What is graduate school? And should I go there?
How is it different from undergraduate? Less courses (typically 3 for MSc, 5 more for PhD, varies by program) Primary focus is on research You get paid Small classes Self-directed Year-round
How will I pay for more school? $6000 per year tuition $ per year stipend, from 3 sources: $9500 per year teaching assistantship (280 hours) $2500 Special University Scholarship $10000 Research Assistantship
Scholarships available: NSERC Ontario Graduate Scholarship OGS Science & Technology Others in specific fields, for example Materials and Manufacturing Ontario
How long will this take? 2 years or less for Masters 4 years or less for PhD from Masters 5 years for PhD without Masters
Should I stay at Western? Excellent facilities & faculty You already know who’s who Excellent reputation (= high value degree) however Travel broadens the mind (but do your homework first)
Are my marks high enough? You need a minimum 70 average in your last 2 years of study to be admitted.
What do I gain by this? Better job prospects through more specialized training Personal satisfaction You can ‘test the waters’ by getting a Masters degree with minimum risk Specialize in an area of science that you especially like
What kind of research can I do? Condensed matter/materials science/nanotechnology, experimental or theoretical Astronomy/astrophysics Atmospheric and space physics Atomic and molecular physics Medical physics
Condensed Matter (Experimental) ion beam modification of materials photonic materials soft and disordered condensed matter biomaterials semiconductor thin films novel optoelectronic materials defects in materials
Condensed Matter Theory M.G. Cottam M.R. Singh M. Mueser (AM) C. Denniston (AM) Theoretical studies and numerical simulations are being made of the quantum properties of solids, both as bulk materials and as constituents of artificially-structured (or engineered) materials.
Astronomy and Astrophysics S. Basu D.F. Gray M. Houde J.D. Landstreet J.M. Marlborough J.M. Moorhead T.A.A. Sigut P. Wiegert
Atmospheric and Space Physics experimental and theoretical investigations from the surface to the edge of space Brown, Campbell- Brown, Hocking, Jones, Moorcroft, Sica
Atomic & Molecular Physics, Laboratory Astrophysics The study of transitions between discrete atomic and molecular states R.A. Holt S.D. Rosner
Medical Physics, Biomaterials B.A. Chronik S.P. Goldman T. Poepping Cottam, Hutter, Simpson, Zinke- Allmang Adjunct faculty from LRCC, St. Joseph’s, Robarts, LHSC Medical imaging, radiation therapies, medical implant materials
Some fine things about graduate school Can be interdisciplinary Specialize in theory or experiment Travel to conferences Publish your work Gain access to exciting areas of employment via unique qualifications (we are not training professors) Work independently The supervisor-student relationship