Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry

Students are required to write a research proposal and defend it in front of their reading committee. They also need to complete a thesis committee meeting to report their research progress and plan for graduation, by the end of the Spring quarter of their fourth year. .

Students may concentrate in organic, inorganic chemical biology, physical, or biophysical chemistry. All graduate students are required to take six graduate-level lecture courses (course numbers greater than 200) of at least three units each in chemistry or related disciplines (e.g., biochemistry, electrical engineering, mathematics, chemical engineering, chemical and systems biology, physics, materials science), selected in consultation with their research advisor or the Graduate Study Committee. All six courses must be taken for a letter grade. Two Chemistry courses must be taken in the Autumn quarter and another two Chemistry courses in the Winter quarter of the first year. Students are expected to complete all coursework before the end of the third year.

During Autumn and Winter quarters of the first year, students are required to arrange research rotations with faculty. For each quarter, students must submit a completed rotation form to the chair(s) of the Graduate Studies Committee in order to receive a grade for Chem 200 . Upon joining a research lab, a signed letter by the primary advisor needs to be submitted to the Department as research begins under the advisor’s supervision. Non ChEM-H CBI students must join a lab by the end of the Winter quarter of the first year of graduate registration. ChEM-H CBI students must join a lab by the end of the Spring quarter of the first year of graduate registration. Failing to join a lab by the deadline indicates unsatisfactory research progress, which may result in dismissal from the program. In this circumstance, students shall consult with the Graduate Studies Committee for the next step.

Admission to candidacy is a judgement by the faculty of a student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are expected to take the PhD qualifying exam and apply for candidacy by the end of the Spring quarter of their second year in the program. A written progress report must be submitted to the thesis committee one week prior to the qualifying exam. Qualifying procedures in the Department of Chemistry include satisfactory completion of at least five lecture course requirements, identification of an advisor by the end of the Winter quarter of the first year, successfully passing the qualifying exam, and making satisfactory progress on a dissertation research project determined by the thesis committee.