Graduate students
We accept MSc and PhD applications twice a year for students to start either in the fall semester (September admission) or the winter semester (January admission). For September admission, the deadline is December 15th. For January admission, the deadline is July 15th for international applicants and September 1st for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
To apply to my research group, please apply to the McGill physics MSc or PhD programs. More information can be found here. The application needs to be submitted through the Slate system here. In the application process, there will be a step for you to choose your potential supervisors. To apply to my research group, please tick my name there.
Please note that, in general, a Master’s degree or equivalent is required to enroll in a PhD program at McGill physics. If you have or will soon have a bachelor’s degree, you would need to apply for our MSc program. The MSc program is also a research intensive program and you will be assigned a research supervisor right after the start. There are opportunities for outstanding MSc students to convert to PhD one year after enrollment. Financial support will be provided to both MSc and PhD students.
Students with relevant educational backgrounds are welcome to apply to my research group, including but not restricted to physics, applied physics, optics, photonics, and optical/electrical engineering. MSc and PhD students in my research group can either work on experiments or theory, or both.
You are welcome to contact me before submitting an application by sending your CV (clearly indicating your cumulative GPA for all stages of higher education and including a publication list if applicable) to my email: k dot wang at mcgill dot ca.
Undergraduate summer projects
Each year we offer a few summer research projects to undergraduate students. For McGill students, the list of projects will be posted here.
We also welcome outstanding non-McGill undergraduate students for summer projects. Please contact me by email to discuss the options.
We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
Frequently asked questions
Q: If I don’t receive your reply, does it mean I am not considered?
A: My apologies that it is very hard for me to reply to every email given the number of incoming emails. Sometimes a reply can be delayed because I may take time to read into more details of your materials. If you don’t hear back from me four weeks after sending your email, it means that at this moment I don’t think you have a good chance to get accepted to my research group. Please note that this is only from a relative comparison among the applicants in this period of time, based on the suitability of your study and research background to my group’s scope and the limited number of positions I can offer. It does not mean you are not a good candidate for graduate programs in general. It also does not mean you are not a good candidate for our physics graduate programs at McGill. You can still apply to our physics PhD or MSc programs by the deadline; there can be other professors that might potentially consider you.
Q: If I would like to work in your group as a graduate student, do I have to email you before officially submitting an application to the application portal on McGill’s website?
A: No, you don’t have to contact me before you submit an application here for physics PhD or MSc programs. Having contacted me in advance or not is not a factor of consideration in my review of applications. During the application process, there will be a step for you to choose which professor(s) you would like to work with. You can tick my name there. Please also indicate that you would like to work with me in your uploaded statement.
Q: Is there a minimum GPA requirement?
A: McGill does have a minimum cumulative GPA (CGPA) requirement for admissions to graduate programs. More information can be found here. If your degree is from a different grading system, please see here for information on conversion.
Q: Is GRE score required?
A: GRE score is not required for applications to my research group. Please note different professors could have different rules on GRE requirements.
Q: What experimental facilities and resources do I have access to during a graduate program in your research group?
A: My research group will have our own optical lab (over 70 square meters), and we will purchase a variety of relevant equipment. Students in my lab will also be able to use the shared clean room facilities in the Nanotools Microfab at McGill. There may also be collaboration opportunities to benefit from experimental facilities in other world-leading institutions.
Q: Do I need to have a physics study background?
A: Your previous study programs do not have to be explicitly called “physics” or “applied physics”. The consideration will be based on the specific course lists and research experiences. In general, I expect you to have at least the basic and relevant physics knowledge for my group’s research topics. For example, I could consider students from an electrical engineering program if the training includes basic physics courses and relevant optics courses or research experience.
Kai Wang 