Graduate Studies (MSc/PhD) in 2025

Each year, IREx professors hire new students to do a master’s degree (M.Sc.) or a doctorate (Ph.D.) in the field of exoplanets at the Université de Montréal or at one of the other home universities of the regular IREx members (McGill University and Bishop’s University).

The Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (IREx) consists of a growing team of 60+ researchers (professors, postdocs, research assistants and students) working on various research programs focused on the study of exoplanets and related fields of stellar astrophysics. Members of IREx lead many large international projects related to the detection and characterisation of exoplanets, such as the canadian component of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and precision radial velocity instruments SPIRou and NIRPS.

If you are interested in joining us for the Fall, Winter or Summer term, you should first contact directly the professor(s) you would like to work with. This will ensure that you will obtain support from your potential supervisor during the application process for several funding opportunities which have deadlines in the early Fall, namely NSERC and FRQNT scholarships. The positions will however remain open until filled.

More information

• IREx’s workplace languages are French and English. The Université de Montréal is a francophone institution. If necessary, we can assist you in learning French.
• Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in physics or a similar discipline to be admitted to the M.Sc. program and an M.Sc. degree in physics or a similar discipline to be admitted to the Ph.D. program.
• Many other funding opportunities are available at each institution.
  • Students joining the IREx team with the Université de Montréal will benefit from additional funding to complement their base salary guaranteed by the university.
  • Our new Lauzon Scholarships are offered each year to students joining our team at the Université de Montréal, the first in recognition of academic excellence, the second in recognition of perseverance.
  • The Lumbroso IREx Ambassador Grant is also offered each year to a master’s or doctoral student at the Université de Montréal who stands out for his/her leadership, community involvement and efforts to promote scientific culture to a wide audience.

The Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets promotes employment diversity, inclusion and equity. We strongly encourage applications from women, visible and ethnic minorities, Aboriginal peoples and persons with disabilities, as well as persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Supported by our EDI committee, we are committed to foster the professional integration of people from groups that are traditionally under-represented in the field of physics.

IREx has a vibrant science education and public outreach program led by astrophysicists who are seasoned science communicators. We believe in training the next generation of scientists not only to be better researchers, but also better communicators. All of our members have many opportunities to communicate science in a variety of ways to a wide audience.

Download our poster (JPG, PDF)!

For more information on IREx contact our EPO Coordinator Marie-Eve Naud: marie-eve.naud@umontreal.ca.

Application Procedure

Université de Montréal

At the Université de Montréal, potential advisors are René Doyon, David Lafrenière, Björn Benneke, Patrick Dufour and Jonathan Gagné, all of whom work in the Département de physique.

it is suggested to find a supervisor before applying to the university. It is thus recommended to first contact the professor(s) you are interested in working with and sending them your CV and transcript (you may also include a statement of interest). If the professor is currently recruiting new students and believes you may be a good match for one of their research projects, they will respond to your application to further discuss it. Professors are extremely busy. You may have to reach out to them multiple times, via email or in person, to receive an answer.

You will then need to submit an application directly to the Université de Montréal. For more information on the graduate admission process in the Department of Physics at the Université de Montréal, contact Sophie Tremblay, Graduate Studies Coordinator, or consult the following pages.

• M.Sc. in Physics at the Université de Montréal – Application Period :
  • Summer: August 15 of the previous year to February 1 of that year
  • Fall: August 1st of the previous year to February 1 of that year
• Ph.D. in Physics at the Université de Montréal – Application Period :
  • Summer: August 15 of the previous year to February 1 of that year
  • Fall: August 1st of the previous year to February 1 of that year

McGill University

If you are interested in studying at McGill University, you should apply directly to the Department of Physics (potential advisors: Andrew Cumming or Nicolas Cowan) or the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (potential advisor: Nicolas Cowan).

It is encouraged to contact the professors you would like to work with if you want to apply to McGill. This will let them know you are interested in working with them, and they will also be able to confirm that they are currently recruiting new students, and that he or she will give your application due consideration.

For more information on the McGill University application process, see the departments websites :

• Department of Physics
  • Fall (September admission): December 15 of the precedent year
  • Winter (January admission): July 15 of the precedent year for international applicants and September 1 of the precedent year for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
• Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences admissions page
  • Fall (September admission): January 15
  • Winter (January admission): August 1 of the precedent year for all

Bishop’s University

To work at Bishop’s University with Prof. Jason Rowe, you can contact him and find out more information on their application process on their Admissions page. There is no formal deadline for admission, but students are encouraged to apply by May 1 in order to receive full consideration for registration in September.