanish or Portuguese.
• One time off-campus (Panama) fees.
• Possibility of NEO specific fellowships.
• Additional information on the NEO web site

Useful tips to apply to NEO

• Only the accredited professors listed on the NEO web site can accept students in the option.
• Contact the professor(s) with research interests similar to yours.
• Apply ONLY to the host Department of that professor
• Fill the NEO application form (see NEO web site) and send it in with your departmental application.