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1st Year
Important dates for first year graduate students:
• Orientation dates for domestic students: August
18-28, 2008
• Orienation dates for foreign national students: July 24 - August
28, 2008
• First day of Fall Semester- Tuesday, September 2, 2008
• First day of Spring Semester Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Course Registration:
• Fall semester registration: First year grads register
during August orientation following Three Member Committee meetings.
• Spring semester registration takes place during the month of November.
• All graduate students must take Chem 8066 (Professional Conduct of Chemical
Research), usually during Spring term of the first year.
• First year students must register for Seminar (Chem 8601) both semesters
(provided you do not go over the 14 credit limit -- see Chuck Tomlinson
in 115 Smith Hall if you have questions.)
Selection of Research Advisor:
New graduate students may choose a research advisor any time during the
first semester in residence and must choose their advisor no later than January
15 of the first year in residence. Each student will be required to speak
individually with faculty members and collect 4 signatures on the graduate
Research Advisor Selection Form before they can join a research group.
Review of the student’s progress:
Each semester the Graduate Committee reviews the progress of first-year
graduate students. At the end of the first year students must meet all of
the following requirements to remain in good standing in the Ph.D. program:
(i) a GPA of 3.0 or better
(ii) completion of at least 18 credits of coursework with a grade of
B- or better
(iii) passing grades on all four proficiency exams
Other than in exceptional circumstances, a decision to reassign a student
from the Ph.D. to M.S. degree program is not made until the end of the first
year. Following the first year, academic review is done annually at the end
of Spring semester.
2nd Year
Register for Fall Semester in May!
Check with your advisor regarding your appointment as a TA or RA.
Written Preliminary Examination: The
first step in the Written Preliminary Exam process is submitting an abstract
and potential written committee member names in mid-August, prior to
the start of the second year in residence. The three members of the written
preliminary exam committee are selected in late August by the Director
of Graduate Studies in consultation with the specialty area coordinators.
Please see the full Written Preliminary Exam policy (available
here) and also in the Graduate
Student Handbook.
Degree Program Form:
Students must submit two important forms in September
of the second year in residence.
1) The Degree Program Form (link
to PDF) Students will fill out a separate Degree Program Form for both
the Ph.D. and the M.S.–Plan B degrees, which will be attempted
concurrently with the Ph.D. preliminary exams. This form lists all of the
coursework that will apply toward the Ph.D. and M.S.-Plan B degrees. The
form also lists the names of the Oral Preliminary Exam committee members.
2) Preliminary Oral Examination and M.S.-Plan B Defense Committee Form
(link
to PDF) Students must submit this form along with the Degree Program
Form. The Oral Preliminary Exam committee members are the same as the three
members of the Written Preliminary Exam committee, plus an additional committee
member from outside the Chemistry department. Students should select the
non-departmental committee member in consultation with their advisers.
Oral preliminary examination: Typically,
the preliminary oral exam is completed within the Spring semester of the
second year. Each Ph.D. candidate must pass the oral preliminary examination.
Possible outcomes of the first examination are i) pass, ii) fail with option
to retake the examination (one time only), or iii) fail. Students
who have not taken their oral preliminary examination by the beginning of
summer term of their second year will no longer be in good standing in the
Ph.D. Program. They
will be reclassified into the M.S. program and will be reconsidered for
the Ph.D. program only under extraordinary circumstances. It should be
noted that there is a Graduate School requirement that ten calendar weeks
must pass before a retake of the preliminary oral examination may be scheduled.
3rd Year
Register for Fall Semester in May!
Typically, in the third years, Ph.D. candidates register
for thesis credits in both the Fall and Spring semesters. You must take 24
PhD Thesis credits over the course of two terms.
Check with your advisor regarding your appointment as a TA or RA.
Thesis Proposal Form and PhD Final
Examination Prospective Committee Form: During your third year you
should begin preparation for your thesis and final defense. This involves
giving the Graduate School a draft title and abstract for your thesis,
and consulting with your adviser on your final defense committee members.
Before the end of the third year in residence, you should file both the
Thesis/Project Proposal Form (link
to PDF file) and the PhD Final Examination
Prospective Committee Form (link
to PDF file) to 115 Smith Hall. These
forms are available online, in the Graduate Student Handbook (link
to PDF)
or from the staff in 115 Smith Hall.
4th Year
Register for Fall Semester in May!
Typically, Ph.D. candidates who have
completed their thesis credits take Chem 8444. This is a one credit class
that fulfills the graduate schools requirement for full time status. It
is often referred to as "one credit
FTE" registration.
Check with your advisor regarding your appointment as a TA or RA.
Graduation Procedures
As students get closer to graduation,
consult the Graduate School site with degree
completion information.
Masters candidates should request a graduation
packet anytime after the
Degree Program Form has been approved by the Graduate School and the thesis
is ready to go to the reviewers (only Plan A requires a thesis).
Ph. D. candidates should request a graduation
packet anytime after the Thesis
Proposal Form has been approved by the Graduate School.
And finally, students preparing to graduate should go to
the departments
Graduation and Beyond page and submit alumni
contact information.
Additional Graduate School Forms: Doctoral Degree Requirements and Forms
Master's Degree Requirements and Forms |
