Becoming a P.Geo.
Becoming a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) is an important milestone in a geoscientist’s career in Canada and it is a legal requirement in order to practise geoscience independently in most Canadian jurisdictions. For the purposes of recognition for professional practice and to protect the public in Prince Edward Island and Yukon (the remaining province and territory where self-regulation of geoscience has not yet been implemented) geoscientists typically register in an adjacent Canadian jurisdiction.
About the Bre-X gold mining fraud:
The magnitude of the tampering with core samples that we believe has occurred, and resulting falsification of assay values at Busang, is of a scale and over a period of time and with a precision that, to our knowledge, is without precedent in the history of mining anywhere in the world,” Strathcona Mineral Services Limited, Busang Project – Audit Report: – quoted in the book “Bre-X: gold today, gone tomorrow: anatomy of the Busang swindle“ by Vivian Danielson, James Whyte, published by Northern Miner, 1997.
Excerpt from the Part One Report of the Walkerton Inquiry quoting Mr. Justice Dennis O’Connor, January 2002:
More significantly, this water was drawn from an area of highly fractured bedrock. This fracturing, and the geological nature of the surrounding bedrock, made it possible for surface bacteria to quickly enter into fractured rock channels and proceed directly to Well 5. Raw water contamination by coliforms and fecal coliforms was indicated in the initial pump tests in 1978 and continued to May 2000.”
Pathway to Professional Registration
There are three principal streams of geoscience education recognised nationally by the geoscience practice regulators:
- Geology
- Geophysics
- Environmental Geoscience
The various areas of geoscience study generally fit within the knowledge requirements of one of the three streams.
STUDENTS: It is important that post-secondary students keep the knowledge requirements for professional registration in mind when selecting courses. Want help tracking your professional registration course requirements? Visit the Self-Assessment Tool at Geoscience in Canada.
Steps to Becoming a Professional Geoscientist
1. Complete a recognised university degree in geoscience (or equivalent) that meets the established knowledge requirements.
2. Apply to a provincial or territorial regulator in the province/territory where you intend to work. Each regulator oversees the licensure process within its jurisdiction. For complete details of the P.Geo. admissions requirements in a particular province or territory, please contact the appropriate regulatory body directly.
The regulatory bodies have mechanisms in place to receive applications from people at different stages of their careers. This includes seasoned geoscientists in Canada who have yet to become professional geoscientists, those arriving as immigrants, or internationally mobile professionals whose activities require they carry a P.Geo. licence in one or more Canadian jurisdictions.
3. Gain supervised geoscience work experience, including competency in professional practice and ethics. Many applicants enter a Geoscientist-in-Training (GIT) program early in their careers to begin professional development and ease the transition to a professional designation.For Canadian University Students: Two key areas for geoscience employment in the resources sectors are mining and petroleum. Both sectors sponsor valuable annual student field trips/workshops each year. For students considering careers in petroleum geology, there is the Canadian Association of Petroleum Geologists -Student Industry Field Trip (SIFT). Those interested in working in mineral exploration and mining should consider the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s Student-Industry Mineral Exploration Workshop. Environmental geoscience is another key sector where employment has grown significantly in the past two decades – students considering careers in environmental geoscience should enquire at the university and industry events for field opportunities.
4. Pass the national Professional Practice Exam, which focuses on professional practice, law, ethics, and responsibilities in the Canadian context.Multiple Licences
If you work in more than one province or territory, you need to be licensed with each regulator where you practise. Once you hold a P.Geo. in one jurisdiction, transferring or obtaining an additional licence is straightforward.
Support and Resources
For more information on becoming a professional geoscientist in Canada, and for tools such as the Knowledge and Experience Self-Assessment Tool and Licensing Cost Estimator visit Geoscience in Canada.
Business Licence
In all provinces and territories, except Quebec, it is necessary for a business undertaking geoscience work to also register and obtain a licence to practice, although the type of company required to register varies from regulator to regulator. The business licence issued by the regulatory body is called either a Certificate of Authorization or a Permit to Practice. Requirements for the issuance of business licences varies from province to province but usually includes such items as:
- Articles of Incorporation
- Professional Practice Insurance
- A list of P.Geo. employees willing to serve as designated responsibility holders
In the same way that the P.Geo.s must act at all times in the public interest, must adhere to a code of ethics, and are individually accountable for their work, the business that is the holder of the corporate licence similarly must adhere to the Code of Ethics, is accountable, and may be subject to complaint and discipline proceedings.
For further information on business licences, visit the regulator website for the province or territory in which work will be undertaken.
