Human life and society depend critically on environmental resources we all too often take for granted: air, water, soil, and the mineral and organic resources of the earth. With the recent attention to global warming and climate change, there has been a dramatic increase in scientific research and employment opportunities in this area.
The Environmental & Earth Sciences Gateway offers problem-based and inquiry learning experiences that will challenge you to think independently and to apply the knowledge you gain. You will graduate with a broad understanding of scientific methods, a solid grounding in environmental and earth sciences, and general intellectual skills relevant to careers in science and elsewhere.
How the Environmental & Earth Sciences Gateway Works
You only spend one year in the Environmental & Earth Sciences Gateway before moving into a program/major. This foundational first year is great for narrowing down which area of science you are most interested in.
All programs (that begin in second year) have specific first year courses needed for progression. Complete courses in first year based on your interest and the requirements for the programs you are considering for second year.
At the end of first year, you will rank your programs of interest. We help you along the way! Admission to the programs that begins in second year is based on courses taken and a first-year minimum average.
Whether you know exactly what area of science you are interested in or are still undecided, the structure of our Environmental & Earth Sciences Gateway will provide you with a range of program options across the science disciplines.
While some students continue in a Level II program from the same area of study as their Gateway, others discover a new area of interest and change their original direction.
Click an area of interest to learn more about the program options available to you.
Anticipated Admission Average
Target Enrolment
Experiential Education provides students with the opportunity to gain real-world, academically relevant experience in a community, research, or professional setting. Combining both academic and applied learning allows students to further develop skills and gain experience to transfer to future career paths. Students gain experience through: Applied Science Placement Courses, Research Practicum Courses, Science Internships.
Explore career opportunities while gaining relevant professional experience, and develop connections with employers from academia, industry, government, and hospital sectors. Cooperative Education is an integrated approach to higher education that enables highly motivated students to alternate academic terms with paid, relevant work experience. Review the following link to learn more about our co-op programs. Experience – Science Careers & Experience Centre – Faculty of Science – McMaster University
The Faculty of Science is thrilled to offer the Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) at McMaster University, which is the first of its kind at an undergraduate level in Canada. The mission of the OUR is to promote excellence in undergraduate student and faculty-led, collaborative research and scholarship in all disciplines. We recognize that it is incumbent upon us as a Faculty to provide opportunities for an immersive research experience for all our undergraduate students.
The Faculty of Science is committed to student success! Whether you need support, have a question, or are feeling a little lost, our knowledgeable, friendly team is here to support your academic success during your undergraduate studies.
Complete Science courses in Level I that reflect your interest and the admission requirements of the Level II program(s) you are considering, complemented by electives. The following courses are what we typically see Environmental & Earth Sciences students take, but it is completely up to you!
Environmental & Earth Sciences at McMaster prepares students for a variety of careers in science and elsewhere by giving them a firm foundation in traditional scientific disciplines while exposing them to multidisciplinary approaches to solving pressing problems.
Graduates who begin their studies in the Environmental and Earth Sciences Gateway have pursued careers in the following areas:
My biggest piece of advice to incoming Science students is to take advantage of all the resources available to you through the Faculty of Science and its departments.
I am in my third year of the Honours Biology and Environmental Science program and working towards an interdisciplinary minor in Sustainability and a concurrent certificate in Geographic Information Science. I am also currently interning as a research assistant in McMaster’s Remote Sensing Lab.
My first year of university was in Engineering at a different Ontario university, where I learned I didn’t want to pursue a career in engineering. By the following year, I had transferred into McMaster’s Environmental and Earth Sciences Gateway program since my favourite topics to learn about include climate, geology, ecology, and other natural sciences. I still feel that my decision to transfer into McMaster Science and study what I’m truly passionate about is the best decision I have ever made! Based on my interests after taking courses in all areas of science in the Gateway program, the Biology and Environmental Sciences program seemed perfect for me.
I have enjoyed the content in my Biology and Environmental Science courses so much that I have learned I absolutely want to pursue graduate studies in the field of Environmental Science and possibly have a career in academic research in the future. In preparation for applying to graduate schools and then doing graduate research, I am taking a science internship course working in the laboratory of a professor, learning if I like doing research, and gaining research experience as early as I can.
My biggest piece of advice to incoming Science students is to take advantage of all the resources available to you through the Faculty of Science and its departments. In my first year, I was overwhelmed about choosing courses and my second-year program, so I took the opportunities I could to talk with academic advisors, professors, and attend office hours and events aimed at first-year students.
I hope you love your time at McMaster as much as I do and make the most out of everything the Faculty of Science has to offer.
I chose Earth and Environmental Sciences because I have always wanted to help the world around me.
I am in my final year of the Earth and Environmental Sciences Co-op program. I am also pursuing a Concurrent Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). I am currently working on a thesis with the McMaster Ecohydrology Lab where I will be using remote sensing and GIS to look at the spatial and temporal variability in ice on and off of lakes and wetlands in the Georgian Bay region.
I chose McMaster and the Faculty of Science because of the great reputation in science and the flexibility that gateway programs allow. This meant that I could have a good idea about what I wanted to study, but left the door open for me to explore different interests as well. I chose Earth and Environmental Sciences because I have always wanted to help the world around me. I enjoy several different streams of science and wanted to learn to apply them to solve real world problems. I have had the opportunity to take general biology, chemistry, physics, math, and programming courses and learned how they can all apply to the natural world through topics like geophysics, hydrogeology, and spatial statistics.
The Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences program at McMaster has exposed me to so many new learning opportunities. The program focuses on topics like hydrology and climate, GIS, earth science, and environmental policy. Being able to take classes in a variety of topics has made me a more well-rounded student and allowed me to find where my passions lie. Through the co-op program I have been able to gain real-world experience in different fields such as environmental impact assessment, water/wastewater treatment, and using GIS in public sector.
Environmental & Earth Sciences Gateway students have an opportunity to participate in the many state-of-the-art labs and facilities throughout their undergraduate degree, beginning as early as their first week of classes. Explore some of these labs and facilities used daily by undergraduate students. Virtual Tours – McMaster Academic Planner (MAP) – Faculty of Science – McMaster University