Preparation for Graduate Studies
Students completing a Specialized Honours degree are eligible for entry into a Graduate Studies program (MSc or PhD), here at York or elsewhere, provided they meet the admission requirements of their university of choice. Currently, a minimum B average (gpa of 5.5 or more on York’s 9-point scale) in the 3rd and 4th years of study is required at York University, and a B+ average is preferred for research-based post-graduate programs. However, students accepted into the York Chemistry graduate program most frequently have higher incoming averages.
Honours Major, Major/Minor or Double Major graduates are in principle admissible to graduate programs in interdisciplinary fields or in their Major(s), especially if they take the CHEM 4000 or BCHM 4000 course. In some cases, additional courses in the chosen field may be necessary to better prepare the candidate, depending on course selection in the BSc program and the graduate program area of specialization. Frequently, however, such courses can be used to fulfil part of the graduate degree requirements.
Accredited Chemistry Degrees
The Specialized Honours degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry are fully accredited by the Canadian Society for Chemistry (CSC).
Accreditation of a Chemistry or Biochemistry program by the CSC implies to other professional chemists that the program meets certain minimum educational criteria and has the potential to prepare graduates to practice their profession in a competent scientific manner. Thus, the CSC requires a minimum number of courses in each sub-discipline, a number of cognate courses and a minimum number of instructional laboratory hours.
In Alberta and Quebec, practicing chemists are licensed by professional bodies under provincial government mandates, and obtaining a license requires an adequate academic preparation, a requirement that a CSC-accredited program satisfies. The Association of Professional Chemists of Ontario is seeking similar licensing for chemists practicing in Ontario.
Accreditations are reviewed every five years by external examiners. Only some of our degree programs are meant to be CSC-accredited.