University of Calgary : Energy & Environmental Systems Interdisciplinary Specialization

Energy & Environmental Systems Interdisciplinary Specialization

Contact Information Location: Earth Sciences Building, Room 602
Faculty number: 403.220.8872
Fax: 403.210.3894
E-mail address: eespinfo@ucalgary.ca
Web page URL: http://www.ucalgary.ca/ees

1. Degrees and Specializations Offered

The University offers an interdisciplinary specialization in Energy and Environmental Systems to students registered in an existing graduate program currently offered through one of the following Faculties that are affiliated with the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE):

Schulich School of Engineering
Faculty of Environmental Design
Haskayne School of Business
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Arts

The student will receive the degree offered by the home graduate program:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Arts (MA), thesis-based
Master of Laws (LLM), thesis-based
Master of Science (MSc), thesis-based
Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS), course-based
Specialization: Energy and Environmental Systems (Interdisciplinary)

In cases where the student's proposed research area cannot be supported through a single academic program, and which would necessitate the combination of at least three academic areas, they may seek admission and earn the EES specialization through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies' requirements, all applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements of the home graduate program. Admission to the specialization itself requires:

a) A sample of the applicant's written work: a term paper, research paper, or a Master's / honours thesis, that the applicant considers representative of his or her best work.

b) A concise statement (500 words maximum) of the applicant's academic interests and reasons for wishing to pursue graduate work in the EES specialization. A proposed area of thesis research should also be discussed.

c) A current curriculum vitae.

d) For students required to provide proof of English proficiency, a TOEFL score of at least 550 (written) or 80 (internet based), or an IELTS score of 7.0, or a MELAB score of 80, or a PTE score of 59. However, if the graduate program to which the student is applying requires higher scores, then these must be met.

e) Admission to a degree program at the University of Calgary that permits the addition of an interdisciplinary specialization to the degree program of study.

Submission of GRE scores are strongly encouraged but not required. Applicants must indicate their intention of applying for the EES specialization to the home graduate program, and likewise inform the EES Program Office of their application status as per the instructions on the EES Web site.

Note that successful candidates must be approved for admission by both the home graduate program as well as by EES. Admission to a degree program does not guarantee entrance to the specialization.

3. Application Deadline The deadlines for the submission of complete applications correspond to those of the respective home graduate program to which students are applying.

4. Advanced Credit Requests for advanced credit must be made at the time of application. Credit will not be granted for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring the admission GPA to the required level.

5. Program/Course Requirements

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the home graduate program's requirements, students undertaking the EES specialization must successfully complete the following:

EES Specialization at the Master's Level (thesis-based)

Required core courses:

• Energy and Environmental Systems 601: Introduction to Energy and Environmental Systems
• Energy and Environmental Systems 603: Project Course
• Energy and Environmental Systems 605: Graduate Seminar
• Energy and Environmental Systems 607: Tools for System Analysis (block week course)

Depending on their home program and area of study, students may take additional Energy and Environmental Systems related courses in consultation with their research supervisor.

NOTE: In accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies' regulations, students in thesis-based programs may obtain a reduction in course load. This may be appropriate in cases where there is overlap between Energy and Environmental Systems courses and the home graduate program's course requirements. Such requests may be agreed to by the student's supervisor, and be submitted to and approved by the Graduate Coordinator of the home graduate program and the EES Program Director or designated EES Committee Member.

EES Specialization with MGIS Degree (course-based)
Students enrolled in the Master of Geographic Information Systems degree program who wish to earn the EES specialization will need to take three of the EES Core Courses (Energy and Environmental Systems 601, 603, and 605). Students are not required to take Geography 683, but must take the other core courses in the MGIS program (Geography 647, 633, 639, and 681). Finally, students will still be required to fulfill the 10 half course requirement of the MGIS program, and can select the remaining three courses from Geography optional courses or EES related courses. It is not recommended that students required to complete the MGIS upgrade courses undertake the EES specialization.

EES Specialization at the Doctoral Level
Doctoral students are required to take the same Energy and Environmental Systems core courses that are required at the Master's level, if they have not previously completed the EES specialization. Doctoral students must also comply with requirements of their home graduate program. Students who have previously earned a Master's degree with the EES specialization have no other required Energy and Environmental Systems courses. However, they may need to take courses relevant to their area of study as recommended by their thesis supervisor. Doctoral students may seek a reduction in course load as per the rules for thesis-based Master's students shown above.

EES Specialization with the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP)
The course curriculum for IGP students will be determined at the IGP admission seminar. Course requirements will normally include the EES core courses, but may also include other courses to ensure adequate coverage of the relevant disciplines involved. Changes to the student's curriculum after the admission seminar will require the approval of the Supervisory Committee, IGP Director, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

6. Additional Requirements None.

7. Credit for Undergraduate Courses Students are allowed to take only one 500-level course for graduate credit, subject to the approval of the EES Program Director. Graduate students taking a 500-level course for graduate credit will be required to complete additional assignments.

8. Time Limit Expected completion time for a Master's degree is two years and the maximum completion time is four years.
Expected completion time for the PhD degree is four years and the maximum completion time is six years.

9. Supervisory Assignments Students must have a formal supervisor appointed to them within twelve months of beginning the EES specialization. Supervisory arrangements must be approved by the EES Program Director.

10. Required Examinations Final thesis orals follow the requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the home graduate program.
Students in doctoral programs must fulfill the written candidacy examination requirement of the home graduate program. All doctoral students must complete the candidacy oral examination in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies' regulations.

11. Research Proposal Requirements Doctoral students and thesis-based Master's students must present a written and oral research proposal to their supervisory committees no later than twelve (Master's) and twenty (PhD) months after initial registration. The research proposal must be submitted to the EES Program Director for approval and placed on file.
This requirement of research proposal approval does not apply to students pursuing the EES specialization through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, since the research proposal must be approved as part of IGP's admission process.

12. Special Registration Information None.

13. Financial Assistance Financial assistance will be available to all qualified full-time graduate students. Students are also encouraged to seek funding opportunities through the Faculty of Graduate Studies' Open Scholarship Competition (contact the home program for application deadlines), as well as external funding agencies.

14. Other Information Given limited resources, the specialization may, in any year, admit fewer applicants than those who are qualified to undertake graduate studies.

15. Faculty Members/Research Interests See the Web site of the home department of the faculty member.
For bios and research interests of those faculty directly associated with the Energy and Environmental Systems Group, visit http://www.ucalgary.ca/EES/People.

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