Advisors: K. Tong Leung (Chemistry); S. Idziak (Physics and Astronomy)
The Materials and Nanosciences plan (acronym: MNS) is an interdisciplinary plan offered jointly by the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Both materials science and nanoscience have been very active research areas during the past few decades, and are now having major impact in diverse fields, ranging from manufacturing to materials technology to nanomedicine to renewable energy to information technology. This academic plan is aimed at students interested in learning about and working in these new high-tech fields. This plan complements the Nanotechnology Engineering plan offered through the Faculty of Engineering. It is, however, designed for students who are more motivated by and interested in the fundamental building blocks of materials and devices, both at macroscopic and nanometer scales. This plan has two themes, one associated with inorganic and organic materials, the other with biomaterials. Both regular and co-operative versions of this plan are available.
The Honours Materials and Nanosciences academic plan meets admission requirements for graduate programs in Chemistry, and would be particularly suitable for admission into Nanoscience and Nanotechnology graduate programs. It is also intended for students who wish to find employment in industries associated with such fields as alternative energy sources, information technology, emerging materials, and biomedical therapies and diagnostics.
The Honours Materials and Nanosciences plan takes the form of a core of required courses plus appropriate electives. Beginning in the third year of the plan, students may choose to focus primarily on inorganic and organic materials, or on biomaterials by following either the inorganic/organic materials stream or the biomaterials stream. The numbering for the MNS core courses provides relevant information regarding their content. The middle digit indicates the main scientific content of the course: 0 indicates both chemistry and physics, 1 indicates chemistry, 2 indicates physics, and 3 indicates biochemistry. Fourteen electives allow students to strengthen complementary areas of interest.
Continuation in the Honours Co-operative Materials and Nanosciences plan requires a cumulative overall average of 60% and a cumulative overall Science average of 60%. In order to graduate with an Honours Co-operative Materials and Nanosciences degree, the following requirements must be met:
- Successful completion of 22.5 units.
- Mandatory (core) courses as listed below.
- Of the 7.0 elective units, 4.5 units are technical electives, to be chosen from the list of Technical Electives, and 2.5 units are free electives. Courses other than those listed under Technical Electives may also qualify as technical electives, subject to approval by the academic plan advisor.
- Completion of the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE).
- For detailed information on co-op program requirements, please see the Co-operative Program Evaluation information and the Co-operative Education and Career Action section of the undergraduate calendar.
Fall 1A
BIOL 130 Introductory Cell Biology
CHEM 120/120L Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter/Laboratory
MATH 127 Calculus 1 for Sciences
MNS 101 Materials and Nanoscience in the Modern World
PHYS 121/121L Mechanics/Laboratory
Winter 1B
CHEM 123/123L Chemical Reactions, Equilibria, and Kinetics/Laboratory
MATH 128 Calculus 2 for Sciences
MNS 102 Techniques for Materials and Nanosciences
PHYS 122/132L Waves, Electricity and Magnetism/Laboratory
One Elective (0.5 unit)
Fall 2A
CHEM 209 Introductory Spectroscopy and Structure
CHEM 266/266L Basic Organic Chemistry/Laboratory
MATH 227 Calculus 3 for Honours Physics
MATH 228 Differential Equations for Physics and Chemistry
MNS 211 Chemistry and the Solid State
PHYS 232L Measurement Laboratory
Spring 2B
CHEM 237/237L Introductory Biochemistry/Laboratory
CHEM 254 Thermodynamics
MNS 201L Materials and Nanoscience Laboratory
MNS 221 Physics and the Solid State
PHYS 242 Electricity and Magnetism 1
One Elective (0.5 unit)
Winter 3A
MNS 322 Polymer Materials
PHYS 280 Introduction to Biophysics
PHYS 234 Quantum Physics 1
Two electives (1.0 unit)
Winter 3B
CHEM 350 Chemical Kinetics (Materials stream)
or CHEM 357 Physical Biochemistry (Bio stream)
PHYS 342 Electricity and Magnetism 2
Three Electives (1.5 units)
Fall 4A
MNS 331 Biomaterials (Bio stream)
or MNS 321 Electrical and Optical Properties of Materials (Materials stream)
PHYS 380 Molecular and Cellular Biophysics (Bio stream)
or PHYS 461 Nanophysics (Materials stream)
Three Electives (1.5 units)
Winter 4B
MNS 410 Special Topics in Solid-State Materials (Materials stream)
or MNS 431 Special Topics in Nano-Biomaterials (Bio stream)
Four Electives (2.0 units)
List of Technical Electives:
BIOL 239 Genetics
BIOL 240 Fundamentals of Microbiology
BIOL 309 Analytical Methods in Molecular Biology
CHEM 267 Basic Organic Chemistry 2
CHEM 310 Transition Metals/Inorganic Materials
CHEM 333 Metabolism 1
CHEM 340 Introduction to Computational Chemistry
CHEM 410 Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 430 Special Topics in Biochemistry
CHEM 450 Special Topics in Physical Chemistry
CHEM 470 Special Topics in Polymer Chemistry
CHEM 494A Research Project and CHEM 494B Research Project
or PHYS 437A Research Project and PHYS 437B Research Project
PHYS 256 Geometrical and Physical Optics
PHYS 334 Quantum 2
PHYS 335 Condensed Matter Physics
PHYS 359 Statistical Mechanics
PHYS 360A Modern Physics, Laboratory 1
PHYS 396 Biophysics of Imaging