Program Requirements
Master of Science
There are two types of program leading to this degree:
a) Research: At least four one-term courses acceptable for graduate credit and a thesis based on original research are required. The subject of research must be approved by the candidate's advisor/supervisor and the thesis must be read and approved by the advisor/supervisor and two other faculty members. One of the four courses may be an undergraduate course approved by the student's advisory/supervisory committee and the graduate officer/coordinator. If it is a physics course it must be at the 4th year level.
For all students the four courses must include at least one of core graduate courses listed below:
- 701/7010 (Quantum Mechanics 1)
- 703/7030 (Introduction to Quantum Field Theory)
- 704/7040 (Statistical Physics I)
- 706/7060 (Electromagnetic Theory)
- 767/7670 (Introduction to Quantum Information Processing)
- 781/7810 (Fundamentals of Astrophysics)
An MSc student in this program who shows a particular aptitude for research and has a superior record in fourth year undergraduate and three one-term graduate courses may be permitted, upon recommendation by the advisor/supervisor and with the approval of the Coordinating Committee, to transfer into the PhD program without completing an MSc thesis.
b) Coursework: In some cases, a student may be permitted to do a coursework M.Sc. For this, seven one-term courses acceptable for graduate credit and a major research paper (see the graduate officer/coordinator for details) are required. The research paper will have to be approved by the candidate's advisory/supervisory Committee.
Doctor of Philosophy
At least four one-term courses not including any already taken for MSc credit are required; courses taken during the MSc program and in excess of those required will, however, be allowed for PhD credit. Course selection shall be such that three of the core courses including one of 701/7010 (Quantum Mechanics 1), 704/7040 (Statistical Physics 1), and 706/7060 (Electromagnetic Theory) have been taken in the PhD program. Biophysics students in the PhD program at Waterloo are required to take one core course which must be one of 701/7010, 704/704, and 706/7060.
Graduate courses outside GWPI may be taken for credit with the approval of the advisor/supervisor and graduate officer/coordinator. One of the required courses may be an undergraduate course outside the student's main field of study, approved by the student's supervisory committee and the graduate officer/coordinator. No undergraduate course in physics may be taken for credit.
PhD candidates are required to pass a qualifying examination normally during the first year of the program; in any case, it must be passed no later than the 6th semester in which they are enrolled. This is an oral examination of approximately two hours' duration before a committee that includes members of the student's advisory/supervisory committee. It is designed to test the student's knowledge of the fundamentals and applications of physics related to the thesis topic. PhD students must meet their advisory/supervisory committee members at least once a year to present a written and oral report on their progress. The candidate is required to present a thesis embodying the results of original research conducted by her/him on an advanced topic. The thesis is defended before a committee which may also examine the student's knowledge of related material.
Off-Campus Collaborative Research
In both the MSc (Research) and the PhD Programs, part of the research may be conducted off-campus at a collaborating laboratory (e.g. industrial, government, hospital, etc.). The advisor/supervisor based at this laboratory will be an associate member of GWPI and there will also be an on-campus co-advisor/supervisor. The bulk of course-work will be taken early in the program, freeing the student for the necessary stay at the collaborating laboratory.
Collaborative and Other Programs
In addition to the regular MSc Physics (Research) and PhD Physics programs, GWPI students are also registered in collaborative and other programs. These include:
Biophysics Interdepartmental Group (BIG)
The Institute for Quantum Computing Collaborative Program in Quantum Information
Perimeter Scholars International
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) Collaborative Program in Nanotechnology
Program requirements for students registered in these programs differ from those of GWPI's regular physics programs. Refer to program websites for details.
