M.Sc. in Applied Modelling and Quantitative Methods

Trent University

Applied Modelling and Quantitative Methods is an interdisciplinary program which provides for study towards an M.Sc. degree in the application of techniques and theory of modelling in the natural sciences and social sciences. It encompasses the following traditional disciplines: Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Geography, Humanities, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics & Astronomy and Psychology. The program is designed to overcome some of the barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration by bringing together, at the graduate level, students who are actively applying modelling techniques in their thesis research in a broad range of disciplines. The research is in the social and natural sciences, and in fields in which Trent has demonstrated strong research performance. Although it is oriented towards quantitative models, utilizing computational, mathematical or statistical techniques, it is discipline-based and is not a program in applied mathematics.

There are three primary objectives:

1. The teaching of fundamental and common analytical modelling techniques required for research in a large number of quantitative fields.
2. The cross-fertilization that comes from sharing ideas with researchers in other disciplines, and the development of the communication skills required for this to occur.
3. Sufficient training of the student in his/ her chosen discipline, including coursework and a research thesis, to permit progression to a disciplinary Ph.D. program at another institution.

Students are involved both in thesis research and course work in their "home" discipline, and in interdisciplinary study. They carry out coursework in the foundations and methods of quantitative modelling and participate in an interdisciplinary seminar. In this seminar the student discusses, in a way comprehensible to the audience, the system being modeled, the model developed, and the means of validation of the model; here the emphasis is upon the modelling process itself rather than on the relevance of the results to the discipline of the research. Through this seminar the students develop the skills required to communicate with researchers outside their own discipline, and develop a perspective on their own and other disciplines not obtainable from within a single-discipline context.

Cross disciplinary boundaries as you explore and apply modelling techniques to your research.

Earn an M.A. or a M.Sc. in the theory of modelling and the application of techniques in the natural sciences or social sciences. Interdisciplinary collaboration is at the core of this program as students with backgrounds in economics and computer science come together with those from math and psychology, and beyond. As you complete your coursework and conduct your research, you will be sharing ideas with classmates from an array of disciplines. Immersed in this multidisciplinary environment, you will develop new perspectives that will position you well for the future.

• Collaborate on individualized, interdisciplinary research with faculty members in a wide range of disciplines.
• Choose from Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Geography, Humanities, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physics & Astronomy and Psychology.
• Build a solid foundation of modelling skills that will allow you to move on to a Ph.D. program in your discipline.

Program Options

• M.A. or M.Sc.
• Full- or part-time studies
• Thesis-based and course-based programs
• 12 months to 2 years to complete
• January, May, September intake for thesis-based program / September intake for course-based program