Programs by Campus
Bloomington
Chemistry
College of Arts and Sciences
Departmental E-mail: chemgrad [at] indiana [dot] edu
Departmental URL: www.chem.indiana.edu
(Please note that when conferring University Graduate School degrees, minors, certificates, and sub-plans, The University Graduate School’s staff use those requirements contained only in The University Graduate School Bulletin.)
Curriculum
Degrees Offered
Master of Science, Master of Arts in Teaching, and Doctor of Philosophy. The department also participates in the biochemistry, chemical physics, information science, library science, SPEA, and molecular and cellular biology programs.
Fields of Study
Analytical, chemical biology, inorganic, materials, organic, and physical chemistry.
Special Department Requirements
(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate degree in chemistry, physics, mathematics, or the biological sciences. Students with undergraduate degrees in other areas of the physical sciences or engineering are also encouraged to apply. Students are admitted to the program only with the approval of the Chemistry Graduate Admissions Committee.
Grades
At least a B (3.0) average in work for the advanced degree. Grades below C (2.0) are not counted toward the completion of degree requirements, but will be counted in determining a student’s grade point average.
Master of Science Degree - Chemistry
This degree may be conferred upon the holder of a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in another discipline.
Course Requirements
These requirements are flexible and are planned and approved by the graduate committee. A minimum of 30 credit hours in chemistry are required. At least 9 credit hours of course work in the major field offered in fulfillment of the M.S. degree must be in courses numbered 500 or above (excluding thesis work).
Thesis
Required.
Master of Science in Chemistry/Master of Science in Environmental Science (SPEA)
This dual degree may be conferred upon the holder of a bachelor's degree or master's degree in another discipline.
Admission Requirements
The Department of Chemistry and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) offer a two-year, 51 credit hour program that qualifies students for two master's degrees. A student must apply to and be accepted by both the Chemistry Department and by SPEA for study toward an M.S. degree in Chemistry and an M.S. in Environmental Science. The student will receive graduate advising in both the Chemistry Department and SPEA. Both degrees can be conferred upon the holder of a bachelor's degree or master's degree in another discipline.
Course Requirements
A minimum of 51 total credit hours with a minimum of 21 credits required in both Chemistry and SPEA, to be distributed among the following six areas of chemistry and environmental science: (1) chemistry core (9 cr.); (2) environmental science core (9 cr.); (3) economics, policy, and law competencies (6-9 cr.); (4) tool skills (3-5 cr.); (5) environmental chemistry concentration (15-18 cr.); and (6) an experiential requirement (3 cr.). One of the 3-credit hour courses must involve team participation in an integrative project that addresses a multidisciplinary problem. This course may be in either of the concentrations or in the tool skill courses.
Experiential Requirement
A minimum of three credits associated with an approved experiential assignment, such as an internship or prior employment, is required.
Thesis
The thesis requirement is waived for the dual M.S. Chemistry/M.S.E.S. degrees.
Master of Arts for Teachers Degree
The Master of Arts for Teachers (MAT) program is a two-year, non-thesis masters and certification program that prepares secondary education teachers. The program consists of graduate coursework in chemistry in combination with education coursework toward certification in the School of Education. Returning teachers with certification usually take only one year to complete graduate chemistry coursework. Students with B.A. or B.S. degrees in chemistry, but with no education background, may complete requirements for a secondary Indiana teaching certificate and strengthen their background in chemistry.
Admission Requirements
Eighteen (18) credit hours of chemistry, including one semester each of general, quantitative, and organic chemistry. Deficiencies must be removed without graduate credit. Continuance in the program will depend upon the performance in coursework taken during the first semester in the program, and continued good standing in the program; alternatively, a qualifying examination may be administered after either one semester or one summer in the program.
General Requirements
A total of 36 credit hours, of which a minimum of 20 credit hours must be in courses in chemistry that carry graduate credit. For students without prior education coursework, the remaining 16 credits are to be fulfilled through School of Education courses. Consult School of Education, Graduate Studies Office (Wright Education Building 4210, [812] 856-8504) for Education coursework requirements.
A maximum of 6 credit hours of undergraduate courses may be applied toward the M.A.T. degree. For a student having an unusually strong undergraduate background in chemistry or biochemistry (e.g., a B.S. degree), some of the required 20 credit hours in advanced chemistry courses may be in other areas of science and mathematics, if approved in advance by the graduate advisor.
Lecture-Course Requirements
Students are advised to select an area of specialization within chemistry, while developing a broad base of knowledge in several areas. To that end, students will take twelve (12) credit hours in lecture courses, distributed as follows: 6 credit hours in one of the following six areas: analytical, chemical biology, inorganic, materials, organic, or physical chemistry; and 3 credit hours in each of two of the remaining six fields.
Lecture courses may be selected from those at the 500-level or above, or with departmental approval from any of the following undergraduate courses: analytical, A314, C317, C318; biological, C481, C483, C484, C485, B486; inorganic, C430; organic, C342, S342, C443; physical, C360, C361, C362, C460.
Laboratory-Course Requirements
Students are required to have had experience in upper level laboratories in three of the six areas of chemistry. If this requirement was not fulfilled prior to admission into the MAT program, graduate level laboratory courses may be taken to augment students’ laboratory experience. Additionally, the following, and comparable courses taken elsewhere, will qualify with departmental approval: A316, C315, C344, P364, C437, P464, C487.
Electives
Additional courses in chemistry may count with departmental approval at the 400-level or above to give a total of at least 20 credit hours (including course work in the preceding two categories). Up to 16 credit hours in courses may count with departmental approval at the 300 level or above in mathematics, biological sciences, physical sciences, or education carrying graduate credit.
Final Examination
Either oral or written, or both.
Master of Library Science/Master of Information Science Degree Information Specialist (Chemistry)
Offered by the Department of Information and Library Science (ILS). Students in this joint program receive the Master of Library Science degree or the Master of Information Science degree, and a Chemical Information Specialization.
Admission Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in chemistry or the equivalent.
Course Requirements: M.I.S.
Foundation course requirements (21 credit hours); and Specialization courses (9 credit hours: Z523, Z533, and INFO I571) and additional courses to be chosen in consultation with advisors in Information and Library Science and the Department of Chemistry to bring the total graduate credit hours to 42.
Course Requirements: M.L.S.
Foundation courses (18 credit hours); and Specialization courses (9 credit hours: Z523, Z533, and INFO I571) and additional Information and Library Science courses to be chosen in consultation with advisors in Information and Library Science and the Department of Chemistry to bring the total graduate credit hours to 36.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
The program leading to the Ph.D. degree emphasizes the attainment of a high level of competency in a specialized area of chemistry, but also requires the development of broad knowledge and experience. By the time the degree is earned, the student should show promise of becoming a capable and independent investigator in chemistry. The major emphasis for the Ph.D. is on research while in residence on the Bloomington campus. Research should be the student’s greatest challenge and the focus of the major portion of his or her energy. The student’s attitude toward and progress in research is a most important factor in graduate committee decisions.
Course Requirements
A total of 90 credit hours, of which at least 24 credit hours must be in course work. Students may major in analytical, chemical biology, inorganic, materials, organic, or physical chemistry. Doctoral students majoring in a field of chemistry are required to complete a minimum of 12 credit hours of course work in that field, following a sequence of courses approved by their advisory committee.
A doctoral student in chemistry can choose to minor within the Chemistry Department or can elect to minor in some other department. In the latter case, the requirements are specified by the minor department. Students electing to minor within the department must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours in areas of chemistry other than the major area by following the subplans/tracks., otherwise you must create an Individualized Minor which provides additional breadth and depth to the individualized degree. The course work comprising an inside minor must be approved by the advisory committee.
All doctoral students in chemistry are required to enroll in 6 credits of C500 Introduction to Research during their first year of study.
Foreign-Language/Tool-Skill Requirement
The department has no formal foreign language or tool-skill requirement, but Ph.D. advisory committees may consider such courses essential for individual students.
Qualifying Examinations
To remain in good standing, each student must successfully complete the chemistry seminar course in the chosen major (A800, B800/C689*, M800, N800, R800, or P800) during the third and fourth semester. *Chemical biology majors will take one semester of B800 (third semester) and one semester of C689 (fourth semester) to fulfill their second year chemistry seminar course requirement.
In the fifth semester, students meet with their advisory committees to review past performance in both the major and minor areas and to evaluate plans for completing the Ph.D. This review includes a seminar, written document, and oral examination. Current information concerning probation, termination, and reinstatement policies may be obtained from the departmental graduate office.
Final Examination
Usually oral, covering dissertation, major, and minors, and also a seminar describing the dissertation.
Subplans/Tracks
Analytical: CHEM C501 Chemical Instrumentation; CHEM C611 Electroanalytical Chemistry; CHEM C612 Spectrochemical Methods of Analysis; CHEM C613 Mass Spectrometry and Stable Isotopes; CHEM C614 Chromatography; CHEM C615 Bioanalytical Chemistry; CHEM C620 Measurement Science
Chemical Biology: CHEM C588 Fundamentals of Biochemical Catalysis; CHEM C589 Enzyme Mechanisms; CHEM C681 Introduction to Chemical Biology I; CHEM C682 Introduction to Chemical Biology II; plus an additional 6 hours to include CHEM C540 Advanced Organic Chemistry; CHEM C581 Macromolecular Structure and Function; CHEM C582 Biomolecular Analysis and Interaction; CHEM C585 Structure and Function of Biological Membranes; CHEM C680 Introduction to Quantitative Biology and Measurement; CHEM C687 Seminar Advanced Topics in Chemical Biology; or other courses approved by research advisor.
Inorganic: CHEM C502 Inorganic Spectroscopy; CHEM C630 Structure and Bonding; CHEM C631 Chemical Crystallography; CHEM C632 Structure, Function, and Spectroscopy of Metal Ions in Biological Systems; CHEM C633 Inorganic Chemistry of Main Group Elements; CHEM C634 Transition Metal Chemistry; CHEM C635 Mechanisms of Inorganic Chemistry, CHEM C636 Organometallic Chemistry and Catalysis; CHEM C637 Physical Methods in Structural Chemistry; CHEM; C639 Characterization of Paramagnetic Molecules
Materials: CHEM M501 Fundamentals of Materials I: Making, Measuring, and Modeling; CHEM M502 Fundamentals of Materials II: Molecular and Nanoscale Materials; plus an additional 6 hours which can include CHEM M503 Supramolecular Chemistry; CHEM M608 Seminar Materials Chemistry, or 6 hours from other courses approved by research advisor.
Organic: CHEM C503 Spectrometric Methods of Structure; CHEM C540 Advanced Organic Chemistry; CHEM C543 Organic Reactions; CHEM C643 Organic Natural Products; CHEM C648 Seminar Organic Chemistry
Physical: CHEM C561 Atomic & Molecular Quantum Theory; CHEM C562 Computational Quantum Chemistry; CHEM C565 Nuclear Chemistry; CHEM C566 Molecular Optical Spectroscopy; CHEM C567 Chemical Statistical Mechanics; CHEM C616 Surface Analysis and Surface Chemistry; CHEM C668 Seminar Physical Chemistry
Minors
A doctoral student in chemistry can choose to minor within the Chemistry department or can elect to minor in some other department. In the latter case, the requirements are specified by the minor department. Students electing to minor within the department must complete a minimum of 6 credit hours in areas of chemistry other than the major area. The course work comprising an inside minor must be approved by the advisory committee.
Ph.D. Minor in Chemistry
Students from other departments who wish to minor in chemistry must complete at least 6 credit hours of graduate course work in one area of chemistry with an average of B (3.0) or above.
Ph.D. Minor in Sustainable Energy Science
Students in Chemistry who wish to minor in Sustainable Energy Science must complete 12 credit hours of study, 9 of which are in coursework that includes (1) GEOG-G542, (2) a course on a specific energy type, and (3) one course on implications of energy use. Contact the departmental Graduate Office for appropriate courses.
Ph.D. Minor in Chemical and Physical Biology (CPB)
Students choosing to minor in Chemical and Physical Biology (CPB), previously known as Quantitative Biology, are required to complete CHEM-C 680 and CHEM-C 681. An additional 3 credits from electives offered in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Physics and Medical Sciences, are also required, as appropriate to their major area. The Chemistry Graduate Office reviews and maintains a list of approved electives available in these areas for students to select from to complete the minor. Electives should be approved by the minor advisor in advance.