Program Overview

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Introduction to the Ph.D. Program in Chemistry

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry is designed for students who have completed their Master's degree in Chemistry or a related field. The program is tailored to provide students with advanced knowledge and research skills in chemistry, enabling them to contribute to the field as independent researchers.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Ph.D. program in Chemistry, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Hold an MS degree in Chemistry from a university of recognized standing
• Satisfy the Graduate School's requirements for PhD admission
• Submit a statement of purpose, transcripts, and letters of recommendation
• Provide certificates for BS and MS degrees if granted
• Submit TOEFL or IELTS scores, and GRE General scores (if required)

Program Components

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry consists of the following components:

• Course work: 30 credit hours, including core courses and electives
• Comprehensive written examination: to be passed by the end of the fourth semester
• Research: original research work, culminating in a dissertation
• Dissertation proposal: to be approved by the department council, college council, and Dean of Graduate Studies
• Dissertation defense: a public defense of the dissertation

Course Work

The course work for the Ph.D. program in Chemistry includes:

• Core courses: Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach, Chemistry of Coordination Compounds, Organic Reactions: Mechanism and Reactivity, and Advanced Analytical Chemistry
• Elective courses: a range of courses in physical, inorganic, organic, and analytical chemistry
• Research courses: Ph.D. Pre-Dissertation and Ph.D. Dissertation

Research

The research component of the Ph.D. program in Chemistry is designed to provide students with the opportunity to conduct original research in their area of interest. Students will work under the supervision of a faculty advisor and will be expected to produce a dissertation that contributes to the field of chemistry.

Degree Plan

The degree plan for the Ph.D. program in Chemistry is as follows:

• First semester: core courses and electives (9 credit hours)
• Second semester: core courses and electives (9 credit hours)
• Third semester: electives and seminar (9 credit hours)
• Fourth semester: electives and Ph.D. Pre-Dissertation (6 credit hours)
• Fifth semester: Ph.D. Dissertation (0 credit hours)
• Sixth semester: Ph.D. Dissertation (0 credit hours)
• Seventh semester: Ph.D. Dissertation (9 credit hours)

Total Credit Hours

The total credit hours required for the Ph.D. program in Chemistry is 42.

Graduate Attributes

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry is designed to produce graduates with the following attributes:

• Knowledgeable: in the field of chemistry
• Scientifically aware: of current research and developments in chemistry
• Problem solver: able to design and conduct experiments, and analyze data
• Competent experimentalist: skilled in laboratory techniques and instrumentation
• Digitally up-to-date: familiar with modern computational tools and methods
• Effective communicator: able to present research results clearly and concisely
• Research initiator: able to design and conduct original research
• Effective team player: able to work collaboratively with others
• Responsible and ethically driven: aware of the ethical implications of research and committed to responsible practice

Graduate Courses

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry offers a range of graduate courses, including:

• Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach
• Chemistry of Coordination Compounds
• Organic Reactions: Mechanism and Reactivity
• Advanced Analytical Chemistry
• Electrochemical Corrosion
• Spectroscopy
• Computational Chemistry
• Energy: Materials and Processes
• Special Topics in Physical Chemistry
• Statistical Thermodynamics
• Chemistry and Physics of Nanomaterials
• Projects
• Inorganic Chemistry courses
• Organic Chemistry courses
• Analytical Chemistry courses
• General Graduate Courses and Requirements

Inorganic Chemistry Courses

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry offers the following Inorganic Chemistry courses:

• Chemistry of Coordination Compounds
• Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry
• Organometallic Chemistry
• Chemical Crystallography
• Solid State Chemistry
• Mechanisms of Inorganic Reactions
• Heterogeneous Catalysis
• Homogeneous Catalysis
• Bioinorganic Chemistry

Organic Chemistry Courses

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry offers the following Organic Chemistry courses:

• Organic Reactions: Mechanism and Reactivity
• Synthetic Organic Chemistry
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• Petrochemicals
• Spectroscopic Identification of Organic Compounds
• Polymer Synthesis
• Natural Products Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry and Characterization of Polymers
• Polymeric Drug Delivery Systems
• Chemistry of Organic Materials

Analytical Chemistry Courses

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry offers the following Analytical Chemistry courses:

• Advanced Analytical Chemistry
• Electroanalytical Chemistry
• Analytical Spectroscopy
• Chemometrics
• Electrochemical Biosensors
• Modern Techniques for Materials Characterization

General Graduate Courses and Requirements

The Ph.D. program in Chemistry offers the following General Graduate Courses and Requirements:

• Graduate Seminar
• Independent Research
• M.S. Thesis
• Ph.D. Pre-Dissertation
• Ph.D. Dissertation
• Directed Research I and II