Friday of Week 1 is the departmental deadline to submit:

• MS Quarterly Check-Up (in the section below)
  
• Applications to Candidacy for the MS degree (in order to receive the MS in the same quarter) 
  • To initiate the "APPC", you fill out the MS Quarterly Check-Up
• Students transferring to the MS Thesis Track:
  
  • CHEM 297 Form
  • MS Thesis Agreement Form
• Students wanting to take a class outside of the department and have the units count towards their MS requirements:
  • MS Course Exception Request Form

Friday of Week 2:

• Is last day you can add/drop a class without Graduate Division and department approval
• Half-time Study requests
• Leave of Absence requests

Friday of Week 4:

• Deadline to submit requests to change number of units, drop a course without a “W grade" (submitted through EASy)

Friday of Week 6:

•  Deadline to submit a request to change the grading option for a course (submitted through EASy)

Friday of Week 9 is the deadline to submit:

• Deadline to submit drop requests, which will result with a "W grade"

Friday of Week 10 is the deadline to submit:

• Deadline to submit add requests (submitted through EASy)

Friday of Finals Week:

• Final Paperwork for degree completion
• Fully completed forms must be received in the Graduate Division by the deadline date; department approval alone does not constitute meeting a deadline (to be safe, you will want to submit these forms to the department by Tuesday of Finals Week in order to give enough time to obtain the Vice Chair's signature).

*Please note: The Summer degree deadline is the last Friday of Summer Session II (usually in early September), but the application to candidacy is due the second Friday of Spring Quarter.

Purpose

This program prepares students for research careers in industry, for doctoral studies, or for professional school. Students complete a minimum of 36 units of courses and research, with the emphasis on research. Students write, present and defend their thesis to a committee of their Thesis Adviser and two other faculty.

Choosing a Research Advisor

Typically, all students entering the MS program are considered Coursework MS students. If interested in switching to the Thesis MS, students must join a lab. Before students will be approved for the Thesis MS track, they must:

• Complete the CHEM 297 Form  (Experimental Methods in Chemistry)
• Submit the MS Thesis Agreement Form signed by the selected Faculty Advisor, which must be reviewed/approved by our Vice Chair in order to start taking CHEM 299.

Advancement to Candidacy

When a student advances to candidacy, it means they have completed all course and any other program requirements and are ready to research and write a dissertation.

Each quarter, students are asked to fill out the MS Quarterly Check-Up Form (due Friday of Week 1). One of the questions asks students if they will be completing their 36-unit requirement. If selected, this signals the MS Program Coordinator to process a degree audit and confirm the student's eligibility. If confirmed, the coordinator will process the student's Application to Candidacy form.

 Below are the unit and grade requirements for advancing to candidacy:

• Lower-division courses may not be applied to the degree.
• A maximum of 4 units of non-thesis research (CHEM 297 or 298) may be applied.
• CHEM 251 (group meeting) may not be applied. However, students are strongly encouraged to enroll as well.

2. Achieve a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0

• All courses must be taken for a letter grade unless offered satisfactory/unsatisfactory only.
• Minimum of 8 units letter-graded graduate courses.

3. Complete a minimum of 14 units of graduate level chemistry courses that are not seminar or research. Usually fulfilled with at least 12 units of lecture courses and CHEM 509.

4. Complete a minimum of 18 units of Thesis Research (CHEM 299). A maximum of 24 units of Thesis Research may count toward the 36 unit total.

5. CHEM 509 may be applied.

For another way to look at these requirements, please click on the link below.

Conferral

Your Masters of Science Degree will be conferred upon meeting the MS Unit-Requirements and a successful oral thesis defense and written thesis accepted by the Department and University.

Thesis Committee

A thesis committee is nominated by the Thesis Adviser and approved by the Department and the Graduate Division.  It consists of at least three faculty:

1. the Thesis Adviser
2. a faculty from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry familiar with the student's research area
3. a faculty member from either this or another department whose research is in an area different from that of the thesis (if your PI is not from our department, then the other two committee members must be from our department).

The committee is named at the same time the student files the Advancement to Candidacy for M.S. paperwork.  Students present and defend their thesis to this committee.  Students should distribute a draft of their thesis to committee members at least two weeks prior to the defense.  At that time, they should also make an appointment with the Graduate Division for a preliminary review of the thesis.  A student graduates after the thesis has been defended, signed off by their committee, Department, and the Graduate Division, and filed with the University Archivist.

Writing your Thesis

Information covering thesis preparation is contained in the publication Instructions for the Preparation and Submission of Doctoral Dissertations and Masters' Theses, provided by the Graduate Division.

Lookout for emails regarding Writing Workshops and Retreats from the Writing Hub!

Filing Deadlines

The Graduate Division sets the dates by which a student must turn in a thesis each quarter, including filing between quarters  (e.g., in Summer or during the Fall/Winter or Winter/Spring breaks).

Graduating between quarters (Winter break, Spring break, or Summer)

1. You must have filed an “Application to Candidacy” form by end of second week of the previous quarter (e.g., by end of 2^nd week of Spring quarter to get a Summer degree).
2. Students who were registered in the previous quarter do not pay any additional fees if they file for the degree by the Graduate Division deadlines.  If the deadline is missed but students file for graduation in the immediate next quarter, the situation is the same as for leave of absence (see below).
3. If you want to confer your degree in a specific quarter, then you must defend and submit your final degree form by the 11th Friday of said quarter (Finals Week). This form will need to be signed by our Vice- Chair as well, so we suggest you submit the form to us by Wednesday of Finals Week, to give us time to get the Vice Chair's signature.
4. See below if you were on leave the quarter prior to graduation.

To remain eligible for UCSD support (e.g. TAship, research assistantships, fellowships)

1. Register for at least 12 units
2. Do not to turn in the thesis to graduate until fifth week or later
3. Be on support until at least fifth week (minimum support equivalent to 25% for a full quarter)
4. You may not withdraw mid-quarter from any TA assignment!

If you will be on leave of absence the quarter you plan to graduate, remember:

• Contact our office to file the needed paperwork before the first day of classes of the quarter of leave.
• You are eligible to remain in graduate student housing, but contact their main office for details.
• You will not be eligible for any UCSD-affiliated support (e.g., TA, research assistantships, fellowship).
• You will not be allowed to use any campus facilities and do not have Student ID card privileges (e.g. no working in the lab, bus passes, library privileges, rec facilities).
• You will not have Graduate Student Health Insurance coverage.  Contact Student Health Insurance, 534-0903, for assistance with securing health insurance.
• A General Petition to waive registration and pay a filing fee is submitted to the Graduate Division at the time you turn in your graduation paperwork and thesis.  You pay the $179 filing fee to the Bursar before going to the Graduate Division.

The Quarter Prior to You Defending

Make sure your MS Coordinator is aware you plan on defending soon. This may be done by simply emailing them, or making sure you fill out the MS Quarterly Check-Up each quarter. 

• confirm you have completed all the units necessary for the degree
• if you have yet to receive confirmation that your Application to Candidacy has processed, please let your MS Coordinator know. The confirmation should have been emailed to you via DocuSign. Sometimes your MS Coordinator has already processed this ahead of time.
• start working with your advisor to determine who will serve on your thesis committee. A thesis committee is nominated by the Thesis Adviser and approved by the Department and the Graduate Division. It consists of at least three faculty:
  1. the Thesis Adviser
  2. a faculty member from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry familiar with the student's research area
  3. a faculty member from either this or another department whose research is in an area different from that of the thesis (if your PI is not from our department, then the other two committee members must be from our department).
• If you have the date, time, location, members of your thesis committee, and title of your thesis ready, please fill out the MS Thesis Defense Information Form

Three Weeks Before Your Defense

Confirm your Thesis Committee Membership

If your official committee is not changing, you need to do nothing for this step!  If your M.S. Committee is changing, contact our office.  A form will need to be filled in, signed by your Thesis Adviser, signed by Dr. Kim, and sent to the Graduate Division two weeks prior to the exam.

Schedule the Exam

Confirm the date and time of your exam with ALL your Thesis Committee members, and give them a draft of your thesis.

Reserve a Room and Equipment

AFTER you confirm the exam time with your committee, visit our Conference Rooms website to look for available and suitable rooms, and then contact Jeff Rances (chemms@ucsd.edu) to schedule a room.  The MS Coordinator will schedule it a half hour before the exam time, so you have time to make sure all equipment is working and to settle in.

Schedule Appointments with the Graduate Division

Schedule a Dissertation and Thesis Appointment with the Graduate Divison. The purpose of this appointment is for the Graduate Division to review the formatting of your thesis. The rules on thesis formatting are very strict.  A preliminary appointment can save you lots of work and headaches later! Look out for our emails regarding Thesis Formatting workshops by the Graduate Division as well!

Please note: the preliminary thesis review appointment typically takes place 3-10 days before the defense. If you are defending in the last two weeks of the quarter, your appointment will need to take place well in advance of your defense, as preliminary appointments are not held in the last two weeks of every quarter.

Two Weeks or More Before Your Defense

Email the MS Coordinator (chemms@ucsd.edu) the title of your thesis. They will send official email notification of the defense to your committee.

Defense, Paperwork, and Graduation

On the day of your defense, we will have all the needed forms (see below) in your file and routed to your thesis committee.

After you have finished your dissertation presentation, your committee will likely ask you to leave the room so that they may have a private conversation.  You will then come back in the room, and the committee will tell you whether you passed the defense and what (if any) additional experimentation or revisions to the written dissertation are required.  After the exam, your adviser will route the file to us.  We will have our Vice Chair for Graduate Education, sign the Final Report and General Petition (if applicable) forms (see below).  We will then route them to the Graduate Division.

Paperwork

1. Alumni Information Form (please fill out online form): Please complete before picking up final paperwork. It tells us your post-graduation plans (we have to know this for reporting purposes to the Dean's Office) and post-graduation address.
2. Final Report Form (to the Graduate Division at final appointment): In your file at time of defense. After they approve your thesis, your committee signs off on the Final Report form. Once signed by your committee and our Vice Chair, we route it to the Graduate Division via DocuSign.
3. General Petition (to the Graduate Division at final appointment): Needed only if you were on leave of absence or withdrawal status the quarter you graduate *OR* if you are graduating between quarters (e.g., Winter break, Spring break, or Summer). Signed by Professor Thomas Hermann and you. We will give it to you when you  pick up the Final Report form. You may need to take it to the Cashier and pay a filing fee in lieu of registration prior to your final appointment at the Graduate Division (see “Graduating Between Quarters and Leave of Absence above).
4. The Thesis! This is turned in to the University librarian after your final appointment with the Graduate Division.

Defined Contribution Plan and W-2 Form

Be sure to talk with the Graduate Funding Coordinator. We need the address for mailing your W-2 form. Those who paid into the Defined Contribution Plan should get information about collecting or rolling over that money.

Commencement

Details to come! Typically commencement is Saturday or Sunday of Finals Week.

Congratulations!

Typically, all students entering the MS program are considered Coursework MS students. If interested in switching to the Thesis MS, students must join a lab. Before students will be approved for the Thesis MS track, they must successfully complete a CHEM 297  (Experimental Methods in Chemistry), and then submit an MS Thesis Agreement Form signed by the selected Faculty Advisor, which must be reviewed/approved by our Vice Chair.

Purpose

This program prepares students for doctoral or professional studies and for careers in teaching; the emphasis is on coursework. Students complete 36 units of courses, and may opt to rotate in a research laboratory as well. To graduate, they must pass three of five comprehensive written exams in biochemistry, inorganic, organic, physical, and analytical/instrumental chemistry.

Advancement to Candidacy

When a student advances to candidacy, it means they have completed all course and any other program requirements and are ready to complete their MS Exit Exam requirements.

Each quarter, students are asked to fill out the MS Quarterly Check-Up Form (due Friday of Week 1). One of the questions asks students if they will be completing their 36-unit requirement. If selected, this signals the MS Program Coordinator to process a degree audit and confirm the student's eligibility. If confirmed, the coordinator will process the student's Application to Candidacy form.

1. Complete a minimum of 36 units.  Note the following stipulations.

• Lower-division courses may not be applied towards the degree.
• A maximum of 12 units upper-division coursework may be applied. Requires pre-approval from MS Advisor and/or Vice Chair.

2. Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.

• All courses must be taken for a letter grade unless offered S/U only.
• Complete a minimum of 16 units of letter-graded (A, B, etc.) courses.

3. Complete a minimum of 24 units of graduate-level coursework.  Note the following stipulations.

• A minimum of 14 units of Chemistry graduate level courses required.  Courses taken outside of the department must be approved by the MS Advisor and/or Vice Chair.
• A maximum of 4 units of non-thesis research (CHEM 297) may be applied.
• Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in seminars in their field, but seminars will not count towards the MS coursework requirements.
• CHEM 251 and CHEM 299 may not be applied.
• CHEM 509 may be applied.

For another way to look at these requirements, please click on the link below.

CHEM MS Unit-Requirements

Conferral

Upon completion of the MS Unit Requirements and the three comprehensive chemical knowledge examinations.

Comprehensive Chemical Knowledge Examination

The purpose of this requirement is to confirm that students have achieved an advanced understanding of, and a comprehensive training in, the chemical sciences.  The tests cover a wide range of material, so that students will have a chance to show what they have learned. The department administers the standardized American Chemical Society exams in biochemistry and in inorganic, organic, physical and analytical/instrumental chemistry.  Students must pass three of the five exams in order to graduate. Students do not have to take all 5 available exams. Students are only permitted to retake an exam in a given subject, once. A retake must be taken at least 4 weeks after taking the exam the first time.

Only the three highest scoring exams are considered. Therefore, students are free to choose to take three, four or five of the exams. Students may pass up to two of the exams in any quarter prior to their graduating quarter. Their last exam will be taken in the same quarter they plan to graduate.

Each exam is 50-70 multiple-choice questions, and students have just less than two hours to complete each exam.  Exam booklets contain a periodic table, if needed. Students may use a basic calculator.  Scratch paper is provided. Please contact the M.S. Coordinator at least 2 weeks before the exams are given to give notice as to which exam(s) will be taken.

To pass an exam, you must score higher than the 50th percentile of students taking the exam nationally. We take the percentiles of your top-3 exams and add them together. If the sum is greater than 175, then you have met your exit exam requirements.

Both the Instrumental Analysis and Analytical exams cannot be used towards your exam requirements. You must choose one or the other.

For students who choose to take an exam in a quarter prior to their graduating quarter, the best strategy is to take it in the area that they are most likely to pass (e.g., the area in which they had the most training as an undergraduate). We urge students to include appropriate coursework in their M.S. studies as preparation for the exams. Review what was once known well before trying to learn anything new.  Questions on the exams may seem tricky if one is not exactly sure of how concepts are used.

To schedule an exam, please contact our Student Services Coordinator, Andyy Mendez (a4mendez@ucsd.edu or 858-534-4856).

We also suggest a review of undergraduate class notes and the following books, or their equivalents:

• Biochemistry by Lehninger or by Stryer
• Inorganic Chemistry by Huheey or by Douglas, McDaniel, & Alexander
• Organic Chemistry by Brown & Foote or by Vollhardt & Schore
• Physical Chemistry by Levine or by Atkins
• Fundamental of Analytical Chemistry by Skoog, West and Holler

Good preparation for parts of the inorganic and physical Chemistry exams may also be found in reviewing a strong general chemistry text.  One example is “Chemistry” by Jones and Atkins.

Paperwork

1. Alumni Information Form (please fill out online form): Please complete before picking up final paperwork. It tells us your post-graduation plans (we have to know this for reporting purposes to the Dean's Office) and post-graduation address.
2. Degree and Diploma Application: MS Coordinator prepares this form for you. Only your signature is needed. Used by campus to generate and mail your diploma. The address on it must match the address on the Final Report Form (see below).  This form is submitted to the Graduate Division on your behalf upon successful completion of degree requirements.
3. Final Report Form: Completed by the MS Coordinator. Once you pass your exams, Dr. Kim approves your scores and signs it. We will notify you when it is signed and mail it to the Graduate Division on your behalf.

Commencement

Details to come! Typically commencement is Saturday or Sunday of Finals Week.

Congratulations!

Some of the incoming MS students have been doing research with a professor in our department while they were UCSD undergraduate students and are continuing their research in the same lab as MS students. These students can enter the program on the MS Thesis track. All other incoming MS students start on the MS Coursework track.

If you are in the MS Coursework track and want to transfer to MS Thesis, below are the steps you can take:

1. Your first quarter, you will sign up for graduate level chemistry courses (graduate level chemistry courses taken for a letter grade count towards both the MS Coursework and Thesis requirements).
2. While taking classes, you will start to network with research advisors. During graduate orientation, we have different networking events you can attend, talks, poster sessions, and lab open houses. You might meet a potential research advisor by taking a class they are teaching. Get to know the PI, their research, and members in their labs. If you and the PI agree, you can sign up to do research with them for one quarter on a trial basis by filling out the CHEM 297 Form. -- Please try to submit the CHEM 297 form a couple of weeks prior to the quarter you would like to start your CHEM 297.
3. If your CHEM 297 petition is approved, you can then sign up for CHEM 297 for the next quarter. Please note: only sign up for CHEM 297 with your research advisor's name. If it's not in the Schedule of Classes, please let our office know.
4. After a quarter of CHEM 297, if you want to continue doing research with your research advisor, you'll then fill out the MS Thesis Agreement Form. If approved, you are now officially in the MS Thesis track and can start to sign up for CHEM 299 research. Please note: only sign up for CHEM 299 with your research advisor's name. If it's not in the Schedule of Classes, please let our office know. -- You'll want to start filling out the MS Thesis Agreement form at least a couple of weeks prior to the quarter you want to start taking CHEM 299.