Time Constraints and Financial Assistance

The non-thesis M.S. degree program is intended primarily for students currently employed in a chemically related industry. Full-time, non-thesis M.S. students are required to complete all of the requirements for their degree within four years. Part-time non-thesis M.S. students are required to complete all requirements for their degree within seven years. Non-thesis M.S. students are not eligible for financial support from the Department of Chemistry.

Coursework

The emphasis of this program is coursework. Non-thesis M.S. students are required to complete a minimum of 31 credit hours of graduate-level coursework. Non-thesis M.S. Students are required to complete:

1. Three credit hours must be from Organic Chemistry courses: CHEM 5521R or CHEM 5522.
2. Three credit hours from Physical Chemistry courses: CHEM 5531, CHEM 5532, CHEM 5533, CHEM 5534, or CHEM 5535.
3. Nine additional credit hours from graduate level chemistry courses numbered CHEM 5521 - CHEM 5589, excepting CHEM 5520, CHEM 5530 and CHEM 5540.
4. One credit hour seminar presentation (CHEM 5611).
5. The remaining 15 credit hours, among which up to 6 credit hours of CHEM 5590, CHEM 5599, or CHEM 5699 may be applied, may be taken from courses approved by the graduate program committee.

Students who receive a grade of C+ (2.3) or less in more than two courses applicable to the M.S. program, or who have a cumulative grade-point average of less than 3.0 on courses applicable toward the M.S. degree after completing 18 or more credit hours of such courses, will be terminated from the degree program. Grades received for CHEM 5590 and any undergraduate-level courses are not included in the minimum GPA calculation.

Students who have received a grade of B- (2.7) or better in graduate chemistry coursework taken as part of a degree program at another institution may have up to 6 credit hours of equivalent required coursework waived upon approval of a majority of the graduate program committee. A written request for this approval must be submitted within one year of full admission to the M.S. program.

Seminars

Students must present a one-hour literature seminar based on a topic of their choice which has been approved by the Department of Chemistry Chair (or a designee). Students must register for CHEM 5611 the semester of this presentation. This seminar will include an exhaustive review of the pertinent literature and discussion of both present and future implications of research in this area. An abstract is to be posted and distributed one week prior to the presentation date.