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Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

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Note: This is the 2019–2020 eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or .

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Location

Location

  • Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
  • Burnside Hall
  • 805 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 945
  • Montreal QC H3A 0B9
  • Canada
  • Telephone: 514-398-3764
  • Fax: 514-398-6115
  • Email: info.aos [at] mcgill.ca; graduate studies: graduateinfo.aos [at] mcgill.ca
  • Website: www.mcgill.ca/meteo

About Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

About Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

The Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences offers courses and research opportunities in atmospheric sciences and physical oceanography leading to the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. Research programs borrow from fundamental fields such as mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry, and computing to address a broad range of topics relating to weather and climate. Examples include:

  • atmospheric chemistry;
  • climate dynamics;
  • cloud and precipitation physics;
  • dynamical oceanography and meteorology;
  • geophysical turbulence;
  • numerical modelling;
  • numerical weather prediction;
  • ocean carbon budgets;
  • sea ice dynamics;
  • synoptic, mesoscale, and radar and satellite meteorology.

Some faculty members have close ties with other departments, schools, and centres, including the Chemistry, and Mathematics and Statistics Departments; the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ School of Environment; ; and . Facilities include the J. Stewart Marshall Radar Observatory, as well as state-of-the-art field and laboratory equipment for atmospheric chemistry. Graduate students have access to computers, ranging from desktop PCs to the massive parallel machines available to us through Compute Canada. In some cases, M.Sc. and Ph.D. research may include a field component. Most students also participate in national and international conferences.

Financial assistance in the form of research stipends and teaching assistantships is available for all qualified graduate students.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Thesis) (45 credits)

Our program applies mathematics, physics, computing, and sometimes chemistry to study the atmosphere and/or oceans. The ideal student would therefore have a strong quantitative background in one or more of these fields. Although some of our students have undergraduate knowledge of meteorology or physical oceanography, such background is not necessary to succeed in the program. ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ offers the only program in Canada that includes both atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Students benefit from a large professor-to-student ratio and access to state-of-the-art computing, remote sensing, and atmospheric chemistry laboratory equipment. The Department also has close ties with Environment & Climate Change Canada's numerical weather prediction centre in Dorval, Quebec.

Most of our incoming M.Sc. students choose this (default) option. It allows considerable flexibility as to the choice of research topics, and gives students both a strong classroom knowledge of the subject as well as the opportunity to choose from a variety of thesis research projects. Students who do not choose to continue in academia find employment in a variety of areas and places; for example, working with Environment & Climate Change Canada as research associates or weather forecasters.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Thesis): Environment (45 credits)

This program is currently not offered.

The graduate option in Environment provides students with an appreciation for the role of science in informed decision-making in the environmental sector, and its influence on political, socio-economic, and ethical judgments. The option also provides a forum whereby graduate students bring their disciplinary perspectives together and enrich each other's learning through structured courses, formal seminars, and informal discussions and networking.

Students following the Environment option must first be accepted by the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, and then by the ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ School of Environment (MSE) before an offer of admission will be made by the University. Environment option students require either a single supervisor with a joint appointment in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and the MSE, or co-supervisors, one each in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and the MSE.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Our program applies mathematics, physics, computing, and sometimes chemistry to study the atmosphere and/or oceans. The ideal student would therefore have a strong quantitative background in one or more of these fields. Although some of our students have undergraduate knowledge of meteorology or physical oceanography, such background is not necessary to succeed in the program. ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ offers the only program in Canada that includes both atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Students benefit from a large professor-to-student ratio and access to state-of-the-art computing, remote sensing, and atmospheric chemistry laboratory equipment. The Department also has close ties with Environment & Climate Change Canada's numerical weather prediction centre in Dorval, Quebec. Students who do not choose to continue in academia find employment in a variety of areas including research careers at government labs such as Environment & Climate Change Canada.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2019-2020 (last updated Aug. 13, 2019) (disclaimer)

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Admission Requirements and Application Procedures

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

Applicants to the M.Sc. program must meet the general requirements of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and hold a bachelor's degree with high standing in atmospheric and oceanic science, physics, mathematics, engineering, or similar.

The normal requirement for admission to the Ph.D. program is a strong background in meteorology, physical oceanography, or related disciplines such as mathematics, physics, and engineering. Many students will have an M.Sc. degree in one of these fields, although this is not a formal requirement. Students without a master's degree in atmospheric science (meteorology) or physical oceanography will enter at the Ph.D. 1 rather than the Ph.D. 2 level, and devote the first year of the program mainly to coursework.

Inquiries should be addressed directly to the graduateinfo.aos [at] mcgill.ca (Student Affairs Coordinator), Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences; see the department's website for more information.

Application Procedures

Application Procedures

¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ’s online application form for graduate program candidates is available at www.mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.

See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.

Additional Requirements

Additional Requirements

The items and clarifications below are additional requirements set by this department:

  • Acceptance by a research supervisor – required for Ph.D. program

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application Dates and Deadlines

Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ departmental website; please consult the list at www.mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.

Ìý Application Opening Dates Application Deadlines
Ìý All Applicants Non-Canadian citizens (incl. Special, Visiting & Exchange) Canadian citizens/Perm. residents of Canada (incl. Special, Visiting & Exchange) Current ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Students (any citizenship)
Fall Term:

(M.Sc. and Ph.D.)

Sept. 15 Feb. 28 Feb. 28 Feb. 28
Winter Term:

(Ph.D. only)

Feb. 15 Sept. 10 Sept. 15 Sept. 15
Summer Term: N/A N/A N/A N/A

Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.

Note: Applications for Summer term admission will not be considered.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2019-2020 (last updated Aug. 13, 2019) (disclaimer)

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Faculty

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Faculty

Chair
J.R. Gyakum
Emeritus Professors
J.F. Derome; B.Sc., M.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Mich.), F.R.S.C.
H.G. Leighton; B.Sc., M.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Alta.)
L.A. Mysak; C.M., B.Sc.(Alta.), M.Sc.(Adel.), A.M., Ph.D.(Harv.), F.R.S.C. (Canada Steamship Lines Professor of Meteorology)
R.R. Rogers; B.Sc.(Texas), M.Sc.(MIT), Ph.D.(NYU)
I. Zawadzki; B.Sc.(Buenos Aires), M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.), F.R.S.C.
Professors
P. Ariya; B.Sc., Ph.D.(York) (James ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ Professor) (joint appt. with Chemistry)
P. Bartello; B.S.c., M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.)
J.R. Gyakum; B.Sc.(Penn. St.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(MIT)
M.K. Yau; S.B., S.M., Sc.D.(MIT) (NSERC/Hydro-Québec Industrial Research Chair in Short-term Forecasting of Precipitation)
Associate Professors
F. Fabry; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (joint appt. with ¿´Æ¬ÊÓƵ School of Environment)
Y. Huang; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Peking), Ph.D.(Princ.)
D. Kirshbaum; B.Sc.(III.), M.Sc.(Johns Hop.), Ph.D.(Wash.)
T. Merlis; B.Sc.(Col.), Ph.D.(Calif. Tech.)
D. Straub; B.Sc., M.Sc.(SW Louisiana), Ph.D.(Wash.)
B. Tremblay; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Car.), Ph.D.(McG.)
Assistant Professors
C. Dufour; B.Eng.(ISITV, France), M.Sc.(Sud Toulon-Var), Ph.D.(Grenoble)
T. Preston; B.Sc.(Tor.), M.Sc.(W. Ont.), Ph.D.(Br. Col.) (joint appt. with Chemistry)
A. Zuend; Ph.D.(ETH Zurich)
Adjunct Professors
L. Barrie; Ph.D.(Goethe)
G. Brunet; Ph.D.(McG.)
P. Kollias; Ph.D.(Miami)
H. Lin; Ph.D.(McG.)
L.-P. Nadeau; Ph.D.(McG.)
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2019-2020 (last updated Aug. 13, 2019) (disclaimer)

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Thesis) (45 credits)

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 coursework (depending on the student's background).

For more information, see Master of Science (M.Sc.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Thesis) (45 credits).

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Thesis): Environment (45 credits)

** This program is currently not offered **

For more information, see Master of Science (M.Sc.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (Thesis): Environment (45 credits).

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Faculty of Science—2019-2020 (last updated Aug. 13, 2019) (disclaimer)
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