Ph.D. Degree Rules and Procedures
Advisor and Committee Selection
New students must interview with at least three potential research advisors during the 1st semester. An advisor must be selected by the end of the 2nd semester. The number of departmentally-supported students (TAs) who may work with a given faculty member is limited; a student should select an advisor as soon as possible. An advisor selection form must be filled out and returned to the Graduate Coordinator for approval by the Graduate Affairs Committee.
The research advisor will appoint a permanent committee to guide the student's studies by the end of the 1st year. The committee will have at least five members of the graduate faculty (with no less than three from the Chemistry department). A Committee Selection Form must be completed.
Program of Studies
Every Ph.D. student must complete at least one listed course from four of the five subject areas:
| Analytical | Biochemistry |
|---|---|
| CH8313 Advanced Analytical | BCH8633 Enzymes |
| CH8333 Advanced Instrumental | BCH8643 Molecular Genetics |
| CH8993 Chemical Separations | BCH8654 Intermed Metabolism |
| Inorganic | Organic |
| CH8203 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry II | CH8553 Theoretical Organic |
| CH8993 Organometallic Chemistry | CH8513 Synthetic Organic |
| CH8993 Inorganic Structures and Properties | |
| Physical | |
| CH8423 Molecular Structure | |
| CH8623 Physical Biochemistry |
Additional courses will be recommended by the advisor and/or committee as appropriate for the student's interests and career objectives. A typical program of studies would include:
- CH 9000 Dissertation Research (20 hours; required of all Ph.D. students).
- Three 1-hour literature seminars (CH 8711, 8721, 8731; 3 hours; required).
- Four "core courses" listed above (12 hours; required).
- A minimum of two, but often more, additional courses chosen in consultation with the research director/committee.
The Program of Studies form should be completed by the end of the 6th semester in residence. The Office of Graduate Studies enforces a eight-year limit on all course work listed in a Ph.D. program. An extension of time form can be used to request a one-time, one-year extension.
Academic Standards and Probationary Policy
An overall GPA of 3.0/4.0 on all graduate courses is required by the university to remain in good-standing. If a student's cumulative GPA drops below 3.0 at any time, he or she will be placed on probation and be required to correct the deficiency by the end of the next semester. If after a probationary semester, a 3.0 cumulative GPA is still not achieved, a recommendation by the student's committee to the Graduate Affairs Committee is necessary for program continuation. The Graduate Affairs Committee decides what action should be taken. Possible actions include extension of probation, or dismissal from the Graduate Chemistry Program. Other requirements:
- The University requires a "B" average on all graduate course work.
- A "B" average is required for all chemistry courses above the 6000 level.
- No grade under "C" can be accepted for graduate credit; A student cannot graduate with any "U" or "I" grades on their transcript.
Seminars
One of the three required literature seminars may be satisfied by an oral presentation at a regional or national research conference.
Research
The results of an original resarch project are the basis for a Ph.D. dissertation. Since the completion of a research project requires the investment of a great deal of time and effort, research should begin as early as possible. It will require direction from a faculty advisor, and possible collaboration with other faculty, but it must be based in substantial part upon the work for which the student is solely responsible.
Research assistantships (RAs) may be available and students who accept an RA to work on specific projects which are supported by extramural funds (not from the Chemistry Dept.) will be solely responsible to the faculty member that manages the project. In certain cases, part or all of the RA research may be included in the student's dissertation. If this is not possible, the faculty advisor will clearly delineate the RA research and the dissertation research. Students should understand that extramural research funds are often renewed annually and that if the funding is discontinued, the RA may also be terminated.
Other Ph.D. Requirements
Preliminary Exams
The preliminary exam has separate written (cumulative exams) and oral (proposal) components.
Cumulative Exams
Ph.D. students must begin taking cumulative exams ("cumes") in analytical, inorganic, organic or physical chemistry at the beginning of their second semester in residence.
- Cumes are given once a month during the regular academic year (8/yr).
- They are graded as a pass or a fail; any missed exam is a fail.
- Each student takes a maximum of 16 cumes (over four semesters).
- Each student must pass one of the first eight exams.
- Each student must pass six exams from the 16 attempts.
- Four passes must come from the student's major dissertation area
The exam periods are 90-minutes long and all students take the exams at the same time. Only one exam can be attempted in any exam period. Graded exams are not returned, but can be reviewed by the student. Example exams are available in the Chemistry Department office.
If the student fails to meet these requirements, he or she will be placed in the M. S. program and must complete the M. S. degree before applying for readmission to the Ph.D. program. If readmitted to the Ph.D. program, the student restarts the cume process outlined above.
Oral Proposal
The student must be within six hours of completing all course work on his/her program of study prior to taking the oral proposal exam.
The Ph.D. student must write and orally defend an original research proposal before his/her committee. This exam judges whether the student can independently select and develop an original research idea. The topic must not be directly related to the student's dissertation research. The proposal must follow the format required for an ACS-PRF type-G proposal:
- Begin with an abstract, not to exceed 250 words, which explains the rationale for the research, its scientific objective, and an estimate of the significance to the field of research if the objective is achieved.
- The body of the narrative may not exceed 1700 words, double-spaced in 12-point type, excluding the abstract, figures and references. It should expand on the abstract and include a description of the proposed research, its significance and the general plan of procedure.
- Include pertinent literature references with titles and all authors cited. (e.g. Siatkowski, R. E.; Dunn, D. A.; Botto, R. E. Fundamental Geochemical Properties of Materials Relevant to Petroleum Research. Journal of Obscure Chemistry 2006, 16, 200-215).
- The written proposal must be given to the committee at least 1 week before the oral examination date.
Complete ACS-PRF guidelines are available on the ACS site. If the proposal and/or oral defense are unsatisfactory, the student cannot apply to retake the exam until 4 months have elapsed since the first exam. Two failures on this exam will result in the student being dropped from further consideration as a doctoral candidate. The examination results must be reported to the Graduate School using this form (doctoral oral comprehensive).
Please note the following deadlines for the oral exam:
- June 1 to graduate in December.
- November 1 to graduate in May.
- February 1 to graduate in August.
Admission to Candidacy
A doctoral student can be admitted to candidacy (use this form) when he/she has passed the oral exam, has selected a dissertation title and has satisfactorily completed all coursework.
Final Exam
When the student in the Ph.D. program has successfully completed his/her research project, as judged by the research advisor, the student should apply for the final oral examination. At this exam the candidate will present and defend his/her research before his/her committee, invited guests, fellow students, and general faculty. The candidate has two attempts in which to successfully complete this examination. The attempts must be at least six months apart. Please also note:
- The student must apply for graduation by the published deadline and be enrolled during the semester of the defense.
- Committee members must receive the final copy of the dissertation at least one week before the defense.
- The title, time, place and date of the seminar must be provided to the Graduate School (with this form) at least one week before the defense.
The results of the "doctoral final" must be sent to the Office of Graduate Studies using the Examination Form
Please note deadlines and general guidelines for submission of dissertations as published by the Office of Graduate Studies.
