Master’s Program – Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Overview

researcher adjusting scientific equipment

There are two options within our master’s program, both of which lead to the MSc degree: the thesis and the non-thesis option.

For complete information about each, see the UA Graduate Catalog.

Plan I (Thesis Option)

The Plan I master’s degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours — 24 hours of coursework and 6 hours of thesis research (CH 599). The lecture coursework requirement for the Plan I MSc degree will consist of a minimum of four lecture courses (12 hours); five 1-credit seminar courses: CH 585 (4 credits) and CH 586 (1 hour); and at least 13 research course credits: CH 570/CH 660 (7 hours) and CH 599 (6 hours).

At the conclusion of their first semester, students will be assigned a research advisor. Students should work with the research advisor to select a thesis committee consisting of the research advisor and at least two other members of the Graduate Faculty (at least one from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and one from outside the Department) by the end of the second semester.

Students will register for CH 586 and give a departmental thesis research seminar in their final semester as a portion of their thesis defense. The student’s research advisor and thesis committee will read the thesis and meet to hear an oral defense of the thesis. The oral defense will serve as the comprehensive exam for the MSc degree.

Plan II (Non-Thesis Option)

The Plan II master’s degree requires a minimum of 30 credit hours — at least 18 credits from a minimum of six graduate lecture courses, 3 credits from CH 584 Literature and Communication in Chemical Research, at least 4 credits from CH 584 Chemistry Seminars, at least 1 credit from CH 570 Research Techniques and the remaining 4 credits from either CH 570/CH 660 research courses or from an additional 3 credit graduate lecture course and 1 credit of either CH 570/CH 660 or CH 585.

During their second year in the program, each plan II MSc candidate will take CH 584, Literature and Communication in Chemical Research. This course offers training in written and oral scientific communication. The course will culminate in a research paper and a short departmental oral presentation graded by the department faculty. Satisfactory completion of the research paper and seminar serves as the comprehensive exam for the plan II MSc degree.