Chemistry

Doctor of Philosophy in Nanotechnology

The University of Waterloo offers the first MSc and PhD programs in Nanotechnology of its kind in Canada. The interdisciplinary research programs, jointly offered by three departments in the Faculty of Science and four in the Faculty of Engineering, provide students with a stimulating educational environment that spans from basic research through to application. The goal of the collaborative programs is to allow students to gain perspectives on nanotechnology from a wide community of scholars within and outside their disciplines in both course and thesis work.

The MSc degree collaborative program provides a strong foundation in the emerging areas of nano-science or nano-engineering in preparation for the workforce or for further graduate study and research leading to a doctoral degree.  Four key areas of research strengths have been identified: nanomaterials, nano-electronics design and fabrication, nano-instruments and devices, and nano-biosystems. The objective of the PhD program is to prepare students for careers in academia, industrial R & D and government research labs. Students from Science and Engineering will work side-by-side in world class laboratory facilities namely, the Giga-to-Nano Electronics Lab (G2N), Waterloo Advanced Technology Lab (WatLAB) and the new 225,000 gross sq. ft. Nano-Quantum Center expected to be completed in early 2011.

There are nearly 50 faculty members involved in nanotechnology research at the university with many who are internationally renowned leaders in their fields. Among them are seven Canada Research Chairs and two NSERC Industrial Research Chairs.

Admission requirements are the same as home department programs. The home department in which the applicant intends to pursue graduate study must approve the application. Interested students should apply directly to one of the following departments via the regular university application process:

Biology

Chemical Engineering

Chemistry

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering

Physics and Astronomy

Systems Design Engineering

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements are the same as those for MSc and PhD in Chemistry. Please refer to the following website: http://www.gwc2.on.ca/files/chem_plus_nanotechnology.pdf

Degree Requirements

The MSc program requirements are:

• four half credit (0.5) courses including two required core courses, Chem 794 Master's Seminar and one graduate level Chemistry elective course from the approved list of electives or if students have already completed the BASc degree in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo, three half credit (0.5) graduate courses including one half credit (0.5) graduate level Chemistry course from the approved list of electives and two half credit (0.5) graduate level courses from the approved list of electives, and
• original research thesis dissertation

For the PhD program, students who are admitted with an appropriate masters degree must complete:

• three half credit core (0.5) courses including two required core courses and one half credit (0.5) graduate level Chemistry elective course from the approved list of electives or if students have already completed the BASc degree in Nanotechnology Engineering or Masters degree in Nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo, three half credit (0.5) courses including one half credit (0.5) graduate level Chemistry course from the approved list of electives and two half credit (0.5) graduate level courses from the approved list of electives,
• PhD thesis proposal milestone, 
• a PhD comprehensive oral examination, and
• an original research dissertation

Students admitted with an appropriate honours bachelor’s degree who transfer directly to the PhD program must complete: 

• five half credit (0.5) courses including two required core courses, Chem 794 Master's Seminar, one elective graduate level Chemistry course from the approved list and one graduate level Chemistry course,
• PhD thesis proposal milestone, 
• a PhD comprehensive oral examination, and
• an original research dissertation

Students who transfer directly from a masters program to the PhD program must complete:

• six half credit (0.5) courses including two required core courses, Chem 794 Master's Seminar, one elective course from the approved list, and two graduate level Chemistry courses,
• PhD thesis proposal milestone, 
• a PhD comprehensive oral examination, and
• an original research dissertation

Core Courses

Core courses are designed to provide the base knowledge and skill set required to prepare students for more specialized courses and to conduct interdisciplinary nanoscale research. Generally, students are required to take two core courses and complete the Nanotechnology seminar. All core courses will have written examinations.

The two required core courses are:

NANO 701: Fundamentals of Nanotechnology (0.5 credit)

NANO 702: Nanotechnology Tools (0.5 credit) 

Exemptions 

Students who have completed their BASc degree in Nanotechnology Engineering or Masters degree in Nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo will not be required to take the two core courses. Instead, they can choose all graduate courses from the prescribed list of electives.

Graduate Chemistry students are required to complete, as required, Chem 794 Master's Seminar and/or Chemistry PhD thesis proposal seminar milestone and are exempted from the Nanotechnology Seminar milestone. Seminar attendance requirements can be completed by attendance at any combination of Chemistry and Nanotechnology Seminars.

Nanotechnology Seminar

The nanotechnology seminar is a forum for student presentation of research results or proposals. Speakers from academia and industry will also be invited from time to time. The range of topics that will be addressed in the seminar crosses all areas of nanotechnology research in the collaborative program. To receive this milestone credit, the student is required to present at least one seminar.  

For the updated list of approved technical elective courses, click here.

Faculty Advisors/Thesis Supervisors 

Current listing of thesis supervisors and their home departments can be found at the following link:
http://www.gwc2.on.ca/files/ocgs_areas-of-research_and_specialized-reserach-interest.pdf 

For more information, please contact the Guelph-Waterloo Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry Office:

(GWC)² Director

Department of Chemistry

University of Guelph

Guelph, ON

N1G 2W1 CANADA

Web site: www.gwc2.on.ca

Email: gwc@uoguelph.ca

Phone: (519) 824-4120 Ext. 53848