Chemistry or Chemical Biology? - Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology - Faculty of Science

Which graduate program to attend is a personal choice influenced by many different factors. Beyond the specific project to be undertaken and the relationship with your supervisor, there’s compatibility with the research group and department. The Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology provides wide-reaching opportunities for research in virtually all branches of chemistry, and a highly supportive and collegial research atmosphere. Students are given the opportunity to learn, first hand, how to use advanced characterization equipment within our facilities, providing invaluable training for future careers.

Depending on your field of study, you may be in the position of choosing whether to apply for Chemistry or Chemical Biology for you MSc or PhD degree. We encourate you to consult with the professor you are planning to work with before you finalize this important decision.

While the administrative home of both the Chemistry and Chemical Biology graduate programs is within the same department (i.e, the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology), they are separate programs with separate degree requirements.

Please note that you and your supervisor have a degree of choice in many aspects of both programs (for example, your supervisor may recommend particular courses, including ones offered outside the department, or your supervisor can choose to pay you as an RA in lieu of a TA assignment if their research funding permits – this is what we typically call a ‘TA buy out’). You should work with your supervisor to plan a path through the program that works for both of you.

The main differences between the programs are as follows:

Course requirements
Chem students typically TA more than ChemBio Students (the default annual assignments are 260 hours and 130 hours, respectively)
Direct-entry PhD students in ChemBio must take a qualifying exam, while Chem students do not

The table below outlines the similarities and differences between the two programs.

¹Inorganic Chem students who transfer to the PhD program are currently required to do an additional 2 courses/3 units after transfer for a total of 10.5 units; this requirement is being phased out
²International MSc students, who pay higher tuition fees than domestic students, receive a tuition bursary on top of the standard research stipend and TAships

Criteria	Chemistry	Chemical Biology
Total Number of Course Units Required	MSc (=transfer PhD): 7.5 units Direct-Entry PhD: 4.5 units	MSc (=transfer PhD): 6.0 units Direct-Entry PhD: 3.0 units
Required Courses, MSc/Transfer PhD	MSc (=transfer PhD ¹) CHEM 700 (offered every Fall) – 1.5 units 4 courses/6 units	MSc (=transfer PhD) CHEMBIO 700A (=CHEM 700) – 1.5 units CHEMBIO 700B (offered every Winter) – 1.5 units 3 additional units from either CHEMBIO 702 or CHEMBIO 701 (non-credit) plus 3 additional units from other courses
Required Courses, Direct-Entry PhD	Direct-Entry PhD CHEM 700 (every Fall) – 1.5 units 2 courses/3 units	Direct-Entry PhD CHEMBIO 700A (=CHEM 700) – 1.5 units CHEMBIO 700B (every Winter) – 1.5 units CHEMBIO 701 (non-credit)
Colloquium	All students deliver one 20-minute colloquium presentation during their graduate career For Chem students, this is a non-credit requirement	All students deliver one 20-minute colloquium presentation during their graduate career ChemBio students do the colloquium for course credit as part of CHEMBIO 701 or 702
Committee Meetings	Annually or more often as recommended by your supervisory committee	Annually or more often as recommended by your supervisory committee
Transfer Exam to PhD	No later than 22 months after starting the MSc	No later than 22 months after starting the MSc
MSc Thesis Defence	Within 24 months of starting the MSc Original research Oral defence	Within 24 months of starting the MSc Original research Oral defence
Qualifying Exams	N/A	For Direct-Entry PhD students 9-12 months after starting the PhD
PhD Comprehensive Exams	Usually 18-20 months after starting the PhD Written report Oral defence	Usually 18-20 months after starting the PhD Written report Oral defence
Department Seminar	50-minute presentation to the department prior to the dissertation defence	50-minute presentation to the department prior to the dissertation defence
PhD Thesis Defence	Within 48 months of starting the PhD Original research Oral defence	Within 48 months of starting the PhD Original research Oral defence
Minimum Guaranteed Funding ²	MSc: ~$25, 000 PhD: ~$26,500	MSc: ~$25, 000 PhD: ~$26,500
Amount of Funding from TA Work	Up to 260 hours/~$12,000	Up to 130 hours/~$6,000
Amount of Funding from RA Work	As determined with your supervisor	As determined with your supervisor
TA Assignments	In Chemistry & Chemical Biology	In Chemistry & Chemical Biology or in other departments affiliated with the Chemical Biology graduate program (e.g. Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences)