Graduate programs

• Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
• Burnside Hall
• 805 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 305
• 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: mcgill.ca/meteo

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 and mesoscale meteorology; and
• remote sensing of weather and climate.

Some faculty members have close ties with other departments, schools, and centres, including the Chemistry and the Mathematics and Statistics departments; the Bieler School of Environment; ArcticNet; and Quebec Ocean. Facilities include the McGill Atmospheric Profiling 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 high-performance computing clusters available through the Digital Research Alliance of 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 is available for all qualified graduate students. Additional financial support is provided in the form of teaching assistantships, subject to availability and eligibility constraints.

• Department of Biology
• Stewart Biological Sciences Building
• 1205 Dr. Penfield Avenue
• Montreal QC H3A 1B1
• Telephone: 514-398-5478
• Fax: 514-398-5069
• Email: ancil.gittens [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: mcgill.ca/biology

The M.Sc. and Ph.D. graduate training programs in the Department of Biology are focused on excellence in research across all scales of the biological world, from molecules to cells, from cells to organisms, and from organisms to ecosystems. Our research is highly interdisciplinary, and so are our trainees and faculty members. Our programs offer graduate trainees the opportunity to do cutting-edge research and develop their professional skills, including writing and communication, which are essential for careers inside and outside of academia. McGill Biology graduate students enjoy a rigorous training program with the goal of becoming successful research scientists. A graduate degree in Biology prepares students for a wide range of careers. Alumni have gone on to pursue careers in academia and beyond, including researchers in industry, and work as wildlife biologists, forensic technologists, and science policy advisors, to name a few.

In addition to the regular M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs, the Biology Department offers specialized program options in Environment and Neotropical Environment (NEO) (see below).

Both the M.Sc. and Ph.D. are research-intensive degrees, and the emphasis in both programs is on developing the intellectual and technical skills necessary for independent research. The main component of both degrees is a thesis presenting the results of this work in the form of a student’s original contribution to scientific knowledge. Formal coursework includes a two-course sequence on research and professional skills, and one to two topical courses, usually in the form of literature-based seminars. To complement their classroom and research training, students regularly attend seminar series and journal clubs, and present their own work annually in a formal seminar.

The Department of Biology is embedded in an outstanding and collaborative research environment with access to state-of-the-art infrastructure in the Stewart Biology Building and the Bellini Life Science Complex, as well as excellent field facilities in Canada and abroad. Affiliated centres and field stations include:

• McGill University Phytotron
• Redpath Museum
• Integrated Quantitative Biology Initiative (IQBI)
• Advanced BioImaging Facility (ABIF)
• Gault Nature Reserve at Mont St. Hilaire (Quebec)
• Penfield Nature Conservancy on Lake Memphrémagog (Quebec)
• McGill Subarctic Research Station at Schefferville (Quebec)
• Bellairs Research Institute (Barbados)
• Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) (Panama)

The Department of Biology offers financial support to both Canadian and international students. Funding packages include a stipend to offset living expenses and a tuition and fees subsidy. For more information on graduate student funding in Biology, please visit Biology > Graduate Studies > Current Graduate Students > Graduate Funding.

• Department of Chemistry
• Otto Maass Chemistry Building
• 801 Sherbrooke Street West
• Montreal QC H3A 0B8
• Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-6999
• Fax: 514-398-3797
• Email: graduate.chemistry [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: mcgill.ca/chemistry

Research in Chemistry

Members of the Department are organized into various research themes. Some of the current research interests are listed below, and are presented in much more detail on the Departmental website.

Analytical/Environmental

The Analytical/Environmental Thematic Research Group at McGill is involved in a wide range of exciting fundamental and applied research with focus on: state-of-the-art instrumental development in spectroscopy; imaging; chemometric and analytical bio-spectroscopy; artificial intelligence; ultra trace sampling; thermochemical, box, and cloud modelling; and state-of-the-art atmospheric kinetics and photochemistry; as well as the development and application of state-of-the-art numerical models of the chemistry of the regional and global atmosphere. Our collective research has direct implications in fields such as materials, environmental, and biomedical chemistry.

Chemical Biology

The Chemical Biology Thematic Research Group is engaged in a diverse range of research topics, which span structural biology, enzymology, nucleic acid research, signalling pathways, single-molecule biophysics, and biophysical chemistry of living tissues. Among the themes that unite the research being performed in this group is the attempt to learn new chemistry and physics from biological systems.

We have projects relating to pharmaceutically relevant enzymes such as those involved in drug metabolism and antibiotic resistance; development of therapeutic agents in the control of inflammation, cancer and viral infections; the chemical biology of NO; quantification of bioenergetic markers of metabolism; self-assembly mechanisms of the HIV-1 virion capsid; liposome microarray systems to address membrane protein dynamics and recognition; studies on reactive oxygen species translocation across the aqueous/lipid membrane interface; RNAi/antisense technologies; dynamic combinatorial chemistry; protein dynamics and function; mechanistic aspects involved in cellular adhesion and transport in membrane and zeolite channels; and cutting-edge microscopes used to examine transport, motility, and reactivity in cells.

Chemical Physics

The research interests of the members of the Chemical Physics Thematic Research Group are diverse, with groups focusing on high-end laser and NMR spectroscopies, kinetics and modelling of atmospheric chemical reactions, experimental and theoretical biophysical chemistry, polymers at interfaces, and statistical and quantum mechanics. In the field of biophysical chemistry, single molecule spectroscopy is being used to probe enzyme function as well as DNA recombination and repair. Our recent advances in image correlation spectroscopic techniques now allow researchers to precisely follow the macromolecular dynamics in living cells. In a similar vein, breakthrough ultra-fast electron diffraction experiments have opened the window to real-time observation of the making and breaking of chemical bonds. State-of-the-art multi-pulse femtosecond spectroscopy experiments are being applied to interesting and technologically important new materials such as photonic crystals and quantum dot superlattices. A molecular-level picture of polymer dynamics and structure at surfaces and interfaces is being developed through theoretical modelling, high-field solids NMR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and other surface characterization methods. In the area of atmospheric chemistry, the chemical transformation of the atmosphere is being modelled both experimentally and theoretically to understand how these processes are currently affecting and driving climate change. Finally, we have basic theory projects relating to the experimental work just described, as well as in transport and structure in complex colloidal or zeolite systems, protein dynamics, and fundamental issues in quantum and statistical mechanics.

Materials Chemistry

The chemistry of materials is a rapidly evolving domain of research. Materials chemistry seeks to understand how composition, reactivity, and structure are related to function from a molecular perspective. The functionality of materials is expressed in a variety of areas including photonics, micro- and nano-electronics, biosystems, nanotechnology, drug delivery, catalysis, polymer science, molecular biology, and chemical and biological sensing. Activities of the Materials Chemistry Thematic Research Group are often broadly interdisciplinary. University-wide synergies among members of this group have led to the creation of the McGill Institute for Advanced Materials (MIAM) and the McGill Nanotools Facility. The latter comprises state-of-the-art micro/nanofabrication, atomic manipulation and high-performance computing facilities. MIAM and members of the Chemistry Department have established research links to the Quebec Centre for Advanced Materials, the Centre for Biorecognition and Biosensors, the Centre for the Physics of Materials, and the Centre for Bone and Periodontal Research. Synthetic approaches to new materials include research in dendrimers, polynucleic acid architectures, polymers that conduct electrons or light, and biopolymers. Polymer and colloid science figure prominently as does research and applications of the chemistry and physical properties of nanostructures. There is significant activity in understanding directed molecular assembly at interfaces and in the application of sophisticated spectroscopic tools to explore them.

Green and Sustainable Chemistry

Green Chemistry is a concept developed in the 1990s by pioneers Paul Anastas and John Warner. It proposes a vision for chemistry in which its products and processes are designed so as to not harm our health or our environment. The sister concept of sustainable chemistry was developed in parallel, with the idea to add the notion of ensuring the renewability of resources. Green and Sustainable Chemistry is now a strategic, key area of research development, with its own vibrant community, dedicated journals and international research centres. It is also identified as a key strategic area for McGill University, as the Department of Chemistry has pioneered the teaching of the topic since 1999. Topically Green and Sustainable Chemistry covers research using tools in organic, inorganic, physical, and biological chemistries with the goal to develop concepts and solutions to grand challenges in sustainability. This field is directly harnessing the powers of chemistry as a toolbox to enable the Sustainable Development Goals, set by the United Nations in 2015.

Synthesis/Catalysis

The Synthesis/Catalysis Research Activity Group is a collective that develops state-of-art catalysts, synthetic methodologies, reaction mechanisms, and synthetic routes for organic chemicals, natural products, and materials. The collective's major research activities at McGill include: (1) Development of novel catalysts and catalytic reactions for highly efficient organic synthesis; Green Chemistry. This includes the study and discovery of novel transition-metal catalysts, biological catalysts, nano- and dendrimer-based catalysts for synthetic purposes; new chemical reactivity such as C-H activation, asymmetric catalysis and theory, multi-component reactions and combinatorial chemistry; innovative chemistry in alternative solvents such as water, sub-critical water, ionic liquids, and liquid CO2; photocatalytic reactions, reaction mechanisms, and physical organic chemistry; and computational chemistry. (2) Synthesis of biological compounds, organic materials, and natural products. Focus areas are total synthesis of natural products, synthesis of DNA and RNA analogues; synthesis of antiviral and anticancer nucleoside analogues, synthesis of amino acid and peptides; synthesis and study of carbohydrate derivatives; design, synthesis, and study of specialty organic chemical and materials.

• School of Computer Science
• McConnell Engineering, Room 318
• 3480 University Street
• Montreal QC H3A 0E9
• Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-7071
• Fax: 514-398-3883
• Email: grad.cs [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: cs.mcgill.ca

The School of Computer Science is one of the leading teaching and research centres for computer science in Canada and offers several graduate programs. The Master of Science (M.Sc.) Thesis and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) are research-centric programs preparing students for research careers in academia or industry. They both offer an option in bioinformatics. The Master of Science (M.Sc.) Non-Thesis program is targeted at students looking for careers in applied research and development in industry. In all programs, students will be exposed to cutting-edge computer science developments. Research in the School covers a broad range of areas, including:

• Theory: algorithms, combinatorial optimization, computational geometry, cryptography, graph theory, logic and computation, programming languages, quantum computing, theory of computation, and scientific computing;
• Systems: compilers, computer games, distributed systems, storage systems, database systems, embedded and real-time systems, systems for data science, networks, software engineering, and model engineering;
• Applications: bioinformatics, many areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning, bioinformatics, robotics, computer animation, graphics, vision, and Human Factors in Computing.

More information can be found on the School's website.

• Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
• Frank Dawson Adams Building
• 3450 University Street
• Montreal QC H3A 0E8
• Telephone: 514-398-6767
• Email: grad.eps [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: mcgill.ca/eps

The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences offers both M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree programs. Graduate programs are based on research, although some courses are required to build the backgrounds of students. Research in the Department is wide-ranging, and includes:

• the geochemistry of the mantle;
• the nature of processes concentrating metals in hydrothermal mineral deposits;
• the controls of viscosity in magmas and the mechanisms of volcanic eruption;
• the fate of carbon and trace metals in marine sediments;
• the nature of changes in atmospheric and oceanic chemistry during Earth’s history;
• earthquakes and fault mechanisms;
• geomicrobiology;
• the movement of water and nutrients within complex ecohydrological systems;
• wetland hydrogeology;
• interactions between the cryosphere, solid Earth, and climate systems;
• global human processes and their relationship to planetary boundaries.

There is a very substantial interdisciplinary basis to much of the research.

Facilities in the Department include low-temperature and pressure to high-temperature and pressure experimental laboratories, a stable-isotope mass spectrometer, laser-ablation ICP-MS, and electron microprobe, as well as atomic absorption spectrometers. Our students also make substantial use of other facilities at McGill and at nearby Université du Québec à Montréal.

Financial assistance is available in the form of teaching assistantships, graduate student stipends, and scholarships.

Areas of Research:

Aquatic Geochemistry

Application of chemical thermodynamics, kinetics, and surface chemistry to the characterization of mineral–solution interactions in aquatic environments; carbonate geochemistry; early diagenesis of marine and coastal sediments; and trace metal and environmental geochemistry in freshwater and marine systems.

Biogeochemistry

Response of the marine ecosystem to climate change and anthropogenic stresses through observations of the modern ocean, and experimental and numerical simulations of ocean biogeochemistry. Reconstructions of past climate change using sediments from lacustrine, coastal, and marine sediments. The processes controlling carbon cycling in freshwater environments, including the burial of organic matter in sediments and the production of greenhouse gases through microbial respiration. Development of new isotopic methods for tracing carbon-cycle and hydrological change in the past and present. Investigating the dynamical relationships that link climate, biogeochemical cycles, ecosystems, and humans using a combination of large datasets, simple theory, and numerical Earth system models to identify novel processes and quantitative relationships.

Economic Geology

Studies of the genesis of hydrothermal mineral deposits through a combination of field-based, experimental, and theoretical methods. Research focuses on the understanding of physico-chemical controls of mineralization, through geological mapping of deposits; experimental studies of metal solubility and speciation in hydrothermal systems; simulations of hydrothermal alteration; and theoretical studies designed to estimate conditions of alteration and ore formation. Trace-element chemistry of minerals as quantitative probes of the compositions of ore-forming fluids.

Exoplanet Climate

Using telescopes on the ground and in space to explore the surfaces and atmospheres of the diverse planets outside the Solar System: How much incident stellar flux do planets absorb? How do they move this energy through atmospheric and oceanic circulation? Which planets enjoy habitable surface conditions? Do any of them exhibit atmospheric biosignatures?

Geobiology

Understanding the role of microorganisms in biogeochemical cycles; cultivation of environmental microorganisms; applying molecular and isotopic tools to characterize microbial activity in present and past environments.

Geophysics and Climate

Applying physics to study the interactions between the solid Earth, ice, ocean, and climate systems; numerical modelling, analysis, and interpretation of paleo and modern sea-level changes; solid earth deformation and glacial isostatic adjustment; and ice in the Earth and climate systems.

Hydrogeology

Studies of pore-water flow in northern peatlands; heat transport; heat as a tracer of natural systems; groundwater modelling; coupled numerical models of pore water flow and heat transport with freeze/thaw processes; and the impact of melting tropical glaciers on water resources.

Hydrology and Ecohydrology

Studies of the storage, release, and transport of water, nutrients, and other contaminants in watersheds; combination of field, laboratory, big data science and modelling approaches; use of a complex-systems lens to identify the resistance and resilience of watersheds to climate and environmental change; implications for water management and policy in forested, agricultural, and mixed-used watersheds.

Igneous Petrology

Experimental studies of the structure, thermodynamics, and transport properties (diffusion and viscosity) of silicate melts and applications to igneous petrogenesis. The nature of the Earth's upper mantle and the processes within it which give rise to basaltic volcanism on both the Earth and the other terrestrial planets. Applications of laser ablation ICPMS; petrology, geochemistry, and tectonics of the Appalachian lithosphere.

Integrated Earth System Dynamics

Global data analysis and modelling; approaches that cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries; integration of human and natural systems; interactions between macroecology, biogeochemistry, and climate change; Earth System Economics.

Isotopic Geochemistry and Sedimentary Geology

Sedimentology, stratigraphy, and isotope geochemistry as guides to reconstructing ancient environments. Reconstruction of Proterozoic paleogeographies and the origin and evolution of Proterozoic sedimentary basins. Documenting and interpreting paleoenvironmental change during the Proterozoic. Relationships between tectonics (i.e., supercontinental break-up and assembly), seawater chemistry and ocean redox, and climate change. Calibrating the diversification of early eukaryotes and their impact on global biogeochemical cycles.

Mineralogy

Chemistry and crystallography of carbonate and a variety of rock-forming and biogenic minerals; experimental investigations of the effect of environmental factors (e.g., solution composition and temperature) on the morphology and composition of carbonate and phosphate minerals.

Seismology

Subduction earthquake nucleation and rupture propagation processes; physical mechanism of aseismic deformation transients, deep non-volcanic tremors, dynamic and static stress triggering of low-frequency earthquakes, and transients; pore-fluid pressure coupling with frictional strength and slip.

Tectonics and Structural Geology

Digital field mapping, microstructural characterization, and mineralogical analyses of deformation structure kinematics, geometry, and deformation processes; archean orogenic processes; structural controls on ore deposit genesis; fluid flow in faults, granular flow in faults, and catastrophic structural/geochemical events in faults; earthquake mechanics and processes recorded in rocks; brittle-ductile transition structures and rheology.

Volcanology

Petrology and geochemistry of intermediate and felsic magmas; understanding physical processes and forecasting eruptions at active subduction-zone volcanoes; geochemistry of volcanic gases, their use for eruption prediction, and their impact on the atmosphere.

• Department of Geography
• Burnside Hall
• 805 Sherbrooke Street West, Room 305
• Montreal QC H3A 0B9
• Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-4111
• Email: grad.geog [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: mcgill.ca/geography

The Department of Geography offers research and thesis-based graduate programs leading to a Master of Arts (M.A.), a Master of Science (M.Sc.), or a Doctorate (Ph.D.). In its scope, our program includes the opportunity to conduct field-based studies in both the natural (i.e., biophysical) and the social sciences. Thematic areas of study include:

• Political, Urban, Economic, and Health Geography;
• Environment and Development;
• Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing;
• Land Surface Processes, Ecosystem Biogeochemistry, and Ecohydrology;
• Earth System Science and Global Change;
• Sustainability Science and Environmental Management.

Geography houses McGill's Geographic Information Centre (GIC), maintains arctic and subarctic field stations, and has strong ties with McGill’s Bieler School of Environment. Faculty and students conduct research in fields as diverse as climate change impacts, periglacial geomorphology, and forest resource history in regions ranging from the Arctic to Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.

Being both a natural and a social science, geography provides a unique opportunity to obtain a broad interdisciplinary exposure to modes of analyzing the many environmental and situational problems of contemporary society. Because of this, a geography degree is a fantastic opportunity to obtain a career in one of a diverse range of fields. Our students have gone on to become United Nations field researchers in Laos, environmental consultants in Toronto, science teachers in the U.S., geography professors in many parts of the world, UNHCR volunteers in Malaysia, policy analysts, and physical scientists in government agencies and research councils, as well as health and social policy researchers in Montreal…the list goes on! If you're on Facebook, look for McGill Geography Alumni or visit our website to learn more about the advantages of having a geography degree from McGill!

Master’s degrees in both the physical (M.Sc.) and social (M.A.) sciences are offered by Geography. The core of both programs for all students is field-based research supervised by a faculty member, culminating in a thesis. The core program consists of the thesis component, required, and complementary graduate (500- or 600-level) courses.

Geography also offers in association with other McGill departments and programs a number of M.A. and M.Sc. options that students may choose to follow. Students must pass the courses specified for their program, attend such additional courses as the Graduate Program Director and the student's thesis supervisor see fit, and submit a thesis in an appropriate area of geographical inquiry approved by the supervisor.

McGill Northern Research Stations

The Faculty of Science, in collaboration with the Department of Geography operates two northern research field stations. The McGill Sub-Arctic Research Station (MSARS) is located in Schefferville, in the centre of Quebec-Labrador. The McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS) is located at Expedition Fiord on Axel Heiberg Island in the High Arctic. These facilities support field research in most areas of physical geography, including glaciology, permafrost hydrology, and geomorphology in the arctic, and some areas of human geography in the subarctic. For additional information on these stations, contact the Graduate Program Coordinator at grad.geog [at] mcgill.ca.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Programs in Geography

Detailed program requirements for the following M.A. programs are found in Arts > Graduate > Browse Academic Units & Programs > Geography.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Programs in Geography

Detailed program requirements for the following M.Sc. programs are found in Science > Graduate > Browse Academic Units & Programs > Geography.

Ph.D. Programs in Geography

• Department of Mathematics and Statistics
• Burnside Hall, Room 1005
• 805 Sherbrooke Street West
• Montreal QC H3A 0B9
• Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-3800
• Email: grad.mathstat [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: mcgill.ca/mathstat/

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics offers programs that can be focused on applied mathematics, pure mathematics, and statistics leading to master’s (M.A. or M.Sc.) and Ph.D. degrees. The research areas are:

• Algebra;
• Algebraic Geometry;
• Analysis;
• Category Theory;
• Data Science;
• Discrete Mathematics;
• Differential Geometry;
• Dynamical Systems;
• Geometric Group Theory;
• Logic;
• Mathematical Biology;
• Mathematical Economics;
• Mathematical Physics;
• Mathematics of Machine Learning;
• Number Theory;
• Numerical Analysis;
• Optimization;
• Partial Differential Equations;
• Probability;
• Statistics.

In the basic master’s programs, students must choose between the thesis option and the non-thesis option, which requires a project. The Ph.D. program in Mathematics and Statistics is thesis only.

The Department's website provides extensive information on the Department and its facilities, including the research activities and research interests of individual faculty members. It also provides detailed supplementary information concerning our programs, admissions, funding of graduate students, thesis requirements, advice concerning the choice of courses, etc.

Students are urged to consult the Institut des Sciences Mathématiques (ISM) website, which coordinates intermediate and advanced-level graduate courses among Montreal and Quebec universities. A list of courses available under the ISM auspices can be obtained from the ISM website. The ISM also offers fellowships and promotes a variety of joint academic activities greatly enhancing the mathematical environment in Montreal and in the province of Quebec.

Master of Arts (M.A.) Programs in Mathematics and Statistics

Detailed program requirements for the following M.A. programs are found in Arts > Graduate > Browse Academic Units & Programs > Mathematics and Statistics.

Master of Science (M.Sc.) Programs in Mathematics and Statistics

Detailed program requirements for the following M.Sc. programs are found in Science > Graduate > Browse Academic Units & Programs > Mathematics and Statistics.

Ph.D. Programs in Mathematics and Statistics

• Department of Physics
• Ernest Rutherford Physics Building
• 3600 University Street
• Montreal QC H3A 2T8
• Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-6485 (Graduate Information)
• Fax: 514-398-8434
• Email: graduate.physics [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: physics.mcgill.ca

The Department of Physics currently has a faculty of approximately 40 members, including several holders of Canada Research Chairs and many other prestigious named Chairs. Additionally, we host an impressive number of postdoctoral fellows and research associates and run one of the largest and most vibrant graduate programs in North America. Graduate student enrolment is currently approximately 200.

Faculty members in the Department of Physics are recognized internationally for their excellence. Our members have received national and international prizes and fellowships including Les Prix Du Québec, Steacie Prize, Sloan Fellowships, NSERC, and many others. They are also in constant demand as reviewers and referees. Students who earn advanced degrees from the Department of Physics will not only get an excellent education, they will also receive valuable guidance and network contacts to help with subsequent career steps.

The Department offers full M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree programs in a wide range of disciplines, including:

• astrophysics;
• atmospheric physics;
• bio-physics;
• condensed-matter physics;
• high-energy physics;
• laser spectroscopy;
• material physics;
• non-linear dynamics and atmospheric physics;
• nuclear physics;
• statistical physics;
• medical-radiation physics.

Although most of the teaching and research facilities are located in the Ernest Rutherford Physics Building, the Department has space and research facilities in the Wong Materials Science Centre, adjacent to the Rutherford Building. Our groups also conduct research at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the Jewish General Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), and laboratories around the world—including Argonne, CERN, FermiLab, SLAC, TRIUMF, and KEK.

Departmental researchers enjoy technical support in the areas of engineering, electronics, and precision machining. The Department maintains an excellent conventional machine shop as well as the McGill Nanotools-Microfab facility. Most of the scientific computing is done with an extensive in-house network of powerful workstations and several Beowulf clusters.

Remote access to supercomputing sites in Canada and the United States is also possible including the McGill HPC super-computing facility which is a part of the nationwide network of high performance computing installations in Quebec.

The Department of Physics offers a competitive funding package for both local and international students. For more information about financial support, please physics.mcgill.ca/grads/finance.html.

Graduate students in the Department of Physics come from many different countries and cultural backgrounds, providing a stimulating cosmopolitan atmosphere in the Department. This, coupled with the unique opportunities afforded by the city of Montreal, guarantees a quality of life that is second to none among Canadian universities. For graduate admission and application information, please visit physics.mcgill.ca/grads/application.html.

Fields of Research:

High-Energy Physics

Theoretical: The McGill high energy theorists have interests in a wide range of areas within quantum field theory, string theory, quantum gravity, and cosmology. Research areas of the high-energy theory faculty include applications of quantum field theory techniques to relativistic heavy ion collisions, baryogenesis, superstring cosmology, theory of cosmological perturbations, black hole physics, supergravity, three dimensional gravity, and various topics related to the physics and mathematics of superstring theory. The high-energy theorists have close connections to the nuclear theory group, the astrophysics group, the high-energy experimentalists, and to members of the Mathematics Department.

Experimental: The experimental high-energy physics group is engaged in a number of experiments at the research frontiers of the field, both in subatomic physics and in high-energy astrophysics. These include:

• Electron–positron collisions: a group works on the BaBar experiment at SLAC and the Belle-2 experiment at the KEK laboratory in Japan, with specific interest in CKM matrix elements and physics beyond the Standard Model through studies of rare decays, and on R&D for a future International Linear Collider, with interest in calorimeter development.
• Hadron–hadron collisions: A group is involved in major contributions to the energy frontier at CERN's LHC, with work on the High Level Trigger for the ATLAS experiment. Work also focuses on searches for new physics phenomena, precision physics of known Standard Model processes, development of the ATLAS experiment's trigger system, and direct contribution to the upgrade of the ATLAS detector.
• High-energy particle astrophysics: ground-based gamma-ray astronomy using the VERITAS telescope array and development of the next-generation detector.
• Underground physics: A group carries out experimental R&D with the aim of measuring, for the first time, the neutrinoless double-beta decay process with the EXO experiment.

Students at the M.Sc. and Ph.D. levels are offered a strong program of research in a challenging and rapidly advancing field. Short term master's projects are based mainly on instrumentation or data analysis conducted on campus, while Ph.D. research may involve an extended stay at one of the world's major research laboratories.

Nuclear Physics

Theoretical: Current research programs include transport equations for heavy ion collisions at intermediate energy; nuclear equation of state from heavy ion collisions; fragmentation at intermediate energy; electromagnetic probes in relativistic heavy ion collisions; effective Lagrangians for hadronic systems at finite temperature; and Quark-Gluon Plasma, QCD.

Experimental: Current research programs in experimental nuclear physics at McGill are focused on two main axes:

• The study of heavy-ion reactions at relativistic energies to determine the properties of nuclear matter at high temperatures and density. This program is being performed at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, and at the Large Hadron Collider facility at CERN.
• The study of ground state properties of unstable nuclei using laser spectroscopy techniques and ion traps. This work is being carried out using the Canadian Penning trap facility at the Argonne National Laboratory, at the accelerator ISOLDE (CERN), and the ISAC facility at TRIUMF.

Furthermore, the Nuclear Physics Group has an active in-house research program that applies the ion trap and laser techniques to the detection of trace quantities of material and contaminants, and to ion spectroscopy.

Condensed Matter Physics and Biophysics

Theoretical: Current research programs involve the nonequilibrium, ab-initio modelling of molecular and nanoelectronic systems and devices; the study of quantum effects in interacting mesoscopic electron systems; nonequilibrium phenomena in extended systems; and applications of statistical mechanics to problems in biophysics.

Experimental: Current research programs involve:

• the study of the time evolution of non-equilibrium systems via X-ray diffraction;
• fundamental quantum properties of strongly correlated systems at temperatures very near absolute zero;
• macromolecular interactions in living cells using single-photon and two-photon imaging;
• molecular electronics and nanoelectronic systems by scanning probe microscopy;
• dynamics and mechanical properties of soft matter systems and spatial organization and dynamics in living cells;
• mechanical behaviour of very small systems by high-resolution force microscopy;
• electronic properties that emerge at the limits of miniaturization and quantum computing;
• nuclear methods to study interactions in magnetic materials that lead to exotic magnetic ordering behaviour. This includes studies of novel materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, unconventional superconductors, quantum dots, heterostructures, amorphous systems, and spin glasses.

Astrophysics

Research in the astrophysics group covers a wide range of topics including cosmology, galaxy formation, high-energy astrophysics, and extrasolar planets. This involves observations at all wavelengths, from gamma rays and X-rays to sub-mm, infrared, and radio, using international observatories in space and on the ground. Experimental groups at McGill are involved in development and operation of ground-based high-energy gamma-ray observatories, and cosmic microwave background experiments. Theoretical work includes studies of how astrophysics and observational cosmology can experimentally determine the most important properties of dark matter and dark energy, studies of the diverse physics of neutron stars, and extrasolar planet formation.

Nonlinear Variability and Atmospheric Physics

This group studies nonlinear dynamical processes in the atmosphere and other geophysical systems, especially those associated with turbulent, chaotic, and extremely variable behaviour. Emphasis is placed on multifractal analysis and modelling as well as the development of new theories and techniques covering wide ranges of scale in time and space. Data from a variety of in situ and remotely sensed sources are used. This includes satellite data of the Earth's atmosphere and surface as well as high-quality precipitation data from the McGill Radar Weather Observatory.

Medical Radiation Physics

The Medical Physics Unit is a teaching and research unit concerned with the application of physics and related sciences in medicine, especially (but not exclusively) in radiation medicine; i.e., radiation oncology, medical imaging, and nuclear medicine. The Unit's facilities are available for students to undertake a Ph.D. in Physics administered through the Department of Physics with a research emphasis on medical physics supervised, funded, and hosted by Medical Physics Unit PIs (principal investigators).

The research interests of Unit members include various aspects of medical imaging, including:

• 3D imaging;
• the development of new imaging modalities;
• applications of imaging in radiation therapy such as radiation dosimetry and solid state;
• nuclear cardiology; and
• applications of radiation biology to therapy.

• Department of Psychology
• 2001 McGill College Avenue, 7th Floor
• Montreal QC H3A 1G1
• Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-6127/514-398-6137
• Email: grad.psych [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: mcgill.ca/psychology

The aim of the Experimental program is to provide students with an environment in which they are free to develop skills and expertise that will serve during a professional career of teaching and research as a psychologist. Coursework and other requirements are at a minimum. Success in the program depends on the student's ability to organize unscheduled time for self-education. Continuous involvement in research planning and execution is considered a very important component of the student's activities.

The Clinical program adheres to the scientist practitioner model and as such is designed to train students for careers in university teaching or clinical research, and for service careers (working with children or adults in hospital, clinical, or educational settings). Most of our clinical graduates combine service and research roles. While there are necessarily many more course requirements than in the Experimental program, the emphasis is again on research training. There is no master’s program in Clinical Psychology; the Department offers direct entry to a doctoral degree for holders of an undergraduate degree, and students are expected to complete the full program leading to a doctoral degree.

Research interests of members of the Psychology Department include:

• behavioural neuroscience;
• clinical psychology;
• cognition and cognitive neuroscience;
• developmental science;
• health psychology;
• quantitative psychology and modelling; and
• social and personality psychology.

Facilities for advanced research in a variety of fields are available within the Department itself. In addition, arrangements exist with the Departments of Psychology at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, Allan Memorial Institute, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal Children's Hospital, and Montreal General Hospital to permit graduate students to undertake research in a hospital setting.

For inquiries about all programs and financial aid, and for application forms, contact the psychology.grad [at] mcgill.ca (Graduate Program Administrator).

Ph.D. Option in Behavioural Neuroscience

Information about this option is available from the Department and at mcgill.ca/psychology/graduate/program-tracks.

Ph.D. Option in Language Acquisition (LAP)

Information about this option is available from the Department and at psych.mcgill.ca/lap.html and mcgill.ca/psychology/graduate/program-tracks/experimental/additional-program-opportunities.

• Redpath Museum
• 859 Sherbrooke Street West
• Montreal QC H3A 0C4
• Canada
• Telephone: 514-398-4086
• Email: redpath.museum [at] mcgill.ca
• Website: mcgill.ca/redpath

The Redpath Museum is a unique interdisciplinary unit within the Faculty of Science offering graduate training in research devoted to biodiversity, ecology, conservation biology, and evolutionary biology, leading to M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees. It is an institution with extensive collections of ancient and modern organisms, minerals, and cultural artifacts. Research and teaching are centred on collections-based study, object-oriented investigation, and fieldwork. The Museum has a unique public engagement mission with large exhibit galleries and a vibrant outreach program.