McMaster creates undergraduate program to develop a new breed of scientist

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Shad-Valley08.jpg” caption=”McMaster Shad Valley students participating in the iSci project this past summer. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Eyles.”]This time next year, 60 students will be writing exams for their classes within McMaster's new and unique Honours Integrated Science Program (iSci). The iSci program emphasizes the relationships between different areas of science and directly involves students in interdisciplinary scientific research from their first year of study to graduation.

“This new program will put into practice many of the innovative concepts linking science education and research that many leading universities are keen to adopt, but have not yet implemented,” stated John Capone, dean in the Faculty of Science.

Some universities in Canada have come close to implementing such a program. Dalhousie University and the University of British Columbia have integrated science programs but limit them to first year students only. McMaster's iSci program will allow students to develop their knowledge and skills in interdisciplinary scientific research throughout their undergraduate career. Students also have the option to specialize in an area of science they are particularly interested in and may graduate with a combined honours degree in iSci and another subject.

“We've had several inquiries as to what a student can do with an iSci degree at the end of their undergraduate studies,” says Carolyn Eyles, chair of the iSci program and professor in the School of Geography and Earth Sciences. “Students will have both specialist knowledge in their chosen field and the background to understand science in its broader context, allowing them to enter into a wide range of graduate or professional programs.”

Enrolment in the iSci program is limited to 60 high-achieving students, allowing for the application of innovative learning techniques with interdisciplinary teams of instructors in small class settings. The program will include all areas of science studied at McMaster – physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, psychology, Earth sciences and computer science. It combines classroom education with hands-on research alongside leading researchers in state-of-the-art facilities. Research collaborations and internships with government, industrial and community partners will be encouraged and research projects will address scientific issues particularly relevant to modern society.

This past summer, Eyles and the iSci instructors had the chance to see how the format of iSci would play out with 60 high school students from across Canada, who were visiting McMaster as participants in the McMaster Shad Valley program. Eyles and her team designed a special project for the students in which they had to plan a mission to Mars.

The Shad Valley students were expected to complete the one-week long interdisciplinary project in much the same way as future iSci students – albeit simplified due to the condensed time frame – using different aspects of science to solve the problem at hand.

The reactions from the students were encouraging, as many cited they enjoyed the interdisciplinary nature of the program and the fact that research will be a focus throughout all four years.

Students interested in the iSci program at McMaster must submit an application through OUAC and complete a mandatory on-line supplementary application form. For more information, please visit www.science.mcmaster.ca/isci/.