The following outlines the recommended timetable a graduate student pursuing the M.A. degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or clinical chemistry should follow.
The student should meet individually with the faculty in the department, in order to become acquainted with the ongoing and future projects available. Generally, during the second and third weeks of each Fall Semester, the department faculty members present brief seminars about their research to the undergraduate students, as a part of the course in Chemical Literature. Graduate students are welcome to attend these seminars. The student will then choose a research advisor and, in consultation with that advisor, select a thesis project. The student is reminded that not all faculty members can supervise an infinite number of research students: early selection will help to ensure that the student is able to choose her or his desired project. Two additional full-time chemistry faculty members will be selected by the student, again in consultation with the research advisor, to serve with the advisor as members of the student's thesis committee. If the research is to be performed outside of the Chemistry Department under the direction of an external research supervisor, then a department member will serve as the student’s research advisor. This person is responsible for ascertaining that all departmental requirements are satisfied in the thesis process. Such outside research must be approved by the Department Chair and Program Director at the time the proposal is filed. At least two of the committee members must be Chemistry Department faculty.
The student will write a proposal, describing the thesis project, and submit the proposal to the committee members. Upon committee approval of the proposal, the student will distribute the proposal approval form (contained in this document) to the committee members for signature, then submit the completed form, along with a copy of the approved proposal, to the Director of the Graduate Programs in Chemistry. After these have been completed, the student may begin M.A. research. The student must have an approved proposal and a completed Chemistry Department Research Authorization Form (PDF MS Word) on file before beginning M.A. Thesis research. An approved proposal must be on file for at least six months before the thesis is to be defended. The Chemistry stockroom is not authorized to provide research supplies to M.A. students prior to proposal approval. A student should begin the research no later than the second semester of his/her program. The student should remain aware of the departmental and University regulations governing her/his research, as failure to follow these may result in penalties, including suspension of research privileges. The student should be registered for M.A. Thesis (CHEM 599), or have In Progress (IP) credits for this course while performing this research.
The student must file an Application for Degree with the
Once an acceptable (to the research advisor) draft of the thesis is
complete, the student should schedule the thesis defense, at a date and time
approved by all committee members. This should be done early in the semester,
to allow time for corrections prior to the deadline for thesis submission, as
scheduled in the Graduate Studies Catalog. A copy of the thesis should be given
to each committee member with sufficient review time (no less than one week). Notices
announcing the defense should be prominently displayed on departmental bulletin
boards during the week prior to the defense. It is the responsibility of the
research advisor to ensure that the copies of the thesis given to committee
members are of defendable quality. The defense will consist of a presentation
by the candidate to committee members and other interested members of the
University community. The committee members may choose to ask questions
pertaining to the project during or after the presentation. The committee will
decide only on the approval of the thesis, the grade for the M.A. thesis
credits are to be determined solely by the research advisor. The committee may
choose to approve the thesis without corrections, in which case the signature
page is signed immediately, approve upon correction, in which case the
signature page may be signed once each member of the committee is satisfied
that all necessary corrections have been made, or not to approve, in which
case, substantial revisions (possibly including additional laboratory work)
must be made prior to a subsequent defense. Please use the signature page format included with this
document. Once the student has obtained final approval, he/she will provide the
program director with an electronic copy of the thesis including the signature
page (as a PDF). In addition, the student will provide a paper copy of the
signature page.
HOW MANY COPIES?
This question pops up frequently. Copies of your signed thesis will be sent to the Chemistry Department and the Library. Check with the program director to find out whether the department wishes to receive a bound paper copy of the thesis. If you wish to receive a bound copy of the thesis, Wert Bookbinding Inc. will print the PDF on acid free paper and then bind the document. The cost for printing would be determined according to the number of pages, how many copies are to be printed and if any color pages are included. Students will be expected to cover the binding expense prior to distribution of the paper copies.
The following represents the Chemistry Department's recommended format for the M.A. thesis. The completed thesis should contain all of the following parts in the following order:
*The order of the Experimental, and Results/Discussion sections may be reversed.