Program Requirements

The Ph.D. program requires the completion of six one-term graduate level course equivalents beyond the B.Sc., or four one-term graduate-level courses beyond the M.Sc. In either case, one of the courses shall be the PhD Graduate Seminar (GEOL-6007EL - Research Seminar in Geology). In addition a candidate must prepare a Ph.D. research proposal within nine months of registration of the PhD program, pass an oral Ph.D. Qualifying Examination within 12, 18, or 24 months of registration (see below for details), and must successfully defend a Ph.D. Thesis (GEOL-6000EL - Thesis).

Entrance Requirements

Students entering the program must have a M.Sc. degree in Geology or an Earth Science related field, with a grade in excess of 75%. Students may also transfer from the M.Sc. program after one year, if approved by their Supervisory Committee.

Residency Requirements

A minimum of two full academic terms of full-time residence is required for all Ph.D. students within their first two years of study. The minimum period of study is two years (full-time) for candidates holding a M.Sc. degree, or three years (full-time) for candidates entering the program with a B.Sc. Honours degree.

Research Areas

Ph.D. research projects are offered in all areas of Precambrian and Economic Geology. Students should contact potential supervisors (as below) regarding availability of research projects prior to requesting admission to the program:

Dr Randy Dirszowsky - Pleistocene to Recent sedimentology, environmental problems, lakes: 

Dr Harold Gibson - Volcanic processes and related ore deposits 

Dr Pedro Jugo - Orthomagmatic and hydrothermal ore deposits 

Dr Dan Kontak - Pegmatites, Precious metals   

Dr Bruno Lafrance - Field-based structural geology and ore deposits   

Dr Michael Lesher - Magmatic ore deposits 

Dr Darrel Long - Precambrian sedimentology and stratigraphy, uranium, coal, industrial minerals 

Dr Andrew McDonald - Mineralogy, crystal chemistry, mineral genesis 

Dr Michael Schindler - Environmental mineralogy, surface chemistry   

Dr Richard Smith - Exploration geophysics 

Dr Graeme Spires – Environmental chemistry and land reclamation 

Dr Phil Thurston - Evolution of greenstone belts 

Dr Doug Tinkham - Metamorphic evolution of magmatic arcs and orogenic belts, phase equilibria 

Dr Elizabeth Turner - Precambrian sedimentology and stratigraphy of Northern Canada; carbonate sedimentology, ore deposits

For further details contact the Graduate Secretary at dlong@laurentian.ca or des@laurentian.ca 

Specialization

Graduates of the Ph.D. program can proceed to a professional career in the mining or petroleum industry, government, or academia. 

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