Program of Study - Chemistry (MS)
General Overview
The Department of Chemistry provides a program for graduate students to complete the Master of Science degree in chemistry to become professional chemists. The program requires students to finish 12-credit hours of chemistry core courses which must include 3-credit hours of seminar courses, and 12- credit hours of elective courses. In order to meet the total 30-credit hour requirement for graduation, students in the traditional research track need to complete 6-credit hours of thesis and chemical research, while those in non-thesis track should take an additional 6-credit hours of chemistry electives which must include CHEM 6370 Chemical Education. Students may be allowed to bring in a maximum of 6-credit graduate hours from courses other than chemistry.
Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the graduate program in chemistry, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below:
- Undergraduate degree with major in chemistry or 32 hours of undergraduate courses in chemistry
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester credit hours.
- GRE General Test. GRE test scores are valid for 5 years. A waiver of the GRE requirement will be granted to applicants who show proof of completing a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral).
- Two letters of recommendation from professional or academic sources.
- Statement of Interest explaining objectives in pursuing the degree and area of interest within chemistry or in biochemistry or material science.
Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.
The program committee will have the authority to accept into unconditional status any applicant whose qualifications fall short of the requirements.
Probationary admission will be considered for applicants who do not satisfy the criteria outlined above but are not granted unconditional status by the program committee. The program committee will base probationary admission on the strength of the applicant's application portfolio and recommendations.
Such probationary admission may require courses addressing application deficiencies, and/or advice to take additional coursework in a particular field. These steps must be taken before the applicant is granted non-probationary or clear status.
The applicant may not proceed beyond 12 credit hours of Chemistry Graduate courses with a probationary status.
Program Requirements
General Requirements for Thesis Option
A supervised master’s thesis is required. The thesis option provides much needed practical experience and technical skills, insight into the intricacies of scientific research and the opportunity to develop written and oral communication skills. When a clearly defined project has been outlined, the candidate can advance the study in coordination with an advisor. The thesis track involves 3 credits of seminar, writing and literature search techniques, and 6 credits of research work.
Required Courses (9 Credits)
9 - Credit hours must be completed from the Chemistry Core courses listed below and must include 3- credit hours of Seminar. Students should complete the Core course pertaining to the specialization track being sought and take two other non-Seminar courses from the Core list.
Seminar Courses
Chemistry Elective Courses (12 Credits)
Choose from the following:
Capstone Requirement
Choose one of the following options:
Thesis Option (6 Credits)
Non-Thesis Option (6 Credits)
An additional 6 credit hours of graduate Chemistry work is required which must include
| CHEM 6370 | Special Topics in Chemical Education | 3 |
**Six credit hours could be from supporting disciplines with prior approval from the Graduate Committee. Special topics courses can be repeated up to three times as long as the content is different for each.
Total Credit Hours: 30