Materials Science Specialist

The Materials Science Specialist is a limited enrolment and multidisciplinary program that draws both on the basic sciences of chemistry and physics, and on more applied areas such as metallurgy, ceramics, materials physics and material mechanics (courses dealing with these latter fields are offered through the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering). The first two years of study include fundamental courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology and materials engineering. This program is fully accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry.

The important Materials Science Specialist program objectives are as follows:

  • to provide a program that is highly interdisciplinary in design such that students will focus their studies in inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry during second year along with taking materials engineering courses, and then progress to take upper-year offerings in these areas and in polymers and materials chemistry.
  • to give second-year students opportunities for hands-on learning through laboratory work in organic and inorganic chemistry.
  • to provide upper-year students with exceptional access to experiential learning via advanced laboratory activities and development of superior communication skills through required courses in physical, inorganic and organic chemistry.
  • to ensure students enroll in a capstone fourth-year research course in chemistry or materials engineering under the direct supervision of a faculty member.
  • to give students the option to obtain professional development skills and direct work experience through the Arts & Science Internship Program.
  • to provide excellent preparation for graduate-level studies in chemistry or materials science provided that appropriate options are chosen in fourth-year, and/or for careers in a wide range of chemistry or materials science-related professional fields (e.g., in solid state, polymer or composite materials industries).

Students enrolled in the Materials Science Specialist program are eligible to complete the departmental Focus in Green Chemistry and/or the Focus in Practical Chemical Analysis if the appropriate courses are taken.
 

Consult: 
 

Professor Dwight Seferos, Department of Chemistry, and Professor Mansoor Barati, Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Enrolment Requirements:

This is a limited-enrolment program. Students must have completed 4.0 credits and meet the requirements listed below to enrol. Minimum grades in required courses or their equivalents are needed for entry, and these minimums change each year depending on available spaces and the number of applicants. The following courses must be completed:

(CHM135H1, CHM136H1)/CHM151Y1)

To ensure that students admitted to the program will be successful, applicants with a final grade lower than 63% in any of the required courses will not be considered for admission.  Please note that obtaining the minimum final grades does not guarantee admission to the program.

Students in this program have the option to request enrolment in the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream. Students can apply for the ASIP stream after Year 1 (Year 2 entry) or after Year 2 (Year 3 entry, starting Fall 2024). Full details about ASIP, including student eligibility, selection and enrolment, are available in the ASIP section of the Arts & Science Academic Calendar. Please note that the majority of students enter ASIP in Fall term of Year 2. Space is more limited for Year 3 entry. Students applying for Year 3 entry must have been admitted to the Materials Science Specialist in the Summer after Year 2.

Completion Requirements:

(14.0 credits, including 1.0 credit from 400-level courses)

First Year:

  1. BIO120H1
  2. CHM151Y1 (strongly recommended)/ ( CHM135H1, CHM136H1)
  3. ( MAT135H1, MAT136H1)/ MAT137Y1/​ MAT157Y1
  4. MSE120H1

First or Second Year:

  1. BIO130H1/​ BIO220H1
  2. ( PHY131H1, PHY132H1)/ ( PHY151H1, PHY152H1)

Second Year and Higher Years:

  1. CHM220H1/​ CHM222H1/​ MSE202H1*, CHM223H1, ( CHM236H1, CHM237H1)/ CHM238Y1, CHM247H1/​ CHM249H1
  2. MSE219H1, ( MSE218H1/​ MSE318H1), MSE335H1
  3. CHM327H1, CHM338H1, CHM343H1/​ CHM348H1, CHM325H1/​ CHM355H1, CHM434H1/​ CHM455H1, CHM426H1/​ CHM457H1
  4. At least 1.5 credits from the following, of which 0.5 credit must be at the 400-level: MSE302H1, MSE316H1, MSE343H1, CHM446H1/​ CHM456H1, CHM458H1, MSE415H1, MSE419H1, MSE430H1, MSE431H1, ( MSE432H1/​ MSE443H1/​ MSE543H1), MSE440H1, MSE458H1, MSE459H1, MSE461H1, MSE465H1
  5. CHM499Y1/​ ( MSE492H1, MSE493H1)

*It is highly recommended that students in the Materials Science Specialist Program complete MSE202H1.

Students in this program have the option to complete the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP) stream.

Regarding Materials Science Courses

Notes

  1. The MSE courses listed in the programs above are administered by the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, and are subject to the rules and regulations of that Faculty, including those for term dates, examination periods and deferral practices.
  2. The CHM courses listed for the Materials Science program are described in this section of the Calendar.
  3. Enrollment in MSE courses is done through your own College Registrar. It is not necessary to petition as the courses listed below have been pre-approved for this Specialist Program.
  4. Deferment of Final Exams is NOT generally granted in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.

This page was updated on August 26, 2025.  Please consult the Arts & Science Academic Calender for the most up-to-date program requirements.