The Department of Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Chemistry offers wide opportunity and unusual flexibility for advanced study and research, and is designed to encourage individuality, independence, and excellence in students. Most students select their research advisor by winter quarter of their first year and are engaged in research by the spring quarter. The department has neither a system of cumulative examinations nor a written major examination. There are relatively few course requirements and great flexibility as to which courses may be taken.

In the Division of the Physical Sciences barriers between departments are low. Students in the Department of Chemistry often take courses in other departments and can even earn the degree in chemistry for research that has been done under the supervision of a member of another department. Students are encouraged to fashion special programs of study under the guidance of the faculty

Application

A completed application will include undergraduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and the results of the GRE examination (to include the advanced test in chemistry). Foreign applicants must also submit the results of the TOEFL.

Students are normally admitted beginning with the autumn quarter of each year. The sequential nature of some of our courses makes this the best time to begin graduate studies. Although applications will be considered at any time, students are strongly encouraged to complete their applications by January 15th. The department has no admissions quota and in recent years the entering class has numbered between 20 and 38.

A well-defined Master of Science program of appropriate rigor is maintained, but the Department of Chemistry does not offer financial support to students whose degree goal is the master’s degree. This degree is neither a prerequisite for, nor a forerunner of, the Ph.D. degree, although it may be acquired along the way if a student so desires.

The Department of Chemistry participates actively in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) administered by the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago. MSTP is a structured six-year program leading to both the M.D. degree and the Ph.D. in chemistry. Full tuition and a stipend are awarded for the six-year period. MSTP is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences and is open only to U.S. citizens.

Financial Support

All students admitted to the Ph.D. program are offered financial support. Generally this takes the form of a first-year teaching assistantship which provides a complete merit tuition scholarship and pays a competitive monthly stipend. Teaching assistants are usually assigned to one of the undergraduate laboratory courses. Duties involve supervising one class section (13–18 students) for one afternoon per week, holding a discussion session and office hours, and assisting with grading. The total time required is about fifteen hours per week.

By the end of the third quarter students have usually selected their research supervisor. An appointment as a research assistant (stipend plus tuition) normally continues throughout the period of research.

There are several special supplemental fellowships and scholarships offered by the department and the University. All students seeking admission are automatically considered in the competition for these awards. No separate application is required. Students are urged to compete for the many national and other external fellowships available.

Advanced Degrees

The department administers basic examinations in the fields of inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry in the autumn, winter, and spring quarters. Graduate students are expected to take these examinations upon entering the department. Deficiencies evidenced by these examinations must be remedied and the examinations passed prior to the end of the third quarter of residence (not counting summer quarter).

In the first year, students must satisfactorily complete nine courses. At least six of these must be 30000-level courses from the offerings of the Department of Chemistry or of related departments in the Divisions of the Physical and the Biological Sciences, and of these six courses, at least two shall be in different areas of chemistry, e.g., inorganic, organic, or physical chemistry. For this purpose, inorganic chemistry courses are defined as Chemistry 30100–30900 organic chemistry courses as Chemistry 32100–33100 and physical chemistry courses as Chemistry 36100–38700. Grades of C or better are expected. The remaining three courses may include Chemistry 35000 and/or 40000-level chemistry research courses; however, one may not register for these courses during the autumn quarter. An advisor assists students in formulating programs of study that will best satisfy personal needs and departmental requirements. Courses taken outside the department to satisfy the first-year requirements must be approved by the advisor.

Students who have completed all courses with grades of C or better (P in research courses) may be recommended for the S.M. degree; these students may, at the discretion of a faculty member, be required to submit a paper on their work in Chemistry 35000 or a 40000-level research course.

At the end of the spring quarter in the first year, the faculty review the student’s overall record. Course performance is a major part of this review; a B-average or better in six 30000-level courses (excluding Chemistry 35000) is expected. At this time the department will advise students whether they are qualified to continue studies and to prepare for the Ph.D. candidacy examination described below. A student seeking admission to Ph.D. candidacy must take the candidacy examination before the end of his or her fifth quarter in residence (normally October-for this purpose summer quarter is counted as a quarter in residence). This examination is based on the student’s written research prospectus and on the discussion of scientific papers selected by the examining committee. The student presents the research prospectus to the committee, and must be prepared to discuss the relevant chemical literature, progress to date, plans for future work, and the relationship of the research to other chemical problems. The student is expected to conduct a critical analysis of the scientific papers selected by the committee.

The faculty review the recommendations of the candidacy examining committee and, after consideration of the student’s academic record, vote on whether or not to recommend that the student be admitted to candidacy. All candidates for the Ph.D. degree are required to participate in some form of teaching. Normally this involves serving as a teaching assistant for three quarters.

The Ph.D. degree is granted upon satisfactory completion of scholarly research work, presented in a written thesis, discussed in a public seminar, and defended orally before a faculty committee.
Students should especially note the following:

It is the responsibility of the individual research sponsor to monitor the progress of a student’s research. Unsatisfactory progress may result in termination of financial support and/or dismissal from the Ph.D. program.
The department will recommend formal admission to candidacy as soon as the student has (1) satisfied the basic examination requirement, (2) satisfied the course requirements, (3) passed the candidacy examination, and (4) demonstrated satisfactory progress in research.
Students should consider satisfying any or all course requirements by taking proficiency examinations. Application to take a proficiency examination should be made directly to the person who will be teaching the particular course. The examinations will be administered during the first week of the quarter in which the course is offered. No stigma is attached to failing a proficiency examination.

This text was last revised on 9/02/2003.