PhD Chemistry Curriculum | Department of Chemistry & Environmental Science

PhD Chemistry Curriculum

Independent Learning:

The grounding in scientific research methodology provided by the dissertation requirement is a central focus of the PhD program. One of the primary means of education and training in the PhD program is achieved through successful completion of an original research project in close mentorship by their research adviser and the presentation and defense of the PhD dissertation. This intense research experience provides the education and training necessary for the student to substantiate his/her expertise and develop the skills necessary to become an independent professional. By the end of the second semester, students will choose a dissertation adviser. Students will conduct research either on site at NJIT or at the professional laboratories where they work. In either case, a member of the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science faculty will serve as research adviser and approve the research topic. This research culminates in the writing and presentation of the dissertation. The student will present his/her dissertation for examination by a committee consisting of a minimum of five members including the research adviser. One of the committee members will be from outside the department. A majority of the program committee members will hold tenure-earning faculty appointments in the Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science. The committee has to be approved by the director of the PhD chemistry graduate program, the department chair and the Office of Graduate Studies. With the exception of the outside member, the other committee members need to have graduate faculty status. The dissertation must be judged worthy of publication by the dissertation committee and may not be submitted for examination until so deemed. For students performing their dissertation research off campus, the dissertation adviser will visit the student’s laboratory, where their research is to be performed, before the research begins and on a regular basis until the work is complete.

Total Minimum Hours Required for PhD for students entering with Bachelor’s Degree (without MS degree) - 36 Credit Hours of 600/700-level Courses

Total Minimum Hours Required for PhD for students entering with MS degree - 12 Credit Hours of 700-level Courses

I. Required Courses for Students Entering without a MS Degree - 12 Credit Hours

Students must take four of the following five core courses.

CHEM 605 Advanced Organic Chemistry I: Structure (3 credit hours)
CHEM 610 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (3 credit hours)
CHEM 658 Advanced Physical Chemistry (3 credit hours)
CHEM 661 Instrumental Analysis Laboratory (3 credit hours)
CHEM 673 Biochemistry (3 credit hours)

If a student successfully completes all five core courses, one course will count towards fulfilling the electives requirement. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher.

Elective Courses - 24 Credit Hours

Students are required to take a minimum of eight 600- or 700-level courses (24 credit hours) with at least four (12 credit hours) of these at the 700-level. Courses are to be chosen from the departmental offerings while up to six credit hours may be selected from outside of the department. Up to six credit hours of Independent Study courses may be earned in fulfillment of the elective courses requirement.

CHEM 714 Pharmaceutical Analysis (3 credit hours)
CHEM 716 Integrated Drug Development & Discovery (3 credit hours)
CHEM 719 Drug Delivery Systems (3 credit hours)
CHEM 725 Independent Study I
CHEM 726 Independent Study II
CHEM 737 Computational Chemistry & Molecular Modeling (3 credit hours)
CHEM 748 Nanomaterials (3 credit hours)
CHEM 764 Advanced Analytical Chemistry (3 credit hours)
CHEM 777 Principles of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (3 credit hours)
CHE 681 Polymerization Principles and Practice (3 credit hours)
CHE 724 Sustainable Energy (3 credit hours)
EVSC 622 Bioremediation (3 credit hours)
EVSC 715 Energy and Sustainability (3 credit hours)
EVSC 712 Hazardous Substance Management (3 credit hours)
BIOL 645 Biological Imaging Techniques (3 credit hours)
BME 651 Principles of Tissue Engineering (3 credit hours)
BME 653 Micro/Nanotechnologies for Interfacing Live Cells (3 credit hours)
BME 668 Medical Imaging Systems (3 credit hours)
BME 672 Biomaterials (3 credit hours)
BME 772 Advanced Biomaterials for Lab and Clinic (3 credit hours)
MTSE 719 Physical Principles of Characterization of Solids (3 credit hours)
MTSE 722 Science and Technology of Thin Films (3 credit hours)
MTSE 724 Transport of Electrons and Photons in Solids (3 credit hours)
MTSE 725 Crystallography and Diffraction (3 credit hours)
MTSE 739 Laser Systems (3 credit hours)
MTSE 780 Current Topics in Materials and Engineering (3 credit hours)

Dissertation Research Credits

CHEM 792 Pre-doctoral Research (after completing qualifying exam requirements)
CHEM 790 Doctoral Research (after completing research proposal requirements)

Qualifying Examination

By the end of the second year, students must pass the PhD qualifying oral examination. A student is given two chances to clear the exam. The qualifying examination consists of writing and orally defending an original research proposal to the student’s dissertation committee in which the committee conducts an oral exam of the candidate (majority vote of the committee required). The original research proposal will focus on a topic not directly related to the student’s dissertation research and must be approved by the dissertation committee prior to development of the proposal. Failure to pass the PhD qualifying exam will result in dismissal from the program.

Dissertation Research Proposal

By the end of the first year of passing the qualifying exam, students must successfully present a proposal of their dissertation research to their dissertation committee and gain approval by a majority vote of the committee.

Dissertation Defense

The final requirement for the PhD degree is completion of a satisfactory written dissertation of the student’s research, along with successful presentation and defense of the dissertation to the student’s dissertation committee (majority vote of the committee).

II. Required Courses for Students Entering with a MS Degree - 12 Credit Hours

Students with a recognized MS degree in the chemical sciences or closely related field may, with approval of the PhD Chemistry Graduate Committee, be admitted to pursue the PhD degree in chemistry and be required to earn a minimum of 12 credit hours of coursework at the 700-level. In cases where a student with a previous MS degree is not approved to pursue this (accelerated) program, they will follow the program outlined in I above and be eligible to transfer up to nine credit hours from previous graduate courses, similar to students that have prior graduate course credits but no MS degree.
Elective Courses - 12 Credit Hours
Students are required to take a minimum of four 700-level courses (12 credit hours). Courses are to be chosen from the departmental offerings while up to three credit hours may be selected from outside of the department.

CHEM 714 Pharmaceutical Analysis (3 credit hours)
CHEM 716 Integrated Drug Development & Discovery (3 credit hours)
CHEM 719 Drug Delivery Systems (3 credit hours)
CHEM 725 Independent Study I
CHEM 726 Independent Study II
CHEM 737 Computational Chemistry & Molecular Modeling (3 credit hours)
CHEM 748 Nanomaterials (3 credit hours)
CHEM 764 Advanced Analytical Chemistry (3 credit hours)
CHEM 777 Principles of Pharmaceutical Chemistry (3 credit hours)
CHE 724 Sustainable Energy (3 credit hours)
EVSC 715 Energy and Sustainability (3 credit hours)
EVSC 712 Hazardous Substance Management (3 credit hours)
BME 772 Advanced Biomaterials for Lab and Clinic (3 credit hours)
MTSE 719 Physical Principles of Characterization of Solids (3 credit hours)
MTSE 722 Science and Technology of Thin Films (3 credit hours)
MTSE 724 Transport of Electrons and Photons in Solids (3 credit hours)
MTSE 725 Crystallography and Diffraction (3 credit hours)
MTSE 739 Laser Systems (3 credit hours)
MTSE 780 Current Topics in Materials and Engineering (3 credit hours)

Dissertation Research Credits

CHEM 792 Pre-doctoral Research (after completing qualifying exam requirements)
CHEM 790 Doctoral Research (after completing research proposal requirements)

Qualifying Examination

By the end of the third semester, students must pass the PhD qualifying oral examination. A student is given two chances to clear the exam. The qualifying examination consists of writing and orally defending an original research proposal to the student’s dissertation committee in which the committee conducts an oral exam of the candidate (majority vote of the committee). The original research proposal will focus on a topic not directly related to the student’s dissertation research and must be approved by the adviser and advisory committee prior to development of the proposal. Failure to pass the PhD proficiency exam will result in dismissal from the program.

Dissertation Research Proposal

Within a year of passing the qualifying exam, students must successfully present a proposal of their dissertation research to their dissertation committee and gain approval by a majority vote of the committee.

Dissertation Defense

Grades

All students must maintain a grade point average of at least 3.0.

---- (last revised Spring 2017)

Ph.D. in Chemistry catalog listing