FIRST YEAR: PLACEMENT EXAMINATIONS, COURSES, SEMINAR

Entering Ph.D. and M.S. students are assigned a faculty advisor who assists in the selection of courses. Most students concentrate on core courses during the first year. For both Ph.D. and M.S. programs, students must successfully complete four out of five basic core courses. These are:

• Chemical and Statistical Thermodynamics, CHEM 401
• Mechanisms of Organic Reactions, CHEM 451
• Comprehensive Biochemistry I, CHEM 437
• Inorganic Chemistry, CHEM 405
• Advanced Instrumental Methods of Analysis, CHEM 461

Prior to the Fall semester, placement examinations in undergraduate organic and physical chemistry are given to all incoming students. In cases where students have successfully completed similar courses at other institutions, they may petition the Graduate Committee to place out of these courses. The Committee may then require the student to take a placement examination in the appropriate area. Based upon the scores of these examinations, the Committee will decide that the student 1) will be exempted from the appropriate core courses, 2) should take the core course, or 3) must take remedial work to be determined by the Committee. A grade of "B" or better must be obtained for any remedial (300 level) coursework taken.

First year students are expected to enroll in CHEM 713, Departmental Seminar, both Fall and Spring semesters. During the Fall semester, each student will familiarize himself/herself with the various research programs in the Department, and is expected to speak to at least three faculty about their research. By the end of the Fall semester, the student will select a laboratory in which he/she will do a research rotation, to be initiated in January, or earlier.

In the Spring semester, the student will enroll in CHEM 602, Introduction to Laboratory Research, and CHEM 710, Research Tutorial, while continuing laboratory rotations. The student may wish to do a second (or even third) rotation in a different laboratory, but this is not required. The student should choose a thesis advisor no later than the end of the Spring semester, preferably by April 1. M.S. students who opt for the non-thesis option should arrange to do a project in an appropriate laboratory and enroll in CHEM 600, Advanced Laboratory Projects.

Students supported by teaching or research assistantships generally take two courses per semester in addition to the Seminar, Rotation, and Tutorial. For these students, the University will defer up to 10 credits of tuition per semester. Students are required to attend the seminar even if they are not formally enrolled in it (which may occur should the sum of the credits of two courses plus CHEM 602 and CHEM 710 equal or exceed 10 credits).