Transdisciplinary Research

The Master's Transdisciplinary Research program will provide students with the opportunity to pursue innovative research that builds upon knowledge between, across, and beyond traditional disciplines. Students can complete their degree in an individualized manner, with guidance from a supervisor and co-supervisor (where applicable) doing research in their area of interest, or they can choose to pursue a specialization (eg: Policy Studies or Water Resilience). 

Some of the unique and exciting features of the MTR are an emphasis on knowledge engagement and knowledge translation through a common course; experiential learning through collaborations with community (non-academic) partners ; and a cohort experience where students undertaking transdisciplinary research in many different areas can learn with and from each other. 

Students who enrol in the program will have the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge, transdisciplinary research that they define in collaboration with their supervisor; this research could approach these grand challenges with approaches that merge, for example, the arts and sciences, and provide students with a unique and individualized program that is relevant not only to their interests, but also to broader society. 

The MTR will provide a signature transdisciplinary pedagogy. At the core of the thesis-based program in Transdisciplinary Research will be opportunities for students who are working within new, innovative fields to collaborate with a cohort of peers who are pursuing transdisciplinary work. 

This cohort experience will offer regular speaker series, workshops, and networking opportunities for students as well as members of industry and non-academic communities. In addition, all students will enrol in a course on knowledge engagement, where they will engage with industries and community partners. They also will be required to have a non-academic advisory member on their committee, and they will be required to generate a body of work (equivalent to one thesis chapter) that is relevant and applicable outside of academia.

Specializations

• Individualized 
• Policy Studies
• Water Resilience

Please consult the Transdisciplinary Graduate Programs website to confirm current specialization offerings.

Completing this program

Required courses include: 

• TDST 600 (Introduction to Transdisciplinary Scholarship) 
• TDST 601 (Knowledge and Community Engagement) 
• Minimum of 9 additional course units as determined by specialization and supervisory committee.

Learning Outcomes

• Draw upon advanced knowledge of fields of specialization in order to conduct cutting-edge transdisciplinary research that generates knowledge to address big problems in new ways. 
• Demonstrate intellectual autonomy in the conceptualization, design and implementation of original transdisciplinary research. 
• Engage meaningfully with community and/or industry partners to identify transdisciplinary problems and contribute to the development of new techniques, tools, practices, ideas, theories, approaches, and/or materials. 
• Effectively communicate complex and ambiguous transdisciplinary research results clearly to a range of academic and non-academic audiences. 
• Demonstrate and support appropriate professional behaviour to work autonomously in complex situations.