MS and PhD Courses and Descriptions

MS Requirements - 30 credits

PhD Requirements - 54 credits

Core Classes by Area*

MS: 2-4 core classes / PhD: 4-7 core classes:

*Additional courses may be recommended by the candidate’s advisor/committee

• Take 1-2 core classes during their 1st semester (self-select based on course descriptions & recommendations from temporary advisor)
• Take 1-2 core classes during their 2nd semester (advisor/committee help select)
• CHEM 601 (Chemical Safety) during 1st yr (Winter)
• CHEM 694 (Scientific Writing course) during 2nd yr (Fall)
• CHEM 594R (Seminar course) for 7 (PhD) or 3 (MS) semesters (3.5/1.5 total credits)
• CHEM 692R Current Topics course for 6 (PhD) or 4 (MS) semesters (3/2 total credits)
• CHEM 697R Graduate Research (variable)
• CHEM 699R Thesis 18 (PhD) or 6 (MS) credits

Breadth Requirement:

In addition to the mandatory courses described above, Ph.D. students are required to take at least 4 and up to 7 courses; at least 2 of these must be core courses and at least 1 must be a breadth course. Core courses focus on individual chemical areas of emphasis (analytical, biochemistry, inorganic, organic, and physical). In contrast, breadth courses are
interdisciplinary and contain substantial content that spans more than one area of emphasis.

Breadth courses may be housed within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry or be offered by other BYU Departments. Faculty in each area of emphasis have identified courses that satisfy these core and breadth
course requirements for students in their area. These courses are listed in the tables below.

*CHEM 596R is taken if the student does not pass their area proficiency ACS exam; it is therefore a “core” course, but it does not count towards the required 3 core elective courses, nor the required breadth elective course. 596R will be graded based on the percentile score of the proficiency ACS exam (whereas minimum passing would be considered a “B” grade, etc.)

*These are only examples of typical breadth courses by area. See the description in the paragraph below for more details.

PhD students will choose their core and breadth elective courses in consultation with their advisor, subject to approval by their committee. Typically, a PhD student will satisfy the breadth elective requirement by taking one of the breadth elective courses listed in the table above for their own area of emphasis. For example, an analytical area student could satisfy the breadth elective requirement by taking CHEM 729R (polymers). However, with the approval of the advisor, the committee, and the area chair, a student may satisfy the breadth elective requirement by taking one of the breadth elective courses listed by another area of emphasis. For example, with approval, a biochemistry area student could satisfy the breadth elective requirement by taking CHEM 659R (bioorganic chemistry). Additional courses may be considered beyond what is listed here, again with the approval of the advisor, the committee, and the area chair. A student must receive a grade of “B” or better in a breadth elective course to satisfy the requirement.

 
MS students are required to take 2 to 5 elective courses but do not have a breadth elective requirement. MS students will choose their elective courses in consultation with their advisor (typically from the core elective courses listed in the table above from their own area of emphasis), subject to approval by their committee.

Required Course Descriptions

CHEM 594R – Seminar course

• Attend at least 10 seminars per semester.
• For 2 of the 10 seminars, read and write abstract-like summaries for 2-3 articles written by the speaker on the topic of the presentation. These must be turned in prior to the seminar.
• Take notes (using the form for the class) during the seminar for which the summaries are written. Turn the notes in immediately following the seminar. Two passing grades are required. If one or both of the summaries fails to meet the necessary standard of writing, additional summaries (as appropriate) will be required. Take notes using the form for the class on all of the seminars on which the student writes summaries.

CHEM 601 – Safe Chemical Practices

This is taken in the Winter semester of the first year.  This class will address University and department safety policies. Chemical hazards, fire safety, and biosafety, including laws.  Graduate students who received their undergraduate degree at BYU in chemistry or biochemistry will be exempt from this class and will make up the credit in Chem 697R.

CHEM 692R - Current Topics course (3 credits)   

- Refer to the Current Topics webpage for the requirements.

There are six sections of CHEM 692R, each with a different theme:

• Biochemistry
• Synthesis and Chemical Biology
• Catalysis or Functional Materials
• Instrument and Method Development
• Spectroscopy
• Bioanalytics

CHEM 694 – Graduate Writing course

• This is taken in the Winter semester of the second year. As part of this course, students write a full literature review on the topic of their graduate research project. For PhD students, this review is intended to be the foundation for the student’s proposal/prospectus which will also be drafted as part of the course. For MS students, the review will be the basis of the introductory chapter of their thesis.
• With approval from their committee, students may take this class during the winter of their first year.