Master of Science in Chemistry

Graduate Advisor: Sherine O. Obare,
Room 3106, Wood Hall

Admissions Chair: Yirong Mo
Room 3434, Wood Hall

The Master of Science in Chemistry is a research degree planned to provide a broad background in the various fields of chemistry with concentration in one area.

Admission Requirements

Entrance requirements are those of the Graduate College. Students may be asked to take a test of spoken English proficiency based upon application materials and references. Application must be made both to the Office of Admissions, Graduate Admissions, and to the Department of Chemistry. Prospective students are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. Three letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources should accompany the application. Application material, including grade point average, transcripts, performance on GRE, and letters of recommendation will all be used in the determination of admission and financial support.

Program Requirements

After admission, students will be required to take placement examinations covering any three of the fields of Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, Physical Chemistry, and Biochemistry before they start classes. The entrance examinations are scheduled during the week preceding each semester. Students who score below a certain threshold on an examination are required to enroll in the corresponding undergraduate course, if available, or make specific arrangements with the appropriate departmental division. Enrollment in a 6000-level Chemistry course is not permitted unless the appropriate entrance requirement has been satisfied.

Each student will be required to prepare a literature presentation on a paper or papers from the current literature no later than the end of the third semester in the program. The student is required to complete a total of thirty credit hours with a minimum of twenty hours in the field of Chemistry, including the Master’s Thesis. The Chemistry hours may total more than twenty depending on the student’s background. The remaining hours up to at least thirty hours may be in a related field or fields. The course sequence will include (if not previously completed):

4. Two 6000-level courses from two different divisions (6 hours)

(Analytical, Biochemistry, Inorganic, Organic, or Physical), including one course in the division of the Master’s Thesis.

5. At least 3 hours of

CHEM 6900 - Special Investigations in Chemistry Credits: 1 to 9 hours

6. Master’s Thesis

CHEM 7000 - Master’s Thesis Credits: 1 to 6 hours

Additional Requirements

The requirement for any of the above 5000-level courses may be waived if the student has taken a corresponding course as an undergraduate.

The student is required to pass a final oral defense of his or her thesis administered by the student’s graduate committee. The student is also required, as part of the graduate training in chemistry, to attend departmental seminars, colloquia, and symposia, and to participate in research within the department.