The M.S. in Chemistry program offers a rigorous, flexible curriculum designed to be completed in as little as three academic quarters. Students will take a total of nine courses, allowing them to specialize in a specific area of chemistry by choosing a track from Physical, Organic, Inorganic, Materials, or Chemical Biology. The program’s structure is further enhanced by the opportunity to select six elective courses from a wide range of allied fields, providing a tailored academic experience that aligns with individual interests and career goals.
The MS in Chemistry requires a total of nine classes and can usually be completed within three academic quarters.
Students will take at least three courses in a track of their choice:
Physical Chemistry: CHEM 361, CHEM 363, CHEM 362, CHEM 364, CHEM 31358, CHEM 365, CHEM 390, CHEM 393
Organic Chemistry: CHEM 321, CHEM 322, CHEM 323, CHEM 304
Inorganic Chemistry: CHEM 301, CHEM 302, CHEM 304, CHEM 306, CHEM 309, CHEM 390
Materials Chemistry: CHEM 302, CHEM 306, CHEM 390, CHEM 391, CHEM 393.
Chemical Biology: CHEM 332, CHEM 333, CHEM 31358, CHEM 309, CHEM 339.
Additionally, you will select six 300-level electives from chemistry or allied fields such as physics, biology, or molecular engineering.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
CHEM 361, CHEM 363, CHEM 362, CHEM 364, CHEM 31358, CHEM 365, CHEM 390, CHEM 393
CHEM 36100. Wave Mechanics and Spectroscopy. 100 Units.
This course presents the introductory concepts, general principles, and applications of wave mechanics to spectroscopy
CHEM 36200. Quantum Mechanics. 100 Units.
This course builds upon the concepts introduced in CHEM 36100 with greater detail provided for the role of quantum mechanics in chemical physics.
CHEM 36300. Statistical Thermodynamics. 100 Units.
This course covers the thermodynamics and introductory statistical mechanics of systems at equilibrium.
CHEM 36400. Advanced Statistical Mechanics. 100 Units.
Topics covered in this course may include statistics of quantum mechanical systems, weakly and strongly interacting classical systems, phase transitions and critical phenomena, systems out of equilibrium, and polymers.
CHEM 36500. Chemical Dynamics. 100 Units.
This course develops a molecular-level description of chemical kinetics, reaction dynamics, and energy transfer in both gases and liquids. Topics include potential energy surfaces, collision dynamics and scattering theory, reaction rate theory, collisional and radiationless energy transfer, molecule-surface interactions, Brownian motion, time correlation functions, and computer simulations.
CHEM 31358. Simulation, Modeling, and Computation in Biophysics. 100 Units.
This course develops skills for modeling biomolecular systems. Fundamental knowledge covers basic statistical mechanics, free energy, and kinetic concepts. Tools include molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations, random walk and diffusion equations, and methods to generate random Gaussian and Poisson distributors. A term project involves writing a small program that simulates a process. Familiarity with a programming language or Mathlab would be valuable.
CHEM 39000. Solids, Materials, Surfaces. 100 Units.
This course is an introduction to modern materials chemistry. It covers basic chemistry and physics of condensed systems, such as solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. The electronic structure of metals, semiconductors and magnetically ordered phases will be discussed. We will review optical and electronic properties of different classes of materials using examples of hard and soft condensed matter systems and drawing structure-property relationships for conventional solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. Finally, the course will cover the fundamentals of surface science and material synthesis, applying modern understanding of nucleation and growth phenomena.
CHEM 39300. Electronic and Quantum Materials for Technology. 100 Units.
This is an introductory course on the science and engineering of electronic and quantum materials. The intended audience is upper-level undergraduate students and first-year graduate students in Molecular Engineering and other related fields, including Chemistry and Physics. We will learn the basics of electrical and optical properties of electronic materials, including semiconductors, metals, and insulators starting from a simple band picture, and will discuss how these materials enable modern electronic and optoelectronic devices and circuitry. We will also explore the modern synthesis techniques for these materials and the effects of reduced dimensions and emergent quantum properties.
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
CHEM 321, CHEM 322, CHEM 323, CHEM 304
CHEM 32100. Physical Organic Chemistry I. 100 Units.
This course focuses on the quantitative aspects of structure and reactivity, molecular orbital theory, and the insight it provides into structures and properties of molecules, stereochemistry, thermochemistry, kinetics, substituent and isotope effects, and pericyclic reactions.
CHEM 32200. Organic Synthesis and Structure. 100 Units.
This course considers the mechanisms, applicability, and limitations of the major reactions in organic chemistry, as well as of stereochemical control in synthesis.
CHEM 32300. Strategies and Tactics of Organic Synthesis. 100 Units.
This course discusses the important classes for organic transformation. Topics include carbon-carbon bond formation; oxidation; and reduction using a metal, non-metal, or acid-base catalyst. We also cover design of the reagents and the scope and limitation of the processes.
CHEM 30400. Organometallic Chemistry. 100 Units.
This course covers preparation and properties of organometallic compounds (notably those of the transition elements, their reactions, and the concepts of homogeneous catalysis).
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
CHEM 301, CHEM 302, CHEM 304, CHEM 306, CHEM 309, CHEM 390
CHEM 30100. Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. 100 Units.
Group theory and its applications in inorganic chemistry are developed. These concepts are used in surveying the chemistry of inorganic compounds from the standpoint of quantum chemistry, chemical bonding principles, and the relationship between structure and reactivity.
CHEM 30200. Synthesis and Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry. 100 Units.
This course covers theoretical and practical aspects of important physical methods for the characterization of inorganic molecules. Topics may include NMR, IR, RAMAN, EPR, and electronic and photoelectron spectroscopy; electrochemical methods; and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
CHEM 30400. Organometallic Chemistry. 100 Units.
This course covers preparation and properties of organometallic compounds (notably those of the transition elements, their reactions, and the concepts of homogeneous catalysis).
CHEM 30600. Chemistry Of The Elements and Materials. 100 Units.
This course surveys the descriptive chemistries of the main-group elements and the transition metals from a synthetic perspective, and reaction chemistry of inorganic molecules is systematically developed.
CHEM 39000. Solids, Materials, Surfaces. 100 Units.
This course is an introduction to modern materials chemistry. It covers basic chemistry and physics of condensed systems, such as solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. The electronic structure of metals, semiconductors and magnetically ordered phases will be discussed. We will review optical and electronic properties of different classes of materials using examples of hard and soft condensed matter systems and drawing structure-property relationships for conventional solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. Finally, the course will cover the fundamentals of surface science and material synthesis, applying modern understanding of nucleation and growth phenomena.
CHEM 30900. Bioinorganic Chemistry. 100 Units.
This course covers various roles of metals in biology. Topics include coordination chemistry of bioinorganic units, substrate binding and activation, electron-transfer proteins, atom and group transfer chemistry, metal homeostasis, ion channels, metals in medicine, and model systems.
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY
CHEM 302, CHEM 306, CHEM 390, CHEM 391, CHEM 393
CHEM 30200. Synthesis and Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry. 100 Units.
This course covers theoretical and practical aspects of important physical methods for the characterization of inorganic molecules. Topics may include NMR, IR, RAMAN, EPR, and electronic and photoelectron spectroscopy; electrochemical methods; and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
CHEM 30600. Chemistry Of The Elements and Materials. 100 Units.
This course surveys the descriptive chemistries of the main-group elements and the transition metals from a synthetic perspective, and reaction chemistry of inorganic molecules is systematically developed.
CHEM 39000. Solids, Materials, Surfaces. 100 Units.
This course is an introduction to modern materials chemistry. It covers basic chemistry and physics of condensed systems, such as solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. The electronic structure of metals, semiconductors and magnetically ordered phases will be discussed. We will review optical and electronic properties of different classes of materials using examples of hard and soft condensed matter systems and drawing structure-property relationships for conventional solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. Finally, the course will cover the fundamentals of surface science and material synthesis, applying modern understanding of nucleation and growth phenomena.
CHEM 39100. Polymer Synthesis. 100 Units.
This course introduces the most important polymerization reactions, focusing on their reaction mechanisms and kinetic aspects. Topics include free radical and ionic chain polymerization, step-growth polymerization, ring-opening, insertion, controlled living polymerization, crosslinking, copolymerization, and chemical modification of preformed polymers.
CHEM 39300. Electronic and Quantum Materials for Technology. 100 Units.
This is an introductory course on the science and engineering of electronic and quantum materials. The intended audience is upper-level undergraduate students and first-year graduate students in Molecular Engineering and other related fields, including Chemistry and Physics. We will learn the basics of electrical and optical properties of electronic materials, including semiconductors, metals, and insulators starting from a simple band picture, and will discuss how these materials enable modern electronic and optoelectronic devices and circuitry. We will also explore the modern synthesis techniques for these materials and the effects of reduced dimensions and emergent quantum properties.
CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
CHEM 332, CHEM 333, CHEM 31358, CHEM 309, CHEM 339.
CHEM 32300. Strategies and Tactics of Organic Synthesis. 100 Units.
This course discusses the important classes for organic transformation. Topics include carbon-carbon bond formation; oxidation; and reduction using a metal, non-metal, or acid-base catalyst. We also cover design of the reagents and the scope and limitation of the processes.
CHEM 33300. Chemical Biology II. 100 Units.
This course will further explore the principles of biochemistry and cell biology from a chemical perspective. Molecular structure, reactivity and functional organization in biological systems - ranging from single molecules to whole organisms will be examined. Chemical concepts and tools will be applied to solve problems at the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine. This course aims to develop and refine skills on experimental design, data analysis, interpretation and presentation while promoting the critical analysis of recent research in chemical biology. The focus of this course will be on the design, synthesis, validation and application of chemical probes, broadly defined, in modern biological research.
CHEM 31358. Simulation, Modeling, and Computation in Biophysics. 100 Units.
This course develops skills for modeling biomolecular systems. Fundamental knowledge covers basic statistical mechanics, free energy, and kinetic concepts. Tools include molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations, random walk and diffusion equations, and methods to generate random Gaussian and Poisson distributors. A term project involves writing a small program that simulates a process. Familiarity with a programming language or Mathlab would be valuable.
CHEM 30900. Bioinorganic Chemistry. 100 Units.
This course covers various roles of metals in biology. Topics include coordination chemistry of bioinorganic units, substrate binding and activation, electron-transfer proteins, atom and group transfer chemistry, metal homeostasis, ion channels, metals in medicine, and model systems.
CHEM 39000. Solids, Materials, Surfaces. 100 Units.
This course is an introduction to modern materials chemistry. It covers basic chemistry and physics of condensed systems, such as solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. The electronic structure of metals, semiconductors and magnetically ordered phases will be discussed. We will review optical and electronic properties of different classes of materials using examples of hard and soft condensed matter systems and drawing structure-property relationships for conventional solids, polymers, and nanomaterials. Finally, the course will cover the fundamentals of surface science and material synthesis, applying modern understanding of nucleation and growth phenomena.