Ph.D. Chemistry

About the Program

The Department of Chemistry offers a program of graduate studies and research leading to M. Sc. and Ph. D. degrees, in all areas of chemistry, including, analytical, inorganic, organic, physical and theoretical chemistry. Within these general areas, members of the faculty have active research programs in themes such as atomic layer deposition, bioinorganic sensors, functionally imprinted polymers, fungal toxicity, nanotechnology, polymers and nanocomposites, polymers for photonics, self assembly, thin films, microelectronics etc. Most of the instrument facilities relevant to these research activities exist in the department. We also leverage on the strength of the Ottawa Carleton Chemistry Institute for other instrumental needs. In addition to regular faculty members, several scientists from the government laboratories serve as adjunct professors with joint supervisory privileges. As needed, students are permitted to take courses from University of Ottawa towards the required credits. In addition to regular student funding, endowed scholarships are available to outstanding students.

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Academic Regulations

 

Admission Requirements

  • The normal requirement for admission to the Ph.D. program is a B.Sc. or M.Sc. degree in Chemistry.

Program Requirements (from B.Sc.)

  1. A research thesis defended before an examination board which includes an external examiner (11.0 credits)
  2. A two-part comprehensive examination in chemistry. The first part consists of a research proposal examination. The proposal topic can be in the same research area as that of the student's thesis supervisor,but should be significantly different from the student's thesis research project and any research being conducted by any faculty member of the Ottawa-Carleton Chemistry Institute. The second part of the examination will consist of either a) a short presentation given by the student to an examining committee on a topic in his/ her research area, or b) a series of five two-hour examinations from a library of examinations. (No credit. Graded Pass or Fail.) Students admitted to the graduate program in Chemistry at Carleton University prior to May 1, 2003 may follow the Comprehensive Examination requirement published in the 2002-2003 Graduate Calendar. Students who fail to complete the comprehensive examination by the end of the third year in the graduate chemistry program will be withdrawn from the program.
  3. Two credits of graduate courses (made up of any combination of 0.5 credit and 0.25 credit courses) 4. CHEM 5801 (1.0 credit) and CHEM 5802 (1.0 credit)
  4. Residence requirement -at least three years of full-time study.
  5. Full-time students who enter the doctoral program directly from the B.Sc. program normally will complete the degree requirements in four and one-half years. Part-time students normally will complete the degree requirements in nine years.
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Program Requirements (from M.Sc.)

  • Same as above, except that under exceptional circumstances only one seminar course will be required and credit for up to 1.0 credit of graduate courses may be given to reduce the requirement for graduate course credit from two to one. Students must complete their comprehensive examination within two years or be withdrawn from the program.
  • Residence requirement - at least two years of full-time study.
  • Full-time students in the doctoral program normally will complete the degree requirements in three years. Part-time students will normally complete the degree requirements in six years.

Orientation Examinations

Students coming from outside Canada or the United States must write orientation examinations at approximately the third-year university level. Each student will be informed of this requirement upon admission. The examinations will be given in the first week of the term in September and January. Students can choose from any three examination modules in: organic, physical, inorganic/analytical and biochemistry.

In examination areas where the student shows unsatisfactory performance or deficiency, the Graduate Supervisor will assign undergraduate-level remedial courses. To be eligible to continue in the graduate program, the student must achieve a minimum grade of A- in each remedial course.

 

Thesis Advisory Committee

Within four months of initial registration in the M.Sc. or Ph.D. program, a Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC) will be appointed for each student. Committee membership will be formally approved by the departmental chairs and OCCI directors at Carleton and the University of Ottawa. The committee will consist of a minimum of three members, including the thesis supervisor, and where practicable, at least one member will be from the other campus of OCCI. Committee membership may include adjunct faculty members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) at the University of Ottawa or the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at Carleton.

Once a year, the student will prepare a formal Thesis Progress Report. The report is not to exceed four pages and will outline the problem, methodology used, results achieved, and aims for future research. The TAC will evaluate the report and indicate whether the student has made satisfactory progress. No meeting with the student will be required if progress is deemed by the TAC to be satisfactory. A meeting to discuss the student's progress may be held at any time at the request of either the student or the committee.