Degree Requirements
The PhD is the highest degree awarded and is intended for students seeking a career in scientific research. The ultimate aim of this degree is to train a scientist for a career that involves original research.
Credit-Hour Requirements
A total of 90 quarter hours, of which a minimum of 75 hours must be earned at the University of Denver. Because a PhD in chemistry is primarily a degree in which competence in research is learned and demonstrated, a large percentage of these hours are earned as credit for research (CHEM 5995). The formal or classroom course requirements are the same as those for the MS degree.
Course Requirements
The graduate curriculum must be completed with a grade point average of 3.0 or better.
Qualifying Examinations
All students in the PhD program are required to take a qualifying examination at the end of the spring quarter following their first September in residence. This examination covers the material presented in the core curriculum, with each course contributing 100 points. To qualify for continuance in the program, the student must score at least 500 out of 800 points. The faculty will meet to discuss exam results and decide whether the candidate will continue in the PhD program.
Cumulative Examinations
The PhD candidate must complete the cumulative examination requirement by the seventh quarter in residence. These examinations are prepared from topics appearing in the current literature and fundamental materials found in review articles.
Oral Examination
By the end of the eighth quarter in residence, the student should give an oral presentation of an original research proposal in an area of his/her choice. This proposal will usually focus on the student's chosen subdiscipline and should not be too closely related to any ongoing research in the department. After the public presentation, the student will defend the proposal before a committee of five faculty members (the advisory committee and two additional members).
Dissertation
A dissertation of publishable quality based on the student's original research must be completed. A summary of the dissertation is presented in a public seminar and later defended in a private oral examination. The dissertation examination committee will consist of the three members of the student's advisory committee, one additional member of the chemistry faculty to be selected by the advisory committee, and an outside chair.
Seminars
All students in the PhD program are expected to present a departmental "non-thesis" seminar. This seminar should be presented fairly early in the degree program. In addition, the student must present public seminars as part of the proposition oral exam and final thesis defense.
Degre Requirements:
- 90 graduate-level quarter hours
- Minimum of 70 graduate level quarter hours must be in CHEM
- Maximum of 20 quarter hours may be outside of CHEM, but within Natural Sciences (BIOL, MATH, GEOG, PHYS prefixes)
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Chemical Systems (three-quarter sequence)
- CHEM 3110 (Chemical Systems I)
- CHEM 3120 (Chemical Systems II)
- CHEM 3130 (Chemical Systems III)
Molecular Structure and Energetics (two-quarter sequence)
- CHEM 3310 (Molecular Structure and Energetics I)
- CHEM 3320 (Molecular Structure and Energetics II)
Biochemistry (two-quarter sequence)
- CHEM 3811 (Biochemistry/Proteins)
- CHEM 3812 (Biochemistry/Membranes and Metabolism)
Analytical
- CHEM 3220 (Advanced Analytical Chemistry)
One Advanced Topics Course
- Chem 4400 or 4800 and other advanced topics if preapproved by the graduate committee
Independent Study and/or Independent Research
(Minimum 6 quarter hours — repeats allowed)
- CHEM 4991 (Independent Study) and/or
- (Independent Research) CHEM 5995