Graduate Chemistry Courses

Analytical Chemistry | Inorganic Chemistry | Organic Chemistry | Physical Chemistry | Seminars and Special Courses | Research

Analytical Chemistry

CH 6110 Instrumental Analysis 3(3,0) Principles of operation and application of modern chemical instrumentation in the field of analytical chemistry. Topics include basic electronics, statistics, optical, mass, magnetic resonance, electron and x-ray spectroscopies, radiochemistry, and separation science. Preq: CH 3310, 3320.

CH 6140 Bioanalytical Chemistry 3(3,0) Survey of selected areas of importance in bioanalytical chemistry. Includes fundamental principles, advanced topics, and applications of analytical measurements of biomolecules, bioassays, immunoassays, separations, mass spectrometry, method validation, macromolecular crystallography, microscopy, and imaging. Preq: CH 3130, 4110, or consent of instructor.

CH 8110 Analytical Chemistry 3(3,0) Graduate-level review of modern analytical chemistry; literature, sampling, quality control/assurance, chemometrics, and the use of modern analytical methods; team taught by the analytical faculty. Offered fall semester only.

CH 8120 Chemical Spectroscopic Methods 3(2,3) Emission and absorption spectroscopy, chemical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and fluorescence techniques in analytical chemistry; theory and operation of instruments.

CH 8130 Electrochemical Science 3(3,0) Theory and experimental study of electrochemical thermodynamics, electrified interfaces, interfacial charge transfer, electrolyte solutions, electrode processes, and membrane electrochemistry; amperometric, voltammetric, electrolytic, and potentiometric methods; practical applications of electrochemistry in analysis, materials synthesis and energy technology. Preq: Graduate standing in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering or consent of instructor.

CH 8160 Separation Science 3(3,0) Fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic concepts of separation and practical aspects of current separation techniques used in analytical chemistry. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years only.

CH 818 Surface and Thin Film Analysis 3(2,2) Fundamental principles underlying the most commonly employed techniques for surface and thin films analysis. Representative techniques include atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, Auger electron spectroscopy, and Rutherford backscattering. Laboratory exercises give insights into analytical methods.

CH 9100 Selected Topics in Analytical Chemistry 1-4(1-4,0) New techniques and their applications in analytical chemistry; laser methods; data acquisition processing; electronics, instrument/computer interfacing; field methods of sampling and analysis. Topics vary with interests of students. May be repeated for credit, but only if different topics are covered.

Inorganic Chemistry

CH 6020 Inorganic Chemistry 3(3,0) Basic principles of inorganic chemistry are discussed with special emphasis on atomic structure, chemical bonding, solid state, coordination chemistry, organometallic chemistry, and acid-base theories. The chemistry of certain selected elements is treated. Offered fall semester only. Preq: CH 3310, 3320.

CH 6040 Bioinorganic Chemistry 3(3,0) Covers fundamentals of bioinorganic chemistry with review of necessary inorganic and biochemical concepts. Topics include metal uptake, transport, and storage in biological systems; functions of metals in proteins; metal ion interactions with nucleic acids; physical methods used in bioinorganic chemistry; heavy element toxicity, radiopharmaceuticals and other metallodrugs. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years only. Preq: BIOCH 3010 or CH 2050 or consent of instructor.

CH 8050 Theoretical Inorganic Chemistry 3(3,0) Application of group theory to structure and properties of inorganic molecules. Offered spring semester of even-numbered years only.

CH 8070 Chemistry of the Transition Elements 3(3,0) Structure, spectroscopy, and reactivity of transition metals and their compounds. Offered fall semester only.

CH 8080 Chemistry of the Nonmetallic Elements 3(3,0) Development and application of a bonding model for descriptive inorganic chemistry of boron, carbon, silicon, nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, sulfur, and other non-metal elements. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years only.

CH 8090 Chemical Applications of X-Ray Crystallography 3(2,2) Physical description of the crystalline state, symmetry in crystals, X-ray diffraction, modern methods of structure determination, and chemical interpretation of structural results. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years only. Preq: CH 3310 and 3320 or consent of instructor.

CH 9000 Selected Topics in Inorganic Chemistry 1-4(1-4,0) Metal-metal bonding; homogeneous catalysis; photochemistry; solid state chemistry. Topics vary with interests of students. May be repeated for credit if different topics are covered.

Organic Chemistry

CH 6210 Advanced Organic Chemistry 3(3,0) Survey of modern organic chemistry with an emphasis on synthesis and mechanisms. Preq: CH 2240, 3320 or equivalent.

CH 6250 Medicinal Chemistry 3(3,0) Survey of the pharmaceutical drug discovery process. Covers discovery of candidate compounds; bioassay methods; associated regulatory and commercial issues. Case studies are selected from the current literature. Preq: CH 2240 or equivalent or consent of instructor.

CH 6270 Organic Spectroscopy 3(2,3) Survey of modern spectroscopic techniques used in the determination of molecular structure. Emphasis is on the interpretation of spectra: nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet, infrared, mass spectroscopy, optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism. Preq: One year each of organic chemistry and physical chemistry.

CH 6510 Frontiers in Polymer Chemistry 3(3,0) Survey of selected areas of current research in polymer science with particular emphasis on polymer synthesis. Although a text is required for review and reference, course is primarily literature based and focused on areas of high impact to multidisciplined technology. Preq: CH 2230, 2240, PFC 4150 or consent of instructor.

CH 8210 Organic Chemistry I 3(3,0) Theoretical concepts of organic chemistry, stereochemistry, and mechanisms of organic reactions. Offered fall semester only. Preq: CH 4210 or satisfactory performance on the organic chemistry placement examination.

CH 8220 Organic Chemistry II 3(3,0) Continuation of CH 821; mechanisms of organic reactions including photochemistry and Woodward-Hoffman rules; modern synthetic organic chemistry. Offered spring semester only. Preq: CH 8210 or consent of instructor.

CH 9200 Selected Topics in Organic Chemistry 1-4(1-4,0) Heterocyclic compounds; stereochemistry; natural products; organometallic chemistry; photochemistry. Topics vary with interests of students. May be repeated for credit, but only if different topics are covered.

Physical Chemistry

CH 6350 Atomic and Molecular Structure 3(3,0) Introduction to quantum theory and its application to atomic and molecular systems. Topics include harmonic oscillator, hydrogen atom, atomic and molecular orbital methods, vector model of the atom, atomic spectroscopy, and molecular spectroscopy. Offered spring semester only. Preq: CH 3320 or consent of instructor.

CH 8300 Fundamentals of Physical Chemistry 3(3,0) Principles of classical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and quantum chemistry. Offered fall semester only. Preq: CH 3310 or equivalent.

CH 8310 Chemical Thermodynamics 3(3,0) Classical thermodynamics emphasizing theory and significance of energetics and systems of variable composition. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years only. Preq: CH 3310 or equivalent.

CH 8340 Statistical Thermodynamics 3(3,0) Study of statistical thermodynamics including ensemble method, ideal gases, internal degrees of freedom, solid state, imperfect gases, distribution function method in fluids, and time-dependent fluctuations. Preq: CH 8310.

CH 8350 Chemical Kinetics 3(3,0) Rate processes and reaction mechanisms; order of reaction; theory of rate processes; relation of reaction rates to mechanism; homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis; experimental methods; chain reactions; diffusion; effects of solvent, temperature, and pressure on reaction rates and mechanisms. Lectures are supplemented by assigned problems, paper, and oral examination of topic of special interest to the student. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years only.

CH 8370 Quantum Chemistry 3(3,0) Mathematical and conceptual formulation of quantum theory of electronic structure of atoms and molecules; eigenvalue solution of one-dimensional Schroe-dinger equation and application of this method to chemical problems. Offered fall semester of odd-numbered years only.

CH 8380 Computational Chemistry 3(3,0) Theoretical methods and software used in computational chemistry; quantum chemical methods including molecular orbital methods and density functional theory; classical simulation techniques including potential energy functions, molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo. Advanced topics vary with interests of students. Preq: CH 3310 and 3320 or equivalent.

CH 9300 Selected Topics in Physical Chemistry 1-4(1-4,0) Special problems in molecular spectroscopy, molecular orbital treatments, applications of group theory to chemical structure, irreversible thermodynamics, and special topics in statistical mechanics. Topics vary with interests of students. May be repeated for credit, but only if different topics are covered.

Seminars and Special Courses

CH 6710 Teaching Chemistry 3(3,0) Topics in chemistry addressed in the context of construc-tivist methodologies. Also considers laboratory work and management, laboratory safety, and the use of technology in the chemistry classroom. Preq: 3000-level chemistry course or high school teaching experience or consent of instructor.

CH 7040 Selected Topics for Chemistry Teachers 1-6(1-6,1-6) Directed individual study in designing experiments and teaching materials or an in-depth study of one or more advanced topics. For graduate students in Elementary and Secondary Education. May be repeated, but only if different topics are covered. Offered spring semester of odd-numbered years only.

CH 8000 Professional Development Issues in Chemistry 1(1,0) Covers development of professional behavior for graduate students in chemistry, including communication skills, teaching techniques, research ethics, career management, “grantsmanship,” and intellectual property issues in science. Preq: Graduate standing in Chemistry.

CH 8400 Techniques of Experimental Chemistry 3(1,6) Theory and practice in major experimental techniques used in chemical research; chromatography; NMR, IR, visible, UV, and ORD/CD spectrophotometry; glassblowing and high vacuum techniques; mass spectrometry; ESR; Mössbauer spectrometry and tracer analysis.

CH 8410 Chemical Applications of NMR Spectroscopy 3(2,2) Basic concepts of NMR spectroscopy with application to organic, inorganic, physical, and analytical chemistry; design of spectroscopic experiments and interpretation of spectra; modern techniques including multipulse, multinuclear, and two-dimensional methods. Offered fall semester only. Preq: CH 3310 and 3320 or consent of instructor.

CH 8510 Graduate Student Seminar 1-2(1-2,0) Students and faculty review current topics in chemistry. May be taken more than one semester.

CH 8520 Departmental Seminar 1-2(1-2,0) Off-campus speakers are invited to present aspects of their research to the chemistry faculty and graduate students every week during the academic year. Some of these talks may form the basis for cumulative examination questions. Attendance is mandatory. May be taken more than one semester.  Preq: Approved bachelor’s degree.

CH 8600 Chemical Biology 3(3,0) Covers fundamentals of chemical biology by examining the structure, function, bonding, and reactivity of nucleic acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Topics are covered from the perspective of organic, inorganic, analytic, and physical chemistry. Credit will be given for only one of CH 860, BIOCH 631. Preq: Undergraduate coursework  in organic, inorganic, physical, and analytic chemistry; or consent of instructor.

Research

CH 8910 Master’s Thesis Research 1-12
CH 9910 Doctoral Dissertation Research 1-12