MacLachlan Group

Prospective Students

We are actively seeking motivated students who are interested in materials and supramolecular chemistry. Students interested in both the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees are encouraged to apply—there is no application fee! Students may enrol in the organic or inorganic program.

New graduate students may start at any time of the year; however most start in September or January. The first year consists primarily of course work in both degree programs, though students are expected to begin research work concurrently. Classes are chosen in consultation with Dr. MacLachlan based on the area of interest of the student, the project they are working on, and their background. These may include courses within the department (organic, inorganic, physical, analytical, materials, polymer) or in another department.

Students entering in the M.Sc. program may switch to the Ph.D. program during the first summer, provided they meet the required standards for entry into the Ph.D. program. After classes end in April, students in both degree programs spend their time exclusively on research work until completion of their thesis work. The time required for completion of the degrees varies; however it is typically 2-2½ years for a M.Sc. thesis and 4-5 years for a Ph.D. thesis.

It is expected that students in our group will learn a wide variety of synthetic and physical methods. For example, they will learn techniques of organic synthesis and purification, inorganic coordination chemistry, sol-gel chemistry, air-sensitive Schlenk techniques, and glovebox use, depending on the project. Extensive equipment is available for hands-on use by graduate students, both inside and outside of the department. Students will emerge from the projects with a good grasp of valuable synthetic and analytical techniques, and the ability to develop and solve chemistry problems in materials science.

Prof. Mark MacLachlan

Department of Chemistry
University of British Columbia
2036 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6T 1Z1

Office: E322
Phone: (604) 822-3070
Fax: (604) 822-2847
Email: mmaclach@chem.ubc.ca

Labs: E219/E413