Master of Science in Chemistry (with thesis)

Master of Science in Chemistry (without thesis)

Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry

Graduate Student Brochure

Academic Program

The Missouri University of Science and Technology stresses engineering and the physical sciences, and is highly recommended by industrial and academic institutions. Our Chemistry Department has a good reputation, our graduates are well thought of by prospective employers, and they are usually employed at above average salaries. The graduate program here includes most of the areas of chemistry with special strengths in the the following areas:

1. bio-analytical chemistry

2. environmental studies

3. materials

4. polymers

5. surface coatings

6. inorganic chemistry

7. spectroscopy

The department offers several graduate degree options: Master of Science with thesis, Master of Science without thesis (coursework), or Ph.D. Generally the Ph.D. degree takes 4-6 years for completion.

Research Opportunities

Our chemistry faculty is research-oriented and comprises one of the highest external research grant revenue-generating departments at Missouri S&T. These leading researchers provide the opportunity for you, as a student researcher, to contribute towards groundbreaking discoveries.

A number of our faculty are involved in interdisciplinary research efforts which have been organized into centers or institutes:

• The Missouri S&T Coatings Institute is a modern coatings research facility which is available for students pursuing projects in polymers and coatings.

• The Materials Research Center provides centralized laboratories and specialized equipment for faculty and students involved in materials research.

• The Center for Environmental Science and Technology (CEST) fosters academic (faculty and students), industrial, and government laboratory participation in interdisciplinary environmental research.

• Research in the Cloud and Aerosol Sciences Laboratory (CASL) is directed toward understanding the role of aerosols, including clouds and fogs, in our atmospheric environment.

Outstanding Facilities

The Department of Chemistry offers a full complement of teaching,
research, and instrumentation laboratories available for use by students
and researchers.Instrumentation in the department includes Varian and
Bruker 200 and 400 MHz FT/NMR spectrometers with multinuclear liquid,
diffusion, and variable-temperature capabilities; a Varian/Oxford 400
MHz solids NMR; a Bruker X-ray diffractometer with low-temperature
attachment; X-ray photoelectron/Auger electron spectroscope/temperature
programmed desorption (XPS/AES/TPD) ultra-high vacuum surface analysis
chamber; a Hewlett-Packard 5989 mass spectrometer with
gas-chromatograph and direct-insertion-probe inputs; a Hitachi M-8000
mass spectrometer with a high-performance liquid-chromatograph input; a
Perkin-Elmer 2400 C-H-N elemental analyzer; a Spex 1403 laser Raman
spectrometer with a coherent argon ion source; Harwell and Ranger
low-temperature Mossbauer spectrometers; Beckman PACE/MDQ
capillary-electrophoresis instruments with UV and laser excitation
systems; an Applied Color Systems 1800 color-matching/formulating
computing spectrophotometer; a TA Instruments differential scanning
calorimeter; TA Instruments and Perkin-Elmer themo-gravimetric
analyzers; Perkin-Elmer, Par 273, and EG&G potentiostat/galvanostats; a
Johnson-Matthes magnetic-susceptibility balance; a Faraday
low-temperature magnetic-susceptibility balance; Nicolet Magna and
Nexus FT/IR spectrometers with multiple detectors and sample
attachments; and a Wyatt HPLC with Dawn EOS light-scattering detection
system. The department houses an extensive collection of additional
mass spectrometers.Backing up these instruments are a wide variety of
additional chromatographs (GC, LC, IC), infrared spectrometers,
dispersive optical spectrometers (UV/VIS, IR, AA),
fluorescence/luminescence spectrophotometers, centrifugal partition
chromatographs, refrigerated-ultra centrifuges, calorimeters,
salt-spray chambers, and radiation counters.In addition, numerous
PC/compatible, Macintosh and UNIX computers are available in laboratories,
computer learning centers, and computerized classrooms, as well as access
to the campus centralized computing facility which includes
numerically-intensive computing support.

Career Opportunities

A degree in chemistry can be the start of a very rewarding career. According to the latest annual American Chemical Society salary survey released in 2008, the median salary for all chemists as of March 2007 was $88,000. The unemployment rate for chemistry degree holders, for over a decade, has been consistently lower than the national average. Significantly, in this age of job insecurity, only 2.4% of chemists responding to the March 2007 survey were unemployed and seeking employment.

For all chemistry graduates responding to recent surveys, the median beginning salaries were $35,000 for those with a bachelor's degree, $47,400 for those with master's degrees, and $60,000 for new doctorates. As a group, the median salaries were $68,700 for those with a bachelor's degree, $80,000 for those with master's degrees, and $96,700 for Ph.D. chemists.

Financial Assistance

Professional Societies

The South Central Missouri ACS is the local section of the American Chemical Society (ACS)

The W.T. Schrenk Society is the student affiliate organization of the ACS.

Alpha Chi Sigma is a Professional Chemistry Fraternity.

Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) student chapter (organizing)

Admissions Requirements

Students are admitted competitively to the Ph.D. program based on GPA, standard scores, references, and research experience and match to departmental needs. Upon arrival, admitted students are required to take qualifying exams, which assess academic deficiencies. A plan of study is then designed to meet these deficiencies as well as the degree requirements. Students then meet the faculty and mutually select available research projects and an advisory committee. After completing coursework about the end of the second year, comprehensive exams are administered and upon conclusion of research a dissertation written and defense scheduled. Successful completion of the coursework, comprehensive, research dissertation and defense is awarded the Ph.D. degree.

Chemistry Department Specific Requirements