Chemistry, Ph.D

Admission

In addition to the admission requirements laid out in the General Regulations section of the Academic Calendar of the School of Graduate Studies, consideration for direct admission of students to Ph.D. studies from a Bachelor’s degree requires a strong letter of support from the prospective supervisor.

Course Requirements

The minimum course requirement for the Ph.D. program consists of CHEM 700 and CHEM 701 (if not already completed at McMaster as part of Chemistry M.Sc. level requirements), as well as a further 6 units beyond the Bachelor’s degree, a minimum of 3 units of which have to be at the 700 level. Any coursework completed as part of the McMaster Chemistry M.Sc. program can be applied towards these requirements. Students who transfer from the M.Sc. program and have not yet completed all of the other M.Sc. requirements (except for the thesis) must do so within their first year in the Ph.D. program.

A student who enters the Ph.D. program with an appropriate M. Sc. degree from another program or university must complete CHEM 700 , CHEM 701  and a minimum of three units of 700 level courses (e.g. two graduate modules from the Chemistry Course List). Additional courses may be recommended by the supervisory committee in cases where background is deemed inadequate for the research being undertaken.

Comprehensive Examination

All Ph.D. candidates must pass a Comprehensive Examination, taken within the first 20 months after beginning Ph.D. work that tests breadth of knowledge within the student’s major field of study. The Comprehensive Examination will require the submission of a document that provides a review of a relevant, current field of research, along with an original proposal for research. The defence will consist of a brief presentation, followed by an oral examination.

Thesis, Seminar and Defence

A thesis embodying the results of original research must be defended in a final oral examination. Prior to the defence, Ph.D. students must present a departmental seminar describing the contributions made as a result of graduate research.

Departmental Colloquia and Seminars

The departmental colloquium program (CHEM 701) is a mandatory component for all program students, designed to provide students with the opportunity to develop scientific presentation and critical thinking skills. All students must present a colloquium describing their own research during the second year of graduate studies. Colloquium presenters are expected to provide detailed, professional presentations of their research progress. Regular attendance at departmental colloquia is expected from all graduate students, and is mandatory for all students during the first two years of their program. Students attending the colloquia are expected to ask critical questions of the presenter.

Attendance at departmental seminars is expected of all students within the department. These seminars comprise a combination of externally invited speakers, faculty members from McMaster, and senior Ph.D. students who are nearing the Ph.D. defence.