Chemistry – Chemical Biology specialization – Co-operative Education

General information

Chemistry is known as the central science. At UOIT, students will learn practical and theoretical skills related to this science. The Chemistry program covers the main divisions of chemistry, including physical, analytical, organic, inorganic and biochemistry.

Students will be able to use modern laboratories and teaching environments in state-of-the-art facilities.

The Chemistry program offers specializations in Chemical Biology  and Pharmaceutical Chemistry , as well as a general Chemistry degree (Comprehensive) .

Co-operative education and experiential learning

The Faculty of Science offers an optional co-operative education program to students in Applied and Industrial Mathematics, Biological Science, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics, and the Management options. Eligible students in the Forensic Science program have the opportunity for academically-related work experience in a fourth year Thesis Project under the supervision of a faculty member or with a forensic professional in an external forensic agency.

As defined by the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education (CAFCE), co-operative education is a program that formally integrates a student’s academic studies with paid, career-related work experience with participating employers. Co-operative education provides many benefits to students including the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience, to earn competitive salaries that partially offset the cost of their education, to help clarify career objectives, and to develop valuable networking that will enhance opportunities for full-time employment upon graduation. Studies have shown that students in the same academic program who graduate from a co-operative education stream have lower debt loads and are employed faster and with higher starting salaries than those who graduate from the regular stream.

Interested students may apply to the Faculty of Science co-operative education program as early as the Fall of Year 2. Applicants are accepted based on their cumulative grade point average (minimum cGPA of 2.70 (B-) required), their academic standing, and having no record of misconduct. While the Faculty of Science cannot guarantee a co-op placement, assistance, advice and counselling is provided to all students in co-operative education.

Beginning after Year 2 of their academic program, eligible students have the opportunity to integrate their academic studies with up to 20 months of relevant experience.  Traditionally, the distribution of academic and co-op work terms have adhered to the pattern outlined below. However, alternative patterns of academic terms and co-op terms may be approved by an advisor, provided the pattern still meets the CAFCE criteria for co-operative education and is acceptable to the employer and the student.

The schedule of study terms and co-op work terms is as follows:

Students will be required to attend mandatory co-op pre-program workshops prior to attending their placement for the first time.  Each co-op work term is assessed by a faculty advisor on the basis of the student’s work term report and an employer valuation. Co-op work terms are graded on a pass/fail basis. Please note that four work terms are required in order to satisfy the co-op degree requirements.

Students will have opportunities to undertake research inside or outside the university. Please consult science.uoit.ca for details.

Program details and degree requirements

The requirements for the co-operative education Chemistry – Chemical Biology program are detailed in the following program map. In addition to the co-op program, a regular four-year program is also available. See Chemistry and Management – Chemical Biology specialization  for more information.

Although reasonable efforts will be made to adhere to the following program map, course requirements and term offerings may change.

Program map – Regular and Co-operative Education program

Program map – Co-operative Education program

Notes:

No more than 42 credit hours may be taken at the first-year level.

*This course is graded on a pass/fail basis.

**Electives and breadth requirements

All students must complete a total of 33 elective credit hours including 6 credit hours in Senior Chemistry electives. Students who are not accepted into the thesis option (CHEM 4410U  / CHEM 4420U ) must take two additional Senior Chemistry electives for a total of 39 elective credit hours. A Senior Chemistry elective is defined as any combination of CHEM 3250U , CHEM 3090U , CHEM 4010U , CHEM 4041U , CHEM 4042U , CHEM 4110U , CHEM 4120U , CHEM 4510U , CHEM 4520U , and CHEM 4080U . At least 15 elective credit hours must be in courses offered in the Faculty of Science including the Senior Chemistry electives; the additional Senior Chemistry electives required for students who are not enrolled in thesis cannot be used to meet this requirement. In order to satisfy breadth requirements; at least 12 elective credit hours must be in courses outside the Faculty of Science. Students must take the remaining 6 elective credit hours in a general elective (offered by the Faculty of Science or outside the Faculty of Science).

***Thesis project or Senior Chemistry electives

Students in clear academic standing who have completed 90 credit hours of their CHEM program and six third-year required courses may optionally apply to take a two-course sequence consisting of CHEM 4110U – Bio-Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology  and CHEM 4420U – Chemistry Thesis Project II . Students not accepted to take the thesis courses must complete two additional Senior Chemistry electives instead. A Senior Chemistry elective is defined as any 4000-level chemistry course not specified in the course map. A student meeting the above requirements who does not take CHEM 4410U   and CHEM 4420U  may optionally apply to take CHEM 4430U  as one of the required senior chemistry electives. Opportunities for the Thesis Project and Directed Studies options are limited; for either of these options, students must apply through Science Advising by March 30 following completion of the first three years of the program.