Course-based
M.E.S.
Masters in Environment and Sustainability
| NOW ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS for SEPTEMBER 2012 New applications for the program beginning September 2012 will be accepted beginning in October 21, 2011. Admission to the MES program is limited to September of each year. Students may not begin the MES program in the January or May semester. |
Questions answered on this page:
- Is it for you?
- Am I eligible?
- What degree will I graduate with?
- Course work and progression (includes co-op placement)
- Financial support and Tuition
- How do I apply?
- What is supporting documentation?
- Is there an application fee?
The MES degree is a dynamic course-based interdisciplinary program designed for students interested in equipping themselves with the skills and experience needed to compete for an entry level position as an environmental professional with a potential for leadership in industry, a non-governmental organization, or a government department. The program is open to students from a variety of academic backgrounds.
The MES is an intense, interdisciplinary program that requires exceptional learning abilities and drive. You should have a strong foundation in a discipline, with a keen interest in and a commitment to learning information and approaches from other disciplines and fields. You will need flexibility and willingness to acquire new skills, including new concepts, ideas and principles that define and inform other disciplines. A basic level of skill in writing, numeracy and scientific reasoning is assumed. You also need to have strong leadership skills, creativity and an ability to work cooperatively in teams. Academic excellence is a priority for the program, along with 'real-world' experience, so each application will be considered with these two priorities in mind.
Applicants are required to be in their final year or have completed a four-year baccalaureate degree in any discipline (B.A., B.Sc, B.E.Sc., B.E.S., B.M.Sc for example), from an accredited university and achieved a minimum 78% average in the last two years of study. Applicants with averages below the required 78% (but with at least a 70% average) will be considered if strong evidence of relevant work experience is presented. The average is calculated using all course results from the last two full years of study, equating to 10 full courses or 20 half course credits. Applicants in their final year of undergraduate studies may apply with an incomplete transcript. Offers of Admission based on incomplete transcripts will be contingent upon the delivery and satisfactory assessment of the final transcript.
Need help with calculating your undergraduate average? This tool will be of assistance to prospective students with undergraduate degree transcripts from Canadian universities.
GPA Conversion Scale for Canadian universities (Office of the Registrar)
World Education Service (Grade conversion scales)
What degree will I graduate with?
Masters of Environment and Sustainability (MES) is an interdisciplinary degree.
The MES degree is a one-year degree program completed in three terms.The degree is offered on a full-time basis only. Full-time studies commence in September and finish at the end of August of each year. Students will advance through two terms of course work (Fall/Winter) followed by a co-op placement term*. Students must complete their co-op placement term before their degree is earned.
MES Program courses are designed exclusively for MES program students. The program does not include elective courses.
*Note on paid co-op placements: The MES program cannot guarantee summer co-op placements, but will make every effort to assist students in obtaining suitable co-op work term employment. Our goal is 100% placement of all registered MES co-op students.
List of MES Courses
Tuition is due at the beginning of each of three terms. Tuition (2011/2012) amounts for the MES Program are accessible through the Office of the Registrar (see links below). If you are considering the program for subsequent years, these rates should only be used as a guide as rates are subject to change from year to year. Students enrolled in the MES Program are not eligible for financial support through Teacher Assistantships (TA) or research funding, nor are there entrance scholarships associated with this one year program. Canadian students receiving OSAP may be eligible for an internal bursary based on financial need. Please visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies web pages for more information on financial assistance.
Category II programs and Graduate Student Financial Assistance
Fall/Winter 2011/2012 MES Tuition Domestic (Canadian citizens, Landed Immigrants)
Fall/Winter 2011/2012 MES Tuition International
MES Program Specific Fee (see page 2 of 7)
Basic fees include tuition, general university Ancillary Fees and a student bus pass.The Program Specific fee, as listed under the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, is not included in the basic fee calculation, and is assessed separately. Please note, tuition fees are subject to increase from the previous year. For graduate programs such increases are effective May 1st of each year and will be posted above (links) when the new amounts are announced. For this reason, please use the above fee schedules (2011-2012 school year) as guides to estimate Fall and Winter tuition fees only. The fee schedule for the summer term, beginning in May 1, 2012 will be determined closer to that date.
How do I apply?
Graduate school applications must be completed on-line. Application to the MES Program occurs in yearly cycles, beginning in the fall preceding the year of entry. At time of application, the candidate will have graduated with an undergraduate degree or be in the last year of undergraduate studies.
Access to the on-line application from this site or the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies site will coincide with the commencement of the application period.
In addition to the on-line application, candidates are required to provide supporting documentation. All supporting documentation must be provided before an application is considered complete. Incomplete applications will not be assessed.
List of Supporting Documentation
- One official transcript from each post-secondary institution attended prior to applying to the MES Program. Transcripts from accredited universities within the province of Ontario can be ordered on-line as part of completing the application. These are sent directly to the program. Applicants who have attended The University of Western Ontario are not required to submit UWO transcripts. All other official transcript copies must be ordered separately by the applicant and mailed directly to the university. Important Notes on Official Transcript Copies and Translated transcript copies.
Mailing address for transcripts from out-of-province institutions:
The University of Western Ontario
Environment and Sustainability Program Application Centre
109 Western Science Centre
London, ON Canada N6A 5B7
Tel 519 850-2570 (for courier use)
- For applicants who have earned their degree(s) from universities outside of Canada, one photocopy or scanned copy of the degree certificate is required. Please mail to the Environment and Sustainability Program Application Centre.
- Two Letters of Reference from academic referees, using the Referee Form provided by the program directly to your referees. Applicants will identify their referees on the on-line application form and provide complete and correct contact information for each individual. Western will use this information to contact referees and supply an electronic Referee Form for their use. Referees will complete the form and resubmit electronically to Western on behalf of the applicant. Applicants will be notified by Email when a referee has been sent a form and when the form has been resubmitted to Western. Similarly, applicants will be alerted by Email if a referee has not provided a response within a designated period of time.
Please allow 7-10 days following the submission of a completed application for contact with your referees to be established. We recommend applicants contact their referees before applying to the program to determine whether or not a reference can be provided and to inform their referees on the electronic submission process.
Who can be a Referee? | Reference letters
- Statement of Academic Intent not exceeding 750 words
- A current English Language Proficiency Score (TOEFL, IELTS, MELAB or CAEL) is required for applicants whose first language is not English. The score provided must not be more than 2 years old, at the time of application. Photocopies of original score reports will not be accepted. Some test score reports can be submitted electronically.
Important Note on English Language Proficiency Scores | Exceptions
- Applicants with Permanent Resident status in Canada and applicants who do not have Canadian citizenship must submit a photocopy of their national identification or Permanent Resident (Canada) Card (front and back).
Important Notes on Official Transcript Copies
This paragraph applies to those who have attended an institution outside of the province of Ontario, only. Applicants who have attended university in Ontario can order transcripts as part of the on-line application process. In order to be considered official, transcripts must be received by Western in the original sealed university envelope that bears the stamp,seal or signature of the university official issuing the transcript, on the flap of the envelope. Transcripts arriving in unofficial envelopes, in unsealed, resealed or opened condition are no longer valid for purposes of application and will not be accepted. Electronic copies, scans, photocopies and facsimiles (faxed copies) of official transcripts are not considered official copies and will not be accepted*. Official transcripts should be delivered directly to Western from the university of origin. We strongly recommend that applicants begin the process of procuring official transcripts as early as possible to avoid long delays in the delivery of necessary papers.
*If the issuing institution will not supply an official transcript copy, the applicant must obtain a hard-copy original letter from the insitution indicating the policy and that official copies of transcripts will not be re-issued. This sealed, signed letter will be submitted with a photocopy of the original transcript that is fully legible and freshly date stamped, signed and sealed in an official envelope by the Registrar of the issuing institution.
Translated Transcript Copies
If the transcript and degree certificate are not in English, a certified translation (signed and stamped/sealed) must also be included with the original language documents. Please mail to the Environment and Sustainability Program Application Centre.
Important Notes on Referees
References should be provided by faculty members encountered in classroom settings during the last two years of undergraduate degree studies (or graduate studies if the applicant has earned an advanced degree). We do not recommend procurement of references from Postdoctoral Fellows, Teaching Assistants, or PhD students. Applicants returning to studies after an absence of three or more years* may provide employer/supervisor references, in lieu of academic references. Where possible, academic references are preferred. References written specifically for the purpose of application to the MES Program are requested.
* The length of time away from studies is determined by the degree completion date on the transcript.
Reference Letters by Mail
Where possible, it is preferred that applicants use Western's electronic reference letter system rather than sending reference letters by post. If sent by post, letters are mailed by the referee to the program. Letters must arrive in sealed, school envelopes with the signature of the referee over the seal. Unsealed, opened or letters arriving in plain, unsigned envelopes will not be accepted. Reference letters sent by post shall be addressed to the Environment and Sustainability Program Application Centre.
Important Notes on English Language Proficiency Scores
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum acceptable score (213) for the standard electronic version or (550) for the paper and pencil version. www.toefl.org. The minimum acceptable overall score is (86), with no individual score below (20) for the Internet-based test (IBT) version. Western’s TOEFL ID is 0984.
- International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) minimum acceptable score (6 out of 9)
www.ielts.org
- Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) minimum acceptable score (80) per section with an overall score of (85) www.lsa.umich.edu/eli/melab.htm
- Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) minimum acceptable score (60)
www.cael.ca
The MES Program application fee is $80.00 Canadian dollars. Please see the on-line application for payment options (this section appears when you are ready to submit/send the application). Applications will not be received for assessment until payment has been made.
On-line Application
Application to the MES Program begins with completing the on-line application, followed by the submission of supporting documentation. Applicants are strongly advised to complete the on-line portion of their submission as early as possible.
Before You Start Please Read (September 2012 applicant program, only)
More on Timelines | Statement of Academic Intent | Application Check List | Recommendations | Program Communication and Results
This page was last updated on
October 20, 2011
Centre for Environment and Sustainability Web Contact: hsanders@uwo.ca