This one-semester course is designed to teach the student fundamental analytical techniques, which are required for satisfactory performance in any laboratory-related work.  Techniques taught include proper use of the analytical balance, proper pipetting techniques, use of the buret, transferring solutions, use of the pH meter and the spectrophotometer.  The course consists of 1 lecture hour and 2 lab hours.

This one semester introductory chemistry course includes weekly three hour lectures and three hour laboratory sessions.  The lectures deal with the theoretical aspects of chemical principles, whereas the laboratory relates to the practical applications of chemistry and the development of the necessary ‘hands on’ basic techniques and skills. Topics discussed in the lectures include matter, atomic structure, chemical bonding, nomenclature, chemical formulae, the mole, stoichiometry and chemical reactions.  An emphasis is placed on developing problem solving skills, which relies, to an extent, on an appropriate mathematical background.  The laboratory sessions include a topic on lab safety and safe procedures and practices are continually stressed throughout the semester.  The experiments involve sample preparation, use of the analytical balance, solution preparation and standardization, analysis of samples by various procedures, the use of glassware and the use of simple instrumentation (Spec.20, pH meters).

Today’s employers give preference to job candidates who are team players with strong verbal communication skills. This course will help students find their voice and develop their ability to work in teams, giving them the competitive advantage they need in today’s job market. It will also strengthen reading comprehension, writing ability, presentation skills and computer application proficiency, all of which are skills fundamental to success in college and in the workplace.

The purpose of this course is to refresh and upgrade existing mathematical skills such as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and more.  Emphasis is placed on developing problem solving techniques by applying these math topics to related engineering problems.  Portions of this course will be spent supporting the first year Physics course PHYS 1131.  It is configured as four one hour classes per week.

This course introduces students to the concepts of kinematics, dynamics, gravity, work, energy, torque, power, momentum, circular motion, sound, light and heat through an extensive use of formulas to calculate various physical quantities within these topics.  As a result, the ability to perform algebraic manipulation is an essential skill to succeed in this course and students must also develop a firm understanding and ability to specify the correct units for all of their calculations.  

This course introduces chemical and environmental students to computerized engineering drawing, which is a technical skill required in their field. Students will prepare applicable drawings. The applications and use of these drawings will be discussed and highlighted during the course.

This course analyses the static forces and moments that are created in a variety if structures due to externally applied forces.  Classroom examples will focus on problems commonly encountered within the industrial workplace and problems will concentrate on static solutions where the body is both stationary and rigid.  It is assumed that students possess an understanding of algebra and trigonometry before attempting this subject and emphasis is placed on a problem solving approach using mathematical and calculator methods combined with free body diagrams and sketches.

This course is a continuation of Chemistry I (CHEM 1131), and consists of two hours of lecture and a three hour lab session per week.  The lectures deal with the theoretical aspects of chemical principles; whereas the lab relates to the practical applications of the science of chemistry and the development of the necessary basic skills required.  Labs are designed around analysis of samples, with emphasis placed on accuracy. Topics discussed in the lectures include: periodic properties of elements, chemical bonding, intermolecular forces, properties of solutions, equibria and acid base chemistry.  Emphasis is placed on problem solving skills development, especially with respect to solution chemistry.  The laboratory sessions include a topic on lab safety and experiments involving sample preparation, use of the analytical balance, solution preparation and standardization, analysis of samples by various procedures (volumetric, gravimetric, etc.), the use of glassware, the use of simple instrumentation (spec 20, pH meters, etc.) 

Technical Communication is the “art and science of making complex technical information accessible, usable and relevant to most people in most settings.”  This course reinforces and expands on technical communication skills introduced in first semester, which students will require in the workplace. Students will learn to select and use appropriate research, language, and layout for different technical documents, while further developing their written and verbal communication skills and their ability to work in a team.

This is the second of the two first year mathematics courses.  Students develop problem solving skills by applying topics of study to related practical problems.  Topics of study include: quadratic equations; systems of linear equations in two and three unknowns; trigonometric functions; exponents and radicals; direct and indirect variation; complex numbers; sequences; exponents and logarithms; and analytical geometry.  It is configured as four one hour classes per week.

This is a one semester course designed to introduce the student to the basic concepts of organic chemistry.  This course is designed to familiarize the student with organic chemical structures, functional groups, nomenclature and basic physical properties and reactions of organic compounds.

The course serves as an introduction to analytical methods and their applications.  Sample preparation, method selection, techniques, calculations and data handling are addressed as they apply to different types of chemical analysis.  This course introduces the chemical principles behind gravimetric and volumetric methods of analysis.  Problem-solving is strongly emphasized.  The laboratory portion of this course emphasizes good laboratory technique and practices.  Accuracy and precision of analytical results as well as documentation and presentation of laboratory results are evaluated.

This is a one-semester theory course (two hours/week) designed to extend students’ knowledge into methods of instrumental analysis. Students are introduced to basic spectrographic and chromatographic instrumental concepts and applications, including interpretation of analytical results. This theory course is followed by a lab practical course in the following semester.

Students apply the principles of calculus to technical problem solving. Topics in differential calculus include; limits, rates of change, maxima, minima, points of inflection, related rates and optimization. Topics in integral calculus include; motion, area and volume. Basic rules for differentiation and integration are taught.

The goal of this course is two-fold.  Primarily it assists students in developing a well planned and organized job search plan. In order to accomplish this, students develop professional cover letters, resumes, portfolios and career action plans. The second goal of this course is to introduce students to subject matter which will assist them to meet today’s workforce challenges. An introduction of Organizational Behaviour is explored including; Understanding and working with management to attain company and career goals, working and communicating in a team environment, functioning and managing stress in today’s workplace and understanding why organizational change and development take place.

Fluid mechanics is the technology concerned with the fundamentals of fluid properties, fluid pressure, hydrostatic forces on surfaces, buoyancy, fluid flow, flow measurement, and both major and minor losses associated with fluid flow in piping systems.

This course is a continuation of Organic Chemistry 1 (ORGN 1131) and will assume a basic background in Organic Chemistry.  The skills developed in ORGN 1131 (nomenclature and reactions) will be reviewed and explored in greater depth.  Reaction mechanisms will be used to classify organic reactions as well as serve to predict the products of reactions.  These principles will be used to explain the important reactions of each functional group.  An emphasis will be placed on organic chemical problem-solving skills in both synthetic and qualitative organic analysis.  The use of spectroscopic techniques to identify organic compounds will be addressed.  The laboratory portion of this course emphasizes the techniques of Organic Chemistry (distillation, reflux, extraction, re-crystallization, chromatography, etc.), adding to and reinforcing the lab skills developed in first year.

This is an introductory physical chemistry course studying the underlying principles that govern the properties and behaviour of chemical systems.  Physical chemistry illustrates the establishment and development of underlying physical principles that govern the properties and behaviour of chemical systems.  Its concepts are used to explain and interpret observations on the physical and chemical properties of matter in its various states (gas, liquid and solid).  Physical chemistry is essential for developing and interpreting the modern techniques used to determine the structure and properties of matter

This is a continuation of Analytical Chemistry I.  Various volumetric methods are studied (acid/base, redox, complexation).  More advanced concepts and theory are examined as they deal with each type of analysis.  This course also serves as an introduction to instrumental analysis, addressing both electrochemical and spectroscopic methods from an analytical perspective.  Problem solving is strongly emphasized.  The laboratory portion of this course emphasizes good laboratory technique and practices.  Accuracy and precision of analytical results as well as documentation and presentation of laboratory results are evaluated.

This is a one-semester laboratory course (Two hours/week).  Students will apply the theoretical knowledge gained from INST 2134 and run experimental analysis on various spectrographic and chromatographic instruments including, but not limited to:  GC, HPLC, IR, UVVIS, and AA.

This course provides a thorough review of environmental protection legislation and regulations at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. It also covers public attitudes and a brief history of key environmental issues and incidents that helped shape current environmental legislation. The Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act, the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act, the Nutrient Management Act, the Ontario Water Resources Act, the Environmental Bill of Rights, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Green Energy Act and the Water Opportunities Act, among others, are introduced along with some of the key regulations.  The important regulations are examined in greater depth in subsequent courses.

This course focuses on the chemistry of industrial applications.  Related topics focus primarily on chemical kinetics (rates of reaction), electrochemistry and inorganic chemistry.

This course will introduce students to the fundamental legal principles applicable to businesses in Canada.  Students will gain an understanding of the Canadian Legal System, Dispute Resolution, Contract Law, Business Torts, Property Law, Employment Law, Intellectual Property Law, as well as the key distinctions between Civil and Criminal Law.  Students will examine the legal theory in a practical manner through case scenarios and case analyses.

Thermodynamics is the science of the conversion of heat energy from available sources into other energy forms and mechanical work. Thermodynamics investigates the relationship between heat, work, and system’s properties. The basic concepts of thermodynamics and their application to engineering problems are introduced. The course includes a study of terminology, properties of a system, processes, ideal gas laws and an introduction to thermodynamics cycles.  

In this course, the basic principles of chromatographic instruments and methods are presented.  The types of chromatographic separations and the associated terminology are examined.  The applications of thin layer chromatography are addressed, along with the basic applications and types of column chromatography.  The information present in a typical chromatogram is described and some fundamental calculations performed.  After looking at basic concepts, a brief overview of two of the more commonly used instruments, HPLC and GC, is presented.  The basic components of both are described.  The use of chromatography as both a qualitative and quantitative instrument is addressed.  Chromatographic methods and method validation are described.  This course serves as a prerequisite to Chromatography II, in which more detail is presented regarding the instrumentation and applications of chromatographic methods.  The laboratory component of this course allows students to receive practical hands-on training on the HPLC, IC and GC and to apply the theory presented in lecture.

Placement is considered an important part as a technologist’s education, and student are required to obtain a minimum of 80 hours on the job placement in their chosen field and 5 hours of required workshops. There is no formal set of topics of instruction for placement but it must provide the student with practical experience in their chosen field. Each placement will be different as there will be a variety of organizations participating.

Students may achieve their placement requirement in various ways by completing one of the following:

1. A summer position after second year related to their field of study.
2. Working one day a week during the fall or winter academic school year.
3. Working during a block period of time such as the Christmas break, Reading week or in May after all courses work is completed.
4. Completing an internship for 4,8,12 or 16 months.
5. Applying for a prior work experience with proper approval and documentation.

Placement is approached as an actual job, with students attending interviews and being selected for positions by the employer. Students are to perform as technologists in training. A satisfactory completion is mandatory in order to graduate from Durham College.

Elective general education courses appear in your program of study as GNED 0000. This is called a “placeholder.” This placeholder is replaced by an actual course that you will select from a list of available "elective" general education courses when you register in the relevant semester.

Please note that the type and number of elective courses available will vary from semester to semester and from year to year.

Please visit the General Education website for more information.

Students examine various industrial processes and review the fundamental principles of unit operations in physical and chemical change.  The focus is on material and energy balance in terms of chemical conversion as well as new process technologies.

Students study the key aspects of industrial waste management and pollution prevention programs. Topics include the definition of industrial waste; the sources and types and classification of industrial waste (Reg 347); the regulatory requirements for industrial and hazardous treatment and handling; waste minimization practices and a comprehensive coverage of the primary waste treatment and emission control technologies.  Applicable regulations relating to waste management are studied along with the introduction of the Waste Diversion Act.

This course focuses on the use of spectroscopic instruments in both qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis.  The emphasis in this course is on the use of spectroscopic instruments (AAS, FES, GFAA, ICP, UV/VIS, fluorometry, IR, NMR, MS, XRF, etc.) in the quantitative analysis of bio-molecules, organic compounds and inorganic chemicals.  These instruments will be addresses with regards to instrumentation, methods, sample preparation, applications and calculations.  The application of these instruments to common analytical procedures will be stressed.  Spectroscopy I consists of both a lecture and laboratory component.  In the lab, the students will be given extensive hands-on experience with a variety of spectroscopic instruments (AAS, FES, UV/VIS, fluorometry, IR, NIR).

This course deals with basic statistics for technical personnel and some of the topics in statistical process control (SPC). Students will learn to describe data graphically and numerically; how probability applies to statistics and quality control; normal, binomial, and Poisson probability distributions. They will also study linear regression and correlation. Students will then learn how to apply statistics to process control, including how to use and interpret various control charts for variables and attributes.

This course continues and expands upon the concepts presented in Chromatography I.  A more detailed examination of the instrumentation and components used in HPLC, GC and IC is presented.  Sample preparation is examined along with the methods and applications of each instrument.  Troubleshooting strategies are presented and discussed for both HPLC and GC systems and chromatograms.  Other chromatographic systems (GC-MS, HPLC-MS, CE, SFC) will also be addressed.  Validation of chromatographic instruments is presented.  The laboratory component of this course allows the students to receive practical hands-on training on the HPLC, IC and GC and to apply the theory presented in lecture.

Placement is considered an important part as a technologist’s education, and student are required to obtain a minimum of 80 hours on the job placement in their chosen field and 5 hours of required workshops. There is no formal set of topics of instruction for placement but it must provide the student with practical experience in their chosen field. Each placement will be different as there will be a variety of organizations participating.

Students may achieve their placement requirement in various ways by completing one of the following:

1. A summer position after second year related to their field of study.
2. Working one day a week during the fall or winter academic school year.
3. Working during a block period of time such as the Christmas break, Reading week or in May after all courses work is completed.
4. Completing an internship for 4,8,12 or 16 months.
5. Applying for a prior work experience with proper approval and documentation.

Placement is approached as an actual job, with students attending interviews and being selected for positions by the employer. Students are to perform as technologists in training. A satisfactory completion is mandatory in order to graduate from Durham College.

This combined lecture laboratory course provides students with a basic knowledge of general properties of materials including how the atoms and molecules are arranged. (SRO, LRO) Understanding these concepts leads to proficiency in materials selection. With the focus on metals, polymers and ceramics students will examine materials imperfections and mechanical properties as well as methods for preventing degradation such as cathodic protection.

The course begins with a study of the structure of the nucleus. Students examine alpha, beta and gamma radiation, as well as study radioactive decay. Other topics include power production, fission, fusion, industrial uses, nuclear medicine, radiation hazards, detectors and radiation measurement.

This is a one semester course covering various aspects of, and differences between, quality control and quality assurance.  Focussing on the fact that qualtiy has become a priority for many companies and many are certified to some type of quality standard.  A brief history of the development of qualtiy concepts will be covered, various quality standards will be studied along with quality measurables, problem solving techniques and contiunuous improvement.

This course addresses spectroscopic methods of analysis.  In particular, the application of these methods to the identification and structural analyses of organic compounds will be emphasized.  Infrared, ultraviolet, visible, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopy will be looked at in terms of basic theory, sampling, data collection, spectral evaluation and interpretation.  Correlation tables will be used to predict and identify the structure of a variety of organic compounds using spectra alone and in combination.  The laboratory component of this course provides hands-on experience using infrared, ultraviolet/visible, and atomic absorption, emission and fluorometry spectroscopies in addition to a number of other instrumental methods.