Non-Thesis Based M.S. Degree
A Non-Thesis Based Master's degree is offered for those students who are unable to complete the PhD requirements as long as they meet the minimal requirements for the Master's degree.
Course Requirements (30 hours total)
Students must complete four 3-hour core courses. Students must also take the one-hour seminar course (CHEM 7870 Division Seminar (1 c.h.), CHEM 7880 Division Seminar (1 c.h.)) each of the first two semesters and may count up to three hours of seminar toward the degree. The remaining 15/16 hours of coursework may consist of elective courses and can include research within the chemistry department. No more than six (6) hours of research can be counted toward the degree.
The core courses offered are:
CHEM 6160 Interm Physical Chemistry II
CHEM 6830 Intro To Biochemistry
CHEM 6840 Intermediate Biochemistry
CHEM 7110 Intro to Quantum Mechanics
CHEM 7210 Inorganic Stru & Bond
CHEM 7220 Inorganic Reaction Mechanics
CHEM 7240 Organometallic Chemistry (Main Group Metals)
CHEM 7410 Adv Organic Physical Organic
CHEM 7420 Adv Organic Spectroscopy
CHEM 7460 Adv Organic-Synthetic Ap
Elective Courses and Research
The remaining five/six elective courses should be selected from 6000/7000 level chemistry courses (other than 7870 - 7900). Up to six hours of the 30 hours required for the degree may be taken in CHEM 7890 Techniques of Research (1-9 c.h.)/CHEM 7900 Techniques of Research (1-9 c.h.). Students taking research would be expected to commit at least 4 hours per week doing research for each hour of credit earned and they would be required to submit a paper summarizing their research to the faculty member supervising the research.
Seminar
Registration for, and attendance at, Departmental seminars is required. MS students must enroll in the one-hour seminar course (CHEM 7870 Division Seminar (1 c.h.), CHEM 7880 Division Seminar (1 c.h.)) each of the first two semesters in residence. Up to three (3.0) hours of credit for the seminar course may be applied to the M.S. degree requirements.
Cumulative Exams
Non-thesis M.S. candidates are not required to take cumulative exams.
Typical Paths to Degree
The degree can be completed in a variety of ways, but students may take no more than four courses plus seminar per semester. Common paths to the degree would be two semesters of coursework plus a summer (A) or three semesters of coursework/research (B). Students following plan A would take four courses plus seminar each semester and would complete the degree by doing four hours (30 hours per week) of research in one summer semester. Those pursuing path B would take three courses plus seminar each of three semesters. After the first semester, path B students may take up to six hours of research as a substitute for lecture courses.
Thesis Based M.S. Degree (only for currently enrolled PhD students)
A Thesis Based Master's degree is offered for those students who are unable to complete the PhD requirements as long as they meet the minimal requirements for the Master's degree.
Course Requirements (5 courses total)
The minimum requirement for the Master’s degree is five courses (15 course hours in total) at the 7000 level, three of which must be core courses. Out of the three core courses, up to two can be taken within one field of chemistry. The core courses offered, by division, are:
Physical Chemistry: 7110, 7120, 7150;
Inorganic Chemistry: 7210 or 7220, 7230 or 7240;
Organic and Biological Chemistry: 7410, 7420, 7460, 6830-40 (both courses combined count as one).
The remaining two elective courses should be selected from 7000 level chemistry courses (other than 7890 & 7900) or 7000 level courses from other SSE departments that meet the approval of the Graduate Affairs Committee. To meet the total number of hours required by the SSE Graduate Program, students may take up to 5 hours of research, Chemistry Department seminars, and courses in other departments.
Core-course description:
CHEM 7110 – Introductory Quantum Mechanics
CHEM 7120 – Statistical Mechanics
CHEM 7150 – Chemical Physics
CHEM 7210 – Inorganic Structure and Bonding
CHEM 7220 – Inorganic Reaction Mechanisms
CHEM 7230 – Organometallic Chemistry (Transition elements)
CHEM 7240 – Organometallic Chemistry (Main group elements)
CHEM 7410 – Advanced Organic – Physical Organic
CHEM 7460 – Advanced Organic – Synthetic Applications
CHEM 7420 - Advanced Organic – Spectroscopy
CHEM 6830-40 – Introductory Biochemistry and Intermediate Biochemistry
Cumulative Exams
M.S. candidates are required to pass two cumulative exams by their fourth semester of residence. Failure to complete the requirement may result in expulsion from the program.
Thesis Committee and Thesis Research
After choosing a research advisor, but no later than the third semester of residence, students are required to obtain agreements from two faculty members (other than the thesis advisor) to participate as members of their thesis committee. One member of the thesis committee must be from a division of the department other than that of the advisor. Students must complete and defend their thesis before the end of their 6th semester in residence.
Tenure Requirements
The maximum time allowed by the Department to obtain an M. S. degree is three years, or one year from entering the M.S. program whichever is greater.
Seminars
Registration for, and attendance at, Departmental seminars is required. Three (3.0) hours of credit for seminar courses may be applied to the M.S. degree requirements. M.S. students must present a seminar to the Department based upon a topic from the current chemical literature. The seminar must be presented before the end of the students' 4th semester in residence. The seminar should be scheduled with the departmental coordinator of the seminar program in the fall of the students second year. Students presenting seminars are required to enlist two faculty to attend their seminar and provide the (2) faculty with the Seminar Review Form for a review of the quality of the presentation. The Seminar Review Form can be obtained from the department website Seminar Review Form or appended to the back of the Graduate Guideline book. Students should remember that faculty will only agree to attend if given sufficient notice (one month minimum) before the seminar.
