Ph.D. in Chemistry
M.A. in Chemistry
Graduate School Requirements

The requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemistry are established by the Chemistry Department and the Graduate School at Boston University. The essential steps toward earning a graduate degree in Chemistry are described in this section. For more detailed information, the Graduate School Bulletin and 2009-2010 Chemistry Graduate Student Handbook should be consulted.

Ph.D. in Chemistry

The requirements for a Ph.D. in Chemistry consist of a combination of coursework, examinations and original research, as outlined below.

Course requirements (May of 2nd year)
Five courses must be successfully completed, with a minimum grade of B-. One of the courses can be at the 500 level and at least four must be at the 600 level or higher.

Requirements and Deadlines for 1st Year Students:

Research Saturdays (Saturdays in September and October)
Be familar with the schedule of Research Saturdays. Attendance is mandatory for each graduate students in the first year of study.
Selection of Research Advisor (by December 15th)
Students are strongly encouraged select a research advisor in their first semester of study. In order to offically select an advisor, students must fill out the Research Advisor Selection form.
Cumes/Written Qualifying Exams (begin by February of first year) Students must begin sitting for cumulative exams in February of their first year. Students must pass four cumulative exams before May of their second year of study before consideration for advancement to candidacy.

Requirements and Deadlines for 2nd Year Students:

Selection of Dissertation Advisory Committee (15 October)
Each student in the 2nd Year of study should plan to meet with his or her Research Advisor to select 3-5 faculty members to serve as a Dissertation Advisory Committee (DAC). The purpose of the DAC is to evaluate research progress annually, provide a forum for information and a source of expertise, serve as members of the second year oral exam committee, and participate as dissertation readers and members of the dissertation exam committee. [Download PDF form]
Abstract due for Oral Qualifying Exam Proposal (1 December)
The abstract will be reviewed by the members of the DAC before final scheduling of the defense date for the Oral Qualifying Exam.
Scheduled Defense Date for Oral Qualifying Exam (1 February)
Note that the written proposal for the Oral Qualifying Exam is due at least one week before the scheduled date of the Oral Qualifying Exam.
Completion of Written Qualifying Exams (May of 2nd year)
Students must pass four cumulative exams before May of their second year of study and before consideration for advancement to candidacy.
Advancement to Doctoral Degree Candidacy (May of 2nd year)
Students having completed their requirements for course work, written qualifying exams, oral qualifying exams, as well as having demonstated substantial progress in their doctoral research, will be recommended for advancement to candidacy for the doctoral degree. Students not meeting those standards typically leave the program, often with a ``terminal'' Masters degree (if the requirements for the Masters degree, described below, are met).

Requirements and Deadlines for Advanced Students:

Annual Progress Report (each year, no later than 31 May)
Advanced students must prepare a two to three page progress report describing their recent progress in their doctoral research. That report is to be distrbuted to members of the DAC.
Annual Meetings with DAC (each year, no later than 30 June)
Advanced students must arrange to meet annually with members of their Dissertation Advisory Committee to discuss their research progress.
[Download PDF form]
Advanced Year Public Presentations (end of 4th year)
By the end of the fourth year, students must present their research results in a public seminar, either at Boston University or at an outside scientific meeting. [Download PDF form]
Dissertation and Defense
Ph.D. candidates must complete a research program, submit a dissertation outline and a dissertation abstract, complete a dissertation and defend the dissertation in a final oral exam.

M.A. in Chemistry

The requirements for a M.A. in Chemistry consist of a combination of coursework and research, as outlined below.

Course Requirements
Masters students are required to successfully complete eight graduate courses, of which at least five are non-research courses. Of the five, two must be outside the candidate's major area of specialization and four must be at the 600-level or above.
Research
Students must complete at least two research courses.

Graduate School Requirements

As a component of the Graduate School, the department necessarily conforms to the Graduate School's policies and procedures. These general regulations can be found explained in detail in the Graduate School Bulletin. Except to note a few points of particular importance they will not be repeated in detail here. You are strongly advised to read over these regulations in the most recent Bulletin carefully. Bulletins are available at the Graduate School office (705 Commonwealth Ave., room 112).

Course requirements
The Graduate School defines the minimum number of courses required for the MA degree as eight, for the post-bachelor's Ph.D. as sixteen, and for the post-master's Ph.D. as eight.
Continuing student status
After all departmental course requirements for the MA or Ph.D. degree have been satisfied (see below), candidates must register each semester as continuing students until all requirements for the degree are completed. Continuing students are charged tuition at a substantially reduced rate but are still entitled to all of the usual rights and privileges of full-time students. Students must be registered in the semester in which they complete their degree requirements, including presenting and defending their Ph.D. dissertation.
Full-time status
For legal purposes and to qualify for certain fellowships it is often important for students to be certified as full-time. This status is defined by the Graduate School as registration for at least three full semester courses (at least 12 credits) or engaged "full time" in teaching or research in pursuit of a degree. Teaching fellows or research assistants are considered full time if they are registered for two or more full courses. If you register for less than three courses in any semester, including continuing student status, you must file a full-time certification form signed by your faculty advisor and the department chairman.
Residency and time limit
Ph.D. candidates must satisfy a residency requirement of at least two consecutive regular semesters of full-time study at the University. The post-bachelor's Ph.D. program must be completed within seven years after the first registration and the post-master's program within five years. Extension of these time limits requires submission of a petition approved by the faculty advisor and the department chairman.
Academic standards and termination
The Graduate School defines B- as the minimum passing grade in all courses. A student who receives failing grades in more than two semester courses (or more than a total of eight credit hours) is automatically terminated from the graduate program.
Petitions
You may request waiver or modification of any department or graduate school regulation by the petition process. Petitions should be submitted to the Associate Chairman for Graduate Affairs using the prescribed form obtainable from the Graduate School or, for strictly departmental matters, in the form of a letter. Before filing a petition you should discuss the question at issue with your faculty advisor or with the Associate Chairman, both of whom, in any case, must indicate their approval or disapproval of the request.