Chemistry, MS

Program Description

The Department of Chemistry offers a graduate program leading to the Master of Science degree in chemistry. Balanced programs of course work and research are individually designed to prepare students for careers as professional chemists or for advanced degree study. Joint programs with other departments are encouraged for students interested in pursuing interdisciplinary research with emphasis in chemistry.

Admission Requirements

To meet the minimum requirements for admission to the graduate program in chemistry, applicants must fulfill the requirements for admission established by The Graduate School. In addition, applicants must have completed most of the requirements of a B.S. degree in chemistry, which includes one academic year of general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and physical chemistry with associated laboratories as well as one year of calculus, additional courses in quantitative analytical chemistry, instrumental analytical chemistry with laboratories and inorganic chemistry. Students who do not meet these requirements will be asked to do some remedial work in addition to fulfilling the usual graduate degree requirements. Deficiencies in instrumental analysis and inorganic chemistry may be removed with graduate credits toward the degree. Ideally, physical chemistry deficiencies should be removed before applying to our program.

Facilities

The Department of Chemistry has teaching and research laboratories throughout Oelman Hall, Fawcett Hall, and the Brehm Laboratories, spanning more than 30,000 square feet of teaching and research space. Dedicated teaching laboratories are in place for the following disciplines: general, inorganic, organic, physical, environmental, quantitative analysis, and instrumentation chemistry courses. Every faculty member has their own independent research facilities. The vast majority of newer instruments are available for “hands-on” use in our undergraduate teaching laboratories, though they share a dual mission for the research enterprise.

The chemistry department has facilities and personnel to support both the research and teaching missions of the department. The College of Science and Mathematics employs instrumentation specialists, maintains an electronics shop with electronics technicians, and maintains an instrument shop. The department has two instrumentation laboratories. One in the Brehm Laboratory basement houses many of the department teaching instruments, while a second Research Instrument Center located on the Oelman Hall fourth floor houses shared research instruments near many of the faculty research laboratories. In addition many professors have their own research instruments.

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Program Requirements:

In order to qualify for the Master of Science degree, candidates must fulfill the requirements of the Graduate School, complete 18 credit hours of course work and a minimum of 12 credit hours of thesis research, submit an acceptable thesis, and pass a written or an oral examination. Students will normally concentrate in one of the following areas: analytical, inorganic, organic, physical or polymer chemistry, or chemical education.

Dept Core and Electives

I. Graduate School Requirements

Program of Study completed by the end of the first semester.
Minimum of 30 credit hours completed.
Minimum of 22 credit hours must be taken at WSU.
Maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0.
No more than 6 credit hours of C may apply towards degree.

II. Degree Program Policies & Requirements

Minimum of 14 credit hours must be at the 6000 to 8000 level in Chemistry courses, with a minimum of one 2 credit hour course in each of the four chemistry disciplines: Credit Hour(s): 14

Analytical
Inorganic
Organic
Physical

CHM 8990 - Thesis Defense Credit Hour(s): 2

A minimum of one semester of: 1 Hour

CHM 6900 - Critical Literature Analysis Credit Hour(s): 1

A minimum of one semester of: 1 Hour

CHM 8000 - Seminar Credit Hour(s): 1

Thesis Defense: 2 Hours

CHM 8990 Credit Hour(s): 2

III. Degree Program Requirements

CHM 8980 - Thesis Research Credit Hour(s): 1 to 4
Presentation of a departmental seminar based on literature research

Total: 30 Hours

Research/Areas of Expertise:

The Department of Chemistry offers a research-based program of study in a Master of Science (M.S.) degree program. Research concentrations are available in the traditional areas of Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, and Physical & Theoretical Chemistry as well as in Environmental, Polymer & Materials and Bioorganic Synthetic Chemistry and in Chemical Education.