Professional development

Bringing out the best in every one of our students

Our goal is to provide graduate students with a professional and academic environment that enables them to do outstanding work. We accomplish this in many ways beyond stipends or grants, by creating a collegial, creative learning space, with accessible mentoring and practical work experiences.

Teaching assistantships

Graduate students are assigned Teaching Assistant (TA) duties at Dalhousie University during their program. The department recently revamped its undergraduate education program, authoring its own books, videos and study guides. It’s a unique and forward-thinking approach to teaching chemistry.

• MSc degree: Requires a total of 270 hours of TA experience
• PhD degree: Requires a total of 360 hours of TA experience

Teaching assignments depend on undergraduate enrolments and the experience of the graduate students. Normal TA assignments include: 

• Serving as a part-time chemistry academic, as a chemistry lab instructor assistant or demonstrator
• Marker for laboratory and lecture assessments (lab reports, quizzes, tests and final examinations)
• Tutorial leader
• Invigilator for tests and final examinations
• One-on-one tutor in the Resource Centre

The academic program includes a teaching assistant position in an undergraduate course for 180 hours in the first year.

Departmental seminars

Our lecture series connects students with first-rate scholars from around the world.

• Invited speakers: Seminars presented by invited speakers from outside Dalhousie usually take place Friday afternoon, and there are opportunities for students to meet the invited speakers for more in-depth discussion.
• The Walter J. Chute Lecture Series brings eminent researchers to present annual lectures. Chute Lecturers are often Nobel Laureates, or in other cases, the Department has anticipated future winners of chemistry's top prizes.
• The Carl C. Coffin Lectures are given annually by graduates of the Department of Chemistry who have distinguished themselves in their careers since leaving Dalhousie University

Graduate student seminars

Every graduate students must deliver at least one Departmental Graduate Student Seminar.

• CHEM 5509: a seminar on a topic unrelated to the student’s research. Every graduate student must deliver on such seminar.
• CHEM 6509: a seminar by a PhD student that presents the research accomplished toward the PhD degree