Science Academic Programs and Plans

Advisors: See Faculty of Science, academic advisors.

Computational chemistry is used routinely by chemists, including those with an interest in biological chemistry, to develop and improve models of chemical systems, to investigate and predict properties of materials that are difficult or expensive to make, and to interpret, analyze or predict the results of chemical experiments. This program is intended for students interested in the application of chemistry and computational skills to solve interesting chemical problems. 

This program, which offers the Honours Chemistry courses integrated with five four-month work terms, extends over four and two-thirds years. Students work and study in alternate terms starting at the end of the 2A term. There is a double work term between terms 3B and 4A.

Continuing in Honours Co-operative Chemistry, Computational Specialization requires a cumulative overall average of 60% and a cumulative average of 60% in each of the subjects: Chemistry and Computer Science.

Successful completion of this program requires:

1.  22.0 units that include:
   • 7.25 CHEM units: CHEM 121, CHEM 121L, CHEM 125, CHEM 125L, CHEM 140, CHEM 209, CHEM 212, CHEM 220, CHEM 240, CHEM 250L, CHEM 254, CHEM 264, CHEM 340, CHEM 350, CHEM 350L, and CHEM 356
   • 0.5 CHEM unit: CHEM 233 or CHEM 237
   • 1.5 MATH units: MATH 106, MATH 127, and MATH 128
   • 1.5 PHYS units: PHYS 111 and PHYS 111L or PHYS 121 and PHYS 121L; and PHYS 112 and PHYS 112L or PHYS 122 and PHYS 122L
   • 2.0 CS units: CS 115, CS 116, CS 234, and CS 370
   • 0.5 ENGL unit: ENGL 193/SPCOM 193
   • 8.75 elective units distributed as follows:
   • 1.25 CHEM units chosen from: CHEM 200, CHEM 220L, CHEM 224L, CHEM 265L, CHEM 310L, CHEM 313L, CHEM 335L, and CHEM 360L
   • CHEM 494A and CHEM 494B or 1.0 CHEM elective unit of which a minimum of 0.5 unit must be CHEM 200, CHEM 220L, CHEM 224L, CHEM 265L, CHEM 310L, CHEM 313L, CHEM 335L, or CHEM 360L
   • 1.0 CHEM unit chosen from: CHEM 221, CHEM 265, CHEM 310, CHEM 313, CHEM 331, CHEM 357, and CHEM 360
   • 0.5 CS unit chosen from: CS 230, CS 330, CS 338, CS 467, and CS 475
   • 2.5 program electives units chosen from: BIOL 266, BIOL 382, CHEM 400, CHEM 404, CHEM 430, PHYS 359, NE 451, and NE 452, with the following conditions:
   • 1.0 unit must be CHEM
   • 2.0 units must be 400-level or higher
   • 2.5 elective units chosen from any 0.5 unit lecture or lab course
2. Co-operative program requirements that include:
   • A minimum of four work terms: COOP 1, COOP 2, COOP 3, and COOP 4.
   • A minimum of three work-term reports: one as part of PD 11, WKRPT 200S, and WKRPT 300S.
   • A minimum of four Professional Development courses: PD 1, PD 11, and two other PD courses.

Additional Program Conditions:

1. Alternative electives may be substituted with prior approval of the academic advisor.
2. A maximum of 3.0 SCI units can be used towards this degree.
3. A maximum of two failed CHEM courses is allowed. Failure in more than two CHEM courses will result in the requirement to withdraw from the academic plan.

Note

The 0.25 unit laboratory elective may be taken in Year Two spring or in Year Three.

Recommended Course Sequence

Year One

Fall

CHEM 121/CHEM 121L Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter/Chemical Reaction Laboratory 1
CS 115 Introduction to Computer Science 1
MATH 127 Calculus 1 for the Sciences
PHYS 111/PHYS 111L Physics 1/Physics 1 Laboratory
  or PHYS 121/PHYS 121L Mechanics/Mechanics Laboratory
One of ENGL 193/SPCOM 193 Communication in the Sciences

Winter

CHEM 125/CHEM 125L Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics/Chemical Reaction Laboratory 2
CHEM 140 Introduction to Scientific Calculations
CS 116 Introduction to Computer Science 2
MATH 128 Calculus 2 for the Sciences
PHYS 112/PHYS 112L Physics 2/Physics 2 Laboratory
  or PHYS 122/PHYS 122L Waves, Electricity and Magnetism/Waves, Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory

Year 2

Fall

CHEM 209 Introductory Spectroscopy and Structure
CHEM 220 Intro Analytical Chemistry
CHEM 240 Mathematical Methods for Chemistry
CHEM 250L Physical Chemistry Laboratory 1
CHEM 264 Organic Chemistry 1
CS 234 Data Types and Structures
One laboratory elective (0.25 unit)

Spring

CHEM 212 Structure and Bonding
CHEM 233 Fundamentals of Biochemistry
 or CHEM 237 Introductory Biochemistry
CHEM 254 Introductory Chemical Thermodynamics
MATH 106 Applied Linear Algebra 1
One elective (0.5 unit)

Year 3

Winter

CHEM 340 Introductory Computational Chemistry
CHEM 350 Chemical Kinetics
Three electives (1.5 units)

Fall

CHEM 350L Physical Chemistry Laboratory 2
CHEM 356 Introductory Quantum Mechanics
CS 370 Numerical Computation
Two electives (1.0 unit)

Year Four

Ten electives (5.0 units)