UofC

Master of Environmental Design (MEDes) - thesis-based

In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements for Admission, the program requires:

a) A clear, concise and substantive statement of interest (1,000 to 1,500 words), which informs the Admissions Committee of:

• the applicant’s reasons for pursuing the MEDes degree
• how the applicant’s specific educational background and professional and personal experience relates to their proposed thesis project
• the applicant’s thesis research interests and ideas to clarify the applicant’s supervisory needs
• any communication the applicant has had with potential supervisors

b) At least one example of the applicant's previous academic or professional work such as a written essay, published research paper, major academic paper, thesis, or consulting report.

In addition, applicants may submit a portfolio that provides examples of or illustrates the applicant’s design work, professional work, research, creative thinking, community action, planning products, or graphics and visual communication.

c) A funding plan that demonstrates that financial resources are available for the entire program of study.

d) Three reference letters, of which at least two should be academic.

e) A current copy of curriculum vitae (CV).

f) For applicants who are required to prove proficiency in English, a TOEFL score of 600 (paper-based); or 105 (Internet-based test); or an IELTS score of 7.5. This requirement can also be met by completing Tier III of the International Foundations Program with a minimum grade of "A" on Academic Writing & Grammar III, "A" on Reading Comprehension & Proficiency III, and "A" on Listening Comprehension & Oral Fluency III.

Deadline for submission of complete applications is available on the Future Students website: ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/explore-programs/environmental-design-master-environmental-design-thesis-based.

A student may apply for advanced credit for previous courses that have not been used to satisfy the requirements of any other degree or diploma program. The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Advanced credit will not be given for courses taken more than five years prior to admission application. Credit will not be given for courses taken to bring the grade point average to a required level for graduate studies admission. Advanced credit may not exceed 12 units (2.0 full-course equivalents) or one third of the program whichever is less.

Course Exemptions: Students registered in a graduate degree program may receive an exemption from a specific course if they can demonstrate successful completion of an equivalent course. In order to be eligible for an exemption, the student must provide original transcripts, course outlines and samples of course assignments which will be assessed for academic equivalency. Courses for which exemptions are being sought must be from a recognized institution, and they must be graded courses with a minimum grade of "B-". Students granted an exemption from a course may be required to take another, equally-weighted, course to satisfy credit-hour requirements for their program.

Program Transfers: A student at the University of Calgary may request a transfer to another program of equivalent level. Any course taken in the initial program may be transferred to the new program, depending on its applicability to the receiving program.

The MEDes must include completion of the following academic requirements:

a) Core required courses:

Environmental Design 601 (3 units) and
Environmental Design 753 (3 units)

b) A minimum of 6 units (1.0 full-course equivalent) of elective credit at the graduate level that is relevant to the student's area of research, chosen in consultation with their supervisor.

c) A thesis proposal approved by the supervisory committee.

d) A written thesis.

e) Thesis examination, as described in section 10.

Attendance at orientation for first year students is expected.

In addition to Faculty of Graduate Studies thesis submission requirements, all PhD students are required to submit one bound copy (bound in standard orange cloth-covered cases, bearing the author's name, title of work, year and the Environmental Design symbol (rainbow) lettered in white), and one portable document format (.PDF) copy.

Only undergraduate courses numbered 500-599 may be considered for graduate-level credit and are subject to approval by the Program Director.

Students must complete all degree requirements within four registration years.

At the time of admission, each MEDes student will be assigned an interim supervisor.  The Graduate Program Director must approve a permanent supervisor no later than twelve months after first registration.

Within three months of confirming their supervisor, MEDes students must establish, in consultation with their supervisor, a supervisory committee. The supervisory committee must include at least one other member in addition to the supervisor and co-supervisor, if applicable. This additional member must be from outside of the Faculty of Environmental Design.

Thesis Examination

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements for Thesis Examinations, the program requires:

Scheduling of the Examination
All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed the student’s draft thesis document before an examination can be scheduled.

Composition of the Committee
The Internal Examiner may be internal to the home program.

The supervisory committee will approve final thesis proposals. Thesis proposals should clearly describe the project in terms of Title, Objectives, Background, Methodology and Expected Outcomes. Students are encouraged to include an explicit interventionist or problem-solving component.

Financial assistance may be available to highly qualified students but cannot be guaranteed. For information on admission and academic awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this calendar, the EVDS website and the Awards Database on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.