Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry - Nanotechnology

The program information below was valid for the fall 2020 term (September 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
  • Winter
  • Spring
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Program type 
  • Collaborative
  • Doctoral
  • Research
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Thesis

• Minimum requirements 
  • A Master of Science (MSc) degree (or equivalent) in Science with at least a minimum overall standing of 75% in the last 2 years (domestic students only).
  • Direct admission to the PhD program from a Bachelor of Science (BSc) program is also possible for outstanding students who graduated with an overall 89% standing at the undergraduate level. Course requirements are reduced by one course for students admitted directly to the PhD program from a BSc.
• Application materials 
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
• References 
  • Number of references:  3
  • Type of references: 

    academic

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Thesis option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete 3 half credit core courses (0.50 unit weight) including 2 required core courses and 1 elective graduate level CHEM course (0.50 unit weight) from the list of technical electives.
• Students who have already completed the Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree in Nanotechnology Engineering or a Master’s degree in Nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo, must complete 3 half credit courses (0.50 unit weight) including 1 half credit graduate level CHEM course (0.50 unit weight) from the list of technical electives and 2 half credit graduate level courses (0.50 unit weight) from the list of technical electives.
• Students admitted with an appropriate Honours Bachelor’s degree who transfer directly to the PhD program must complete 5 half credit courses (0.50 unit weight) including 2 required core courses, CHEM 794 Master's Seminar, 1 elective graduate level CHEM course from the list of technical electives and 1 graduate level CHEM course.
• Students who transfer directly from a Master’s program to the PhD program must complete 6 half credit courses (0.50 unit weight) including 2 required core courses, CHEM 794 Master's Seminar, 1 elective course from the list of technical electives, and 2 graduate level CHEM courses.
• Core courses:
  • NANO 701 Fundamentals of Nanotechnology
  • NANO 702 Nanotechnology Tools
• 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.
• Students who have completed their Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree in Nanotechnology Engineering at the University of Waterloo will not be required to take the 2 core courses. Instead, they can choose all graduate courses from the list of technical electives.
• Technical elective courses:
  • (a) Micro/nano Instruments and Devices
    • BIOL 642 Current topics in Biotechnology
    • CHEM 720 Topic 13 Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry: Biosensors and Nanotechnology
    • CHEM 750 Topic 17 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Surface Science and Nanotechnology
    • CHEM 750 Topic 23 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Processes at Micro-Nano Scales
    • CHEM 750 Topic 27 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Nanotechniques
    • ME 738 Special Topics in Materials: Materials for NEMS and MEMS
    • ME 760 Special Topics in Thermal Engineering
    • ME 780 Special Topics in Mechatronics
    • SYDE 682 Advanced MicroElectroMechanical Systems: Principles, Design & Fabrication
    • SYDE 750 Topic 24 Topics in Systems Modelling: Modelling, Simulation and Design of MEMS
  • (b) Nanoelectronics Design and Fabrication
    • CHE 620 Applied Engineering Mathematics
    • CHEM 750 Topic 11 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Bioelectronics
    • CHEM 750 Topic 19 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Carbon Nanotube Electronics
    • ECE 630 Physics and Models of Semiconductor Devices
    • ECE 631 Microelectronic Processing Technology
    • ECE 632 Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
    • ECE 633 Nanoelectronics
    • ECE 634 Organic Electronics
    • ECE 635 Fabrication in the Nanoscale: Principles, Technology, & Applications
    • ECE 636 Advanced Analog Integrated Circuits
    • ECE 637 Digital Integrated Circuits
    • ECE 639 Characteristics & Applications of Amorphous Silicon
    • ECE 672 Optoelectronic Devices
    • ECE 676 Quantum Information Processing Devices
    • ECE 677 Quantum Electronics and Photonics
    • ECE 730 Topic 10 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Advanced Technology for Semiconductor Processing
    • ECE 730 Topic 11 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Physics and Modeling of Semiconductor Devices
    • ECE 730 Topic 19 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Magnetism and Spintronics
    • ECE 730 Topic 26 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: MBE and Quantum Nano Devices
    • ECE 730 Topic 28 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Physics of Nanoscale Devices
    • ECE 730 Topic 29 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Computational Nanoelectronics
    • ECE 770 Topic 18 Special Topics in Antenna and Microwave Theory: Nanoelectronics for QIP
    • ECE 770 Topic 21 Special Topics in Antenna and Microwave Theory: Quantum Optics & Nanophotonics
    • PHYS 713 Molecular Physics
    • PHYS 731 Solid State Physics 1
    • PHYS 747 Optical Electronics
  • (c) Nano-biosystems
    • BIOL 608 Advanced Molecular Genetics
    • BIOL 614 Bioinformatics Tools and Techniques
    • BIOL 629 Cell Growth and Differentiation
    • BIOL 642 Current Topics in Biotechnology
    • BIOL 670 Photobiology
    • BIOL 678 Current topics in Neurophysiology
    • CHE 622 Statistics in Engineering
    • CHE 660 Principles of Biochemical Engineering
    • CHE 760 Special Topics in Biochemical Engineering
    • CHE 765 Research Topics in Biochemical Engineering
    • CHEM 737 Enzymes
    • ECE 730 Topic 25 Special Topics in Solid State Devices: Microfluidic & Nanobiotech Systems
    • PHYS 751 Clinical Applications of Physics in Medicine
    • PHYS 752 Molecular Biophysics
  • (d) Nanomaterials
    • CHE 610 Theory and Application of Transport Phenomena
    • CHE 612 Interfacial Phenomena
    • CHE 622 Statistics in Engineering
    • CHE 630 Chemical Reactor Analysis
    • CHE 640 Principles of Polymer Science
    • CHE 641 Physical Properties of Polymers (cross-listed with CHEM 771)
    • CHE 740 Special Topics in Polymer Science and Engineering
    • CHE 745 Research Topics in Polymer Science and Engineering
    • CHE 750 Special Topics in Materials Science: Thin Film Fabrications & Mechanical Properties
    • CHE 755 Research Topics in Electrochemical Engineering, Interfacial Engineering & Material Science
    • CHEM 710 Topic 17 Selected Topics in Inorganic Chemistry: Nanostructured Materials and Integrative Chemistry
    • CHEM 713 Chemistry of Inorganic Solid State Materials
    • CHEM 720 Topic 14 Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry: Nanomaterials for Energy Conversion and Clean Environment
    • CHEM 750 Topic 17 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry: Surface Science and Nanotechnology
    • CHEM 770 Principles of Polymer Science

    • CHEM 773 Topic 11 Selected Topics in Polymer Chemistry: Synthesis, Self-assembly and Materials Application of Inorganic Polymers

    • CHEM 773 Topic 14 Selected Topics in Polymer Chemistry: Living Polymerization Techniques

    • CHEM 773 Topic XX Selected Topics in Polymer Chemistry: Noncovalent Interactions & Supramolecular Chemistry

    • ME 632 Experimental Methods in Materials Engineering
    • ME 738 Special Topics in Materials: Materials for NEMS and MEMS
    • ME 738 Topic 8 Special Topics in Materials: Introductory and Advanced Nanomechanics
    • PHYS 701 Quantum Mechanics 1
    • PHYS 704 Statistical Physics 1
    • PHYS 706 Electromagnetic Theory
    • PHYS 773 Special Topics

Link(s) to courses

• Chemistry (CHEM) courses
• Nanotechnology (NANO) courses

Academic Integrity Workshop

PhD Seminar

• Students must present a 30-minute seminar.
• Seminar attendance requirements can be completed by attendance at any combination of Chemistry and Nanotechnology seminars.

PhD Comprehensive Examination

• Students are required to meet the University-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements outlined in the “Minimum requirements for the PhD degree” section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar (GSAC).
• In addition to the University-level PhD Comprehensive Examination minimum requirements, students in the PhD in Chemistry - Nanotechnology program are also required to meet the following requirements:
  • PhD students admitted with a Master’s degree must complete the examination during their 2nd term. Students admitted directly from a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree must complete the examination during their 5th term.
  • The Examining Committee will consist of two Chemistry graduate faculty members and one member from the opposite campus (where applicable, from Guelph or Waterloo).
  • The examination will be chaired by the GWC² (Guelph-Waterloo Centre for Graduate Work in Chemistry and Biochemistry) Director, or designate. The supervisor will not attend the examination.
  • If the first attempt is unsuccessful, the student will be granted a 2nd attempt to take place not less than 2 and not more than 4 months from the date of the 1st attempt.

PhD Thesis

• Students must complete an original research thesis dissertation.