Apr 20, 2024  
University of Alberta Calendar 2022-2023 
    
University of Alberta Calendar 2022-2023 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Doctor of Philosophy (Chemical and Materials Engineering)


The Department offers PhD degrees with specializations in Chemical Engineering, Process Control, and Materials Engineering.

Program Requirements


Students must successfully complete seven courses (20.0 units) and a thesis.

Coursework (20.0 units)


  • Six 3-unit courses which must be approved by the Associate Chair (Graduate).
    • At least three courses must be 600-level or higher courses in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering. The following courses are considered to be equivalent to 600-level CME courses:
    • The remaining three courses must be at the 500-level or higher in the Faculty of Engineering, or be at the 400-level or higher in a Science department. Science courses at the 400-level must be approved by the Associate Chair (Graduate). The following courses are considered to be equivalent to 500-level Engineering courses:
    • Students specializing in Materials Engineering must take MAT E 640  - Advanced Materials Thermodynamics as one of their three 600-level courses
    • Reading courses will not count towards the total course requirements.
    • Students may be eligible for a Department course exemption if they have previously completed a recognized graduate degree program at an accredited university
  • CME 600  (2 units) – Introduction to Research Methods. This course must be completed in the first year in the doctoral program.

Thesis


  • Registration in 900-level THES. Students are required to complete a thesis which embodies the results of independent research. All PhD students are required to deliver one public presentation on their research.

Candidacy Exam


The Candidacy exam must be held within 16 months of the initial registration in the program for full-time students. The research proposal must be submitted within 13 months of the initial registration in the program.

Seminar


Students are required to attend a minimum of six seminars of the D.B. Robinson Distinguished Seminar Series per academic year throughout the duration of their program. Students starting their program in January must attend at least three of these seminars in their first term. Students who miss the attendance requirement for the D.B. Robinson series will be assigned additional work.

Ethics Requirement


Engineering students must complete FGSR ethics requirements based on their programs.

Professional Development Requirement


Engineering students are required to:

  1. complete FGSR’s professional development requirement, which includes an individualized career plan document called an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and eight hours of professional development activities inspired by their career plan;
  2. complete professional development requirements specific to the Faculty of Engineering:
    1. students doing their first graduate degree in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta are required to complete an ENGG Grad PD 01 module; or,
    2. students doing their subsequent graduate degree in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Alberta who have completed ENGG 600 and/or ENGG Grad PD 01 in a previous graduate degree are required to complete four hours of professional development in the areas of communication, networking, EDI, university teaching, and career development. These hours must be included in the student’s IDP and approved by their supervisor/advisor and the department graduate coordinator

Residence Requirement


The minimum period of residence is two academic years of full-time attendance at the University of Alberta.

Academic Standing Requirement


Any graduate student who has gone directly into a PhD program after their BSc program is required to maintain a first-class standing (cumulative gpa of 3.5 out of 4.0).

Length of Program


The maximum time to complete the PhD program as set by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is six years.