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2023-2024 Module Schedule (Last Updated Aug 22/23)
SGSPA Academic Calendar
Mandatory Courses
Elective Courses
Course Registration
Please see our 2023-2024 Module Schedule (PDF, 113KB) (Last Updated August 22, 2023) and register using the following guidelines:
Chemistry Students: Modules and Course Registrations - Chemistry Grad Platform (queensu.ca)
Students in other Departments: Please follow the instructions provided by your home department.
Registration Deadlines
Fall Course Registration Deadline Thursday, October 5th
Winter Course Registration Deadline Monday, February 5th
Courses offered by cross-disciplinary departments:
- Chemical Engineering
- Biology
- Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy
- Biomedical and Molecular Sciences
- Environment Studies
- Mathematics
- Civil Engineering
- Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Royal Military College (RMC)
For a list of all courses across campus, please visit the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs academic calendar
Mandatory Courses
Expand to see the description, location, and time for each course.
Mandatory courses are courses that all chemistry graduate students are required to take based on their graduate program in chemistry. Students are automatically registered for their mandatory courses and do not need to include them on an academic change form.
An introduction to safety procedures and the safe handling of chemical compounds and equipment in the laboratory. This non-credit course is required for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering students. All other members of the Chemistry department are welcome to attend. Students must attend all lectures and exam.
Class #1: TBA 6:00 - 9:00 pm in CHE 117
Class #2: TBA 6:00 - 9:00 pm in CHE 117
Class #3: TBA 6:00 - 9:00 pm in CHE 117
Class #4: TBA 6:00 - 9:00 pm in CHE 117
Exam: TBD
Coordinator
Based on the regular departmental seminar program offered during the fall, winter and summer, this non-credit course is to be taken every year by all graduate students. As part of this course M.Sc. and Ph.D. students must attend a minimum number of departmental seminars. In addition, Ph.D. students will present one seminar on their research prior to their thesis submission.
To achieve a PASS in the Seminar Series, students must maintain an attendance record of 75% at regular departmental seminars, including named and distinguished lecture series. Seminar attendance is monitored using sign-in attendance sheets. Students with legitimate excuses and/or teaching conflicts will not be penalized for missing seminars. Furthermore, students will be credited for seminars attended in other departments which may be relevant to their research (typically in physics, biochemistry, environmental science, etc.) To obtain a seminar credit, a student must provide a note signed by the seminar coordinator of the other department. Students who do not attend the required 75% of the departmental seminars will obtain an "incomplete". In the subsequent terms, the students who have attended less than 75% of the seminars will have to attend more seminars in the following terms so that a minimum attendance is accomplished for any past terms where an incomplete grade was assigned in addition to 75% attendance for the current term.
Coordinator
Principles of scientific verbal and written communication in Chemistry. Topics include computer literature searching, scientific writing techniques (for research reports, journal manuscripts, and theses), oral and poster conference presentations, and communication skills as teaching assistantships. Assignments will include completion of online course modules on scientific communication from MyGradSkills.ca.
Lectures: Fridays 1:30 - 3:00 PM in CHE 117
Note: This is a twelve-week module that is scheduled from September to December (2 module credit)
Instructor
Elective Courses
Expand to see the description and instructor information for the courses offered in 2023-2024. Please contact the course instructor for location and times prior to the first day of classes.
All of our chemistry courses run on a 6 week schedule unless otherwise noted.
Courses marked with ** are modules offered concurrent with fourth year courses. Students are allowed to take only two of these 800 level courses throughout their graduate program for credit.
Courses marked with *** are modules that are considered outside of the Department of Chemistry and may require the instructors approval.
Reminder: Chemistry graduate students are required to take six (6) elective 1.5 unit modules, or equivalent of three (3) full term courses (9.0 units), past their Bachelor's degree. At least four (4) must relate to the student's core research and be from courses offered by the chemistry or a cognate department. The remaining two (2) modules can be courses that may not necessarily relate to the core research but would be beneficial or of interest to the student (i.e. CHEM 904 Science Leadership and Management).
Fall 1 Courses - Begin September 5, 2023
Fall Mid-term Break: October 10th to 13th; Classes may or may not be scheduled, please speak with instructor to confirm
Dilute polymer solutions and phase separation behaviour. Polymer characterization including vapour pressure lowering, ebulliometry, osmometry, viscometry, gel permeation chromatography, light scattering and ultracentrifuge methods.
Instructor
Enzyme mechanisms and inhibition, catalytic antibodies, stereochemical and other biological probes. Phosphoryl group transfer reactions.
Instructor
The Science Leadership and Management course will be delivered over twelve 3-hour sessions to Chemistry and Physics students in either of the first two years of their PhD studies (or other graduate students with permission from the course coordinator and supervisor). The first and last four-week sessions will focus on the develop and application of leadership skills, and the second four-week session will focus on the development of management skills, that are useful in scientific positions in industry and academia.
Note: This is a twelve-week Pass/Fail module that is scheduled from September to December.
Enrolment Deadline: September 18th (unless has permission from instructor)
Instructor
Coordinator
This multidisciplinary course main objective is to learn about the social and scientific concepts behind CO2 utilization. The participants will learn the basic chemistry of CO2 and the current ways to sequester and use CO2 at the laboratory and industrial scales. They will also learn about the impact of CO2 on society and climate change, the economic advantages of CO2 utilization and the legal and political aspects related to this modern challenge.
This online course will consist of 13 lectures of 2-3 hours given by specialists in the field of CO2 utilization. They are members and collaborators of the CREATE center on CO2 utilization and are professors in chemistry, chemical engineering, geological engineering, economy and law.
Enrolment Deadline: September 18th
Coordinator
The theory and practice of scanning probe techniques, including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) and related techniques. Applications to modern research in surface and interfacial chemistry.
Instructor
Fall 2 Courses - Begin October 23, 2023
A survey of materials characterisation methods with an emphasis on practical applications in materials and polymer chemistry. Techniques will include electron microscopy, scanning probe methods, photoelectron & Auger spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and powder X-ray diffraction methods.
Instructor
Topics to be covered in this course include (a) luminescent/electroluminescent compounds, (b) fullerene chemistry and (c) magnetic and electronic materials
Lectures: TBA
** Student allowed to take only two of these 800 level courses throughout their graduate program. These modules will be offered concurrent with fourth year courses.
Instructor
This course is an introduction into the use of chromatographic and electrophoretic separation methods for chemical analysis. The goal of this course is to familiarize students with chromatographic and electrophoretic theory and develop a practical understanding of various chemical separation methods. Topics to be covered in detail are gas chromatography, liquid chromatography (reverse phase, hydrophilic interaction, normal phase and ion exchange), capillary electrophoresis (capillary zone electrophoresis, electrochromatography and micellar electrokinetic chromatography) as well as others.
Instructor
The theoretical background of density matrix theory and its applications in spectroscopy, particularly multi-dimensional NMR.
Instructor
Winter 1 Courses - Begin January 8, 2024
Reading Week: February 19th to 23rd; No classes scheduled
An introductory course on identification of organic and organometallic compounds using multinuclear NMR techniques. The focus will be on practical applications for those working in synthetic chemistry.
Instructor
An introduction to the field of Chemistry Education Research and related Discipline-Based Education Research. This course will explore modern learning theories, research methods, and current trends and challenges in the field, with a strong emphasis on student discussions of the literature. Students will learn how discipline-based education works, how to read and understand the literature, and what implications the field might have on their own teaching practice or research projects.
Instructor
A critical review of the current research literature with strong emphasis on student discussions and presentation. Topics are selected from recent examples in the literature and may include light-matter interactions, nanostructures, surface probe studies, computational methods and other examples in physical chemistry and molecular physics.
Instructor
A review of business skills critical for success of the technical professional in the chemical industry. Topics many include an introduction to financial accounting, organizational design, managing systems, marketing and business strategy, and planning for innovation.
Note: This course is taught in a workshop format over four evenings and includes a project which will be presented and discussed over the course of a single day. Due to the format of the course students need to attend all lectures.
Workshop Lectures: TBA
Final Presentation: TBA
Coordinator
Instructor
TBA
This course will examine the biosynthesis of major classes of natural products including polyketides, non-ribosomal peptides, terpenoids, indolocarbazoles, and alkaloids. Focus will be given to the mechanisms of the biosynthetic enzymes. Strategies for discovering new natural products as well as engineering existing pathways to create new compounds will also be considered.
Prerequisite: CHEM880
Instructor
Introductory solid state theory from the chemist's perspective: free electron metals, Bloch functions and LCAO description and solids. Experimental determination of band structure using photoelectron spectroscopy. Application to material properties such as conductivity, superconductivity, and semiconductors.
Instructor
Topics selected from relativistic electron theory, scattering theory, quantum field theory, wavepacket dynamics, approximation methods, semiclassical limits, and tunnelling.
Exclusions: CHEM930; CHEM933
Instructor
A detailed description of the technique, means of circumventing its limitations and expanding its capabilities. Examples of applications, including environmental analysis.
Instructor
A multi-disciplinary graduate course on the principles of micro/nanofabrication. It aims to help students from a broad range of sciences gain perspective on techniques, tools, and strategies for the micro/nanofabrication of devices for a variety of applications. The course will feature hands-on experience at NanoFabrication Kingston, the cleanroom and nanofabrication facility at Queen's.
Note: This is a twelve-week module that is scheduled from January to April (2 module credit)
Prerequiste: Permission of the instructor
Instructor
Winter 2 Courses - Begin February 26, 2024
Advanced methods for the identification of organic and organometallic compounds using multinuclear NMR techniques. The focus will be on practical applications for those working in synthetic chemistry.
Prerequisite: CHEM805
Instructor
Specific properties of polymer (glass transition, crystallinity, poly-dispersity, etc.) and their dependence on macromolecular structure and isomerism.
Instructor
A review of the basic reactions involving transition metal catalysts in transformations of organic compounds. Fundamental reactions such as oxidative addition, reductive elimination, migratory insertions and transmetallations will be covered. Different types of ligands and their bonding properties will also be covered. Reactions of importance to organic chemistry including hydrogenations, oxidations, cross coupling reactions, metathesis and other pertinent reactions will be covered.
Lectures: TBA
** Student allowed to take only two of these 800 level courses throughout their graduate program. These modules will be offered concurrent with fourth year courses.
Instructor
A discussion of some modern methods used in organic synthesis with an emphasis on stereoselective reactions; illustrations of the value and scope of the methods and applications in the synthesis of complex molecules.
Lectures: TBA
** Student allowed to take only two of these 800 level courses throughout their graduate program. These modules will be offered concurrent with fourth year courses.