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2016-2017 University Catalog
Chemistry and Biochemistry, PhD
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Banner Code: SC-PHD-CBCM
College: College of Science
Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Chemistry and Biochemistry, PhD program is intended to prepare students for advanced work in the chemical sciences and related areas. Graduates with the PhD degree in this field can seek employment in research and development, process control, or higher education. In addition to these traditional science career paths, graduates are also positioned to pursue careers in non-traditional areas such as the intellectual property and regulatory fields. The program is designed to provide students with a firm foundation in advanced coursework, which is followed by an independent research project completed under the guidance of a faculty advisor. The culmination of the program is a dissertation representing original research that is publishable in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Admission Requirements
The Chemistry and Biochemistry, PhD program is intended for students who have completed an undergraduate program of study in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field. Applicants are expected to have a BS degree with a minimum GPA of 3.00, and acceptable GRE and TOEFL scores (if applicable). Applicants with a BS degree in other fields of study who have at least three years of chemistry or biochemistry coursework may be accepted provisionally and may be required to successfully complete selected remedial courses, some of which may not be applicable towards the PhD requirements. Interested students should submit a completed application, three letters of reference, official reports of GRE and TOEFL exam scores, and a personal/goals statement outlining their general research interests and career plans.
Reduction of Credit
For students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree in a related field from a regionally accredited institution, the number of required credits may be reduced up to 30 credits, subject to approval of the program faculty and the associate dean for student affairs. See the Graduate Policies section of this catalog for more information.
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Degree Requirements
Upon acceptance into the Chemistry and Biochemistry, PhD , a student will be assigned an academic advisor. Prior to registering for classes, students are required to meet with their academic advisor who will provide guidance in selecting courses that are consistent with the student’s area of interest. Once a student has selected a research/dissertation advisor, that person then assumes the role of providing academic advisement to the student.
Doctoral Coursework (48 credits)
Electives (39 credits)
39 credits of approved elective courses chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor Dissertation Committee and Supervisor
By the end of the first year, a student in the program is expected to have selected a dissertation/research supervisor and to have formed the dissertation committee. This committee will consist of at least four graduate faculty members (including the dissertation supervisor), with at least two members from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry . At least one member must be from outside the department. Qualified individuals who are not members of the graduate faculty, including faculty at other universities or government laboratories, may serve on the committee with the approval of the program director and the college’s associate dean.
Candidacy Examinations
The student must successfully complete separate written and oral candidacy examinations prepared and administered by the dissertation committee. Dissertation Proposal and Advancement to Candidacy
Prior to completing the sixth semester in the program, a student is expected to have advanced to candidacy. The student’s committee will determine whether a candidate is ready to begin preparation of the research proposal and approve enrollment in CHEM 998 based upon their familiarity with the student’s progress.
In order to advance to candidacy, a student is required to fulfill the following requirements:
- The student will prepare and submit a research proposal (based on the thesis research) for approval by the dissertation committee.
- The student must pass a written qualifying exam prepared by the dissertation committee. The exam can be based on the student’s research and/or completed coursework, with the composition of the exam being determined by the student’s dissertation committee.
- The final stage is an oral defense of the student’s research proposal. Questions at the proposal defense may also be drawn from material covered in the written qualifying exam.
Dissertation Research (24 credits)
No more than 24 combined credits from CHEM 998 and CHEM 999 may be applied toward satisfying doctoral degree requirements, with no more than 12 credits of CHEM 998 . Exit Seminar
Each PhD candidate presents his or her research in a seminar in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (a departmental seminar), which takes place in the same semester as the final defense of dissertation (below). The student does not have to be registered for CHEM 790 during the semester the exit seminar is presented.
Dissertation Research and Defense
With the approval of the dissertation committee, the student will enroll in CHEM 998 and CHEM 999 . The dissertation research should represent a significant contribution to the appropriate scientific field(s), and it should be deemed to represent a body of work that is publishable in a refereed scientific journal. The dissertation must be presented and defended in a public forum consisting of the dissertation committee and other interested members of the George Mason University community.
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