Chemistry is the study of matter— anything that has mass and occupies space. Everything you can touch, hold, smell or taste involves chemistry and chemicals.
Chemists design new compounds, materials and processes to serve the needs of society:
Some examples include new pharmaceuticals to fight disease, industrial catalysts for efficient manufacturing, and leading-edge nanotechnologies to change the world we live in. Chemists study the relationship between the chemical structure of matter and its properties, and predict and explain how matter changes when it reacts to form new substances.
Program Description
The BSc Chemistry is one of our most flexible and applied Faculty of Science programs. The Honours Chemistry program provides a strong and rigorous background in chemistry while allowing students to pursue interests in various areas of science, including biology, physics, math, earth sciences and computer science. Students can choose the Materials Stream to gain more expertise in the chemistry of synthetic and bio-materials. Some courses are also available on-line that are part of an on-line Certificate in Materials Chemistry.
Students of all chemistry programs and streams can participate in our work integrated learning option that involves a paid 8-12 month internship at industry (pharmaceutical, agricultural, chemical, etc.) and organizations (governmental, communal, health, etc.).
We offer courses and extensive laboratory experience in the general sub-disciplines of chemistry:
- Organic Chemistry
- Physical Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
- Materials Chemistry
- Computational Chemistry
Expertise in all these sub-disciplines is important for successful careers as diverse as research scientist, forensic scientist, environmental scientist and consultant, laboratory technician, and chemical educator. As you advance in your studies, the borders between subdisciplines will fade and interconnections between them will become more obvious and important.
Experiential Learning
Experience is vital to become a skilled chemist. Our students enjoy both a broad range of courses—from Materials Chemistry, Nanoparticle Synthesis and Characterization, Main Group Chemistry, Free Radicals in Chemistry and Biology, Surface Chemistry, Pharmacology for Health Sciences, Kinetics and Photochemistry to Drug Design and Diagnostics—and extensive lab time. This provides the unique combination of academics and hands-on experience for which employers are looking.
Selected students can undertake an undergraduate fourth-year thesis in which they pursue a research project under the supervision of a faculty member. Further, NSERC undergraduate awards and Summer Research Scholarships provide paid summer research opportunities.
Career Paths
Chemistry is often called the “central science” because it connects physical sciences with life sciences and engineering. Consequently, knowledge of chemistry is a requirement or beneficial for a very large number of diverse career paths of which only few are listed below. However, many require training at the MSc or PhD level.
- Entrance to professional schools such as medicine, dentistry and pharmacy
- Industrial and academic research and development
- Government and hospital laboratories
- Industrial process laboratories
- Administration and management
- Education (with additional studies)
- Environmental analyses and assessments
- Patent and environmental law (with additional studies)
Admission Requirements
Minimum admission average of 70% (plus 70% secondary average). ENG4U, MHF4U, SCH4U and SBI4U are required. MCV4U is strongly recommended. SPH4U is recommended.
