Course Information
Students should discuss course selection with their supervisor/s before registering online. If you wish to take a course outside the department (Audit, graduate or undergraduate) you need special permission. Go to the forms tab or scroll to the bottom of the page to complete the required form.
Deadline dates for adding or dropping a course will normally be calculated according to the table below. A course that has been dropped by the last date specified for adding a course shall be expunged from the records. A course that has been dropped after the last date specified for adding a course but before the last date specified for dropping a course without academic penalty shall be recorded as "WDN". A course that has not been dropped in accordance with the above regulations and that has not been completed satisfactorily by the student shall be recorded as "F", failures.
| Weight of Course | Last Day Add/Drop | Last Day to Drop |
| All courses | One month from the official beginning of the term in which the course begins (will not appear on the transcript) | Two months from the beginning of term in which the course begins (WDN on the transcript) After this date "Fail" will be assigned. |
Chem 9657(MSC)-9658Y(PhD): Seminar (Milestone)
Course Objectives: (Please note: these seminars are not the same)
- To accustom the student to the regular perusal of the literature
- To develop the student’s ability to assemble and critically appraise the recent literature
- To develop an understanding (for both the student and the audience) of a research topic of current interest
- To develop the student’s ability to present a seminar
- To accustom the student to public speaking
- To give practice in dealing with verbal questioning
- Course Information
- Schedule
- Previous Topics
- Lipson-Baines (Course) Award
- Course Topic Form
- Online Seminar Rubric
- Class Schedule (TBD)
Research
Objectives:
This is a milestone added to the transcript for each year of the degree. A grade will still be recorded in Pathfinder when yearly reports are submitted.
Policy guideline and implementation
This milestone is not counted as a requirement for the degree.
Optional Course – Experiential-Learning and Professionalism in Chemistry (EPIC)
Course Objectives:
The intention of the course is to encourage students to expose themselves to experiences that will enhance their professionalism, communication and teaching skill set. Such expertise is critical for successful degree progression and then beyond your time at Western, especially in the workforce.
Course Coordinator: Associate Chair, Graduate Education or their Designate
Course Guide: Associate Chair, Graduate Education or their Designate
This course is a guided, self-directed experiential course; the Course Guide will offer advice and ensure a distribution of experiences that fulfill the course requirements. Thus, it is important to notify the Course Coordinator of your enrolment in the course before accumulating more than one-half the units necessary for completion. Only experiences gained while a registered graduate student are eligible.
EPIC will be recorded as milestones that will remain as "not completed" on the transcript until completed.
Fall Term 2025:
9472-Advanced Analytical Chemistry (.5 cross listed with UG 4472)
9525-Corrosion (.5)
- The primary objective of the course is to develop a fundamental and in-depth
understanding of the theory of material degradation and corrosion in various
environments. The course is designed for students who want to gain a deeper
understanding of corrosion mechanisms, design corrosion studies, and mitigate or
predict corrosion processes. Basics in thermodynamics, kinetics, and electrochemical
reactions, which determine the corrosion mechanism of metals and alloys in aqueous
systems, will be covered. However, for fundamental knowledge in electrochemistry,
students are referred to the course CHEM9452 (Electrochemistry). This course will
specifically focus on recognizing and understanding different types of corrosion,
which are specific to certain metals, material designs, and environments. High
temperature oxidation, atmospheric corrosion, and corrosion of non-metallic
materials, such as polymers and textiles, will also be covered shortly. Basic
knowledge in corrosion protection will also be covered.
9659-Corrosion, Equity, Diversity, Environment 1(.25)
- The main objective of the course is to provide a societal and environmental context to the global field of corrosion science and engineering.
9823-Heterocycles (.25)
9575-Density-Functional Computations (.25)
9653-Polymer Synthesis to Function (.25)
- This 0.25 course will explore modern approaches to polymer synthesis (e.g., ionic,
radical, and ring-opening polymerization) and characterization methods (e.g., NMR
spectroscopy, Gel Permeation Chromatography, Thermal Analysis). Through the
discussion of recent examples from the literature, the ability of these techniques to
provide custom functional materials for various applications will be explored.
9660-Corrosion, Equity, Diversity, Environment 2 (.25)
- The main objective of the course is to provide a societal and environmental context to
the global field of corrosion science and engineering.
9702-Materials Under Extreme Conditions (.25)
9703-Chemical Biology
- T
9793-Biomolecules as Drugs and Imaging Agents (.25)
Winter Term 2026:
9541-X-ray Crystallography 1 (.25)
9544-Mass Spectrometry: Fundamentals and Biological Applications (.5)
- Topics covered include the following - Ionization techniques: Focus on electrospray
ionization (ESI), but others will be briefly covered as well: MALDI, EI, CI, APCI. Ion
fragmentation by CID, SID, IRMPD, ECD, ETD. Mass analyzers: time-of flight,
quadrupoles, ion cyclotron resonance instruments and orbitraps. Ion mobility
spectrometry. Hybrid systems. Biochemical applications (many of these may be covered
in seminar presentations given by students – one presentation for each participant): Native
ESI-MS, LC-MS, drugs and metabolites, peptides and proteins, protein identification and
other proteomics techniques, H/D exchange, protein charge state distributions, covalent
and noncovalent modifications.
