Program Overview

Master of Science Program

The M.S. program in chemistry culminates in a Purdue University degree and requires 30 credit hours of study beyond the baccalaureate level. It is designed for students seeking careers as professional chemists. Graduates of the program often choose industrial positions, but others enter Ph.D. programs in chemistry or related areas. Graduates have been placed in positions throughout the United States and abroad.

General Degree Options and Requirements

Specific area requirements (core courses) apply for course work. Courses from three of the following areas must be taken:

• Analytical
• Biological
• Inorganic
• Organic
• Physical Typically, students take three courses in their primary area and two courses outside of it to meet these requirements.

Degree Options

The M.S. degree can be earned through any of three different options:

• Thesis Option
• Industrial Co-op Program
• Nonthesis Option

Thesis Option

This traditional full-time program requires 20 hours of course work and 10 hours of thesis research. The research activity culminates in the completion and defense of a thesis. This option is available to full- or part-time students.

Nonthesis Option

The nonthesis option requires 30 hours of course work alone. Because actual research experience is essential in an advanced chemistry program, this option is recommended for part-time students only. Students in this option are usually employed full time and are already engaged in research activity as part of their employment. However, nonthesis students may still enroll in a limited amount of research study that applies to the degree requirements (usually through CHEM 59900).

Admission Requirements

The prospective student should have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, show promise of ability to engage in advanced work, and have adequate preparation, at least 35 credit hours of chemistry, broadly representative of the fields of the discipline, in a chemistry curriculum. Incoming students with an undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) will be considered for admission as regular graduate students. Those with a GPA below 3.0 could be considered for admission.

Transfer Credit

The Department will accept by transfer a maximum of 6 hours of graduate credit, in excess of undergraduate degree requirements, from approved institutions subject to approval by the graduate director in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

Graduate Program Financial Aid

All full-time Ph.D. graduate students receive support stipends through teaching assistantships, research assistantships, departmental fellowships, university fellowships, or through the Industrial Co-op Program. Full-time students receive fee remissions; students with assistantships and fellowships are also eligible for health insurance.