profile evaluation for Chemistry PHD in Canada

[ahmed.samy]

- bachelor of Pharmacy in 2016 ( percentage 90% )

- 1 year teaching assistant in Chemistry and Biomedical science 

- english : ielts (7)

- GRE : 320 (quantitative : 164 , verbal : 156)

- national chemistry Olympiad Winner in 2010 , participated in international chemistry Olympiad in 2011

- research experience : 1) Material science project on nanoparticles used for anticancer treatment ( 6 months and still working)

                                        2) Drug design 2-month project on Discovery studio and MOE 

- many activities in college : student union scientific committee Co-head and other positions.

 

Is this enough to get me a PHD offer in Alberta , waterloo or British columbia ? I also consider to enter GRE Chemistry exam or that is not necessary ?

[ahmed.samy]

why no answer ?!!!!!!!!!

[samman1994]

Sorry man, don't really know much about their Chemistry programs; however if you only have a BS, PhD programs in Canada require a minimum of a MA. 

[Eigen]

4 hours ago, samman1994 said:

Sorry man, don't really know much about their Chemistry programs; however if you only have a BS, PhD programs in Canada require a minimum of a MA. 

Not true for chemistry, or at least not a universal requirement. McGill's program does direct admit with a BS, I know, and I'm pretty sure others do as well. 

[samman1994]

2 hours ago, Eigen said:

Not true for chemistry, or at least not a universal requirement. McGill's program does direct admit with a BS, I know, and I'm pretty sure others do as well. 

It appears it isn't universal, but common for most canadian schools For example, university of toronto you can, but university of waterloo and university of british columbia you can't (for international students). These are both for chemistry programs. 

Waterloo-  https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies-academic-calendar/science/department-chemistry/doctor-philosophy-phd-chemistry

UBC- https://www.grad.ubc.ca/country/united-states

 

[ahmed.samy]

i contacted UBC and they say i can admit with bachelor to PHD program

[Eigen]

Waterloo:

• A student is eligible to apply for direct admission to the PhD in Chemistry - Co-operative program if they have a first class Honours Bachelor of Science degree, or the equivalent, and is a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant. Course requirements are reduced by 1 course for students admitted directly to the PhD program from a Bachelor of Science (BSc).

So not all bachelors, but definitely not a hard requirement of an MS. As to the immigrant status... The MS as an admission req mentions domestic students only as well, so I'm guessing it's confusingly written. 

For UBC, you're looking at the college wide page, not the chemistry program. UBCs chemistry program does direct admit. 

https://www.chem.ubc.ca/graduate-admissions

[samman1994]

Oh snap, then I might look into applying for Biochem then! I thought I needed a MA just like Europe or China

[ahmed.samy]

Does GRE Chemistry has an impact on application ?

[Eigen]

7 minutes ago, ahmed.samy said:

Does GRE Chemistry has an impact on application ?

Everything has an impact, it's hard to gauge exactly how much impact it will have, or whether the time/effort is worthwhile. 

In general, the most important part of a chemistry graduate application is showing that you're a capable researcher and your research experience and interests fit the group you're applying to. This is why some universities prefer applicants with post-baccalaureate experience- research or a degree. It shows that you have more time in the lab and are going to be able to "hit the ground running" when you start. 

Grades and GRE mean (relatively) little- they show you'll be able to handle the coursework, but that's a pretty low bar to pass. A PhD is a research degree, and your preparation for research is the key factor to getting in. 

It makes profile evaluations really difficult, because none of us are in a position to evaluate your research- you've done several projects, but not more than a year of total work, although it will be more by the time you graduate. We also don't know how deeply you were involved in those projects- did you direct them, or were you just working on them? Did you contribute to the design and planning?

For comparison, my undergraduates that I consider competitive for top positions have (usually) at least 3 or 4 full-time summers of research experience, where they are active in designing the projects they work on. Most also have experience during the semester, some up to 2-3 full years of work. Granted, I'm at a really good institution and most of my students go on to top PhD programs. 

The other key component that none of us can guess at are your letters- ideally, they'll speak to your ability to walk into a lab and start producing quality data in a self-directed fashion, because that's what most PhD advisors in chemistry want. 

[ahmed.samy]

thank you for this information.