Master of Science (MSc) in Physics - Quantum Information

The program information below was valid for the spring 2019 term (May 1, 2019 - August 31, 2019). 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.

Students are responsible for reviewing the general information and regulations section of the Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

Program information

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

Admission requirements

  • Minimum requirements 
    • An Honours Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in Science with at least a 75% standing.
  • Application materials 
    • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Physics Subject test scores for all students who have completed their post-secondary education outside of Canada.
    • Supplementary information form
    • Transcript(s)
  • References 
    • Number of references:  3
    • Type of references: 

      2 of which are normally from academic sources
  • English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Degree requirements

    Thesis option:

  • Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)
  • Courses 
    • Students must complete at least 4 one-term courses (0.50 unit weight) acceptable for graduate credit.
    • 1 of the core courses must be taken by the completion of the first year of the program.
    • Physics core courses:
      • PHYS 701 Quantum Mechanics 1
      • PHYS 703 Introduction to Quantum Field Theory
      • PHYS 704 Statistical Physics 1
      • PHYS 706 Electromagnetic Theory
      • PHYS 767 Quantum Information Processing
      • PHYS 781 Fundamentals of Astrophysics
    • Quantum Information core courses:
      • QIC 710 Quantum Information Processing (cross-listed with PHYS 767)
      • QIC 750 Implementation of Quantum Information Processing
    • Quantum Information core courses are considered extended core courses and thus qualify as part of the Physics core requirement for students registered in the program.
    • 2 of the 4 courses must include the Quantum Information core courses. 1 of the 4 courses may be an upper level undergraduate course. The supervisor must submit a memo justifying why the undergraduate course is acceptable for graduate credit, and approval must be received from the Physics and Astronomy Graduate Officer and the Associate Dean of Science for Graduate Studies prior to enrolment in the course.
    • An average of at least 70% must be obtained in the required courses. A minimum grade of 65% is required for a pass in each course. No more than 2 courses, of the first 4 taken, can have averages of less than 70%. If a student does not meet these minimum grade requirements, or receives a failing grade in any course, the student may be required to withdraw from the program.
  • Link(s) to courses
  • Academic Integrity Workshop
    • This is a milestone requirement for all full-time students. Part-time students are not required to complete this workshop. This is a mandatory workshop on academic integrity and intellectual property which will be offered to all new incoming graduate students within the Faculty of Science during the first term of each Fall and Winter.
    • Note: students will be required to complete both the Academic Integrity Module as a required course along with the Academic Integrity Workshop milestone. The Module will appear on the student's transcript as a course. The Workshop will appear on the student's transcript as a milestone.
  • Master’s Thesis
    • Students must complete a thesis based on some original research in quantum information. The subject of research must be approved by the candidate's supervisor and the thesis must be read and approved by the supervisor and two other faculty members. A listing of Quantum Information thesis supervisors and their home unit is available on the IQC website. Part of the research may be conducted off-campus at a collaborating laboratory. The supervisor based at that laboratory will be an adjunct member of the Department of Physics and Astronomy and a member of the joint Physics graduate program with the University of Guelph. There will also be an on-campus co-supervisor.
    • An acceptable thesis on a quantum information research topic must be submitted. Detailed specifications of the format of the thesis are available from the appropriate Graduate Office. Acceptance of the thesis requires the approval by an Examining Committee following an oral defence of the thesis.
  • Other requirements 
    • Supervisory Committee meetings: it is required that the student meet formally with their Supervisory Committee within the first six months of registration and subsequently at least once every six months. While one meeting in a year must be a formal one, the other meeting may be held informally; in the latter case, the meeting may simply take the form of a brief discussion of the student's academic progress, but, apart from the student and the supervisor, the meeting must involve at least one other member of the Committee.
    • A student in the MSc in Physics program, who shows a particular aptitude for research, may be permitted under certain circumstances to transfer to the PhD program without writing an MSc thesis.
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