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Suggested Course Schedule | Guidelines for Completion of the MSc thesis | General Information
The M.Sc. degree requires a minimum of 45 credits, up to a maximum of 51 credits. The program includes from 9 to 27 credits of course work (depending on the student's background, a minimum of 24 thesis research credits, and the completion of a thesis satisfying the requirements of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Normally, the equivalent of 12 months of full-time work is required to obtain the thesis research credits, in addition to the time needed for the course work. Students can choose to write their thesis based on research in atmospheric, oceanic, or climate topics.
In addition to the regular M.Sc. stream, the Department offers two options at the Master’s level: the Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) option, in conjunction with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Environment option, in conjunction with the McGill School of Environment. For further information, please see:
Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Option
Thesis research normally begins in early May of the M.Sc.1 year. The formal procedure for choosing a supervisor for the M.Sc. thesis research generally begins in December, near the end of the first fall term of the M.Sc. program. At this time, a set of research topics prepared by the faculty is circulated to all the M.Sc.1 students. Normally, these topics will be related to the material presented by each professor in ATOC 550, which is taken in the fall term of the M.Sc 1 year. However, in a given year, there may be some faculty who do not submit a research topic because of funding limitations or other commitments. Prior to receiving this set of research topics in December however, students are encouraged to speak with the professors about their research interests. Each student is asked to choose up to three topics (in rank order) in which he or she would like to do research. The students should consult the professors about their choice. Then, in early January of the winter term, each student has an interview with a committee of two to three professors. At this interview, the student gives his or her reasons for choosing the three topics on their list, and states whether or not the professors associated with each topic are willing to supervise the student. Generally, the students receive their first choice as the topic for their research. However, in the case of a conflict between two students (e.g., two students choosing the same topic as their first choice), the interview committee determines which student will get his/her first choice; the other student in this conflict will normally get his/her second choice for a research topic. The interview committee’s decision is based on various factors, including the academic performance of the student in the topics of their choice, and the work loads of faculty members.
In some special cases, an entering M.Sc. student may already have an agreement to work with a particular supervisor on a topic of mutual interest. In this situation, the student would not participate in the interview process but could begin research with his/her supervisor prior to May of the M.Sc. 1 year, if their background in atmospheric and oceanic sciences is deemed appropriate.
Students registered in M.Sc. programs are expected to regularly attend both the student seminar series (ATOC 751 D1/D2 or ATOC 752 D1/D2) and the Departmental seminar series during the entire period of their enrollment in the program.
Required Courses (25 - 38 credits)
Departmental Component (1 - 14 credits)
Thesis Component (24 credits)
Complementary Courses (7 - 20 credits)
7 - 20 credits of 500- or 600-level courses in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, up to ATOC 690. Subject to the approval of the Graduate Program Director, graduate-level courses in other departments may substituted for ATOC courses.
Students with a strong background in atmospheric or oceanic science, or a Diploma in Meteorology, will take at least the 7-credit minimum. Students with no previous background in atmospheric or oceanic science must take the 20-credit maximum.
Guidelines on the completion of the MSc thesis
Refer to Section 4.1 of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies General Information, Faculty Regulation and Research Guidelines.
Purpose of the thesis
The purpose of the MSc thesis is to demonstrate that the student is able to carry out a nontrivial research project and present the results in a logical order with acceptable literary style.
Scope
Since the amount of time devoted to research and thesis preparation is normally about one year, the project should be formulated and the thesis judged accordingly. The thesis should be of scope to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the subject matter. It should define the problem clearly, give an adequate summary of previous work, explain the methods used, and present the results. Details should be sufficient to enable a researcher outside the particular area of specialization to comprehend the approach and the significance of the work. Except in rare cases, a thesis is not equivalent to a manuscript submitted for journal publication. Theses typically are longer than the average journal paper because they contain more background material and explanatory details, but they should not normally exceed 100 pages. Moreover, a manuscript can be acceptable as a thesis even though it may not have the significance of a first-rate journal paper.
Originality
Although it is not required that MSc theses contain a great deal of original scholarship, some originality is expected. This might consist of extending the application of an existing method or theory, of comparing several such methods or theories, or of giving a new interpretation to concepts already established. While it is not a degree requirement that the thesis be of publishable quality, it is very much in the student's and the supervisor's interest to strive, after the thesis is submitted, to prepare a paper based on the thesis for submission to a refereed journal.
Research schedule
For students who have completed their course requirements, the total time devoted to the thesis should be about 12-14 months, two or three of which are needed to write the manuscript and have it read and commented on by the supervisor. For example, students completing the course requirements at the end of April of the MSc I year, and starting their research in early May, should submit their theses preferably by the end of April, and no later than the end of June of the following year. Students who start on their research during their MSc I year while taking some courses should adjust the above schedule in consultation with their supervisor. Normally, at the graduate level, 12 credits of courses per semester is considered a full-time load.
After six months of full-time research, students will submit a short report to the Chair of the Department. This report should be up to two typed pages and should (a) summarize the research progress made, (b) describe the work remaining to be done with an indication of when the work will be completed, (c) indicate the date at which the thesis is expected to be submitted, and (d) signed by the Supervisor, indicating agreement with it. This means that for students starting their full-time research in early May, the report is due by the end of October. The report provides a good opportunity for supervisors and students to discuss progress and try to resolve possible problems. Students are also expected to present a seminar (usually of about 30 minutes) on their research at about the time when the progress report is due, the precise time to be determined by the faculty member responsible for the seminar series.
Tracking Progress
Once a student is at the stage where he/she is expected to be actively involved in thesis research, the student must meet with his/her supervisor and the Graduate Program Director to complete the Graduate Student Research Objectives Report Form. This meeting will normally occur in May of the M.Sc.1 year for a student taking the full load of M.Sc. courses but it could take place at the beginning of either the fall or winter semester for a student taking a reduced course load. The objectives listed on the form should cover a period of 6 months. At the end of 6 months there will be another meeting to evaluate progress. The student will bring to the meeting a completed Graduate Student Research Progress Record Form. At the end of the meeting the supervisor will complete the Graduate Student Research Progress Report Form and the Research Objectives form for the next six-month period. This cycle of six-monthly meetings continues until completion of the thesis. If a student is deemed to have not made satisfactory progress, the next meeting will take place in 3 months. On the occasion of a second unsatisfactory progress report, the student may be asked to withdraw from the M.Sc. program. Copies of the forms are available on-line at the following website: http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/documents/progress/
Funding
Students who do not have a scholarship while they are conducting research are normally funded by their supervisors, who in turn receive these funds from granting agencies or contractors, to whom they must answer for the research progress made on their grants or contracts. If students are paid (or have a scholarship) for full-time research, it is their responsibility to work full-time on research. While the decision rests with the supervisor providing the research funds, funding is normally made available for up to 14 months of full-time research. In exceptional circumstances funding may be extended beyond this period if the supervisor judges that it is justified. Students are warned not to count on this, and are advised to clarify their funding situation with their supervisor well before the end of the normal funding period.
General Information
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Students have the responsibility of informing themselves of the university regulations, program requirements, fellowship opportunities and deadline dates. Useful sources of information are:
- gradinfo [at] meteo [dot] mcgill [dot] ca (The Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator)
- david [dot] straub [at] mcgill [dot] ca (The Graduate Program Director)
- The Departmental web site
- The Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies web site
- The Handbook of Student Rights and responsibilities
Academic Integrity
McGill University values academic integrity, which is fundamental to achieving our mission of the advancement of learning. The web site, is a resource for faculty and students. Its purpose is to promote academic integrity at McGill by providing information about the meaning of integrity, about how to foster it, and about the consequences of breaching it. There is specific information about requirements for citing the work of others. These requirements refer to both print and electronic sources. Students have the responsibility of informing themselves about these matters.
Failure Policy
Students who have failed one course required by their department while registered as a graduate student may automatically write one supplemental examination or, with the permission of their supervisor and the Graduate Program Director, retake that course or substitute an equivalent course. A student with any further failures in that course, including the supplemental, or a failure in any other course, will be required to withdraw from the program. Students who fail more than one course will be asked to withdraw from the graduate program. For detailed information on the failure policy please refer to section 6.9 of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Calendar.
Vacation Policy
The Vacation Policy of the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies states, "Graduate students ... should normally be entitled to vacation leave equivalent to university holidays and an additional total of fifteen (15) working days in the year. Funded students with fellowships and research grant stipends taking additional vacation leave may have their funding reduced accordingly."
Leave of Absence Policy
All students are eligible to request a leave of absence from the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office (GPSO) for maternity, parenting, or health reasons. Leaves must be requested on a term by term basis by writing to the department chair, who will then forward the request to the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office. Complete information on the leave policy is available in Smooth Sailing: A Guidebook for Graduate Students and section 10.6 of the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Calendar.
