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Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Kathryn Thomasson
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Doctoral of Philosophy Curriculum
Graduate Studies Information
Admission Requirements | Support | Degree Requirements | Courses | Graduate Student Association
Admission Requirement
Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree with a major in Chemistry, undergraduate credit in mathematics through integral calculus, one year of physics, and one year of German is desirable. Graduate Record Examination General and Advanced Chemistry tests are given for students with degrees from foreign institutions.
To be eligible for admission with approved status, an applicant must have an overall grade point average of 2.75 or GPA of at least 3.0 for the last two years of undergraduate study. An applicant who fails to meet one of the admission requirements may be admitted on provisional status.
Support
Nearly all graduate students in the Department of Chemistry receive stipends for both the academic year and through the summer months. There are also fellowships and scholarships available to those who qualify.
Stipends in the form of teaching assistantships involve a commitment to undergraduate laboratory instruction. Teaching at this level is considered an integral part of every graduate student's training since the one-on-one interaction often leads to a greater command of subject matter and establishes a greater confidence in oral expression. Furthermore, teaching provides a valuable service to the department.
A number of research programs in the department are supported by external funding from corporate sources and governmental agencies. Students working on projects in these groups can earn stipends in the form of research assistantships.
Stipends for teaching and research assistantships are normally equivalent for students at the same candidacy level and tuition is waived for both in-state and out-of-state students. Current stipend levels may be obtained by contacting the department.
Degree Requirements
During the first year of enrollment, each student selects an advisory committee and takes a battery of standardized examinations. The results of these examinations are used to determine course levels at which each student should commence study. Remedial undergraduate courses are sometimes recommended. Students meet with their advisory committees yearly to discuss progress. The time used to complete the requirements for a master's degree is about two and a half years; the Ph.D. program typically requires four and a half years.
For the M.S. degree, students must complete at least 15 credits of graduate course work (generally 5 courses), of which at least six credits must be from their individual core sequence (analytical, inorganic, organic, or physical chemistry). Masters students must present at least one departmental seminar during their tenure. Original research culminating in the writing of an M.S. thesis must also be completed (14 credits minimum). Oral defense of the M.S. thesis is required before graduation.
For the Ph.D. degree, students must complete at least 21 credits of graduate course work (generally 7 courses), of which at least 9 credits must be from their core sequence. Extensive original research culminating in the writing of a doctoral dissertation is the largest requirement for a Ph.D. degree (67 credits minimum). Doctoral candidates must also present two departmental seminars and take cumulative examinations, given 8 times per year. Oral defense of an original research proposal is also required, normally during the third year, and oral defense of the Ph.D. dissertation is required prior to graduation.
For more detailed descriptions of program and degree requirements, students should consult the Graduate School catalogue "Graduate Academic Information".
Research is the most important, rewarding, and time-intensive component of a graduate student's training. During their first semester, students talk with each faculty member and then select a research director based on mutual interests. To help in this process, brief descriptions of each faculty member's research and program occupy a large part of this booklet. Prospective students wishing to learn more about the research going on within the department are also strongly encourage to call and talk to individual faculty members and to arrange for a visit. Telephone numbers and electronic mail addresses for each of the faculty can be found on the People page.
Graduate Courses
509. Graduate Seminar. 1 credit. Student presentation of a seminar based on current peer-reviewed literature.
510. Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry. 3 credits. Three hours lecture. Prerequisite:Chem 454 or equivalent. Review of atomic concepts, molecular topologies, and symmetry. Theories of bonding including directed and undirected atomic orbital view. An introduction to the chemistry of transition metals.
511. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. 3 credits. Three hours lecture. Prerequisite:Chem 510. Structure of coordination compounds, mechanisms of inorganic reactions,biochemical applications of inorganic chemistry.
512. Organometallic Chemistry. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Chem 454. Preparation,bonding and reactivity of organometallic compounds, both main group and transition metal.
519. Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry. 1 to 3 credits. Prerequisite: Chem
510. Topic of current interest to be considered each semester; may be repeated for credit if topic is different.
520. Advanced Organic Chemistry I. 3 credits. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: Chem 352 or equivalent. Reaction mechanisms. Carbanions and radicals. Substitution, elimination and addition reactions. Carbonyl chemistry.
521. Advanced Organic Chemistry II. 3 credits. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: Chem 352 or equivalent. Carbocations and carbenes. Oxidations and reductions. Alkylations. Carbonyl additions. Substitution and addition reactions.
522. Advanced Organic Chemistry III. 3 credits. Three hours lecture per week. Prerequisite: Chem 520 or 521. Photochemistry. Concerted reactions and cycloadditions. Aromatic and heterocyclic chemistry. Transition metals in organic chemistry.
529. Special Topics in Organic Chemistry. 1 to 3 credits. Prerequisite: Chem 520 or 521. Topic of current interest. May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
530. Chemical Thermodynamics. 3 credits. Three hours lecture. Prerequisite: Chem 465 or equivalent. Application of classical and statistical thermodynamics to chemical equilibrium, phase equilibrium and the physical properties of solutions.
531. Chemical Dynamics. 3 credits. Three hours lecture. Prerequisite: Chem 465 or equivalent or consent of instructor. Study of the kinetics of complex, coupled chemical reactions in gas and solution phases; dynamics of gas phase reactions.
532. Quantum Mechanics in Chemistry. 3 credits. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisite:Chem 464 or equivalent. Application of the time-dependent Schroedinger equation to rotational, vibrational and magnetic spectroscopy; selection rules. Relation of molecular structural parameters and spectroscopic measurements; principles of group theory.
534. Quantum and Computational Chemistry. 3 credits. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisite:Chem 532. Study of the electronic structure of atoms and molecules using modern approximation methods; formal aspects of various perturbation and variational techniques as applied to chemical problems.
537. Graduate Cooperative Education. 1-9 credits. Prerequisites: M.S. students must have minimum of 26 credits. Permission of Department Chair. Ph.D. students must have a minimum of 52 credits. Practical experience of applying advanced concepts in chemistry. Experience will vary from student to student and must be coordinated with co-op host.
539. Special Topics in Physical Chemistry. 1 to 3 credits. Prerequisites: consent of department. Topic of current interest. May be repeated for credit if topic is different.
541. Analytical Spectroscopy. 3 credits. 3 hours lecture. Prerequisite: Chem 461 or equivalent. Fundamentals of analytical spectroscopy including principles of emission spectroscopy, flame photometry, atomic absorption, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet/visible spectroscopy, and fluorescence.
542. Electrochemical Methods. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Chem 461 or equivalent. Three hours lecture. Topics ranging from the fundamentals of electrochemistry (including thermodynamics, kinetics, and mass transfer) to applications of contemporary electroanalytical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry, digital simulation, and spectroelectrochemistry are discussed.
543. Chromatography. 3 credits. Prerequisite: Chem 461 or equivalent. Three hours lecture. Fundamentals of modern chromatographic techniques including principles of band broadening, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, and representative sampling problems.
549. Special Topics in Analytical Chemistry. 1 to 3 credits. Prerequisite: Chem 540. Topic of current interest to be considered each semester; may be repeated for credit if topic is different.
561. Foundations of Chemistry for Teacher Development. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Must be a licensed K-12 teacher; Chem 561L; instructor consent. Second of a chemistry course sequence intended for: a) teachers planning to qualify to teach high school chemistry; or b) teachers looking to enrich their content knowledge in chemistry for professional development. Topics include elementary principles and theories of chemistry, matter, measurement, atoms, ions, molecules, reactions, chemical calculations, thermochemistry, bonding, molecular geometry, periodicity, gases. May not be used in Ph.D. or Master’s programs.
561L. Introduction to Guided Inquiry Learning in Chemistry. 2 credits. Prerequisites: Must be a licensed K-12 teacher; instructor consent. First of a chemistry course sequence intended for: a) teachers planning to qualify to teach high school chemistry; or b) teachers looking to enrich their content knowledge in chemistry for professional development. Topics include: chemical nomenclature and structure; periodicity; aqueous reactions; chemical stoichiometry; ionic and covalent bonding; solutions; thermochemistry; gases, liquids and solids; and pedagogical issues. May not be used in Ph.D. or Master’s programs.
562. Intermediate Chemistry for Teacher Development. 3 credits. Prerequisites: Must be a licensed K-12 teacher; Chem 562L. Fourth of a chemistry course sequence intended for: a) teachers planning to qualify to teach high school chemistry; or b) teachers looking to enrich their content knowledge in chemistry for professional development. Topics include: Equilibrium and kinetic principles of chemistry; behavior of solutions; rates of reactions; thermodynamics; aqueous equilibria (acid/base, solubility); electrochemical cells; chemical behavior of main-group elements; nuclear chemistry. May not be used in Ph.D. or Master’s programs.
562L. Intermediate Guided Inquiry Learning in Chemistry. 2 credits. Prerequisites: Must be a licensed K-12 teacher; Chem 561 and 561L. Third of a chemistry course sequence intended for: a) teachers planning to qualify to teach high school chemistry; or b) teachers looking to enrich their content knowledge in chemistry for professional development. Topics include: colligative properties; chemical kinetics and equilibrium; acid/base chemistry; thermodynamics; electrochemistry; and pedagogical issues. May not be used in Ph.D. or Master’s programs.
563. Organic and Biochemistry for Teacher Development. 3 credits. Preorequisites: Must be a licensed K-12 teacher; Chem 563L. Sixth of a chemistry course sequence intended for: a) teachers planning to qualify to teach high school chemistry; or b) teachers looking to enrich their content knowledge in chemistry for professional development. Topics include: hydrocarbons; alcohols; amines; aldehydes and ketones; carboxylic acids and their derivatives; proteins; carbohydrates, lipids; nucleic acids, enzymes; generation of biochemical energy; and pedagogical issues. May not be used in Ph.D. or Master’s programs.
563L. Guided Inquiry Learning in Organic and Biochemistry. 2 credits. Prerequisites: Must be a licensed K-12 teacher; Chem 562 and 562L. Fifth of a chemistry course sequence intended for: a) teachers planning to qualify to teach high school chemistry; or b) teachers looking to enrich their content knowledge in chemistry for professional development. Topics include: hydrocarbons; alcohols; amines; aldehydes and ketones; carboxylic acids and their derivatives; proteins; carbohydrates, lipids; nucleic acids, enzymes; and pedagogical issues. May not be used in Ph.D. or Master’s programs.
599. Research. Credits arranged. Maximum of 15 credits each semester. May be repeated for credit.
Chemistry Graduate Student Association
The Chemistry Graduate Student Association (CGSA) provides a formal means of communication between graduate students and the faculty as well as the staff/administration. The association seeks to ameliorate the reputation and prestige of the Department of Chemistry by supporting its members to attend conferences at local, national and international levels, where they can present their research, and perhaps meet and share ideas with peers having similar research interests. To ensure that every chemistry graduate student has a positive and rewarding experience, academic work is usually interspersed with picnics, and a grand Christmas party open to the chemistry family.
Current Officers
President: Christian Jungong
Vice President: Allison Coffman
Secretary: Nicholas Korte
Treasurer: Srinivas Abbina
For more information about CGSA, please visit the CGSA web site.
