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Master’s Degree and PhD Programs

Earth Sciences (MSc, PhD)

As an earth sciences graduate student at the University of Regina, you can count on learning from and studying alongside highly-qualified and committed instructors in our Master’s and PhD earth sciences programs. Our Master of Science degrees are recognized nationally and internationally and our graduates are eligible to register with professional geoscientific societies in Canada.

Our earth sciences faculty are experts in their fields, and can offer various specialized courses, including many hands-on training opportunities and practices. Their research areas cover hard rock and soft rock studies, geofluids, mineral and oil-gas resources, and environmental geoscience. You’ll benefit from close contact with your supervisor and in-depth involvement in their topics of research, as you achieve your own research objectives.

Strong Connections

You’ll also benefit from our strong connections to industry and government agencies – in the classroom, in the field, in the community, and after graduation – and you’ll become part of a network of graduate students and alumni. Our close co-operation with Saskatchewan industry partners and the Saskatchewan Geological Survey provides hands-on learning opportunities for field work in the Canadian Shield and access to sedimentary cores and data relating to the Phanerozoic rocks of Saskatchewan. We draw additional strength for graduate student supervision from the highly qualified personnel at the Geological Survey. On campus, earth sciences staff and students work in co-operation with the Petroleum Technology Research Centre in Regina.

Employment Success

The U of R earth sciences program has an established reputation for training highly qualified personnel, and our graduates have an excellent record of obtaining employment. Post-graduation work can include working for mineral exploration companies and in government research for the geological survey. Canada’s federal and provincial governments, energy and mining, hydrogeological and related environmental service industries employ highly qualified geoscientists in a range of roles. As the present workforce ages there is a pressing need for new people to fill these roles. The U of R’s graduate programs in earth sciences can prepare you for your career in the geosciences.

Research Activities

The research activities in the Department of Earth Sciences can be grouped into hard rock (igneous and metamorphic rocks), soft rock (sedimentary rocks), tectonics and structural geofluids, geomodelling, and environmental in terms of research fields, and into mineral resources, hydrocarbon resources, and environmental geoscience according to the fields of application. Faculty members in the Department of Earth Sciences are experts in their respective fields and can offer various specialized courses including hands-on training and practices.

Earth Sciences Meet Your Faculty

Quick Facts

Program: Master of Science (MSc) in Earth Sciences Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Earth Sciences
Length: Master’s Degree: 2 years Doctorate: 4 years
Accreditation: Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS)
Offered Through: University of Regina
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Why Study Earth Sciences at the University of Regina?

As an Earth Sciences graduate student, you will have close contact with supervisors and in-depth involvement in their topics of research. You’ll get hands-on skill-building opportunities in the lab and field.

After graduation, you’ll have connections to industry, government agencies, and job opportunities.

Graduate students have easy access to the Saskatchewan Subsurface Core Facility (Regina) which is highly beneficial to sedimentary geology students to gain practical skills in research on the sedimentary succession of Saskatchewan. Further to this, you’ll have all of this in close proximity to the Canadian Light Source synchrotron’s analytical facilities.

Our students work on a wide range of projects. Areas of specialization that our faculty are qualified to supervise include:

  • Quaternary studies
  • Geochemical, igneous, metamorphic, and structural studies of the Canadian Shield
  • Phanerozoic carbonate, clastic, and evaporite studies; coal, petroleum, and uranium mineralization
  • Metallic mineral deposits
  • Subsurface reservoir and caprock properties for carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS)
  • Geothermometry and fluid inclusion studies
  • Environmental geochemistry and geomicrobiology including mine waste remediation and reclamation

Earth Sciences Frequently Asked Questions

What research areas can I study in Earth Sciences at the U of R?

Hard Rock

  • Structural geology and metamorphic petrology
  • Precambrian tectonic processes
  • Igneous petrology, volcanology, and mineralogy
  • Mineral deposit geology

Soft Rock

  • Carbonate sedimentology & depositional environments, stratigraphy, and geochemistry
  • Siliciclastic sedimentology, depositional environments and stratigraphy
  • Diagenesis and reservoir characterization
  • Glacial and Quaternary geology
  • Paleontology
  • Paleoenvironmental reconstructions

Geofluids

  • Low temperature aqueous geochemistry
  • Modeling of fluid flow and fluid-rock interactions
  • Modeling of hydrocarbon generation and migration
  • Fluid inclusion studies
  • Hydrothermal mineralizing systems and fluid-rock interactions

Environmental

  • Geobiology and geomicrobiology
  • Microbe-mineral interactions
  • Biogeochemical cycling and metal transformations

Mineral Resources

  • Sedimentary basin-hosted base metals, uranium, and REE mineralization
  • Magmatism-related mineralization
  • Orogeny-related gold mineralization, regional tectonic and metallogeny, structural control on mineralization
  • Geological mapping using GIS and remote sensing
  • Non-traditional secondary mineral resources

Hydrocarbon resources and CO2 storage system

  • Hydrocarbon sources and paths
  • Sedimentary and stratigraphic control of petroleum reservoirs
  • Characterization of petroleum reservoirs
  • Basin evolution and regional stratigraphy

Environmental Geoscience

  • Quaternary and cold environments and modern geomorphic processes
  • Quaternary environmental reconstructions from the tropics
  • Stable isotope records of ancient seawater and recent climate changes
  • CO2 sequestration in geological formations
  • Mine drainage environments, remediation, and reclamation
  • Biologically-mediated toxic metal(loid) transformation at contaminated sites Microbialites and microbial mats
What clubs, campus events, and networking opportunities can students participate in as part of this program?

There are many clubs and societies that you can join on campus.

  • M. Kent Club (Geology Student Society)
  • Saskatchewan Geological Society
  • Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
  • Society of Economic Geology (SEG) Student Chapter
  • Saskatchewan Geological Society Luncheons
  • Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC)
Do you offer scholarships?

Yes! Once you have been accepted as a fully-qualified graduate student with no conditions or holds on your admission, then you are eligible to apply for our scholarships, awards, or graduate teaching assistant positions.

Earth Sciences Scholarships and Awards

  • Association of Exploration Geochemists Scholarship in Geology
  • LWV Graduate Scholarship

Faculty of Science Graduate Funding

  • Paul W. Riegert Memorial Scholarship in Graduate Studies
  • Gerhard Herzberg Fellowship
  • Saskatchewan Innovation and Excellence Graduate Scholarship

Apply for these scholarships, and more, by visiting our Graduate Awards Portal (GAP), the U of R online graduate scholarship application system.

All Graduate Funding Opportunities

Visit our Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research website to learn about all graduate funding opportunities including:

  • National Scholarships (including Tri Council funding)
  • Awards to Study Abroad
  • FGSR Funding/Special Awards
  • Funding for Indigenous Students
  • Funding for International Students
  • Other Awards and Scholarships
  • External Scholarship Opportunities
  • External Student and Faculty Awards
What are some interesting graduate level Earth Sciences courses?

GEOL 811 Advanced Mineralogy

Laboratory aspects of R.I. determination, model analysis, reflectivity, micro-hardness, cathodo-luminescence, chemical and X-ray analysis and their application in natural mineral systems and assemblages.

GEOL 843 Recent Advances in Petrology

Modern work in pure and applied petrology, including recent developments in research methodology and instrumentation concerning the investigation of crustal inorganic and/or organic matter.

GEOL 850 Topics in Structural Geology

Relationships between internal and external stress and the resultant strain features in rocks, including mathematical analysis and analog computer studies.

Geol 840 Topics in Sedimentology

Selected topics in sedimentary basin studies: depositional environments, tectonic control on basin evolution ad basin-filling architecture, diagenesis & reservoir properties, petrology of clastic, chemical and biochemical sedimentary systems, lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy.

GEOL 874 - Geology of Fluids

Occurrence and movement of fluids in the subsurface; pore geometry and fluid flow applied to ground water, petroleum geology, engineering geology, geothermal energy, and genesis of hydrothermal ore deposits.

Concepts and Goals

Students work closely with their supervisor on their research project to build skills and expertise in their subject area.

Build Relationships

Students benefit from building relationships with the tight network of graduate students in our department and our alumni in government and industry.

Scholarships and Grants

We offer departmental scholarships and opportunities for teaching assistant work to supplement stipends offered by individual researchers through their research grant funding. Some supervisors also offer opportunities for industry internships for their graduate students during their studies.

Present Your Research

Many of our graduate students volunteer with our Earth science outreach activities to the local community. Our graduate students have opportunities to present their research through our departmental seminar series and at local, national, and international conferences (e.g., the Saskatchewan Geological Open House, GAC-MAC).

What Can You Do with a Graduate Degree in Earth Sciences?

Upon successfully completing your graduate program in Earth Sciences, you can find work in academics, industry, or governmental surveys. Graduates are well-positioned to address resource and environmental issues critical to society. Career fields our graduate students have pursued after graduation include employment with mining companies and mineral exploration companies, jobs with the Saskatchewan Geological Survey, and university professors.

Many of our graduate programs alumni have become key players in their organizations. Some of our former graduate students have become university faculty members, and one of them was even recruited directly to the position of full professor as special talent.

The jobs that graduates go on to include:

  • Petroleum geologist
  • Environmental scientist
  • Seismologist
  • Mineral surveyors
  • Hydrogelogist
  • Oceanographer
  • Engineering geologist
  • Research geologist
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