Curriculum & Program Structure

The MSA is offered to students on either a full-time or part-time basis. Core courses are scheduled at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. when full-time and part-time students may attend as one group. The full-time program is scheduled to be completed in one year (12 months) or 16-20 months for thesis students, and the part-time program takes two years (24 months).

The program is the same for full-time and part-time students, except that the internship requirement is waived for part-time students in appropriate program-related employment. Students are not normally admitted to the part-time program unless they are in program-related employment.

Are you considering to continue your education immediately after a Bachelor's degree, or to take a year off from work?

The typical schedule to complete the MSA program on a full-time basis starting in the Fall (MRP = major research paper)

September to December: 4 core courses; develop ideas for MRP
January to April: 2 elective courses and internship; start work on MRP
April 30th: MRP proposal due
May to August: research and writing of MRP
May 31st: literature review due
June 30th: analysis completed
July 31st: complete MRP draft due to supervisor
Mid-August to early September: oral defence of MRP
By mid-September: required MRP revisions completed and submitted to the Yeates School of Graduate Studies

Are you thinking of upgrading your education while working as a data analyst, GIS or geomatics professional?

The MSA program is set up deliberately to encourage those working in related fields to be able to continue their education while working. Indeed, part-time students with suitable jobs are exempted from the practicum requirement in the program.

The typical schedule to complete the MSA program on a part-time basis starting this Fall (MRP = major research paper):

September to December: 2 core courses; develop ideas for MRP
January to April: 2 elective courses; develop ideas for MRP
April 30th: MRP short proposal due
May to August: start work on MRP
August 31st: literature review due
September to December: 2 core courses (coursework now finished); work on MRP
December 31st: methods chapter due
January to July: research and writing of MRP
April 30th: analysis completed
July 31st: complete MRP draft due to supervisor
Mid-August to early September: oral defence of MRP
By mid-September: required MRP revisions completed and submitted to the Yeates School of Graduate Studies

Are you involved in a faculty member’s research project and consider pursuing a doctoral degree or working in a research-intensive environment? The MSA thesis option extends the program by one or two terms, and requires the student to write a thesis instead of an MRP. Unlike other one-year Master’s programs, the MRP in the MSA program consists of original research that is often of publishable quality (see “Publications” page). However, the thesis option allows for longer involvement in academic research and a more in-depth treatment of the student’s research topic.

You should assume that each course will take at least one day per week of your time. In addition, the practicum accounts for two full work days per week, and any funded teaching or research assistantship will require an additional time commitment. The successful completion and defence of the MRP requires your full-time commitment during the period of May to September (full-time students).The vast majority of students complete the MSA degree in the scheduled time. At the last program evaluation (2007), 84% of full-time students and 81% of part-time students had completed the degree on time. The extra time needed by the remainder can usually be attributed to personal circumstances, such as changing jobs (part-time students) or accepting a job offer prior to graduation (fulltime students), moving, becoming a parent, or falling ill - circumstances through which the program director will counsel the student to successfully continue/return and complete the program.