Program Information

Doctoral Program

Students are required to complete a total of at least 18 lecture course hours. Most courses will be in the chosen division but two courses outside the division are required and one of the latter could involve the preparation of an original research proposal. A total of 8 semester hours are required including four enrollments in formal seminar and four enrollments in either Problem Solving in...or Recent Developments in... depending on the division. These courses are designed to enhance research skills/practice and/or to keep up-to-date in important research areas. Also, a single credit hour of College Teaching of Chemistry is to be taken in the first semester. In addition to these 27 hours of classroom course work, sufficient Research and Dissertation hours are required to bring the total to 90 hours beyond the Bachelor's degree or 60 hours beyond the Master's degree.

To be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree, students must pass a comprehensive written examination in the chosen sub-discipline by the end of the second year. Within six months after passing the written examination, the student will be subjected to an oral candidacy examination. This will be based on a detailed, written research proposal for his/her planned dissertation research which will be submitted to the student's Research Advisor and Dissertation Committee who will then administer and evaluate the oral examination. Successful passage of this examination admits the student to candidacy.

The Dissertation describes the student's original research. This document is reviewed by the student's Research Advisor and Dissertation Committee before its final defense. Detailed rules for the graduate program are contained in the current Regulations for the Graduate Degree in Chemistry.

Master of Science Program

Students are required to complete a total of at least 13 lecture course hours. Most courses will be in the chosen division but one course outside the division is required which could involve the preparation of an original research proposal. A total of 4 seminar hours are required including two enrollments in formal seminar and two enrollments in either Problem Solving in... or Recent Developments in... depending on the division. These courses are designed to enhance research skills/practice and/or to keep up-to-date in important research areas. Also, a single credit hour of College Teaching of Chemistry is to be taken in the first semester. In addition to these 18 hours of classroom course work, sufficient Research/Thesis hours are required to bring the total to 32 hours.

The Thesis describes the student's original research. This document is reviewed by the student's Research Advisor and Thesis Committee before its final defense. Detailed rules for the graduate program are contained in the current Regulations for Graduate Degrees in Chemistry.

Master of Arts Program

A total of 32 semester hours of graduate credit in chemistry is required including at least 21 hours of lecture courses. The distribution of these hours will be planned by the student and a faculty advisor. There is no research requirement. This program is only available with permission.

Combined Bachelor of Science & Master of Science Degree

Persons with outstanding undergraduate records may be eligible for this combined degree program. The following grades are required:

1. GPA (overall and in chemistry)
   • 3.50 after 60 semester hours
   • 3.40 after 75 semester hours
   • 3.30 after 90 semester hours
   • 3.20 after 105 semester hours
2. The Combined Baccalaureate and Master's Program form needs to be completed. This includes:
   • a listing of undergraduate courses to be taken for completion of the baccalaureate degree
   • the beginning date for graduate enrollment
   • a listing of graduate courses to satisfy the undergraduate degree requirements (up to 9 graduate hours may be used). The selection of courses to be applied toward the undergraduate degree requires the approval of the Coordinator of Graduate Studies and an appropriate undergraduate dean in the College of Arts & Sciences.
3. At least three letters of recommendation from Instructors who are familiar with the achievements in coursework are also required.

Graduate courses in chemistry that could satisfy the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree will usually have the form 4/5XXXX or 4/5/7XXXX, but other graduate courses may be deemed as appropriate substitutions by the Coordinator of Graduate Studies.

Financial support for graduate study (if available) will only commence after satisfactory completion of all required courses for the Bachelor of Science degree other than those taken for combined graduate credit.