Scientific Computing Collaborative Specialization

A Collaborative Specialization is an intra-university graduate field of study that provides an additional multidisciplinary experience for students enrolled in and completing the degree requirements for an approved Master’s or PhD program. The degree conferred is that of the home program, and the completion of the Collaborative Specialization is indicated by a transcript notation indicating the additional specialization that has been attained (e.g., PhD in Physics with specialization in Scientific Computing). 

Scientific Computing: Symbolic computation, numerical methods and analysis, computer algebra systems, geometric and algebraic algorithms. Scientific Computing is the study of algorithms and their implementations for computations involving data or mathematical symbols as well as numbers. Our Scientific Computing Group has contributed to the development of Maple, LAMMPS and R, software packages used in various areas of pure and applied mathematics, and statistics. 

Managing Department

  • Physics & Astronomy

Participating Programs

  • Applied Mathematics, Astronomy, Biology, Biochemistry, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Neuroscience, Physics, Statistics

Program Length

  • Variable

Admission Requirements

  • Current enrolment in a participating graduate program at Western University.
  • Permission of home department supervisor to participate in the Collaborative Specialization.
  • Supervisor must be an associated faculty member or be willing to become associated with the specialization.

Degree Requirements (Masters) 

  • Active participation in the Scientific Computing seminar series. 
  • The course requirements of the Home Department’s MSc program. 
  • Two approved 0.5HCE in computational science.  Typically, one of these courses is Scientific Computing 9502 (see below). One of these courses can be double counted towards both the home MSc degree and the Scientific Computing Collaborative Program (as approved by the student’s Advisory Committee and Home department). 
  • An MSc thesis or Research Project (depending on the home department) with a significant component of scientific computation. 
  • Attendance at the SHARCnet/Compute Canada Summer School. 

Degree Requirements (PhD)

  • Successful completion of the MSc program requirements (which can be done concurrently with the PhD degree). 
  • Active Participation in the Scientific Computing seminar series. 
  • A PhD thesis with a significant component of scientific computation. 
  • Attendance at the SHARCnet/Compute Canada Summer School. Students must attend for a second summer even if the summer school was attended during the MSc degree. 

Funding Information

  • The Collaborative Specialization does not provide additional funding beyond what the student receives through their home department.

Directors

  • Prof. Gonca Erdemci-Tandogan, Physics & Astronomy (gerdemci@uwo.ca) 
  • Prof. Aaron Sigut, Physics & Astronomy (asigut@uwo.ca) 
  • Administrative Assistant: Brian Davis (bdavis66@uwo.ca)