Offered by McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, Astrobiology (Collaborative Program) (MSc) is a master's degree in Biological Sciences programme. The programme runs for 2 years.
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Biological Sciences
Duration: 2 years
We have no tuition fees or an application deadline on record for this programme yet — see the official programme page.
— it helps other students.
The Astrobiology (Collaborative Program) is a graduate program offered jointly by McMaster's Faculties of Science and Health Sciences under the Origins Institute. Students complete their degree in a home graduate program (such as Physics and Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, or Earth and Environmental Sciences) while adding a research and coursework component in astrobiology. The curriculum combines training in the home discipline with thesis research spanning three areas: astrophysical aspects of the search for life beyond Earth, geochemical and geological aspects of planetary habitability, and biological and biochemical aspects of the origin and evolution of life. The MSc stream is thesis-based, full-time, with a nominal length of two years. Students work with faculty across departments, drawing on the Origins Institute's interdisciplinary research network. The collaborative designation appears on the degree alongside the student's home program, reflecting the added astrobiology-specific training and research completed during the degree.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Applicants need a four-year bachelor's degree from a recognized university or college with at least a B+ average (equivalent to a McMaster GPA of 8.5 out of 12) in the final year of study, in courses relevant to the discipline of the proposed graduate work. A three-year degree meeting the Bologna Accord's European Higher Education Area framework is accepted in place of a four-year degree, with a Diploma Supplement attached to the transcript. Strong letters of recommendation are required, along with official transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended. Admission is competitive: meeting the minimum average does not guarantee a place, and the Graduate Admissions and Studies Committee of the relevant Faculty makes the final decision. Applicants whose primary language is not English, and who have not completed a degree taught in English, must submit an IELTS score of at least 6.5 overall (minimum 5.5 in each band) or a TOEFL iBT score of at least 92.
