Physics (MSc, PhD)

Active Faculty Researchers

All faculty who teach in this program are active researchers and most participate in leading-edge experimental collaborations with international reputation. Common skills among the experimentalists are data analysis, computing methods (detector simulations and others), expertise in subatomic physics electronics and tools, and statistical analysis.

Research Opportunities

Our research opportunities involve travel to large accelerator facilities in Canada, USA, Europe and Japan. Students may be stationed there from a week to a few months, depending on the project. Students participate in experiments in a hands-on capacity along the entire lifetime of an experiment: its design, optimization, building of components, testing, debugging, collecting and analyzing data.  Theoretical students learn advanced mathematics and computational skills.

Physics Student Society (PSS)

As a member of the Physics Student Society, you will gain:

• Access to society events, such as movie/game nights
• Access to our Slack and Discord channels, where we discuss T-shirt designs, picks for movie nights, homework, general physics, etc.
• The option to order one of our annual commemorative T-shirts

International Labs and Research Centres

Apart from the local labs, which are very well-equipped and serve as building and testing sites for detector components, graduate students also work on-site in international research centres, such as CERN, Fermilab, Jefferson Lab, Brookhaven, Super-Kamiokande and TRIUMF.

More Time with Your Instructor

The Physics department is small, which makes it possible to treat each student with attention and encouragement in a personalized way. The Department offers a wide range of subatomic physics projects, due to the research concentration of most faculty. Our international collaborations allow students to participate in cutting-edge research and gain exposure to scientists from around the world (and their cultures) while enjoying the benefits of being members of a small department. 

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships provide our graduate students with hands-on experience mentoring and supervising undergraduate students, which are transferable skills they can use in careers in industry or government where teamwork is common. This work also provides students with opportunities to further develop their presenting skills.

Internships

Many of our students work on projects that are co-funded by industry partners, and additional funds can be obtained for some projects to enable students to participate in industry internship projects (e.g., MITACs Accelerate internships).

Students gain practical, industry-applicable skills through these experiences. These internships provide students the opportunity to build their resume with work experience in an industry setting, network with people working in their field, and gain experience in subfields of geoscience to help them with decision-making about their career post-graduation. Some of these jobs also lead to full-time positions after graduation.

Community Service Learning and Volunteer Opportunities

Many of our graduate students volunteer with our departmental community outreach activities. Here, they meet with elementary or high school students or community organizations to share Earth science-related activities with them and spread the word on our programs. Graduate students who participate in these activities gain experience fielding geoscience questions from a lay audience, and gain logistical planning experience preparing for these events. Some of our graduate students also organize events with the local student chapter of the Society of Economic Geology, including field trips within western Canada; again, this builds their practical logistical planning skills which are valuable as they transition into jobs in industry or government.

Specialized Labs, Equipment, and Resources

The department has research laboratory space providing faculty and graduate students access to a variety of specialized equipment and resources.

Research Laboratories

• Geofluids Research Lab
• Sedimentary Basin Studies and Geomodeling Research Lab
• Precambrian Geology Research Lab
• Quaternary Geology and Paleoecology Research Lab
• Sedimentary Geochemistry Research Lab
• Solid Earth Studies Lab
• Environmental Geochemistry and Interfaces Lab
• Geomicrobiology Lab

Research Facilities

• Cold-Cathodoluminescence for Optical Microscope
• Fluid Inclusion Heating-Freezing Stages
• Petrographic Microscopes and Imaging Systems
• Raman Spectroscopy
• Epifluorescence microscope
• Rock Sample Preparation Facility (Cutting, Grinding and Milling)
• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) - Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS)
• SEM-CL Imaging and Spectrometry Facility
• Well Log Microfiche Library and Reader
• Geochemistry Laboratories
• X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD)
• X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF)
• Anaerobic glove box
• PCR machines
• Ultra-low temperature freezer

Award-winning Opportunities

• A MSc candidate in our department was awarded an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship in 2022
• A PhD candidate in our department was awarded an NSERC Canada Graduate Scholarship in 2022
• Several of our students have won prizes in the annual Saskatchewan Geological Open House since 2020