Programs of study are tailored to the needs of individual students, based on their prior training and research interests. Progress to degree is generally similar for all students. During the first year, students take courses, begin their teaching apprenticeships, choose research advisors, and embark on their thesis research. Beginning the first summer, the emphasis is on research, although courses of special interest may be taken throughout a student's tenure. In the second year, there is a Departmental Examination, which includes critical discussion of a recent research article. In the third year, students advance to candidacy for the doctorate by defending the topic, preliminary findings, and future research plans for their dissertation. Subsequent years focus on thesis research and writing the dissertation.
An individualized course program is designed for each student in conjunction with the advisor. Course work may be prescribed by the First-Year or Thesis Advisor based on results of the Placement Examinations and the student's research concentration. The Department has two specific course requirements: Chem 250, Seminar in Chemistry, and Chem 500, Teaching Apprenticeship.
Graduate level courses at UCSD have two grading options: letter (e.g., A, B, C, D, and F) and S/U (satisfactory and unsatisfactory). First year students must take all courses for a letter grade unless the course is offered S/U only. Students who have not advanced to candidacy for the doctorate must take all courses within the Department for a letter grade, with the exceptions of Chemistry 500, Chemistry 299 (or thesis research) and courses that are offered S/U only.
The Comprehensive Exam (Coursework) M.S. in Chemistry is optional, and interested students must apply for it. Students who wish to pursue this degree normally take the bulk of the required coursework during their first year and receive the degree after passing the Departmental Examination in the second year. Students will be given the needed paperwork and status report of M.S. units at the time of their Departmental Examination. The latest we recommend a student earn the Master's degree is the quarter in which they advance to candidacy for the Ph.D.
Students who already have a Master's degree from UCSD or who already have a Master's degree in Chemistry, Biochemistry, or a related field from another institution are not eligible. Transfer units are acceptable as outlined in the UCSD General Catalog and as approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee.
The deadline to file the paperwork to Advance to Candidacy is the end of the second week of the quarter prior to MS degree conferral. The final units needed to advance may be in-progress the quarter the paperwork is filed. These are the unit and grade requirements for advancing:
The purposes of the Placement Examinations are to assist with academic advising and to assure that students have the breadth and level of competence needed for graduate studies in the chemical and biochemical sciences. These written examinations cover undergraduate course material and are given in biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and analytical chemistry. To meet the Placement Examination requirement, by the end of spring quarter 2011, you must show proficiency at the upper-division level in at least three of five areas of the chemical sciences, including the area of your research specialization. You must prove proficiency by passing the ACS standardized examinations or by passing prescribed coursework with a grade of B or higher if you do not pass the ACS examinations.
Incoming students are mailed information about what materials to review and the best strategies for studying for these tests. Students are required to take all five
examinations, which are given the within the first three days of Orientation. The First-Year Advisors review the examination results and develop a prescribed course plan for each student who would benefit from additional training in one or more of the five areas. Students must pass their prescribed course(s) with grades of B or higher. It may take more than one quarter to become proficient in an area, depending on a student's educational background.