Postgraduate Work Experience for Geoscience Applicants

As of April 11, 2026, all professional geoscientist applicants are required to use the competency-based assessment (CBA) process when applying to APEGA. Read more about this change.

If you started your application before April 11 and have questions about the previous process, please contact [email protected].

If you are applying for a professional member or licensee designation with APEGA and you have completed a significant research project or thesis as part of a master’s degree or a PhD in geoscience, geophysics, or geology, you can claim postgraduate work experience credit.

You cannot claim this credit if you are applying for a member-in-training or professional licensee designation first.

Work experience credit for postgraduate degrees in geoscience:

  • must be requested in the Step 6 – Work Experience section of the online application
  • must be for a completed postgraduate degree
  • may be granted for an acceptable postgraduate degree in geoscience or related fields, at the consideration of the APEGA Board of Examiners (BOE)
  • must be for time spent in full-time study towards the postgraduate degree
  • requires you to be recommended as academically qualified by the BOE
  • must relate only to the research portion of the program and demonstrate significant geoscience, geophysics, or geology content

The BOE determines eligibility for postgraduate experience credit.

Maximum Amount of Eligible Credit

Type of Degree Maximum Credited Months
Master's degree that was course-based only 0
Master's degree that included a thesis or project 0–12
PhD that included a thesis 0–24

The maximum number of credited months will not increase with the submission of multiple postgraduate degrees.

Request Postgraduate Work Experience Credit

To request postgraduate work experience credit, you must:

  1. Arrange for an official copy of your postgraduate transcripts to be sent directly to APEGA from your academic institution or submit a World Education Services Course-by-Course International Credential Advantage Package report.
  2. Upload a PDF or Word document extracted from the original thesis or project to the Step 6 – Work Experience section of the myAPEGA Online Application System, or email it to [email protected]. Include only the title page, abstract, conclusion, and recommendations.
  3. Request a letter of recommendation from your thesis or project supervisor, written on university letterhead. Your supervisor must send the letter directly to APEGA at [email protected].

    Read About the Letter of Recommendation

  4. Complete and submit a Work Experience Record (WER) record covering the period of your postgraduate work experience. Complete the form as follows.
    • In the top section, provide the following information:
      • your employer’s name
      • the dates you worked for that employer
      • your position title
      • the country where you did the work
      • your supervisor’s name and designation
      • the name and designation of the reference who took responsibility for your work
      • your reference’s contact information (email or mailing address)
    • Select either Employed – Full Time or Employed – Part Time in the drop-down menu. Do not select Student for this work record.
    • Enter a brief overview of the position.
    • Indicate whether the postgraduate experience was at a professional level, a technical level, or both. If both, divide the total months between professional and technical experience.
    • Provide details of your position at the professional level, technical level, or both.

Read About References