5: Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

General Information | Programs and Degrees Offered | Admission Information
Financial Assistance | Graduate Academic Regulations
Requirements for Specific Graduate Degrees | Departments and Programs | Faculty

Department of Chemistry
Course Descriptions | Departmental Degree Requirements

Departmental Degree Requirements

Degree Requirements   In addition to fulfilling the general requirements of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, all graduate students in chemistry must give evidence of a satisfactory level of basic knowledge in four of the major subfields of chemistry by examination upon entrance, or by satisfactory performance in a specific course. These examinations stress broad fundamentals in analytical, biological, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry as well as chemical physics. Course programs are developed for individual students which include further study in areas where additional background is necessary.

The total credit requirements of the Graduate School are 24 credits for the master's degree, and 72 credits for the Ph.D. degree. In chemistry, these requirements are met by a combination of lecture courses, elective or special topics courses, and topical and non-topical research courses. The specific program depends upon the student's area of interest. Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must pass an advanced examination involving an oral presentation and defense of a research proposition not directly related to the student's research. The final examination for both the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees is in the form of an oral defense of the thesis or dissertation.

A graduate degree candidate must participate in the teaching activities of the Department as a graduate teaching assistant or instructor for at least one academic year. Knowledge of a foreign language is not required for a graduate degree in Chemistry.

Facilities   The Chemistry Building, an air-conditioned, four-story structure of 160,000 square feet, houses an auditorium seating 500, lecture and classrooms, administrative office, and laboratories for undergraduate instruction on the upper two floors. On the lower two floors are located an excellent library, main stockroom, shops, research laboratories, and faculty offices. The building, completed in 1968, is located in the science complex in the western part of the University Grounds. It contains laboratories, equipment, and other facilities for research in many of the most active fields of chemistry. A new addition completed in 1995 houses 30,000 square feet of research space for biological chemistry including an entire floor dedicated to bioanalytical and biophysical research.

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