Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Undergraduate research is an important component of our Geology and Environmental Geoscience programs. Our students can participate in:
- paid summer research internships
- term-time research projects for course credit, for example undergraduate thesis projects under the supervision of one of our research faculty members
- directed readings courses
- coop programs
Research topics are diverse and may include geological mapping, microscopic studies, geochemical analyses, field work, and computer modeling. Undergraduate students who participate in research increase their knowledge on the most recent scientific findings, learn technical field and lab procedures/skills and improve their skills in critical thinking, data analysis, writing and presentation. These undergraduate students can also make important contributions to our research faculties’ research programs!
For further information on these options, click on the “+” sign below each opportunity below
Most B.Sc. theses involve an applied component, where students partake in either a field or lab research project. This could be a hands-on field investigation of geological phenomenon, in wide-ranging settings from the Precambrian shield to the Quaternary deposits in Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada and abroad. In the lab, students might be analysing samples that were collected by their research supervisor or their students in the past, or designing and running their own experiments.
Many of the field-based research projects are carried out in collaboration with geological surveys and industrial partners. These partnerships are set up by the research supervisors, and may involve laboratory components providing opportunities of collaboration with researchers from other institutions.
After completing their research and writing their thesis document, our B.Sc. thesis students present their research to the department and a committee of professors who provide them with feedback on their work. Examples of undergraduate theses in our department can be found here.
Every year, our undergraduate students are also encouraged to present their research results at various international, national and provincial conferences where many have won top prizes for their poster and oral presentations and made valuable contacts for future employment. Conferences include the Saskatchewan Geological Survey Open House, Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention (the World’s premier mineral exploration and mining convention), Geological and Mineralogical Associations of Canada (GAC-MAC), Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists (CSPG), Canadian Paleontological Conference, Geological Society of America, to name just a few. Many of our B.Sc. students also present at the annual Western Inter-University Geosciences Conference (WIUGC) organized and hosted by Geoscience students from western Canadian universities.
It's good to explore ideas and opportunities for B.Sc. these with potential research supervisors early in your program. Talk to your undergraduate departmental advisors for additional information on requirements for doing a B.Sc. thesis. Undergraduate theses are worth 6 credit hours, which can be taken in one semester or split in two semesters, with course numbers of Geol 400AA, 400AB, and 400AC, respectively. Undergraduate theses can be taken both for the B.Sc. Honours and B.Sc. programs.