Doctoral Degree Requirements
Preliminary
Advisement
Students
who have been admitted for graduate work in chemistry will be contacted
by the director of graduate studies in order to develop a tentative
plan of study which takes into consideration the student's background
and interests. Entering students are required to demonstrate proficiency
at the undergraduate level in four areas of chemistry (organic,
inorganic, physical, and analytical). Proficiency may be demonstrated
in one of the following ways:
- Outstanding performance in recent undergraduate course work.
- Satisfactory performance in standardized placement examinations. These examinations are given twice a year, approximately one week before the beginning of the fall and winter semesters.
- Successful completion of assigned course work.
- The ultimate choice of whether students may enroll in the M.S. or Ph.D. degree programs resides with the chemistry faculty.
Doctoral
Degree Requirements
Incoming doctoral students must demonstrate proficiency in organic,
inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry within one year of
initial enrollment. A minimum of 60 hours is required, including
research hours.
Distribution
Requirement
Students must take chemistry courses for graduate credit at the
300 or 400 level, including at least one in three of the four areas
of chemistry: organic, inorganic, physical, and biochemistry. Intermediate
level courses (Chem 303, and 306) and Inorganic Chemistry I (Chem
341(4412)) may not be used to satisfy this distribution requirement.
Cumulative
Examinations
In addition to the Ph.D. requirements set forth by the Graduate
School, students seeking the Ph.D. in chemistry must take a series
of cumulative examinations given eight times a year. Students must
pass five of the examinations by the end of the third year and a
total of eight examinations before completing the program. At least
six of these examinations should be in the student's specialization
area. Students are encouraged to begin the examination sequence
during the first semester of graduate study, but must start no later
than the second semester in the Ph.D. program. The examinations
are usually given the second Saturday of each month, September through
April. The mechanism for designing and deciding on passing and failing
grades for each examination resides with faculty members in each
specialization area.
Seminar
Requirement
Students must present a seminar in their third year and during each
subsequent year. The third year seminar may be the defense of the
doctoral dissertation proposal. One of the seminars is for the purpose
of describing dissertation research. Students must enroll in Chemistry
489(6897), Chemistry Colloquium, each semester they are in residence.
Advancement
to Candidacy
In addition to general Graduate School requirements for advancement
to candidacy, students must complete the following:
1)
21 hours of nondissertation work.
This may not include:
Chem 303, Intermediate Physical Chemistry
Chem 306, Intermediate Organic Chemistry
Chem 321(4212), Instrumental Analysis
Chem 323(4233), Laboratory in Instrumental
Analysis
Chem 341(4412), Inorganic Chemistry I
Chem 343(4433), Inorganic Reactions
Chem 419(6196), Advanced Reading in Chemistry
Chem 448(6487), Inorganic Problem Seminar
Chem 468(6687), Organic Problem Seminar
Chem 481(6812), Introduction to Graduate
Study in Chemistry
Chem 482(6822), Introduction to Graduate
Research in Chemistry
Chem 489(6897), Chemistry Colloquium
but should include at least one in three of the four areas of chemistry:
organic, inorganic, physical, and biochemistry. Courses in areas
other than chemistry may be included with prior departmental approval.
2) Pass eight cumulative examinations.
3) Present at least one seminar to the department on the dissertation research.
4) Participate in the undergraduate academic program as a teaching assistant for at least one semester.
5) Be in good standing.
Dissertation
Four copies of the dissertation must be submitted upon completion
of the graduate research problem.