Mar 29, 2024  
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Chemistry and Biochemistry (PhD)


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Requirements for the Degree


A minimum of 30 credit hours of graduate-level courses is required with an overall B average (3.00). The department course requirements are a minimum of eighteen credit hours in graduate level courses (600-level or higher) excluding research and dissertation (CHEM 868  and CHEM 969 ). At least nine of these must be taken outside the student’s division. Specific course requirements for each division are listed below. Scientific courses offered by other departments may be counted as courses outside the student’s division, if approved by the faculty in the student’s division. The student must achieve at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 in the courses that fulfill this requirement. The course requirements, including the division’s requirements, should be satisfied within four semesters of entering the program with a bachelor’s degree.

First year-graduate students are required to take a non-credit one-hour special seminar, CHEM 865 -010 (new student seminar) and CHEM 601 , Introduction to Laboratory Instruction. Graduate students must also register for one of the topical seminar series (CHEM 865 -XXX - Biochemistry Seminar, Organic/Inorganic Seminar, Physical/Analytical Seminar), as well as Colloquia (CHEM 865 -XXX). The PhD degree requires successful completion of a series of cumulative examinations. The PhD degree requires a thesis based on original research and a final public oral defense of the dissertation.

Specific course requirements by division are outlined below. If a student wished to take courses other than those specified, then each of these courses must be approved in writing: (a) at the Fall and Spring advisements for first-year graduate students by the representative from the respective Division on the Graduate Curriculum Committee, and (b) at other times by the research advisor.

The remaining courses satisfying the departmental course requirement of 18 credits in graduate level coursework can be selected from offerings in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, or appropriate graduate level courses in other departments.

All students pursuing a degree program in Chemistry and Biochemistry need to secure the written permission from both their research advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies prior to enrolling in any course not bearing a CHEM-6XX or CHEM-8XX designation.

Biochemistry:


At least nine credits in graduate-level biochemistry courses. CHEM 641  must be taken as one of these courses unless this requirement is waived by the Biochemistry Division. The Division, or the student’s research advisor, must approve the courses used to satisfy the Departmental course requirement of 18 credits in graduate level courses.

Organic Chemistry:


Note:

If a student wishes to take other courses than these outside of Organic Chemistry, then each of these courses must be approved: (a) at the Fall and Spring advisements for first-year graduate students by the representative from the Organic Chemistry Division on the Graduate Curriculum Committee and (b) at other times by the Organic Chemistry Faculty.

A student wishing to use options (a) or (b) should consult with the Executive Secretary of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who will verify grades or test scores. A student wishing to use option (c) should consult with the secretary of the organic division who will arrange for an examination and communicate the result to the executive secretary of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who will see that it is recorded in the student’s file.

Language Requirement (Organic Chemistry only):


Any modern foreign language is acceptable and proficiency may be established by any one of the following:

  1. Two full years of college-level courses in one of the specified languages with an average grade of C or better. An equivalent undergraduate background may be accepted, upon request to GCC.
  2. Submission of evidence of satisfactory performance (a score greater than 500 or one above the 50th percentile) on the ETS Graduate School Foreign Language Test for one of the specified languages. Students will make arrangements to take these examinations directly with ETS.
  3. Satisfactory performance in a departmental reading examination in one of the specified languages. Responsibility for determining the frequency and content of these examinations, as well as their grading, will rest with the organic division and the examinations will be administered by the organic divisional secretary. The use of a dictionary will be permitted throughout each examination.

A student wishing to use options (a) or (b) should consult with the Executive Secretary of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who will verify grades or test scores. A student wishing to use option (c) should consult with the secretary of the organic division who will arrange for an examination and communicate the result to the executive secretary of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who will see that it is recorded in the student’s file.

Note:


One may substitute for one of these three courses from related three-credit courses outside physical chemistry upon the approval of the research advisor.

Last Revised 2016-2017 Academic Year

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